Cornice Introduces 2.0GB Mini Hard Drive

[dongmin]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
If I remember correctly, the bulk price for the drive of the original iPod was the same as the iPod itself, meaning Apple got some good deals.. (God knows they weren't selling them at a loss)

Toshiba sold a retail version of the original iPod HD, not wholesale, for $399 when the iPod debuted.

And this $70 figure is for orders of 100,000, so we're talking cost to manufacturers, not retail. Of course, it's possible that Apple gets a better deal for whatever reasons.

 

[IndyGopher]

Originally posted by ddbean
At $70 for 100,000/yr, I wonder what the price is for 1,000,000/yr?

I would imagine not a whole lot less. Possibly 15-20%. I wonder how many Apple would feel comfortable committing to? One is tempted to hope that they commit to a ton of them, if only to see what other cool gadget they could come up with to use them in if sales were not as robust as they predicted.

 

[Lanbrown]

Originally posted by Kid Red
So $70 retail would be what, close to $50 wholesale maybe? If true maybe Apple can get slow to $99, maybe $129 or something?

That's $70 for quantities over 100,000 per year. That is not retail. Remember, they sell these drive to be used in devices which means its not a retail item or packaging.

Here is the exact wording:
"The 2GB Storage Element is available to manufacturers for US$70 per unit in quantities of 100,000 per year."

 

[Wonder Boy]

mini ipod or not, i want a pocket size storage device >128mb.

 

[the_mole1314]

Wow. That's freaky..... anyway. For some odd reason I have a feeling that this is coincidence and has nothing to do with the miniPod. It's just a gut instinct, but I more than likely, this is it.

 

[Gizmotoy]

Originally posted by KLFloyd
Yep, can you see Steve's face as he opens up the MacRumors site today. You KNOW he looks at the major rumor sites prior to his Keynote to see what's leaked.

Bet he's pissed.

I Bet Not. If this is indeed for the rumored new iPods, then he has no reason to be pissed. Look at the PDF closely.

"EMBARGOED UNTIL JAN. 5, 2004". It seems more likely that they wanted this released today. How hard would it have been to have them embargo it until tomorrow?

Of course, we could be way off base and this drive is intended for some other upcoming CES device. It seems likely its one or the other, given the release was Embargoed.

 

[neilw]

I'm pretty impressed with that pricing. They figure to sell a whole heck of a lot of those things, and not just for miPods.

They have the potential to be just awesome for digicams. I wonder what their power consumption is like?

Y'know, with a product like this on the market, Apple almost *has* to make a mini iPod, because other manufacturers will most assuredly be coming up with their own versions using this type of drive. Should be fun tomorrow...

 

[bdkennedy1]

Hey Steve. I want to watch video on my iPod

 

[Sailfish]

It's too bad Apple couldn't corner the market on these things for at least a year so the mini-iPods could become the dominant low end player.

Apple beat them with the iPod, but it won't happen again.

Fool them once..

 

[pkradd]

Red Herring

The Cornice announcement is in regards to their appearance at CES this week. If these drives were to be in the new iPod the announement would have surely been delayed until tomorrow after the keynote to promote it on their website as well. The cache of having the drive in an iPod would have been great for the company.
No, this drive is not going into a miniPod.

If the device does have a HD drive it will be the new one inch Toshiba. Apple's relationship with them has been very profitible for both parties and they wouldn't go elsewhere at this time I believe. Also Toshiba can provide high production and relatively low cost.

20 hours to go.

 

[ccuilla]

I don't believe that $100 is a realistic (or necessary) price-point for Apple to hit with miniPod. $149 and $199 for 2GB and 4GB, respectively would be just fine.

These price-points, combined with 8X the storage of competitve products, combined with Apple iPod coolness, combined with use of the top digital music store...Apple takes the low end now.

 

[FlamDrag]

Read carefully, $70 is not "retail" at quatities of 100,000. Not by my standards anyway.

I suspect that Apple, is purchasing more than 100,000 so I wouldn't be shocked to hear that they got a slightly better prices - $65 or so depending on various things.

However, I don't expect the $5 to end up in our pockets, but in Apple's.

I agree, I don't expect a device under $150. Realistically, $199.

 

[arn]

http://www.corniceco.com/download/CorniceMarketingBrochure_2.0.pdf

More info

arn

 

[srobert]

Originally posted by arn
http://www.corniceco.com/download/CorniceMarketingBrochure_2.0.pdf

More info

arn

Now at least we know what it looks like and how big it is.

And a this size: (42.8mm x 36.4mm x 5mm) It looks smaller than the actual Toshiba drive. Lower voltage and weight too. ^_^

 

[sparks9]

Re: Red Herring

Originally posted by pkradd
The Cornice announcement is in regards to their appearance at CES this week. If these drives were to be in the new iPod the announement would have surely been delayed until tomorrow after the keynote to promote it on their website as well. The cache of having the drive in an iPod would have been great for the company.
No, this drive is not going into a miniPod.

lol don't be so sure! Noone knows. ?

 

[Finiksa]

Hmmm, wonder where Cornice got that idea from

 

[ThomasJefferson]

Sitting at the computer, credit card in hand.

 

[autrefois]

Originally posted by KLFloyd
Yep, can you see Steve's face as he opens up the MacRumors site today. You KNOW he looks at the major rumor sites prior to his Keynote to see what's leaked.

Bet he's pissed.

Hi Steve!

This might actually be planned, especially seeing as this is an official announcement by the manufacturer. If it will actually go into the mini-iPods, announcing today gets people more excited about the mini-iPod possibility. Look at how many people are replying to this thread!

That helps both Apple and the manufacturer, whether it turns out to be a mini-iPod or another product. And if it's not going to be used by Apple, then Cornice is wittingly or unwittingly getting a LOT of attention thanks to the keynote being tomorrow.

All eyes will definitely be on the keynote tomorrow, and not just Mac people either...

 

[luiss]

1GB Drive

Even if a $70 2GB drive was too expensive for a $100 iPod, remember that cornice does have a 1GB drive which might be available for $50 (thier target price at some point) or less.
So, maybe a $100 iPod w/ 1GB and a $150ish iPod w/2GB ?

 

[Waluigi]

Most people who will be buying the mini iPods (if they are not just vaporware) do not visit mac rumor sites (this is based on my observation of people who own only iPods vs. apple computers, please don't flame). So, it really doesn't spoil the suprise for most of the consumers of this product, thus it really doesn't matter if cornice publically announces the drives today, yesterday or last month.

--Waluigi

 

[hughdogg]

WMA????

Originally posted by arn
http://www.corniceco.com/download/CorniceMarketingBrochure_2.0.pdf

More info

arn

What's up with this quote, "-1,200 songs in WMA at 64Kbits/sec or 600 songs at 128Kbits/sec" in the spec's section of the PDF?

If this was going into a mini-pod, it should say MP3 or AAC as well...unless Cornice's sales and marketing people are idiots...

I don't know if this is confirmation, I tend to agree with pkradd on this. Me thinks there is some "irrational exuberance" around these mini-pods...but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Snowy_River]

Re: Red Herring

Originally posted by pkradd
...
If the device does have a HD drive it will be the new one inch Toshiba. Apple's relationship with them has been very profitible for both parties and they wouldn't go elsewhere at this time I believe. Also Toshiba can provide high production and relatively low cost.

20 hours to go.

Well, I'd think that they'd go elsewhere if Toshiba didn't have the product that they wanted and someone else did. There is a bit of self-interest in most businesses...

 

[ramallite]

hmmm

Just my thoughts based on this forum:

1- expect $129 at least - don't forget that not only is the drive around $70, but a lithium ion battery would add at least $30 wouldn't it? A cell phone battery is ~ $50 retail....

2- 2GB = ~1.85 useable = >400 songs

3- Are people assuming that a "mini" ipod is actually going to be smaller in size than the current ones? Despite some rumors, I really don't think so. I think the superb scroll wheel, screen size, and MAYBE a removable battery (given the smaller drive size) will keep the form factor and size pretty close to the current one, which is an excellent design anyway IMHO.

4- Availability in 1-3 weeks, to ramp up production + new ads in time for superbowl and pepsi promotion.

5- still can't imagine this thing in colors!

 

[lind0834]

I disagree with who ever was saying that Apple needs to jump on these drives and make an MP3 player to beat everybody else to the market.

There were hard drive based mp3 players years before the iPod, they were all just a little bigger, and had an unusable UI.

Unfortunatly, since other companies have now had time to rip off the iPod it puts some pressure on Apple to create something worthwhile. Anybody actually interested in a Dell DJ Micro? There's no way these companies who put so much effort in trying to make an iPod killer would be able to turn thier products around quick enough to compete with a 2gig iPod even if the miniPods were still a few months off.

 

[crees!]

Originally posted by bdkennedy1
Hey Steve. I want to watch video on my iPod

Do you want your vision to get worse than it probably already is? I think you'd be cross-eyed before the movie was over.