iPod Shuffle To Be Discontinued?

[aswitcher]

A would like them to hang around, drop price and go black...

 

[miranderm]

shuffle

I'm not sure why Apple would give away the low-end mp3 player market to one of their competitors. The Shuffle is a gateway iPod. It's also a good "second" iPod. Rumor doesn't make musch sense to me unless Apple's planning to release a Shuffle replacement at the same time.

Shuffle is great!! Colour shape and texture are always optionally modifiable.

 

[Doctor Q]

Perhaps it's time to stock up on iPod shuffles so I can sell them when Apple no longer does!

I wonder if rumors like this actually cause anyone to buy products "just in case" they are about to become unavailable.

I did have an urge to snap up an iPod mini or two just as they were being replaced because I thought some people would still prefer the mini's form factor and colors.

 

[Yvan256]

Wishful thinking but if the shuffle is dropped and the nano replaces it maybe they're making headway for the sought after true video iPod. My guess if this is the case Apple wouldn't want to confuse customers with so many options, that being 4 different models plus different sizes/colors to choose between them. Yes choice is good but it can be excessive.

Why would there be four different models?

The way I see it:
- iPod shuffle (new model, maybe 2/3 the size of the current iPod shuffle. White 512MB, black 1GB)
- iPod nano (White 2GB and 4GB, black 8GB)
- iPod (new model, "Video iPod / PDA / Kitchen Sink / etc" - white 40GB, black 80GB)

Just like the iPod photo replaced the old iPod and the iPod with video replaced the iPod, the new iPod will replace the iPod. If that makes any sense...

And don't forget: the iPod shuffle is the only iPod that doesn't require you to carry a cable to connect it to a computer. And if they price it right (and adjust the price often enough), they can compete with those low-cost USB drives ("hey, for only 10$ more I get an iPod").

 

[Warbrain]

Why would there be four different models?

The way I see it:
- iPod shuffle (new model, maybe 2/3 the size of the current iPod shuffle. White 512MB, black 1GB)
- iPod nano (White 2GB and 4GB, black 8GB)
- iPod (new model, "Video iPod / PDA / Kitchen Sink / etc" - white 40GB, black 80GB)

Just like the iPod photo replaced the old iPod and the iPod with video replaced the iPod, the new iPod will replace the iPod. If that makes any sense...

And don't forget: the iPod shuffle is the only iPod that doesn't require you to carry a cable to connect it to a computer. And if they price it right (and adjust the price often enough), they can compete with those low-cost USB drives ("hey, for only 10$ more I get an iPod").

This would work except for the fact that Apple released the iPod photo before merging the iPod and iPod photo lines together. There would be four different models for a time.

Personally, keep the shuffle. I love mine. When they dropped the price to 69 bucks for a 512 MB, I went and bought one. It's at the perfect price. People are buying them. They're nice to have when you have an old iPod with a terrible battery.

 

[aswitcher]

Why would there be four different models?

The way I see it:
- iPod shuffle (new model, maybe 2/3 the size of the current iPod shuffle. White 512MB, black 1GB)
- iPod nano (White 2GB and 4GB, black 8GB)
- iPod (new model, "Video iPod / PDA / Kitchen Sink / etc" - white 40GB, black 80GB)

Just like the iPod photo replaced the old iPod and the iPod with video replaced the iPod, the new iPod will replace the iPod. If that makes any sense...

And don't forget: the iPod shuffle is the only iPod that doesn't require you to carry a cable to connect it to a computer. And if they price it right (and adjust the price often enough), they can compete with those low-cost USB drives ("hey, for only 10$ more I get an iPod").

That would be a nice outcome. Now if the nano had an OELD display that allow me to look through my music and files that would be perfect.

 

[mproud]

This would work except for the fact that Apple released the iPod photo before merging the iPod and iPod photo lines together. There would be four different models for a time.

Personally, keep the shuffle. I love mine. When they dropped the price to 69 bucks for a 512 MB, I went and bought one. It's at the perfect price. People are buying them. They're nice to have when you have an old iPod with a terrible battery.

I agree with everything you said.

The other nice thing is, it's a flash drive. AND it has a one-year warranty, so if it stops working, you can get it serviced.

 

[zv470]

Eeek Noooooooo!! That would be really bad.

 

[KindredMAC]

SpyMac shouldn't be trusted for anything anymore. That website is the example of how you can f*** such a good thing up by sheer greed.

I haven't been over there in a long time. Kinda pissed me up when they dumped all of our Gallery postings when they upgraded their system. Just took all that made SpyMac, SpyMac, and threw it out like yesterday's garbage.

I think the Shuffle should be kept....at least one model sub $100, maybe even sub $70. My Shuffle is great for a quick and easy mini music fix. I've been using my 3rd Gen iPod more lately, but only because I've been using it more as a Hard Drive for taking work back and forth from my work office and my home office. Amazing how 10GB is actually more than enough to hold 700+ songs and a whole mess of Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash files!

I think some of these bigger iPod's are just plain obese except when it comes to video. The average consumer really only needs a high end Nano. How many "Average Joes", aka PC users or Mac users like my parents, actually use the current video set up for buying and watching TV shows? I don't think many... I don't think I would use it much if I ever upgraded from my 3G iPod to a new Video iPod. It's "cool tech" not a necessity.

 

[celebrian23]

I can't see the shuffle being tossed out. It fills an amazing niche that the nano cannot fill. I think if anyhting, it whill be updated, but it will stay. It's a great gift for kids too- not a full-blown ipod where you have to worry about your 13 yr. old scratching it up, but still offers a valuable service. It's also great for the car.

 

[Shamus]

I think it would be sad to see the sub-$100 iPod range disappear. As others have mentioned, it is a great USB thumb drive, because you have the plug there with you all the time.

Of course the Shuffle will be discontinued at some time in the future, but it will certainly be replaced by something even better. SpyMac seem to be stating the obvious with this one...

"Hey, everyone! The Macbook is going to be discontinued!......eventually"

 

[corywoolf]

I bet they discontinue the 512 MB and put a newly designed 1 GB Shuffle @ $69. The 1 GB nano gets dropped to $99. That would be sick!

 

[.Andy]

I hope they don't drop it or at least replace it with something comparable. I dont' have one but have always meant to pick one up when I had some extra cash to combine as a USB storage device whilst at work. I bought one for my fiance and she loves it to death. It put her on the iTunes and podcast bandwagon where she was othewise apathetic towards any tech.

 

[ccool2ax]

Wishful thinking but if the shuffle is dropped and the nano replaces it maybe they're making headway for the sought after true video iPod. My guess if this is the case Apple wouldn't want to confuse customers with so many options, that being 4 different models plus different sizes/colors to choose between them. Yes choice is good but it can be excessive.

Sorry, but the "true video Ipod" is BS. Apple and others have released so much 320x240 content already. The rumor sites finally got to stop making Video iPod rumors when the 5g came out, but since there was no product to make rumors up off of, they just kept doing Video iPod.

Ignore my sig, outta date.

 

[truz]

I agree, I think the shuffle should stay... I just purchased a 512mb and a 1gb for myself and wife. I plan to start running again as shes been asking for a running partner, I thought they would be great for running. I got the 512mb in today and I have to say they are very unique and seem like they can handle a beatin'.

Unless apple plans on making something smaller and better I don't think the shuffle should leave the market.

 

[menziep]

I For one Agree with spymac due to Evadence of this

1. The iPod Hi-Fi didnt have full support for the shuffle (No USB)
2. If stocks are too high then there not selling and its pointless for apple to continue making the shuffle
3. Apple make more money selling the iPod 5th gen and the Nano

 

[kneeslasher]

.

The Shuffle was the only iPod with transcode-on-the-fly ability from iTunes. I hap hoped this ability would be added to the other iPods as well. Conversely, Apple are pulling the only iPod which had this ability...

 

[peharri]

I think the Shuffle will be discontinued.

But I think they'll replace it. It's, right now, a bit of an anachronism. vs the competition, it's poorly featured (its major advantage is that it can play stuff from the iTMS, and given its low capacity, I'm sure a lot of people are more than happy to burn music to a CD and re-import it to get it to work on a competitor.) Despite the iPod branding, it has nothing whatsoever in common with the other iPods.

The competition has devices that work with cheaply available external storage and that have some form of display, in the same price range. The capacity issue will become more and more important, given the plummetting price of flash memory.

I suspect Apple will rethink it. It will want to continue to have a player in the sub-$100 category, it's just the Shuffle isn't the right machine. I strongly doubt it'll be an iPod nano, and I suspect whatever it is will need to be limited to not compete with the nano. But you might see a small, 1G (non-upgradable), monochrome machine for under $100, with something resembling a touch-wheel, once the iPod nano models have had their capacities significantly upgraded.

 

[Caitlyn]

I've been waiting for this new lineup to take effect since the 1GB Nano was released, so really no surprise here.

Just a guess, but I'm thinking the lineup will end up being something like this:
iPod Nano 1GB (Shuffle Line Replacement)
iPod Nano 2GB (Shuffle Line Replacement)
iPod Nano 6GB (Current Nano Line Replacement)
iPod Nano 8GB (Current Nano Line Replacement)
"iPod AV" 60GB (Current 5G Line Replacement)
"iPod AV" 80GB (Current 5G Line Replacement)

Again, just a guess, but I could see it working out nicely actually.

 

[johnmcboston]

Shuffle - no brainer

why so anti-shuffle?

they serve 2 purposes very well:

1) hook people without a lot of money to spend ...
2) it's an excellent bare-bones, worry-free,

You forget the Mom factor. Not being a geek something like scrolling through menus and playlists and all is too confusing for her (and other non technoids). Let's face it - she still carries a cassette deck cuz it's easy.

A shuffle with a big PLAY button is jsut what she needs. (yes, I have to load it with songs for her.

 

[semaja2]

i think they should stay, like seriously its a great mp3 player ive been meaning to buy one just so i can sync my songs and podcasts to it in the mornings, i mean i dont have like 500 bucks to spend on a proper ipod and can hardly afford to buy a shuffle.

 

[madmaxmedia]

The Shuffle was the only iPod with transcode-on-the-fly ability from iTunes. I hap hoped this ability would be added to the other iPods as well. Conversely, Apple are pulling the only iPod which had this ability...

The Shuffle itself isn't doing it, it's all through iTunes. So it's up to Apple to add support for other iPods, they just haven't done so...

 

[zap2]

Up the Nano to 2Gb, 4Gb, and ,6Gbs and have a 1Gb Shuffle and a 512 and your good

 

[thejadedmonkey]

There was a rumor of the "real" video iPod being different from the iPod, so it would be shuffle, nano, ipod, video. a 4 ipod lineup.

Apple's all about doing things in threes...3 laptops, 3 desktops.
Here's my predictions..or rather wishful thinking.

All three iPods are end of life'd.

the iPod Shuffle gets revised to become an iPod shuffle II
the core iPod becomes a flash based player with 10 gigs of space and slightly smaller.
the iPod video is released.

 

[zap2]

Apple's all about doing things in threes...3 laptops, 3 desktops.

Um not really

Laptop-2 MacBook and MacBook Pro(before that PowerBook and iBook)
Desktop-iMac, Mac Mini eMac and PowerMac