2.5 GB & 5 GB iPod Minis?

[ftaok]

I'm assuming Apple and Hitachi have forged some sort of contract, as Hitachi has stated that one of the reasons for the new plant is to supply the mini. It would be weird for Apple to release a 4 and 5 gig mini, so I'm guessing that for now, Seagate is out of the game.

How difficult would it be for Apple to take the 5GB Seagate and format it to recognize only 4GB? I'm thinking that it could be done pretty easily.

Apple routinely cripples their components so features on the low-end stuff doesn't equal or surpass features on the high end stuff. This would be right up their alley.

BTW, I'm not saying that they would use the Seagate drives. Only that the 5GB capacity would not really be a reason for Apple to not use them.

 

[amols]

Well.. I don't know aboout minis, but this is certainly a good news for digital cameras and camcorders. Apple products always seems perfect until they upgrade it. And I think Apple shouldn't go increasing hd capacity of minis. Thats what "Big iPod" is for. Instead, they should opt for more features like FM, coloured screens, more battery time and yeah, faster production

 

[iChan]

I presume the next iPod update will look something like:

2.5 GB Mini: $149 ("600 songs in your pocket!")
5.0 GB Mini: $250 ("1,200 songs in your pocket!")

20 GB: $299 (w/Mini-style buttons-on-wheel design)
40 GB: $399
60 GB: $499

i think the idea behind 5,000/10,000 songs in your pocket etc. was the appeal of having so many songs in your pocket. ie. LOADS!
that was the USP (although, admittedly, not entirely unique), the design and ease of use could also be argued as USP's... but those are more subjective matters.

Apple would hardly want to advertise the fact that by buying an iPod mini, you are in fact, holding LESS songs than you currently have. so apple will probably want to focus on the coolness and sleekness of the mini, (moreso than the 3rd gen). This is evidenced by them targetting the sports market in some of their pictures on their website.

 

[iChan]

Ahh, finally the cheaper iPods the people want.


Oh yes:

Add AM/FM Radio Already! COMEON!!

just because seagate are are currently in talks with apple to supply them with these drives does not automatically mean that the iPod mini will drop in price. i mean, come on, the Mini's have not even been launched outside of the US yet and you are talking about a price drop??? the original iPod hasn't even dropped in price yet!

 

[ennerseed]

mini = just music player

Does anyone else see the iPod mini staying just a "music player", as the iPod morphs and grows features / uses?

 

[iChan]

I think it should be: 2.5 GB: $99
5 GB $199

I don't...

the thing is, i don't want the iPod to become cheap and common...

i don't mind expensive and common. if you know what i mean.

at $99 and $199 respectively, the ipod will get commoditized and i don't think apple want that at this early in the game... especially because of the fact that there is no reason for it in teh world... the price shouold be going up if anything due to demand!

 

[Billicus]

I presume the next iPod update will look something like:

2.5 GB Mini: $149 ("600 songs in your pocket!")
5.0 GB Mini: $250 ("1,200 songs in your pocket!")

20 GB: $299 (w/Mini-style buttons-on-wheel design)
40 GB: $399
60 GB: $499

I agree, that'd be better on line for closer competition with the Flash Player market. At $250, I can't see how the current line up of iPod Mini's can be much damage to the flash market. (Of course, however, I never saw much merit in the iPod Mini's from the beginning because of the price per Gigabyte...)

 

[dizastor]

More ipod choices. W00T!

 

[iChan]

How difficult would it be for Apple to take the 5GB Seagate and format it to recognize only 4GB? I'm thinking that it could be done pretty easily.

Apple routinely cripples their components so features on the low-end stuff doesn't equal or surpass features on the high end stuff. This would be right up their alley.

BTW, I'm not saying that they would use the Seagate drives. Only that the 5GB capacity would not really be a reason for Apple to not use them.

they might also do this so that they wouldn't have to market ANOTHER capacity ipod Mini... what would eb teh point???
it would be the same thing that MS did with the Xbox, some xbox's have 10GB HD's formatted to 8GB's for unity purposes.

 

[iChan]

Well.. I don't know aboout minis, but this is certainly a good news for digital cameras and camcorders. Apple products always seems perfect until they upgrade it. And I think Apple shouldn't go increasing hd capacity of minis. Thats what "Big iPod" is for. Instead, they should opt for more features like FM, coloured screens, more battery time and yeah, faster production

nono, you are going the wrong way with this, apple should add features to the white iPod and keep ramping up the Capacity of the mini... Keep Mini as the Music-only player and then make the Ipod a more multi-purpose device... this makes sense... think about it man.

 

[shawnce]

Apple is not the only company buying their product, so it is not like they can keep it secret. Also, I don't think 3200rpm will have a big impact when all you are doing is listening to music.

The issue wasn't the announcement of the new drives by Hitachi, it was that Hitachi stated (as part of the drives announcement) that Apple was going to use them in a new, as yet unannounced, iPod.

You don't announce another companies products for them without an agreement and cooperation on that announcement.

 

[DMann]

Catch up with Consumer Demand...

I love it.... catch up with
consumer demand....
who could imagine?

at $149, Apple will create MORE
consumer demand, and then have
to catch up to that!!!

This is quite remarkable by any
business standards.

 

[DMann]

Wi-Fi i-Pod

*Off-topic

I REALLY wanna see a wi-fi iPod... so then it can connect ot the net with the airport express and also stream music to the remote speakers with airtunes...

internet access will solely be for the iTMS... how cool would that be?

So would I, but how ever will we get airport
technology in those tiny little units?

 

[Doctor Q]

I don't expect the prices to drop, even if Apple finds new suppliers. I don't expect prices to change based on temporarly supply and demand issues either. I think Apple will prefer to stick to its price points and upgrade the products (more capacity) at each price point over time. That's of course equivalent to a price drop, just not presented that way.

 

[amols]

nono, you are going the wrong way with this, apple should add features to the white iPod and keep ramping up the Capacity of the mini... Keep Mini as the Music-only player and then make the Ipod a more multi-purpose device... this makes sense... think about it man.

Yes, I agree with you. Music and music oriented features should be the only concern of minis. Thats why I suggested FM instead of some remote-like mutation of mini. Also, more battery life seems logical than more HD space.

 

[beefcake]

20 GB: $299 (w/Mini-style buttons-on-wheel design)

Seeing as the casing size on the 20 GB won't be changing any time soon, why condense everything on the scroll wheel and leave all that empty space below the screen?

 

[DMann]

Cheaper.....

more of the market goes to apple!

maybe i SHOULD buy stock.

question: will they get cheaper ?
(overall- not just the obvious of the 2.5 being cheaper than the 4)

also- isn't it dumb to have a 4 and a 5?

Nothing wrong with a collection.. besides,
they will make GREAT gifts at $149

 

[g4cubed]

The issue wasn't the announcement of the new drives by Hitachi, it was that Hitachi stated (as part of the drives announcement) that Apple was going to use them in a new, as yet unannounced, iPod.

You don't announce another companies products for them without an agreement and cooperation on that announcement.

Yep, and now Steve is scrambling for something to announce at WWDC

 

[DMann]

Apple Digital Camera

it would make sense to eliminate the 4 in favor of the 5 just like they eliminated the 30 in favor of the 40. the proportians arn't exactly the same, but you get the idea.

to me, a 2.5 seems pointless as a music player. if it went into a apple digital camera, now that would be something.

Now, those rumors of the Apple Digital Camera
may "come together" and actually materialize

 

[DMann]

Good Point

it would make sense to eliminate the 4 in favor of the 5 just like they eliminated the 30 in favor of the 40. the proportians arn't exactly the same, but you get the idea.

to me, a 2.5 seems pointless as a music player. if it went into a apple digital camera, now that would be something.

By "upgrading" the 4gig to 5gig, another sector
of consumers become "triggered" to make their
move and buy.... you know, those who thought
"If only they made them with 5 gig capacity"

New and Improved goods have driven the market
for centuries!

 

[shawnce]

I agree, that'd be better on line for closer competition with the Flash Player market. At $250, I can't see how the current line up of iPod Mini's can be much damage to the flash market. (Of course, however, I never saw much merit in the iPod Mini's from the beginning because of the price per Gigabyte...)

You will likely be surprised by the market penetration the iPod mini is having in the flash player market. We however may have to wait until January to hear those numbers...

The iPod all but owns (not counting the iPod mini) the hard drive based player market (either 70% or 90%... cannot recall which at the moment). The hard drive market, in the US, is about 1/3 of the overall player market if IIRC. Another market segment is the "high-end flash" player market (approx. 200-250 dollars and around 1GB or more) and that market is just under 1/3 of the market as well. The iPod mini is targeting this market, with a price at the top end of that market segment but with storage about 2x to 4x what used to be available in flash players.

I believe Apple is eating away at the market and they may have 40% or more of the player market (at least in US and hopefully Japan) in recent quarters, I also believe that the iPod mini will show to have a decent hand in that total market share.

 

[DMann]

Video camera

Though I'm sure that they'll make their way into the minis. I think they may do a video recorder. The isight, with better opticals and a 5gig hd would be small, lightweight, and cheap.

Either a digital camera or video camera
would be the next likely "latest and
greatest" product to sweep consumers
of their feet!

 

[mainstreetmark]

Yep, and now Steve is scrambling for something to announce at WWDC

Uh, you mean besides Tiger? The primary topic of interest for developers?

Developers can't develop much for the iPod (though, i sure would love to have some sort of plugin architecture so that geeks like me could write little modules for iPod), and any announcements of ipod stuff at WWDC is purely to make all us mac fanatics go wild with pleasure.

 

[DMann]

Logic

I wonder if there will be a new rumor for new iPods everytime someone comes out with a new small sized hard drive.

Ahhh, the human tendency to want to put 2 and 2 together....

 

[CubaTBird]

Better battery life

What I want to see is an ipod that has double the battery life of the current ipods and the same scroll wheel found on the current ipod mini. Now, the question is, of course the 60 gb model will probably be available sep/oct, but what about the 20/40 gb? Will they be availble soon after WWDC?