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OK Apple. Listen up.

Make me a 4GB one for $199.

I'll even take a smaller screen, I don't mind if I have to scroll....
 

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As much as most of you dont like it

One of the reasons i like the ipod, is it as a fashion thing. I have the 30 giger, and unfortunatly, i have only about 10 gigs of music. I would gladly trade size for space.
In fact, as soon as these new ones come out, im going to see if i can trade my abrely used 30 gig for a new silver mini with dock and new headphones.

i like how small it is, I think it will do well with the fashion crowd.


BTW, if anyone is interested in the 30, lemme know,
goderd@aol.com
peace all
~Blue
 
Sorry but an iPod mini with only a 2-line display isn't going to be very user friendly, in fact, such a design would doom the iPod. Nice try though.
 
Originally posted by autrefois

But it's just frustrating that they are only a high-end company. I don't think they should HAVE to sell products everyone could buy, but they sure as heck could without making programmers and designers suffer. And they would sure as heck be a lot more popular if the average person could buy them instead of being stuck with the Dells of the world. It is just my opinion.

But that's exactly the point -- if Apple were Dell, it wouldn't be Apple. I think all too often, people overlook one fundamental difference between Apple and companies like Dell. To do what it does, Apple needs to invest a substantial portion of its revenue back into R&D. Contrast that with a company like Dell, which does very little R&D and instead sells commodity products at commodity prices. To maintain its design edge (technical as well as aesthetic) Apple needs higher margins on its products, which will generally translate to higher prices (although the price gap isn't remotely close in most cases to what people make it out to be, and in the enterprise world it is frequently just the opposite). Jobs realized this reality on his return to the company in the late 90's, and terminated Apple's agreements with Mac clone makers to actually give the company a reasonable shot at a future. A commodity Mac isn't really a Mac, and why would people buy that, even if it were cheaper?
 
Sorry but an iPod mini with only a 2-line display isn't going to be very user friendly, in fact, such a design would doom the iPod. Nice try though.

Um...ok.

How do you figure that it would be harder to use? Do you realize that the other 3 lines would hardly be used? I would sacrifice having to scroll to the settings and stuff in order to sacrifice cost and size. Maybe it isn't user friendly if you are "differently abled" or something.
 
I can't help but think...

after reading this in the MiniPod site:

Fashionably Compact
Apple engineers squeezed all the best features of iPod into a case weighing just 3.6 ounces and smaller than any cell phone(1). iPod mini features an anodized aluminium case that resists stains and scratches. The case weighs practically nothing, but protects iPod mini in your pocket, purse or backpack. Recessed in the case to keep its surface pristine wherever you lay it, the 1.67 inch (diagonal) backlit screen displays full song names and more.


that this thing is the forerunner of the iPhone. Imagine a click-down keypad that pops out of the bottom with mic, an acoustic transducer on the screen, and an integrated antenna down one side. Done.
 
Re: Re: No offense

Originally posted by Count Blah
Correction - a moron at marketing would price a 4 Gig MP3 player 16% lower than a 15 Gig MP3 player. A smart marketer would price a 2 Gig MP3 player at 2/3 rds of the price of their own 15 gig MP3 player(two different markets - very little canabalizing).

Its all opinion anyways. You are just a poor little kiddy who wont accept people like form over function, it is a fact of life. I actualy went to our local apple store around 6 pm today and they said they've already had around 100 preorders on the mini, which is not too shabby. Especialy since its a little reseller in the middle of nowhere.Many people prefer the smaller more compactness of stuff. I personaly do. (which is why I am saving up for a 14" ibook or 12" pb). I have stuck a regular ipod in my pocket before it just seems a little wieghty, especialy if i bought one and went jogging.
Either way if the mini does wind up being disaster then o well, If apple does not want to repeat history they would probly drop the mini. the whole point is, you people are really one sided. Look on the other side. Some people like smaller more compact things. When I first found out about these at school i surveyed arond 100 kids and about 50 kids right off the bat said they wanted one. Most of them say that even though the ipod is small they would like one smaller and more compact.
 
Re: Re: We've been let down

The problem with this logic is that it assumes the consumer was looking at a $199 player to begin with. Maybe if I was looking at a $199 player, I would go to the mini. The problem is, that's the high end of the mini's (supposedly) target market. The high end of the high end. My own target was $150 and I would have gone to $199. How many people are looking for a $199, out of a market ranging from $100 to $199? The lower a person's target price is, the less they're willing to stretch it. Expecting somebody to go from a $199 player up to a $249 player is a stretch, but not unreasonable. Expecting them to go from $149 to $249 is ridiculous. I don't see how this will be attractive to the majority of people looking at high end flash players.

Originally posted by mullmann
Many of the disappointed posters on this board have indicated that if they were going to pay $249 for an iPod, they might as well pay $50 more and get the 15GB one. My hunch is that Apple is thinking that if they can get an iPod model close enough to the low-end others in terms of price, shoppers will make the very same justication for their purchases. If they were going to spend $199, why not spend $50 more to get an iPod?
 
Re: Re: Re: No offense

Originally posted by NusuniAdmin
Its all opinion anyways. You are just a poor little kiddy who wont accept people like form over function, it is a fact of life. I actualy went to our local apple store around 6 pm today and they said they've already had around 100 preorders on the mini, which is not too shabby.
Not too shabby at all. Maybe you could also ask them to find out how many of those people already own iPods, how many are die-hard mac fans, and how many decided that today they would go out and look for low-end digital media players. I'm glad they're selling, but first people in the door doesn't equate to great sales. Fact is, apple has the form & function down perfectly, but they've got this weird price factor that means it'll probably still appeal to individuals looking to spend in the 250/300 price range.
Originally posted by NusuniAdmin
Many people prefer the smaller more compactness of stuff. I personaly do. (which is why I am saving up for a 14" ibook or 12" pb). I have stuck a regular ipod in my pocket before it just seems a little wieghty, especialy if i bought one and went jogging.
How weak are you? I've yet to cramp up from carrying my iPod.

Sure the 12'' pb is awsome, but it's also not $50 less than the 15'' pb.
Originally posted by NusuniAdmin

Either way if the mini does wind up being disaster then o well, If apple does not want to repeat history they would probly drop the mini. the whole point is, you people are really one sided. Look on the other side. Some people like smaller more compact things. When I first found out about these at school i surveyed arond 100 kids and about 50 kids right off the bat said they wanted one. Most of them say that even though the ipod is small they would like one smaller and more compact.
right off the bat? is that real survey takin' lingo?
 
rio 4GB vs iPod mini

Rio Nitrus: 4 GB, 2 oz, 16 hr batt, $249

iPod mini: 4 GB, 3.6 oz, 8 hr batt, $249

ok, apple's got the rep for coolness, but don't we want OUR company being the one with the product that, for the same price, weighs about HALF as much and has a bettery that lasts TWICE as long? Sadly, it's the other way around. sigh...
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: No offense

Originally posted by drproctor
Sure the 12'' pb is awsome, but it's also not $50 less than the 15'' pb. [/B]

Sure, this is true. However, you assume that those who buy the 12" PB might be interested in the 15", when this may not be the case. I know there is no way I would have purchased the 15" over my 12", even if it was only $50 more. Sometimes size matters that much. Of course, this is taken to extremes, since a 3" difference is a lot more than 0.5". There are those who will buy this based on size alone, I'm sure.
 
Give the mini is a month or 3 away they have time to correct for this costing if indeed during this time the competition stiffens. I do wonder though if they will bundle ~$50 worth of iTune credits with it to sweeten the deal and get people into the groove of using their music purchases... It would save them face (at least in countries that support the iTune Music Shop) and I think few would not want to take up the offer...
 
Originally posted by mullmann
But that's exactly the point -- if Apple were Dell, it wouldn't be Apple. I think all too often, people overlook one fundamental difference between Apple and companies like Dell. To do what it does, Apple needs to invest a substantial portion of its revenue back into R&D. Contrast that with a company like Dell, which does very little R&D and instead sells commodity products at commodity prices. To maintain its design edge (technical as well as aesthetic) Apple needs higher margins on its products, which will generally translate to higher prices (although the price gap isn't remotely close in most cases to what people make it out to be, and in the enterprise world it is frequently just the opposite). Jobs realized this reality on his return to the company in the late 90's, and terminated Apple's agreements with Mac clone makers to actually give the company a reasonable shot at a future. A commodity Mac isn't really a Mac, and why would people buy that, even if it were cheaper?

I understand your point and it does make sense, but I just disagree.

I've thought of another example.

My sister has my old Power Mac G3 400 MHz with Panther installed. I've asked her several times about how it's working out, and she says that it works perfectly with absolutely no problems so far (if only we could all say the same thing about our Macs!!). A little slower than their iMac G4, but certainly not enough to be a problem according to her. I was worried Panther might be too much for it, but it's not.

That's a perfect example. Why couldn't Apple sell a cheaper product which works perfectly fine? It would cost them $0 in R&D to continue selling Power Mac G3s, and if they sold them cheap enough I'm sure people would buy them.

Back to iPods--Would it cost them a lot of extra R&D to also sell 2gig alternative to the iPod mini? There must be a 2gig (edit: 2gig DRIVE) that's comparable to the 4gig in physical size, based on what others have said in the forum before.

There would be people who would buy the 4gig because they want more space and have the money. For those who can't, they'd buy the cheaper 2gig and Apple could still make a profit on it.

Without a better-priced 2gig that is affordable, they will buy nothing or another brand. That doesn't help Apple in Mind Share or Market Share, in my opinion.

I see your point, but I guess I just disagree.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: No offense

Originally posted by drproctor

How weak are you? I've yet to cramp up from carrying my iPod.

wait for the iHump... thatll get your back broken in 10 minutes
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No offense

Originally posted by Gimzotoy
Sure, this is true. However, you assume that those who buy the 12" PB might be interested in the 15", when this may not be the case. I know there is no way I would have purchased the 15" over my 12", even if it was only $50 more. Sometimes size matters that much. Of course, this is taken to extremes, since a 3" difference is a lot more than 0.5". There are those who will buy this based on size alone, I'm sure.

Of course I assume. You think I went out an did a survey or something?

I still don't think physical size will matter that much to the 'low-end' consumer. Just price. I know people who would love an digital media player even if it was $50 and the size of a football or small baby. The people up in a huff about size will most likely have the money for a 15 or 30GB iPod regardless.
 
Re: rio 4GB vs iPod mini

Originally posted by rtdunham
Rio Nitrus: 4 GB, 2 oz, 16 hr batt, $249

iPod mini: 4 GB, 3.6 oz, 8 hr batt, $249

ok, apple's got the rep for coolness, but don't we want OUR company being the one with the product that, for the same price, weighs about HALF as much and has a bettery that lasts TWICE as long? Sadly, it's the other way around. sigh...

And not even that, the actual price on the Nitrous hasn't been announced. I would suspect that when they formally introduce it at CES it carries a $199 Price tag.
 
And not even that, the actual price on the Nitrous hasn't been announced. I would suspect that when they formally introduce it at CES it carries a $199 Price tag.

Especially now! And we don't even know what accessories come with the Nitrus.
 
4g @ $249 What a joke

Is it really 2004?

I think Apple really missed the boat again. A price point of 100 > 130 would have been just right. Sad to see Jobs up on stage boasting the 70% market share, and not ready to do something about it. Seems like the time was right to capture the full market.

I love my Ti book running OS X, but if this is the mind set of this company then they are doomed to repeat history. Nice 20th anniversary.

Best wishes and good luck.
 
PS- Why no black!?!

My guess is that the anodized finish might still scratch easily, so dark colors would accumulate dozens of tiny siver scratches that would be clearly visible. Light pastels might conceal it better.
 
Re: 2 Line LCD

How do you figure that it would be harder to use? Do you realize that the other 3 lines would hardly be used? I would sacrifice having to scroll to the settings and stuff in order to sacrifice cost and size. Maybe it isn't user friendly if you are "differently abled" or something.



Well, to be constructive I don't think 2 lines provide enough information for fast browsing or scrolling. It would work for those who scroll in increments, but not for browsing hundreds of songs. From my experience I find myself scanning 3 - 4 lines when I scroll to find what I am looking for. When the scroll accelerates each line doesn't neccessary render each item, it might skip a line or two if you're scrolling through hundreds of items. This would be illegible on a small screen I think.

Also reducing it to two lines would also negate the purpose of the scroll wheel which is a fast interface. 2 line screen would match better with buttons and such. So you could do away with the scroll wheel and make it even smaller.

Your solution would be akin to reducing web browsers to 2 lines of text. That would throw us back to the dark ages (1980's)
 
This makes my desicions a little easy now. I was thinking of getting the 20 gig ipod because i thought the 10 gig ipod was ok but not quite big enough. Now i will probably buy the new 15 gig model and save a bit of money. Or i might be able to now pick up a 10gig ipod at a reduced rate now, sweet.
 
Originally posted by brywalker
Especially now! And we don't even know what accessories come with the Nitrus.

Actually we do. If you look at the existing page for the Rio Nitrus ( http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/shop/_templates/item_main_Rio.asp?model=219&cat=35 ) you can see that the current Nitrus model comes with USB Cable, Powersupply, and Sennheiser MX300 earbuds!!!! 😀 We can only assume the 4GB model will come with the same.

If you're gonna get earbuds, these are the earbuds to have. Sennheiser makes great cans. And these earbuds are probably as good or better than those in-ear ones being sold by Apple.
 
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