iPod What will Apple do with the iPod Classic?

[macmike47]

So, we all (think we) know what's going to happen with the Nano and Touch, but what will Apple do with the Classic next month?

Here are a few options:

1) bump up to a 160GB or even 240/250GB HD

2) discontinue it completely in light of a 64GB iPod Touch (I always thought they'd wait till 128GB to do this though...)

3) leave it where it is at 120GB, maybe with a slight price drop.

What do you think/hope will happen?

 

[carlosbutler]

im pretty sure that if they stopped the 120gb, it would seem as a 'step back' so to speak in technology for iPods since the thing most people (that want an ipod for music and video) look at is the size, imo.

personally i dont think they will do anything to it, as its already an epic thing to own. eventually when they do stop it, i will be sad to see it stop production as that specific design, and product is essentially what got apple into the history books and made them in to what they are today.

 

[racer1441]

my theory is that it hangs around as is for atleast a year or two. Once you start getting the touch and nano into the higher double gigs, 64+ more and more people are going to keep to those devices and move past the classic.

OR....they will update the classic to solid state memory instead of the hard drive.

 

[Teej guy]

Two guesses:

1) Increase the size of the iPod Classic and possibly update the design very slightly.
2) Completely do away with the iPod Classic design and make a hard drive edition of the iPod Touch to drive more people to the app store.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Two guesses:

1) Increase the size of the iPod Classic and possibly update the design very slightly.
2) Completely do away with the iPod Classic design and make a hard drive edition of the iPod Touch to drive more people to the app store.

1. Not going to happen; they got RID of a larger model already.
2. Not going to happen; flash media is the future; they won't be making any more HDD iPods.

 

[Teej guy]

1. Not going to happen; they got RID of a larger model already.
2. Not going to happen; flash media is the future; they won't be making any more HDD iPods.

Just like the matte screen coming back to the 15" was not going to happen. Not in a million years.

The reason they got rid of the 160GB was because they wanted only one iPod Classic in the range. They didn't want to keep the model with the thicker size. They can easily refresh the current iPod Classic by switching to a larger 1.8" drive and leave it at that. Option 1.

Solid state media IS the future, no doubt about that. However, the answer is in that statement...the future. It's too expensive to make a 120GB iPod with an SSD right now. Until that time (I'd say between a year and three years), there will probably still be an iPod with a hard drive for those who want lots of on-the-go music.

Keeping all of that in mind (humour me for a second here...I know you "know" Apple is dropping all hard drives from iPods with this refresh ). Doesn't it make sense for them to update the entire range to using the touch interface since it'll bring them more app store customers? They do want to make money, after all. Option 2.

 

[Lukeyboy01]

Just like the matte screen coming back to the 15" was not going to happen. Not in a million years.

The reason they got rid of the 160GB was because they wanted only one iPod Classic in the range. They didn't want to keep the model with the thicker size. They can easily refresh the current iPod Classic by switching to a larger 1.8" drive and leave it at that. Option 1.

Solid state media IS the future, no doubt about that. However, the answer is in that statement...the future. It's too expensive to make a 120GB iPod with an SSD right now. Until that time (I'd say between a year and three years), there will probably still be an iPod with a hard drive for those who want lots of on-the-go music.

Keeping all of that in mind (humour me for a second here...I know you "know" Apple is dropping all hard drives from iPods with this refresh ). Doesn't it make sense for them to update the entire range to using the touch interface since it'll bring them more app store customers? They do want to make money, after all. Option 2.

The Matte screen did come back

 

[instaxgirl]

The Matte screen did come back

That was the point Teej Guy was making.

I think the Classic'll maybe stick around for another year with pretty much no change apart from capacity. The touch isn't big enough or cheap enough to really stand in for it yet (also, I'm not too sold on the touch as an iPod really. I think the controls on the classic are better)

OP, you might find this thread interesting:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/746905/

 

[Darth.Titan]

The reason they got rid of the 160GB was because they wanted only one iPod Classic in the range. They didn't want to keep the model with the thicker size. They can easily refresh the current iPod Classic by switching to a larger 1.8" drive and leave it at that. Option 1.

No, the reason they got rid of the 160GB Classic was because nobody was buying it. In fact the 160GB is still available in the refurb store. If people really wanted it, these would have sold out a while back. Apple won't increase the Classic's size again.

I think the Classic is too iconic to dispose of however. My opinion is that it will see minimal (if any) change this year. Same size, same general form factor. Customers still want a higher capacity option than the Nano. By next year as flash prices get down low enough to make a 128GB flash iPod feasible, you'll see a much thinner iPod Classic with flash memory.

Of course at that point the larger bulkier Classic may be phased out and replaced by a high capacity Nano, but the small screen size of the Nano may help the Classic stay alive.

There will never be a hard drive-based iPod Touch.

 

[Teej guy]

No, the reason they got rid of the 160GB Classic was because nobody was buying it. In fact the 160GB is still available in the refurb store. If people really wanted it, these would have sold out a while back. Apple won't increase the Classic's size again.

That's sort of my point. The reason Apple wanted only one Classic in the range is because it wasn't worth them making two models for the number of sales they had.

The reason I think there's going to be a size update (even if it was just a small bump from 120 to 160) is because it would be very unlike them to hold an iPod event like this and not update the classic. Since prices have come down over the past year on 1.8" drives and you can easily get 160GB 1.8", I don't think it would be out of the realm of possibility for them to do a small update to the Classic to maintain consumer interest and awareness.

I think the Classic is too iconic to dispose of however. My opinion is that it will see minimal (if any) change this year. Same size, same general form factor.

Exactly. I agree with the first half...I just think we'll see a minimal size upgrade and same general form factor.

Customers still want a higher capacity option than the Nano. By next year as flash prices get down low enough to make a 128GB flash iPod feasible, you'll see a much thinner iPod Classic with flash memory.

I agree except on the timeline...might be a little longer than a year, but it's certainly not far off.

There will never be a hard drive-based iPod Touch.

The only reason I suggested that might be a possibility is if they introduced one and replaced the Classic, they'd gain more app store customers. It's a far out idea and probably won't happen, but I still think it's plausible, at least until SSD prices come down.

 

[Sandy Santra]

the 160GB is still available in the refurb store

Yep, and I was about to buy one, until I started researching them. Any discussion of the 160GB should reference the dozens of threads out there about its bugginess and Apple's failure to address same.

There is a known bug resultant from the buffer not being large enough to handle the data handoff under certain circumstances, the result being unexpected, unpredictable 2-second silences. What's interesting about all the threads and reports is that NO ONE ever seems to have found a fix for this (except maybe one guy who turned off cover art). Firmware upgrades never really fixed it; and it didn't seem to help if you ripped at a low bit rate, either.

OTOH, there are NOT similar dozens of threads and 100s of posts about the 120GB; so it seems they must have fixed the problem.

I'm just trying to decide if I should buy a 120GB this week.

 

[Teej guy]

I guess the problems they were having with the 160GB hardware also prompted its removal from the line-up.

I'm just trying to decide if I should buy a 120GB this week.

I'm definitely not! I need a new iPod too, my 5G 80GB is slowly getting worse and worse. I'm waiting until after the iPod event in early September. You'll pay the same amount of money for a product that is a year old if you buy one now. Wait a few weeks, see if they update the classic, and get the latest

 

[Sandy Santra]

Wait a few weeks, see if they update the classic, and get the latest

Great idea. And if it's not something I want, they'll probably put refurbished 120GB iPods on the website for cheaper, so I could get it later anyway.

My only concern is that the current 120GB may be the last of a certain type of device, and now might be my only change to get one brand new.

 

[Teej guy]

Great idea. And if it's not something I want, they'll probably put refurbished 120GB iPods on the website for cheaper, so I could get it later anyway.

Exactly what I'm thinking too.

My only concern is that the current 120GB may be the last of a certain type of device, and now might be my only change to get one brand new.

It's not like the second they announce something new/discontinue a product, all the new boxed outdated product disappears. If you want the 120GB new after the event, I'm sure you'll be able to find it somewhere online or in person, especially since you're in NYC.

 

[gan6660]

If they dont discontinue it I think they will bump the capicity and lower the price to $199. Also if they dont change the design you know that the classic is dieing since that will be the first time they kept the same design for an ipod for more than 2 years.

 

[armoguy94]

What I think they are going to do is discontinue it once there becomes much more storage capacity in the iPod Touch and iPhone.

However, what I think they SHOULD do is make it thinner by moving to flash memory, and change the OS or interface up a bit to make it very compelling. Also, adding OGG/FLAC support and support for other types of media formats even though I know that will never happen.

They could higher the audio quality in the classic, move it to flash, and add support for a whole bunch of media formats. This would make it like the "Professional" model of all iPods.

 

[Teej guy]

1. Not going to happen; they got RID of a larger model already.

And from the keynote today: "We're upping the capacity to 160GB, same price. $249."

Maybe, just maybe you'll stop posting your opinion as point blank fact?

So far you're two for two...they brought matte back and upped the classic capacity. I don't mean to be a dick but really...it's annoying when you lead others astray by making it look as if you know what you're talking about, but you're really talking out your ass.

 

[Michael CM1]

And from the keynote today: "We're upping the capacity to 160GB, same price. $249."

Maybe, just maybe you'll stop posting your opinion as point blank fact?

So far you're two for two...they brought matte back and upped the classic capacity. I don't mean to be a dick but really...it's annoying when you lead others astray by making it look as if you know what you're talking about, but you're really talking out your ass.

I love when people talk about the future of something as if it's, well, the present. Yah, flash media is the FUTURE. But when someone wants a crapload of storage, you gotta use HDDs to make them affordable.

If the poster wants to go 0-for-3, he can claim Apple will never put an FM tuner on an iPod.