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Apple to Discontinue iPod Classic and iPod Shuffle?

gyorpb said:
I just bought a Shuffle, it's a great, cheap, small, light player for cycling. I don't need a screen, let alone a colour screen, when I'm cycling; all it does is suck battery capacity. Then again, I may be the odd one out, because I don't particularly need buttons, either, on a Shuffle: just turn it on and it shuffles songs. I would have been fine with the previous generation Shuffle, too.
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Every non-apple mp3 is cheap and small, can (obviously) shuffle your songs, AND has the ability to navigate and choose the one you want. And did i mention it's cheaper?
I really can't understand why people buy the shuffle... It really needs to go!
The nano, I can understand just because of the touchscreen. But even with that, it's too expensive compared to any other mp3. I mean it's triple the price for the same features. Oh yeah not the same features, it has a really (...not) useful touchscreen. Which can't even play videos! ! !
 
10 years is nothing to be ashamed of

I think for a device like the iPod Classic to live for 10 years is a great achievement, just think about all other plays and how long they lived (Creative Zen, Microsoft Zune, etc...).

I agree though a 10 year farewell edition would be great. Heck, I might even buy one though I don't need a classic.
 
I remember rushing out to find a 160gb classic before they were discontinued, and gone forever. Then after a year, they came back. Ah well at least I got my classic, and it serves it's purpose. It holds all of my music, not just parts of it like my iPhone, or older first gen Classics, and stays in my car, or at work, so I always have music. Couldn't live without it! RIP iPod Classic!
 
toddybody said:
I remember my first iPod...totally awesome device.
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Agreed. I quickly went out and grabbed the AV connection kit and took my 160GB Classic with me everywhere my wife and I went. Loaded it up with videos and almost maxed it out.

I do hope that they do at least give us one last model before they axe it, or if they do let's get some serious price drops for the EOL model.
 
ChrisTX said:
I remember rushing out to find a 160gb classic before they were discontinued, and gone forever. Then after a year, they came back. Ah well at least I got my classic, and it serves it's purpose. It holds all of my music, not just parts of it like my iPhone, or older first gen Classics, and stays in my car, or at work, so I always have music. Couldn't live without it! RIP iPod Classic!
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I have an older 'square' iPod Nano from 2007, that thing still works! I used to use it as an MP3 player for my older car, using the standard FM Modulator.

I no longer use it in my current car, but that little device is still great; I load older music on it, specific playlists, or take it with me on long plane trips (save the iPhone battery for important stuff, such as games), and when friends come over I just dock it in my LG 'football' HD radio and dock and listen to music. Quality product that lives on!
 
Confuzzzed said:
Is all this right? Can someone confirm please?
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Apple DID apparently change its default maximum volume setting in response to the EU regulations.

However, its worth noting that you can very easily restore ear-damaging volume by going into "Settings", "Music", and setting "Volume Limit" to off. Apple introduced a password lock feature, but if you know your device's pin-code, its pretty straightforward.

Trying to listen to the quieter passages of classical music while competing with the sounds of a busy street? I think that falls into the "unrealistic expectations" stream of thought. And using a volume setting to make it happen seems foolish. The *best* way I've found for hearing quiet music in a relatively noisy environment is to use headphones that use physical elements to shield outside sound, such as a tight seal around the ears. You may look sorts dorky walking around with cans on your head - but it beats being deaf as a post by the time you reach 55.
 
iPod classic is iconic. The Shuffle gives Apple great exposure in many places where no other Apple products are shown.

With minimal work Apple could continue with the iPod Classic. Just put in the latest 1.8 inch hard drives and we would have an 640gig iPod classic. Perfect for music and moving files from home to work/School.

Apple also had the feature "home away" or something like that. You could put /home directory copy on your iPod. Then you could boot into any mac and get access to you /home. An interesting feature.
 
Just bought a shuffle 2GB

I can understand to slim the iPods down to what is selling well. But I thought the shuffle is one of those well selling gifts everyone can afford and loves to buy.
Then again - If the iPod Nano would be a lot cheaper - 69 to 99 US$/€ (it is not worth for what it is selling now) then I would welcome this move. Apple needs an iPod in the lower price segment which now is the shuffle. The one thing to get hooked...

...as for the Classic - it is perfect as it is. It should (as costs go down) sell for less until it is completely covered by the iPod touch in terms of Battery power and Storage. There is little sense to "improve" it any more. The Classic is perfect and will be replaced by the iPod touch sooner or later.

I could also imagine to see the iPod touch reinvented as a "iPad mini" like a lot of people think in here. Slightly bigger screen and more iPad like features. The iPad did not become the big iPod touch a lot of people were afraid of but the iPod touch can become a smaller iPad and would shine in that discipline.
 
We still use our 80GB 5th Gen all the time. It's great, it has most of our music media loaded up so we don't need to decide what to sync.

I generally keep it in my car, connected to an Alpine X100 HU, terrific iPod integration, but we also pop it into an Otterbox and take it to the beach with a waterproof speaker system.

It's the only Apple device a good friend on mine has ever owned, first a 20GB and his last was a 160GB Classic, running external DACs, high[er] end phones, etc., and I know he'll want to stock up on an "backup" unit.
 
After dropping the white Macbook, and now possibly this, their product line will be pretty small. They have all these huge stores with only a few Mac types, a few iPod types, an iPad, and an iPhone. It's amazing how Apple has grown and is growing so much over just a few specialty items.
 
tumblr_ljlvfv43rY1qe7280o1_400.jpg


...but, I do. I think the shuffle is an amazing little device. They should lock in the design and lower price over the next few years. Maybe lift up storage slightly, if able with profit margins.

The iPod classic was dead to me since 2006. Those hard drives always seize and die fairly quick. The iPod Touch is here to stay for years and years to come.
 
D.T. said:
We still use our 80GB 5th Gen all the time. It's great, it has most of our music media loaded up so we don't need to decide what to sync.

I generally keep it in my car, connected to an Alpine X100 HU, terrific iPod integration, but we also pop it into an Otterbox and take it to the beach with a waterproof speaker system.

It's the only Apple device a good friend on mine has ever owned, first a 20GB and his last was a 160GB Classic, running external DACs, high[er] end phones, etc., and I know he'll want to stock up on an "backup" unit.
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Exactly !

Its been my car unit forever !

I will be really bummed out if it goes away. The only reason I haven't got a new one in a few years is because its been more or less the same for 5 years.

Update it and I will get a new one

----------

I always wished Apple would have made an integrated Car MP3 player of about 500gigs.

Something I didn't have to fumble with
 
iPod classic-it has huge capacity but that's pretty much it. Hard drives<flash for reliabilty.

iPod shuffle, would be dumb to get rid of this. Perfect price point for what it does. My 8-year old neice got one for her birthday and they are great for those wanting a simple solid music player-and there are many people who don't want/need a smartphone or wifi/game device (iPod Touch).
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again.... The Shuffle is Apple's acme of design. It is the perfect embodiment of form following function. The bastardized version of the Shuffle that became the present Nano was a betrayal of true design.
O Shuffle, my faithful friend
Alas, we come now to the end
In colors blue, red, orange and green
You store my music so exquisitely
Your iodized surface senuous to touch
Your built in clip, the simplicity is to much
To adequately state in words or song
I bid adieu to you my friend, the Shuffle, so long.
 
Well, if this has to happen, I'll probably pick up a classic once it goes into the Clearance section of Apple's online refurb store. The nano's switch to touchscreen and loss of video playback ruined that product line for me.

If there is one last iteration of it, I'd like to see a hybrid:
  • 160-240 GB HD or 128 GB SSD.
  • Both touch-screen (doesn't have to be multi-touch) and small click-wheel like the 3rd or 5th gen nano. If touch-screen only, perhaps a "virtual click wheel".
  • Smaller click wheel so that the screen can be either standard or sideways orientation for video playback, like the 4th/5th gen nano.
  • Wi-Fi sync? ...Maybe, but not at the cost of battery life.
As for the shuffle, add my vote to the "replace the shuffle with the nano at a cheaper price point" column.
 
orfeas0 said:
Every non-apple mp3 is cheap and small, can (obviously) shuffle your songs, AND has the ability to navigate and choose the one you want. And did i mention it's cheaper?
I really can't understand why people buy the shuffle... It really needs to go!
The nano, I can understand just because of the touchscreen. But even with that, it's too expensive compared to any other mp3. I mean it's triple the price for the same features. Oh yeah not the same features, it has a really (...not) useful touchscreen. Which can't even play videos! ! !
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It's WELL worth the money. Ha, in one breath you say "not useful touchscreen" but then you complain it doesn't play video. If it's too small to be useful, why would you want it to play video?? More importantly... why would you want it to play video?

Besides the battery life... the Nano 6 is amazing, IMO.
 
I think it'd be stupid to axe the shuffle right before the holiday season. It's a neat and cheap gift than i expect apple to still earn plenty on.
After the holiday season...maybe, but they should offer a much cheaper nano than their current offering.

Also, i was disappointed to not see the iPod Classic getting a bump last year. I hope both the Touch and the Classic will get double the space this time around.

The Classic still offers much more space against a much lower price compared to the Touch. I think it still has a decent market, but maybe i'm wrong?

In the end it's inevitable for the Classic to go, i agree, but hopefully later rather then sooner.
 
Digital Skunk said:
I do hope that they do at least give us one last model before they axe it, or if they do let's get some serious price drops for the EOL model.
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Doubtful they'll do another update if they haven't done so for two years now. The classic doesn't fit into Apple's current strategy. My guess is that Apple will let existing stock dwindle to near zero then silently EOL it. No fanfare. I don't think they'll pull an HP touchpad where they announced they are dropping it and now it's 1/2 price. That isn't Apple.
 
PLEASE don't take my sunshine away!!!

The Classic is not only iconic, it serves functions that are still important that other devices cannot replace, for example massive storage capacity, unrivaled battery life, and the indispensable click wheel! I wear my Classic on my belt in a zip up pouch all day at work and I simply have to find that sweet spot on the click wheel to skip tracks or to pause music without stopping what I'm doing, taking it out of the pouch with dirty hands, looking at it, touching buttons, replacing it back in it's pouch, and finally returning to work.

The Classic changed the world...please don't let the world change the Classic!

Just add the SSD! :)
 
the ipod classic doesn't interest most people and the shuffle to me..is overpriced.

apple wouldn't think of discontinuing it if they were selling well so let it be gone.
 
orfeas0 said:
Every non-apple mp3 is cheap and small, can (obviously) shuffle your songs, AND has the ability to navigate and choose the one you want. And did i mention it's cheaper?
Click to expand...
"It" is cheaper? Which "it" are you talking about, specifically?

.tsooJ
 
well, it looks like i'll be upgrading my line of apple products sooner than expected (IF this rumor is to be believed). guess we can all wait until next week to find out for sure.
 
Lefty Loco said:
PLEASE don't take my sunshine away!!!

The Classic is not only iconic, it serves functions that are still important that other devices cannot replace, for example massive storage capacity, unrivaled battery life, and the indispensable click wheel! I wear my Classic on my belt in a zip up pouch all day at work and I simply have to find that sweet spot on the click wheel to skip tracks or to pause music without stopping what I'm doing, taking it out of the pouch with dirty hands, looking at it, touching buttons, replacing it back in it's pouch, and finally returning to work.

The Classic changed the world...please don't let the world change the Classic!

Just add the SSD! :)
Click to expand...

That's cute ;)
 
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