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Apple is so stupid not to update the iPod mini

D

dferigmu

macrumors 6502
Original poster
The iPod mini is stuck at 4 GB of storage, 8 hours battery life, and no extras. I mean, look at the competition! Is Apple really this dumb? There's only so long an overpriced, underperforming product can keep it's cool-factor.

Dell Pocket DJ
5 GB
10 hours battery life
$199

Rio Carbon
5 GB
20 hours battery life
Voice recording
$249

Virgin Player
5 GB
FM tuner
Dual headphone jacks
$249

Creative Zen Micro
5 GB
12 hours battery life
FM tuner/recorder
Voice recorder
$249
 
Quick! Call Steve! Apple is stupid again today.

Maybe they should and they probably in the near future will but... right now the iPod has such name brand going for it people really don't care. If you asked almost anybody to name an MP3 player iPod would most likely be the first thing out of their mouth. iPod has almost replaced the word MP3 player just like Kleenex is what people use for tissue, Band-Aid instead of bandage, SilentPanda instead of really cool forum user... 🙂

I don't think they're too worried.
 
I dont like Apple ever updated the iPod within a year of its release, so at the EARLIEST, the ipod mini might be updated to 5GB in January, maybe more colors? who knows

remember, when Apple first released the iPod mini, the max drive available was 4GB, so when the "copycat" ones were released, the 5GB drive was already available.

Yes, the iPod mini does need an update, but that doesnt make apple stupid. to some people, an extra gb doesnt matter, if apple is gonna make an update, its gonna make it matter.
 
shucks. looks like radio lovers and people with four ears are missing out big time with the mini. that's stupid.
 
JeDiBoYTJ said:
the ipod mini might be updated to 5GB in January, maybe more colors?
Click to expand...

Do you think upgrading iPod mini to 5GB is enough? I mean it's only 1GB. Since now the smalled iPod is 20GB, the mini could probably go up a bit more without getting to close to the iPod in GB size and still keep the $249 price tag without people thinking that they could get 5 times the space for just $50 more. If they went up to, oh i dunno.....8GB then there would be less of a gap with the 20GB iPod. I mean Im not sure if 8GB HDs are out at that size, but thats just an example.... 🙂

Hope that made sense.
 
I think everyone knows that an update is postively iminent at MWSF in January. It goes with the annual update as well as a refresher. Im guessing they will stay in the same form and colors but with the addition of 5-6!gb microdrive, and improved battery life at 10 hours. It will stay the same price but a price drop may occur before the summer to $199. And of course we can't rule out the addition of a flash model at MWSF which i believe is also iminent.

Set these words in stone Steve.
 
Considering how poorly most FM receivers are rated, and how poorly voice recording works on most units, I fail to see how leaving these features out makes Apple stupid.

Of course, if someone is going for the "most for the least", I'm sure there are many better examples.

I would consider that organisation and ease of use (or lack of frustration) makes the iPod mini worth whatever is not included in the others.
 
tech4all said:
Do you think upgrading iPod mini to 5GB is enough? I mean it's only 1GB. Since now the smalled iPod is 20GB, the mini could probably go up a bit more without getting to close to the iPod in GB size and still keep the $249 price tag without people thinking that they could get 5 times the space for just $50 more. If they went up to, oh i dunno.....8GB then there would be less of a gap with the 20GB iPod. I mean Im not sure if 8GB HDs are out at that size, but thats just an example.... 🙂

Hope that made sense.
Click to expand...

It's not just an issue of adding a bigger HD. In order to keep the Mini's size, you must also keep a small HD in there. To my knowledge, the most spacious HD whose dimensions match the HD in the current Mini are either 6 or 8 gigs (and I'm not sure if they're actually in any devices yet). Anyway, Apple wouldn't just start doing business with some company just because they had the 6 or 8 gig HD -- I'm sure there are strict terms that the supplier must abide by in order for Apple to do business with them.
 
Apple does not need FM transmitters or voice recorders in their iPods right now......they have lots of companies doing that for them. The iPod is profitable for Apple and all of these 3rd party companies.

If you think the mini is stupid......don't buy one. Buy a dull dj....I'm sure it will be great.
 
FM tuner!? who the hell wants that?? Isnt that why you have an iPod? I havent listened to the radio once since i got mine and I am happier for it!

One of the reasons the ipods remain the obvious best is because they DONT add on a bunch of crap. They play music and they play it well...very well. There is always some new device that supposedly offers so muh more than the ipod and cheaper blah blah and yet the ipod continues to gain popularity. theres a reason for that.
 
earthtoandy said:
FM tuner!? who the hell wants that?? Isnt that why you have an iPod? I havent listened to the radio once since i got mine and I am happier for it!

One of the reasons the ipods remain the obvious best is because they DONT add on a bunch of crap. They play music and they play it well...very well. There is always some new device that supposedly offers so muh more than the ipod and cheaper blah blah and yet the ipod continues to gain popularity. theres a reason for that.
Click to expand...

radios played music before ipods and even personal storage media.

there is good radio out... it is not iMusic... it's iPod... you can already do games and some PDA functionality with it... how the heck is THAT music related... that's not even audio.

radio and voice-recording are more related to iPod than Calendar integration... or photos.

It seems like people who say otherwise are just seeing everthing through apple-tinted glasses... and will only like features that they're told to like.

And if voice recording is such a bad thing because it's such a good MUSIC player, where to audio books fit in?

Oh wait... you can make money off audio-books and music...
 
There's little point in rolling out an update because there are other players with 1GB more storage. If the others were 10GB then maybe you'd have a point, but as it is, Apple are still on a winner.
 
maybe they'll update it to 5GB and release the iPod micro...? with CF slot thus giving people more flexibility CF cards, ok 8GB are still expensive, I know, and 16GB is on its way (or is there allready...) but if you have a micro player flash based you can buy different CF cards depending on your budget and not being limited to 4GB for a mini player...

not everyone wnats to have all his/her music with them all the time (I can't fit my library onto my 30GB, I need to buy the 60GB to achieve that...)
keep all your music in iTunes, and put your favorie music on the player...

with the CF player (or another flash-type... according to form factor) you can put different playlists on different cards, and use it like we used to do with tapes in the car or burning cd's for our discmans...

yes there are a lot of other flahbased players... but thats a segment where iPod is still missing, cheaper, more flexible...

so steve if you read this ;-)
 
dferigmu said:
There's only so long an overpriced, underperforming product can keep it's cool-factor.
Click to expand...

Yes there is, and that is when the new model comes out. But even then the old versions keep that 'cool'ness. I'm still running my 5gig 1st gen iPod and I, and many others around me, love it to bits.

There are faster cars than the one I drive, but mine's still 'cool'er.

The shirts I wear don't have the most buttons, but etc etc

The market decides ... and it has decided that Dell, Creative, Virgin and Rio blow chunks.
 
Nobody has mentioned colour screen yet...

People go crazy for the mini because of the form factor and ease of use - an extra gig or slightly longer batter life really isn't that big a deal to consumers who are attracted to the mini.

There are plenty of extras in the form of third party peripherals. And yeah Apple are dumb because we all know how well the other players are doing!🙄 😛

Saying that, I reckon an update is imminent and I'm guessing it will involve slightly longer battery life, tad more memory, hopefully a colour screen and maybe replacing some of the less popular colours with newer ones.
 
dferigmu said:
The iPod mini is stuck at 4 GB of storage, 8 hours battery life, and no extras. I mean, look at the competition! Is Apple really this dumb? There's only so long an overpriced, underperforming product can keep it's cool-factor.

Dell Pocket DJ
5 GB
10 hours battery life
$199

Rio Carbon
5 GB
20 hours battery life
Voice recording
$249

Virgin Player
5 GB
FM tuner
Dual headphone jacks
$249

Creative Zen Micro
5 GB
12 hours battery life
FM tuner/recorder
Voice recorder
$249
Click to expand...

Well, if you want to do voice recording to keep notes, it's better to use a mobile phone; if you do it for recording (journalist…) nothing beats a mini CD recorder; on the other hand, do these MP3 players offer Agenda and address sync ?

Rufus
 
SilentPanda said:
Quick! Call Steve! Apple is stupid again today.

Maybe they should and they probably in the near future will but... right now the iPod has such name brand going for it people really don't care. If you asked almost anybody to name an MP3 player iPod would most likely be the first thing out of their mouth. iPod has almost replaced the word MP3 player just like Kleenex is what people use for tissue, Band-Aid instead of bandage, SilentPanda instead of really cool forum user... 🙂

I don't think they're too worried.
Click to expand...

But the problem is, that won't last if Apple doesn't keep up with the competition. I say Apple should release a mini with a 6 GB drive (which I heard has been available for months), at least a 10-12 hour battery, and a $199 price tag. An update like that is simple, easy and one-ups the competition. Mini's would fly off the shelves.
 
dferigmu said:
Mini's would fly off the shelves.
Click to expand...

... Mini's are already fly off the shelves. No point in changing something that is selling faster than can be made. In Jan, sure, upgrade them, but there is no point in changing the game now. Christmas has already been made for Apple.
 
dferigmu said:
Mini's would fly off the shelves.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with mj_1903, Mini's are not exactly reknowned for cluttering up the shelves are they.

The next step will be to make the mini range totally flash-based. But in Jan there will only be upgrades that smack of tasters of things to come. Keep the competition trying as hard as they can: the more consumers they bring into the market with promises of FM, colour, 24hr battery; the more consumers will compare against the iPod ... and choose .. the iPod.
 
mj_1903 said:
... Mini's are already fly off the shelves. No point in changing something that is selling faster than can be made. In Jan, sure, upgrade them, but there is no point in changing the game now. Christmas has already been made for Apple.
Click to expand...

Yeah but they won't when the consumer gets tired of paying more or the same and getting less. About design, other companies like Rio are catching up with stylish products.
 
Yeah boy howdy - Apple is SO dumb that their stock is trading at a near all-time high. I can't believe these idiots in Cupertino - when are they ever going to release a product that people actually WANT? 😀 😉 🙄 😎
 
dferigmu said:
Yeah but they won't when the consumer gets tired of paying more or the same and getting less. About design, other companies like Rio are catching up with stylish products.
Click to expand...
I remember when the mini was announced that nearly everyone said it was

1) Too expensive
2) ...especially when the 20GB was only $50 more and better value
3) didn't have x, y or z functions.

As we all know the ipod mini has been a massive success and demand far outstrips supply. Yes, you and I know that there are other products that store more or cost less or have better batteries but Joe Consumer doesn't care. They want a mini and not some Dell/Rio/Creative wannabe. Yes, the mini will get updated but it won't be until after Christmas.
 
i wouldnt say Apple is stupid, i would say you are now Apples bitch. its a portable music player. who buys a device which could easily be stolen, crushed, and so damn trendy anyway that costs $249 for the mini and $299 for the original, not to mention the biggest joke of the $499 photo iPod. come on people, looks aren't everything nor are brands. if its cheap, functional, and obviously disposable, get it. my iPod yes, my iPod is garbage. 3G 15gig with a battery life of 4 hours or less, is utterly useless besides as an extremely slow external firewire disc. and some 8 hours, that i never saw in the lifetime of my iPod. so in a few months it would be safe to say my now 5 month old iPod is at the end of its life as a portable mp3 player.
 
dferigmu said:
Yeah but they won't when the consumer gets tired of paying more or the same and getting less. About design, other companies like Rio are catching up with stylish products.
Click to expand...

Great Ignorant Indris! Rio is catching up?? You have got to be kidding me. If anything, they are falling further and further behind. Just check out what some of the analysts are predicting for iPod sales over the next couple of years. Remarkable growth.

What I don't understand is why you don't buy a Rio or Dell? As you pointed out their stats are superior to the mini. And why would you want to own a "over-priced, underperforming product"?
 
Ummm...

rozwell said:
i wouldnt say Apple is stupid, i would say you are now Apples bitch. its a portable music player. who buys a device which could easily be stolen, crushed, and so damn trendy anyway that costs $249 for the mini and $299 for the original, not to mention the biggest joke of the $499 photo iPod. come on people, looks aren't everything nor are brands. if its cheap, functional, and obviously disposable, get it. my iPod yes, my iPod is garbage. 3G 15gig with a battery life of 4 hours or less, is utterly useless besides as an extremely slow external firewire disc. and some 8 hours, that i never saw in the lifetime of my iPod. so in a few months it would be safe to say my now 5 month old iPod is at the end of its life as a portable mp3 player.
Click to expand...

Uh, this doesn't make a whole lotta sense. And yes, that iPod photo is a huge joke, no one is buying those....
Do you seriously believe that looks and brands are not everything to most consumers? Ever taken any kind of business or marketing class?
 
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