Apple iPod and U2 Event

[Lancetx]

Any or all of...

* 5 GB Mini (new colors?)

I was thinking the same thing, especially after the recent announcements from Dell and Creative. Plus it would be perfect timing considering the Christmas shopping season is almost upon us. I guess we'll just see what next Tuesday brings.

 

[Zaty]

Any or all of...

* 5 GB Mini (new colors?)

It's too early for a new minis because they only started to ship worldwide 3 months ago with many people who didn't order within the first hours having to wait another four weeks or so. The mini will get a refresh but only at MWSF.

 

[Zaty]

October is definitely the time to get the marketing started for Christmas. iBook and iPod refreshes would market well for Christmas, so hopefully that's what's in the works.

Personally, I would love to see the iBook get some sort of iPod mini-ish color highlights.

One thing is clear, if the iBook rumour is true, the iBooks will be updated tomorrow because Apple want to get as much attention for whatever they're going to announce next Tuesday as they get.

 

[Chaszmyr]

One thing is clear, if the iBook rumour is true, the iBooks will be updated tomorrow because Apple want to get as much attention for whatever they're going to announce next Tuesday as they get.

Agreed. I'm expecting an iBook update tomorrow.

 

[DavidLeblond]

The problem is a flash based iPod wouldn't really be cheap. I could see Apple selling it for $149 with only 512mb of memory. Sure $100 less than the iPod mini, but only 512mb isn't much storage. Most flash-based MP3 players only have 256mb to start with, and extra CF cards aren't very cheap.

My flash based cost me $120 a few years ago and shipped with 64mb. That ain't much memory, but its enough to get me one lap around the lake and thats all I care about because thats all I use it for.

I'd probably consider a $150 ipod with 512mb of memory if it had the same functionality of its big brother, which knowing Apple it would.

 

[jared_kipe]

I could see new mini's and maybe a color ipod. I don't really like the idea of having only the top line 60GB ipod being color though. I would probably go and replace my 3G ipod with a 20 or 40GB color ipod. But I see NO real reason for me to upgrade without color.

Also, I think apple droped the ball with the shuffle songs thing, what I had imagined was the control for turning on/off shuffle songs from the main menue. What they did was basically turn on shuffle and press the play button.

Here we go mini's and color ipod. I will just eat all the color up.

 

[James.Paul]

Am i in heaven at the moment, my favourite computer maker and my favourite music group in partnership. Superb.

 

[Windowlicker]

Think it's possible that Apple would release a U2 iPod preloaded with U2's new album a month before the album comes out?

sounds like a pretty good idea.. dunno how it would work though, because the iPod has to be formatted before use (MAC/PC) or am I wrong here? They could give an itms gift certificate for the album though or something like that.

a new ipod is my guess anyway.

 

[strider42]

A U2 branded iPod? Hmmf! I recently watched the new "Vertigo" iPod commercial. All I can say is that Bono sure is in love with himself. The de-facto standard of 99% blacked out silhouettes was obviously thrown to the wind so we can clearly see the bands faces. <shakes head> Don't get me wrong, I like U2, I even think the new tune is kinda catchy but really. Also it's kind of strange that the commercial seems more geared to promoting U2's single than selling iPods.

Now if they could come out with a Radiohead branded iPod... Maybe, just maybe...

Well, i was listening to the radio yesterday, and the DJ introduced the new U@ song as the song from the iPod commercial. So there's some free advertising that goes along with really tying the iPod to a band who has a major release coming out.

 

[jxyama]

Also, I think apple droped the ball with the shuffle songs thing, what I had imagined was the control for turning on/off shuffle songs from the main menue.

can't you add a shuffle to the main menu already?

 

[Zaty]

Probably no new minis but perhaps the release of the elusive iPod mini software update?

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85339

 

[Yvan256]

Meh, release a cheaper flash-based iPod so I can afford it, then I'll be excited.

If only Apple had released the iPod mini using a standard CompactFlash hard disk (instead of "built-in"), there'd be people buying the iPod mini for the 4GB CompactFlash drive and selling the "empty shell" for about 50-100$ on eBay (like Creative's 4GB MuVo).

 

[wjdennen]

tour

My guess:

Apple will sponsor U2's upcoming tour.

 

[parkds]

U2 & Steve Jobs

The really interesting thing about this whole Apple / U2 thing is that about one year about Bono bought Steve Jobs apartment in NYC. Guess it shows that sometimes some of the most interesting business pairings come from relationships from outside the boardroom.

 

[Yvan256]

* U2 iPod (DRM-free AACs pre-loaded maybe, with a backup on the data portion of the drive?)

What about DRM'ed AACs on both the "audio" and "data" portions? (so you can listen to the music if you don't have a computer and can also retrieve the songs to add to iTunes (since they'll be wiped by auto-sync).

 

[Porchland]

I could see new mini's and maybe a color ipod. I don't really like the idea of having only the top line 60GB ipod being color though. I would probably go and replace my 3G ipod with a 20 or 40GB color ipod. But I see NO real reason for me to upgrade without color.

The 4Gs 20s and 40s haven't been out long enough to expect that 20/40/60 will all have color displays, but I think the 20s and 40s could go color after Christmas.

Will we call the color 60-gigger a 4G? 4.5G? 5G?

 

[hughdogg]

I can see an oppourtunity to snare some 'older' music fans with special edition iPods like a U2 iPod which comes preloaded with U2's latest album and say a greatest hits collection or some exclusive tracks.

What pre-loaded selection would make you buy an iPod if you didn't already own an mp3 player.?

Two things.
First, what U2 (insert your favoite band here) fan doesn't already have their collection ripped into their iPod? I'm one of those 'older' fans, and I already have everything (including some b-sides and imports) in my 30gb iPod, so I'm thinking that's not such a big insentive to us 'older' fans.

Second, I'm thinking the iPod demographics are older than most folks think. Here why, I'm an adjunct business professor at a local college, we got to talking about the iPod as an example in class. I did a quick show of hands, mostly all the kids knew about the iPod, thought it was cool. Then we had a show of hands as to who owned one....only one, ME. $300 is a LOT of money to most kids in college. I'm thinking the demographic #'s are closer to late twentys/early thirty's that actually own them.

hughdogg

 

[Porchland]

* New version of iTunes (and maybe for Linux?)

I sort of expected this would come with the iLife update in January, but I think I recall Apple updating iTunes for previous iPod announcements.

What sort of new iTunes features should we be expecting?

 

[SiliconAddict]

What about DRM'ed AACs on both the "audio" and "data" portions? (so you can listen to the music if you don't have a computer and can also retrieve the songs to add to iTunes (since they'll be wiped by auto-sync).

The problem with that situation is how does iTunes tie the Fairplay (DRM) track to you? I was under the impression, and correct me if I’m wrong here, that it was the process of purchasing or downloading from iTMS that added the hash into the song to tie it to your account. Unless Apple has a way of remotely doing this I don’t see how this would work. What I do think is more likely if they tried this would be to script a download off of iTMS from a hidden location. I can’t imagine Apple doesn’t have the capabilities to setup a new iTMS “page” for an album that isn’t release yet. If it simply allows you to download the songs without needing to go to that page??? *shrugs* whatever.

 

[~Shard~]

I think this is getting a little excessive - the HP iPod is nothing more than an iPod with an HP logo on it, and is less than impressive - now a U2 iPod? I don't really see the allure of a U2 iPod (whatever that would even entail), and I don't see a mass apeeal for something like that. Ah well, if Apple announces a new 60 GB iPod at the event or iTMS Canada then that will be cool, but otherwise, I'm not getting too excited over this. Of course, this announcement will be on a Tuesday, so hopefully we can expect something fairly significant from Apple.

 

[SiliconAddict]

What sort of new iTunes features should we be expecting?

Hopefully Apple gets their collective heads out of their ***es and gets seamless transitions up an running on iTunes and the iPod. Hasn’t this been the #1 requested feature since the iPod came out???

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Hopefully Apple gets their collective heads out of their ***es and gets seamless transitions up an running on iTunes and the iPod. Hasn’t this been the #1 requested feature since the iPod came out???

Am I the only person who actually likes the crossfade feature then?

 

[formatc]

Put two and two together!

A flash based iPod and U2's album on a flash card!

Macrovision awhile back seemed to have licensed DRM from Apple:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/23/macrovision_fairplay/

The above story mentions Q4. But the article also assumes the format is CD.

I believe the format is flash.

A flash based iPod and U2's album on a flash card, it's all coming together for me.

See if I'm right on the 26th!

Stangely enough, Gizmodo has a story about Robbie Williams' new album being available on MMC:
http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/next-robbie-williams-album-on-mmc-023594.php

 

[nagromme]

For some reason this had never even really occurred to me. I'd love to see them add more colors to the iPod mini lineup.

I'd love to see them subtract

Pastels? I think they'd have a wider appeal with deep/jewel colors, as I have seen on Maglites, for instance:

Silver - Red - Green - Blue.

Black would be cool--or even white: just use a plastic shell.

What about DRM'ed AACs on both the "audio" and "data" portions? (so you can listen to the music if you don't have a computer and can also retrieve the songs to add to iTunes (since they'll be wiped by auto-sync).

Sure, but DRM'ed files would need to know your AppleID, so I'd guess non-DRM for this promo. CDs are non-DRM after all.

Am I the only person who actually likes the crossfade feature then?

Crossfade all the way! Much less jarring when shuffling. That's one of my Top Two iPod feature requests.

The other is support for custom equalizer settings from iTunes.

 

[technocoy]

bad news for me..

my favorite BAND and my favorite BRAND

coming together for a promotion... not looking good for me. maybe it will be the iPod with color screen and preloaded with all U2's albums and quicktimes of all the bands videos and album art! then they announce that all of the music videos and trailers on iTunes are now downloadable to your iPod when you purchase that bands album and will play in the visualizer on iTunes as the song plays (of course the movie trailers will be free)

well, i can dream.