2GB and 4GB iPod Shuffles?

[mpw]

i would probably pay more (albeit not a lot) for an 8 gig mini than for a 20 gig photo...

I'm suprised the iPod hasn't moved to the same, albeit (nice word use) larger, form factor of the mini.

I don't own an iPod of any flavour yet, , but the mini's curved metal body looks as if it would be tougher in use and looks nicer with out the seam all the way round it.

I also once saw somebody's mock up of the fabled Apple iPhone which was basically an iPod mini where the centre dropped out of the alloy body to access the phone's keypad. 4GB iPhone would have me as a customer at £500

 

[Ktulu]

4GB Mini

I would have to agree with the people who have mentioned that a 4GB shuffle might be pushing the edge of usability without a screen.

My wife has a 4GB mini-(about half filled) and she would be lost without the screen for navigation.

Now, just thinking out loud, if the 4GB/8GB shuffle had a small, wide screen on the back, that might work for some of the navigational issues. However that might ruin the form factor that makes it an iPod shuffle.

Just a thought...

 

[jdechko]

I feel like I'm the father behind the wheel of a minivan on some cross country holiday trip with 9 kids. 9 very whiny kids who do nothing but complain

Sounds like you need 9 shiny new iPods!

Seriously, though. I completely agree with you. Jobs still has a lot of good stuff yet to come before WWDC '06 (When the first Intel Macs should be here). We just have to have faith in Steve's roadmap. Apple is not a dead company by any means. They still make the best computers in the world. As far as I am concerned, iPod updates are a good thing. There's still 24% of the market that don't have them, and many of the 76% that have an iPod already are going to want to upgrade them and get a better model. (You upgrade your computer regularly, so why is it a problem to upgrade to a "better" iPod). The point that I am trying to make is that we have computers that "run" and iPods that play. The reason that computer companies make money is that they constantly improve their equipment and our consumer nature tells us that we want something better.

Also, in a manufacturing environment, a lot of companies need successful product lines to finance other ventures. With the switch over to Intel processors, sales will probably slump considerably (we will have to wait for the quarterly reports to come out). Still to keep going, Apple is going to need some serious cash. So iPod updates, or whatever else they update is a good thing in my opinion.

 

[Machead III]

The iPod line is making too much money. A lot of people might dump a perfectly fine iPod just to get a new one with a color screen, or a shuffle with more capacity (which mentioned before is pointless). So why not update the iPods if they are continuing to be profitable?

bloofist

In fact, I've just done this exact same thing. Although there is some logic to it; I find if I sell my iPods at the right time I can update for just a few quid extra. I've gone from the original 5gb iPod to the latest 20gb colour iPod and only spent £70 (£40 of that has gone to getting this latest 5g iPod though, I waited a little too long).

Anyway, shuffles at 1gb and 2gb is all you need, and this wouldn't need to change for years and years given that people only want to carry small amounts of music for quick journeys or work outs etc. Apple sould just work on giving them massive battery lives, making them extremely durable and providing accessories for ever possible situation you might take one. Shuffles aren't just smaller iPods, they are based ona different concept althogether, so capacity eally isn't one of its key features.

 

[Stella]

Since when are digitimes ever been accurate?
> Digitimes has not been historically accurate with their rumor reports.

I have a 1gig Shuffle - which is fine without a screen - always on random. However, a 4 gig shuffle without display? Having used the shuffle I really think 4 gig is way too much without a display. There is too much music for the randomness.

Without randomness - it'll take an awful long to to navigate to the song you want without a display.

 

[rosalindavenue]

IMO 1 Gig is the absolute ceiling for a screenless ipod. 2 and 4 gigs will need a screen-- too much material to shuffle through; and users of that size will want to use podcasts and audiobooks. Any rumors re a screen on a mini?

 

[Stella]

And just who are you speaking for?

When is this iPod madness going to end, we want COMPUTERS not personal stereos.

Why don't they do something positive with the ipod line and make it OSX bootable, now thats a personal computer!

 

[ahuman7341]

Powerbook G5's next tuesday (i had to say it)

that would make sense. they seem to be trying to get rid of the 4gig mini's by offering the college discount. I bet the mini's, like the article says, would move to 6 and 8 gigs.

the deal ends on the 24th of september. so i doubt the mini upgrade will happen till then.

the iPods are bootable with Mac OS, ive booted OS 9.2 off of my ipod 20GB 4G and my friend booted 10.3 off of his mini but got a kernal panic right after finder launched, ive read it will kill the iPod if you do this much. I know its not what you meant but who cares.

 

[sinisterdesign]

When is this iPod madness going to end, we want COMPUTERS not personal stereos.

don't hold your breath...
if you hadn't noticed, the ipod is the coolest thing since the wheel. i think apple is going to ride this wave until there's 3 ipods for every person on the planet.

unless apple pulls something totally unexpected out (media box or along those lines), i'm not really looking for much in the way of hardware until the intel switch. i'm sure we'll have some minor speed bumps in the meantime. yay.

until then, ipods ipods ipods.

 

[unknownfairy]

Hmm...

Hmm... I disagree to an extent with the posters who have been saying 4gig is too much to shuffle throught without a screen. I own a 4gig mini and have it constantly on shuffle. If it comes to a song i don't want to listen to, i skip to the next one. About the only time i ever look at the screen is when i'm trying to figure out if i've got enough battery left to last me the trip home. For the most part, I could be quite happy with a 4gig shuffle, especially when on the way to work when having my mini in the pocket of my pants is rather an incumbrence. (unsightly bulge, you understand)

 

[wPod]

i dont think they wil have two new ones. probably just the 2 GB. and maybe a little screen on it. then drop the 1GB model down to 100 and still have no screen. i think the $100 price point is important for apple in competing with other flash based players. while i think the 2 gb coule survie w/o a screen, if/when the shuffle gets to 4 gb i believe it will have to have a screen (and possible a mini scroll wheel built into the small controls of the shuffle) with 4 gb like on the mini thats enough music to need to search through. with my 512mb shuffle i almost want a small screen, just to display the name of the artist and the song name. but who knows. hopefully the new updates will come along with a new mac mini

 

[1macker1]

Well for 1, he's speaking for me. I'm wanting to see what they are going to do with the laptop line up. If they want Mac users to keep buying before the Intel switch, then they need to put out a decent update.

And just who are you speaking for?

 

[alexeismertin]

And just who are you speaking for?

I'm speaking for the Mac users who like ipods, not for ipod users who drink beer (stella) that is commonly known in the UK as 'wife beater' .

You're probaly too off your face to realise I said no problem with ipods, lets have some computers as well. My post wasn't anti ipod or anti mac it was about priorities.

 

[wheezy]

Heeeeey, maybe it'll have a halographic screen that shoots out of the shuffle when you want it to. Now THAT would be cool.

But seriously...isn't the shuffle too new to get an update?

So I saw War of the Worlds last night, Cruises' son had an iPod. Sweeeet.

 

[Stella]

The UK is a sad, sad country.
( I've lived there for 28 years)

iPods bring a lot of revenue for Apple and also a lot of exposure. iPods are doing Apple the good that the computers could not.

Computers - I agree - Apple need to give their computers decent graphic cards for a start and 512MB minimum across the board.

The computers will start getting good again once the Intel machines start coming out - especially the laptops. Killers.

I'm speaking for the Mac users who like ipods, not for ipod users who drink beer (stella) that is commonly known in the UK as 'wife beater' .

You're probaly too off your face to realise I said no problem with ipods, lets have some computers as well. My post wasn't anti ipod or anti mac it was about priorities.

 

[748s]

I'm speaking for the Mac users who like ipods, not for ipod users who drink beer (stella) that is commonly known in the UK as 'wife beater' .

You're probaly too off your face to realise I said no problem with ipods, lets have some computers as well. My post wasn't anti ipod or anti mac it was about priorities.

it appears it was about your priorities. You might be aware that the companies currently supplying chips to apple are in the twilight zone. The intel chips "SHOULD" see you getting regular updates of computers. As for your other comments regarding beer, maybe a few hours in the room of mirrors could sort you out.

 

[tdewey]

aw i know this happens, but i just got my 6Gb mini back in feb and i'm struggling to get more music on it. and 8Gb would be fantastic. but NO! i must wait. my next iPod will be at least 40Gb. probably stick with my 6Gb mini until a 40Gb mini appears in the far far future.

At the current doubling rate far-far future = just about this time next year. 16-20 GB in Feb or Mar 2006, 32-40 GB July-Sep 2006.

Small drives are getting large storage capacities fast.

 

[G5isAlive]

Amen

Sure, it would certainly be inconvinient to navigate through 4 gig of mp3's without a screen but don't forget that it's not only a mp3-player, it's also a really nice memory stick. At least for me 4 gigs would be usefull.

I agree, in fact I said the same thing the first time this rumor came out and no one thought it would happen. It was inevitable and good.

 

[cloud 9]

Sure, I don't have a problem with the ipods being updated, but you must remember the mac user base who kept Apple afloat through the lean times (OS9-OSX/PPC & intel in the future), these people need computers not ipods.

heheh you remind me of a fight between a frustrated old husband and his wife...'hey, i supported your education 15 years ago, you can't divorce from me now'....
hehe

 

[mrgreen4242]

Heeeeey, maybe it'll have a halographic screen that shoots out of the shuffle when you want it to. Now THAT would be cool.

But seriously...isn't the shuffle too new to get an update?

So I saw War of the Worlds last night, Cruises' son had an iPod. Sweeeet.

I know you are kidding...BUT, it probably wouldn't be hard to rig up a small laser emitter that would project the name of the song/artist/album/playlist name/next song in the playlist/etc/etc onto a flat surface. Put one on the top end of a shuffle, and make the selector switch a button that turns it on for a few seconds (7s or so would be enough) and I think it would be pretty useful. Still the elgeant simplicity of the shuffle, but you can get some information out of it. Would be good on battery life as well, as a very small laser hardly any power.

I'm going to patent that right now... ;-)

 

[wheezy]

I know you are kidding...BUT, it probably wouldn't be hard to rig up a small laser emitter that would project the name of the song/artist/album/playlist name/next song in the playlist/etc/etc onto a flat surface. Put one on the top end of a shuffle, and make the selector switch a button that turns it on for a few seconds (7s or so would be enough) and I think it would be pretty useful. Still the elgeant simplicity of the shuffle, but you can get some information out of it. Would be good on battery life as well, as a very small laser hardly any power.

I'm going to patent that right now... ;-)

Heeeeey! That's not fair...stop playing Bill Gates. At least paypal me a quarter or something since I got you thinkin'.....

But in allll seriousness, that IS a good idea. Like that bank code thingher they found in Jason Bourne's side from the Bourne Identity. Curious...

 

[mrgreen4242]

Heeeeey! That's not fair...stop playing Bill Gates. At least paypal me a quarter or something since I got you thinkin'.....

But in allll seriousness, that IS a good idea. Like that bank code thingher they found in Jason Bourne's side from the Bourne Identity. Curious...

I have to stop posting my good ideas in public forums before I file patent! At least I could reference this thread as prior art or something ;-)

 

[ibook30]

Keeping us all distracted

Slight of Hand !
I continue to think of these updates as smart marketing to keep our eyes on the ipods while Steve slyly swaps a PPC for the X86...keep the audience distracted while the real magic goes on else where. I love the improvements, if they happen.
Let's just hope they don't burn out the options on ipod updates.

 

[wheezy]

I have to stop posting my good ideas in public forums before I file patent! At least I could reference this thread as prior art or something ;-)

Well, just as that nut is suing Apple over iTunes, I'm sure your post could, well enough, be considered enough proof to sue anyone that uses lasers now to display information from a small, music playing hand held device.

 

[u2mr2os2]

Too big a step

You can debate all you want about whether 2GB and 4GB capacities need a screen or not, but the real issue to me is: when has Apple ever increased the capacity by 4 fold in one go? They just reduced the price of the 1GB to $129 and the 512MB stayed the same at $99. I think the 2 and 4GB flash drives are for lower cost minis to compete with screens at a lower price, and the 512MB shuffle will come down to $79 or so.