MWSF: More Mini iPod Confirmation and Detail?

[MacRumors]

Amidst the buzz surrounding the rumored "mini" iPods coming, MacRumors has received reliable confirmation that new iPods will be announced at MacWorld San Francisco.

The new iPods will be physically smaller than current iPods. The "mini" description reportedly refers not only to the diminished capacity (2GB and 4GB by some reports), but also to the physical size of the units.

The mini iPods will also come in a variety of solid colors as previously reported... but no confirmation on patterns/stripes. At least one of the colors intended is reported to be "Gold" (not plated).

Pricing of the new iPods remains unclear -- with conflicting reports, but is reportedly significantly less current models.

[Marlon_JBT]

Any news on pricing?

[macnews]

not sure I would like to see a flavor of colored mini-ipods, but my wife will like it if I get her one. Hopefully these will be in the 100-200 price range.

[toughboy]

oh god! lets hope they wont be cheessy!

white is good, maybe black would go good but, to keep the idea of simplicity, I wouldnt release it with a thousand color choices!.. lets keep it simple..

small capacity with low price is a good idea though!...

I'm sure Apple is gonna make something cool.. lets wait and see...

[arn]

Originally posted by Marlon_JBT
Any news on pricing?

exact amount is unclear, but (obviously) less then current models.

arn

[toughboy]

Originally posted by arn
exact amount is unclear, but (obviously) less then current models.

arn

would you consider expecting something around 100$ as optimism??

[awulf]

I hope they have a white coloured one.

If these mini iPods are any good and cheap I might buy one since I have about $100 to spend.

If it cant be used as a storage device then I wont be buying one.

[arn]

Originally posted by toughboy
would you consider expecting something around 100$ as optimism??

well, let me put it this way....

and this is without any particular inside knowledge... but simply looking at the existing industry.

$99 Flash MP3 players on the market right now top out at 128MB

2GB MicroDrives cost $250+ for the drives alone. [edit: $350 here]

I don't see how Apple's going to sell them at $99 for 2GB... but who knows...

arn

[toughboy]

Originally posted by awulf
I hope they have a white coloured one.

If these mini iPods are any good and cheap I might buy one since I have about $100 to spend.

If it cant be used as a storage device then I wont be buying one.

another question is, if they will have a harddrive just like the normal versions, or a memory-like thing..

harddrive solution would be lot cheaper though...

[Trowaman]

Well, it sounds cool and good for the company. I have a few friends saying they'd jump on them if they are a cheap as we all hope ($99). But I got what I wanted for X-mas so it doens;t really affect me any more.

*Hint what I got is small white and is 20 gigs of fun

[toughboy]

Originally posted by Trowaman
Well, it sounds cool and good for the company. I have a few friends saying they'd jump on them if they are a cheap as we all hope ($99). But I got what I wanted for X-mas so it doens;t really affect me any more.

*Hint what I got is small white and is 20 gigs of fun

congrats...

it sounds 10 times fun as those 2gigs "mini" ipods!

hope u'll enjoy..

[ITR 81]

Why do they have to be painted?

I think most would like to change them sortof like you can do with Nokia phones.

iPod news is good but no PM's for Jan. is making me wonder if the 3Ghz will come before the deadline....

[Nermal]

This multi-colour idea could be a nightmare for resellers. The popular colours would sell quickly, and the unpopular colours will start piling up in the warehouse. Didn't they have the same problem with the multicoloured iMacs?

[toughboy]

Originally posted by arn
well, let me put it this way....

and this is without any particular inside knowledge... but simply looking at the existing industry.

$99 Flash MP3 players on the market right now top out at 128MB

2GB MicroDrives cost $250+ for the drives alone. [edit: $350 here]

I don't see how Apple's going to sell them at $99 for 2GB... but who knows...

arn

I see..

but I mean, 300$ is the 10gb vers, and if its gonna be something like 250, then, either this rumor is fake, or it wont sell!

I would still expect 99$ for 2 gigs and 149$ for 4gigs, if somehow they are going to be released...

[arn]

Originally posted by toughboy
I see..

but I mean, 300$ is the 10gb vers, and if its gonna be something like 250, then, either this rumor is fake, or it wont sell!

I would still expect 99$ for 2 gigs and 149$ for 4gigs, if somehow they are going to be released...

yep, I believe this rumor (cheaper, mini ipods) , so I guess we have to assume Apple somehow got pricing down.

arn

[ITR 81]

Originally posted by Nermal
This multi-colour idea could be a nightmare for resellers. The popular colours would sell quickly, and the unpopular colours will start piling up in the warehouse. Didn't they have the same problem with the multicoloured iMacs?

Thats why I think they should go the coloured shell route. Means resellers don't get stuck with unpopular colours.

[bertagert]

I'm going to stick to my guns and say no mini ipods will come out. If Apple does a small flash (256mb - 512mb) I guess it could be done. However, I don't see it.

[iomar]

Wow, this will be great! Can't wait to get one of them!

[displaced]

Re: the colouring:

Maybe this will see Apple use their patented process on colouring plastics?

At any rate, I'd imagine the process would be similar to that which they used on the Dalmation and Flower Power iMacs. The quality of this process was excellent, although the actual patterns weren't to everyone's taste

I'm sure Mr. Ive won't let cheesyness rule.

[caveman_uk]

Am I the only one who thinks $100 ipods are really unlikely? You only have to look at the price of RAM to know that 2GB costs more than $100. As another reader pointed out those IBM minidrives aren't exactly cheap either...

Maybe Apple has found a way of giving reasonably large storage and low price but given their love of margins I doubt it. Something has to give - either it ain't $100 or it ain't multi-GB

[splashman]

Originally posted by displaced
Re: the colouring:

Maybe this will see Apple use their patented process on colouring plastics?

At any rate, I'd imagine the process would be similar to that which they used on the Dalmation and Flower Power iMacs. The quality of this process was excellent, although the actual patterns weren't to everyone's taste

I'm sure Mr. Ive won't let cheesyness rule.

Uh, Mr. Ive presided over the toilet-seat-cover iBooks, the candy-colored iMacs and the Dalmatian / Flower Power mess. Looking at them now is like looking at 1970's fashions. Yes, they got a lot of headlines and photo-ops, but the reaction of many (including me) was "What the heck are Apple's designers smoking?"

I'm not predicting that Ive will lay an egg with the low-cost iPods (although it's certainly possible!). I'm just trying to keep my expectations realistic by recalling a bit of recent history.

[ZildjianKX]

Okay, you guys should know this by now.

Take price you expect Apple to release a new product as, and times it by 1.5.

I expect the mini ipods to start at $100, means they will start at $150.

[splashman]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
Am I the only one who thinks $100 ipods are really unlikely? You only have to look at the price of RAM to know that 2GB costs more than $100. As another reader pointed out those IBM minidrives aren't exactly cheap either...

Maybe Apple has found a way of giving reasonably large storage and low price but given their love of margins I doubt it. Something has to give - either it ain't $100 or it ain't multi-GB

I agree both that something has to give and that it's probably the price. Knowing that one can't have it all, Apple has zero desire to be price-competitive; they'd much rather make the coolest toys.

Also, if they do manage even a minor leap over the competition, either in features or "coolness", then Apple will (once again) have zero incentive to keep prices down. If their entire production capacity of $300-$500 iPods can be snapped up, the public will have stampedes to get a $150 miniPod. (Hey, how's that for a name? miniPod!)

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by splashman
(Hey, how's that for a name? miniPod!)

So long as it isn't either iPod-lite or iPod extreme...

[backspinner]

Maybe, just maybe, they will change their price structure this time (for the music stuff only). Maybe they will sell these miniPods on a loss or very little profit. Just to get a big momentum on the player market, AAC downloads and the music store. Others do this and that works (Dells are initially cheap you now), as long as you can produce in large quantity. With the cheap small devices as bait, the expensive large devices will still sell and maybe even attract more buyers...