iPod iPod Classic 2011

Apple let the Mac's 25th anniversary slide without any fanfare. I think they sent out a press release...

So, I don't expect much if any acknowledgement about the 10th anniversary of the iPod, let alone any special edition iPod.

Will the classic last that long? If the iPod touch gets 128GB this September, I think the classic will be dead and the touch will take its throne as the flagship "iPod" (drop "Touch" from the name).

I've always thought it'd be a matter of time before Apple did some "spring cleaning" and axed the classic, if not the shuffle, from the product line. Then you'd have the Nano at the low-end ($99, $79 if we're lucky), and the touch for everything else.

Not sure if there's any way to say whether or not they'll kill it this time around. But I think it IS safe to say that if it's part of the 2010 lineup, it will be exactly the same device we got in 2009. Any changes/upgrades to design, drive type, or anything would have required R&D, and overhauls to the manufacturing line, all of which costs a lot of money, money I doubt Apple would be pouring into the Classic at this point.

They might just weigh out if the numbers of units they are moving justify the manufacturing and raw material costs they take on making the Classic. As long as the end result is a significant enough number in the black, we'll keep seeing the Classic.

Right now, there is a segment of the iPod buying population who's needs are only met by the Classic. Even when the Touch hits 128GB (whether this year or next), it's high price will STILL make the Classic the obvious choice for some people, so we'll see. That's why I think even a price drop on the Classic is unlikely, as that would just provide new buyers with one more reason to choose a Classic over a Touch.
Imagine looking at a $199 price point and deciding between an 8GB or 16GB Touch, or a 160GB Classic. Assuming the potential buyer MOSTLY wants the iPod for Music/media, he's going to have a hard time convincing himself, that getting at least 10 times the storage space isn't worth giving up playing with a toy piano or a pretend Zippo lighter on his iPod. I know these are silly example of apps, but there are a LOT of these. A large percentage of it could be sorted into the "time killer" category.