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iPod Hi-Fi Introduced
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mmmm shiny white shoebox. Just what I wanted. Now where did I put those hundred dollar bills....
...oh wait. I'm saving for them for something fun.
...oh wait. I'm saving for them for something fun.
Just to chime in....
I thought the new Mac Mini was obviously the main item of importance to announce, and the rest was just "filler" - due to the fact that Apple doesn't quite have some of the bigger, better items ready to show off yet.
The leather case? Personally, no way I'd buy it. I'm mad enough that I had to shell out $30 for one of these DLO "skins" - which looks like about $2 worth of rubber material. But honestly, the DLO skins seem to be quite functional. The rubber coating around the iPod provides some shock resistance, it keeps the back from getting scratched up, and allows easy access to all the controls and jacks. I wouldn't pay 3x as much for a leather case that doesn't even let me see the iPod's screen until I slide it out partially.
This Hi-Fi box? I actually think it's kind of cool, but I agree $349.00 is too pricy for it. If they discount it below $300, they might really have something. I'm yet another person who just attaches an iPod dock to the AUX inputs on my home stereo system, so I get much better sound than I would out of any of these "all in one" solutions. But if I worked in an office all day where I was allowed to have a radio - it might just make sense. Some people wanting to share their music on camping trips and the like might want one too. It looks like an Apple product to me. It's got the trademark white plastic and their logo on it. Not sure what people expected it to look like, really? It's just a speaker box, after all. Molding enclosures into fancy shapes usually harms sound quality rather than helping it - since you're often losing valuable enclosed space needed for porting to work properly.
I thought the new Mac Mini was obviously the main item of importance to announce, and the rest was just "filler" - due to the fact that Apple doesn't quite have some of the bigger, better items ready to show off yet.
The leather case? Personally, no way I'd buy it. I'm mad enough that I had to shell out $30 for one of these DLO "skins" - which looks like about $2 worth of rubber material. But honestly, the DLO skins seem to be quite functional. The rubber coating around the iPod provides some shock resistance, it keeps the back from getting scratched up, and allows easy access to all the controls and jacks. I wouldn't pay 3x as much for a leather case that doesn't even let me see the iPod's screen until I slide it out partially.
This Hi-Fi box? I actually think it's kind of cool, but I agree $349.00 is too pricy for it. If they discount it below $300, they might really have something. I'm yet another person who just attaches an iPod dock to the AUX inputs on my home stereo system, so I get much better sound than I would out of any of these "all in one" solutions. But if I worked in an office all day where I was allowed to have a radio - it might just make sense. Some people wanting to share their music on camping trips and the like might want one too. It looks like an Apple product to me. It's got the trademark white plastic and their logo on it. Not sure what people expected it to look like, really? It's just a speaker box, after all. Molding enclosures into fancy shapes usually harms sound quality rather than helping it - since you're often losing valuable enclosed space needed for porting to work properly.
What i'm waiting for...
I'm not interested in buying a speaker. I already have a pair of very nice, very expensive, high end towers. What I'm waiting for is a wireless iPod. I want to sit on the couch (or anywhere in the house) with an iPod streaming apple lossless tunes (or 320 AAC) to an airport connected home audio system. THAT would be the ULTIMATE remote control. All of your music... in the palm of your hand... playing though your home stereo. FM transmitters don't cut it. I actually still don't own an iPod. I'm waiting for wireless. Not THAT would be a cool product.
That said... for the core market... the millions of kids with iPods and crappy stereos... or boomboxes... or no stereos... this make sense. But it doesn't do a thing for me... personally. Basically... it's an overpriced speaker. Woo hoo.
I'm not interested in buying a speaker. I already have a pair of very nice, very expensive, high end towers. What I'm waiting for is a wireless iPod. I want to sit on the couch (or anywhere in the house) with an iPod streaming apple lossless tunes (or 320 AAC) to an airport connected home audio system. THAT would be the ULTIMATE remote control. All of your music... in the palm of your hand... playing though your home stereo. FM transmitters don't cut it. I actually still don't own an iPod. I'm waiting for wireless. Not THAT would be a cool product.
That said... for the core market... the millions of kids with iPods and crappy stereos... or boomboxes... or no stereos... this make sense. But it doesn't do a thing for me... personally. Basically... it's an overpriced speaker. Woo hoo.
drb6 said:
Design is very much a matter of opinion. I agree with another poster regarding wi-fi intergration (to stream from a mac lets say). but this is a Rev A product.
You dont HAVE to buy it either. There are plenty of others out there, thats the point. Now there are plenty of others and there is an Apple one too.
Again, this year is about the transition to Intel, this event really highlights that.
Anything new this year is 100% bonus.
Z
Shakin' All Over
I think the Hi Fi design is true to form for Apple...thumbs up.
I wonder, though about sonic vibrations having an adverse effect on the ipod (especially hd versions). Will bass vibrations cause the hd to have to work extra hard to prevent skipping, thereby killing battery life (when running off D-cells of course).
But more than just battery life...might constant vibration be the root of other potential problems?
Just wondering...
I think the Hi Fi design is true to form for Apple...thumbs up.
I wonder, though about sonic vibrations having an adverse effect on the ipod (especially hd versions). Will bass vibrations cause the hd to have to work extra hard to prevent skipping, thereby killing battery life (when running off D-cells of course).
But more than just battery life...might constant vibration be the root of other potential problems?
Just wondering...
icloud said:I was initially dissapointed at the announcement...esp. the hi-fi
but this picture shocked me..it dont look half bad...expensive as hell, but i suppose u get what u pay for
but it nearly not as big/ugly/dumb as i first imaged
Looking at the photo, the announcement doesn't dissapoint me at all. I look at this as a great option for those looking for a small system to play their iPod on without having to move around computer speakers. Running this on batteries (or even plugging it in) would make moving your music around very easily. There are other devices similar to this that as others have said sell very well, this is just another device and I think it will sell pretty good.
Jerome
I wonder if Jerome Bettis will sue Apple for stealing the look and feel of his butt for their HiFi design...
Of course, this *is* a fantastic opportunity for Apple to cross-promote the HiFi with Budweiser as the world's only iPod Case Cooler.
I wonder if Jerome Bettis will sue Apple for stealing the look and feel of his butt for their HiFi design...
Of course, this *is* a fantastic opportunity for Apple to cross-promote the HiFi with Budweiser as the world's only iPod Case Cooler.
Well I should first point out that I am not the target audience for this device. I'm a non-audiophile student with little cash to splash, and even if it was the greatest device in the history of the world ever, I wouldn't have considered buying this. So there's my disclaimer.
I personally don't entirely see the logic in this device. Not that I don't see the gap in the market for a high end Apple iPod speaker system, but this actual device. The theory makes sense, but on analysing it further, it seems to make less and less sense.
• It's an portable audiophile's speaker system for the iPod which can be powered by the mains or by battery.
• It takes 6 D-sized batteries, which are heavy, expensive, and large.
• It's 17 inches wide. For perspective, that's almost one and a half times the width of my iBook.
• It's 6 inches wide and deep. Narrower than an iBook, about five times deeper.
• It's 14.5lb without batteries, and 16.7lb with batteries.
And they call this portable? In the truest sense of the word I suppose it is, but in Apple parlance, an iBook or a MacBook Pro is portable. This thing is about as portable as an iMac with a UPS. It's great and quick to move around between rooms, but as a credible on the road device, it's just too big and heavy.
Also, one other point. How popular is this thing going to be given that you can't listen to music on your "Hi-Fi" and sync with your computer at the same time to load a new album or something? And you're out of luck if the iPod belongs to your girlfriend/boyfriend/someone else and they've taken their iPod away with them to actually listen to when they're outside as a portable device.
When I first heard of the iPod boombox idea, I presumed it would be like a mini hi-fi system with an iPod style interface and built-in harddrive. It would sync with your computer via Wi-Fi, and sync to another iPod, just as you could with your computer.
What we have instead is a high-end speaker system. Nothing wrong with that, but it's a niche market, and it's priced accordingly. Apple's ideas in addressing this niche market appear mixed though. Was there really any value in adding a battery option to it when the thing is already too heavy to be truly portable? It confuses me.
And a remote? To change songs from the other side of the room? Where you can't see the songs you're choosing? Tremendous.
I can't see a particularly big interest in this. I'm not saying that there will be no interest at all, and to those of you who think this looks great, I hope you enjoy it. But I don't think there will be too many who agree with you on it.
Apple would have been better served, in my opinion, in launching a low-end $100-150 speaker system to complement this "Hi-Fi" system. Perhaps an iPod Hi-fi mini?
I personally don't entirely see the logic in this device. Not that I don't see the gap in the market for a high end Apple iPod speaker system, but this actual device. The theory makes sense, but on analysing it further, it seems to make less and less sense.
• It's an portable audiophile's speaker system for the iPod which can be powered by the mains or by battery.
• It takes 6 D-sized batteries, which are heavy, expensive, and large.
• It's 17 inches wide. For perspective, that's almost one and a half times the width of my iBook.
• It's 6 inches wide and deep. Narrower than an iBook, about five times deeper.
• It's 14.5lb without batteries, and 16.7lb with batteries.
And they call this portable? In the truest sense of the word I suppose it is, but in Apple parlance, an iBook or a MacBook Pro is portable. This thing is about as portable as an iMac with a UPS. It's great and quick to move around between rooms, but as a credible on the road device, it's just too big and heavy.
Also, one other point. How popular is this thing going to be given that you can't listen to music on your "Hi-Fi" and sync with your computer at the same time to load a new album or something? And you're out of luck if the iPod belongs to your girlfriend/boyfriend/someone else and they've taken their iPod away with them to actually listen to when they're outside as a portable device.
When I first heard of the iPod boombox idea, I presumed it would be like a mini hi-fi system with an iPod style interface and built-in harddrive. It would sync with your computer via Wi-Fi, and sync to another iPod, just as you could with your computer.
What we have instead is a high-end speaker system. Nothing wrong with that, but it's a niche market, and it's priced accordingly. Apple's ideas in addressing this niche market appear mixed though. Was there really any value in adding a battery option to it when the thing is already too heavy to be truly portable? It confuses me.
And a remote? To change songs from the other side of the room? Where you can't see the songs you're choosing? Tremendous.
I can't see a particularly big interest in this. I'm not saying that there will be no interest at all, and to those of you who think this looks great, I hope you enjoy it. But I don't think there will be too many who agree with you on it.
Apple would have been better served, in my opinion, in launching a low-end $100-150 speaker system to complement this "Hi-Fi" system. Perhaps an iPod Hi-fi mini?
what a yawner......
how uninspiring.... and all this talk of "dull brown boxes..." and now apple has a dull white speaker box.
And the price increase for the minis... maybe they should start calling them maxies...lol, but there is nothing maxed about them.
Or how about "Mac Mini, Maxi pricey..."
and that price increase does not bode well for keeping the iBook below $1000...
no chance of seeing them for $699 or $799 as I was hoping.
how uninspiring.... and all this talk of "dull brown boxes..." and now apple has a dull white speaker box.
And the price increase for the minis... maybe they should start calling them maxies...lol, but there is nothing maxed about them.
Or how about "Mac Mini, Maxi pricey..."
and that price increase does not bode well for keeping the iBook below $1000...
no chance of seeing them for $699 or $799 as I was hoping.
Zillatron said:
I agree that design is subjective, but just looking at the MR response, it doesn't look good for the boombox. Also I know I don't have to buy it, I'm just reflecting on what the public response will be as well.
I agree with most of what you said. I think it makes business sense for Apple to do this and they should have done it before as well. But I think taking an underwhelming product and showcasing it at a media event is opening yourself up to harsh criticism.
If the boombox was just added to the store page and Steve mentioned it as a side to the mac mini showcasing, then most of us would say we think its ugly and move on.
pseudobrit said:
Uff, that is a bad guarantee considering that a pneumothorax (collapse of the lung that is) can actually really derive from a full blown sound system as newer studies indicate. Had one of these and quit hugging bassspeakers in clubs thereafter.
Sorry for being offtopic though
High End???
This is nowhere near a high-end speaker/amplifier combo...when you think high end...think a week's salary (for a non-student) for one component (the speakers), and another week to pay for the amp.thequicksilver said:
The worst most lame product ever
How Apple can launch this iPod hi fi without at least wi fi, does not add anything to the user experience of listing to music in the home. I don't care how good it sounds, we can all buy good hi fi compontents, and don't expect to go to apple for this.
Sure if they had created a good sound system, with a novel life changing piece of functionality that reduced cables, great, but I can plug my airport into my speakers, and as far as streaming from my Boombox to airport, what do apple expect me to do, buy another airport, and another boombox.
Well Steve, you have been my hero for years, but now you can go f**k yourself, I off to buy a PC, after all these years. Your arrogance has p***sed me right off.
Dave xxxx
How Apple can launch this iPod hi fi without at least wi fi, does not add anything to the user experience of listing to music in the home. I don't care how good it sounds, we can all buy good hi fi compontents, and don't expect to go to apple for this.
Sure if they had created a good sound system, with a novel life changing piece of functionality that reduced cables, great, but I can plug my airport into my speakers, and as far as streaming from my Boombox to airport, what do apple expect me to do, buy another airport, and another boombox.
Well Steve, you have been my hero for years, but now you can go f**k yourself, I off to buy a PC, after all these years. Your arrogance has p***sed me right off.
Dave xxxx
A closer look
Take a look at the hifi qtvr at apple.com. It doesn't look as clunky as I first thought... it's actually quite small, when you compare it to the ipod.
I'm sure it's a fine product. The main problem is the price. It is outrageous... $350? I would be willing to pay... maybe $150 tops (even this seems like a lot)? What would others be willing to pay for the HiFi?
And what does apple have against radio tuners??? I have been holding out for an iPod with a tuner for years now. Seriously, apple, that one feature has kept me from buying an ipod for 3 years. I haven't bought a competing player because I am an OS X addict, and I want the seamless integration. Just put a tuner in the iPod already.
Take a look at the hifi qtvr at apple.com. It doesn't look as clunky as I first thought... it's actually quite small, when you compare it to the ipod.
I'm sure it's a fine product. The main problem is the price. It is outrageous... $350? I would be willing to pay... maybe $150 tops (even this seems like a lot)? What would others be willing to pay for the HiFi?
And what does apple have against radio tuners??? I have been holding out for an iPod with a tuner for years now. Seriously, apple, that one feature has kept me from buying an ipod for 3 years. I haven't bought a competing player because I am an OS X addict, and I want the seamless integration. Just put a tuner in the iPod already.
Wow, there are a lot more pages than there used to be
when i checked an hour and a half ago?
Is everyone still saying "it is ugly, overpriced, and
won't sound that great playing mp3s anyway"???
How much power is this thing putting out? I tried
to look at the specs on Apple's website, but they
didn't give any peak or RMS watt numbers. I
highly doubt that it will sound better than my
Logitech 2.1 THX certified Z2300 speakers, which
I only paid $80 for. I have a Mac. I have frontrow.
I have a remote. I have this speaker setup already
that will deafen me at half volume AND sound good.
I just don't think this is going to appeal to a very
broad range of users. It will sell some, but not
a lot, like it sounds Apple is hoping for.
when i checked an hour and a half ago?
Is everyone still saying "it is ugly, overpriced, and
won't sound that great playing mp3s anyway"???
How much power is this thing putting out? I tried
to look at the specs on Apple's website, but they
didn't give any peak or RMS watt numbers. I
highly doubt that it will sound better than my
Logitech 2.1 THX certified Z2300 speakers, which
I only paid $80 for. I have a Mac. I have frontrow.
I have a remote. I have this speaker setup already
that will deafen me at half volume AND sound good.
I just don't think this is going to appeal to a very
broad range of users. It will sell some, but not
a lot, like it sounds Apple is hoping for.
Your Sarcasm...i Hope...is Making Me Laugh!
Dave...deep breath dude...it's not like Steve invaded Iraq
...be nice!
make it usable said:
Dave...deep breath dude...it's not like Steve invaded Iraq
...be nice!
Hmm, hope you get over that in a bit.make it usable said:
I quit frankly thought along the same lines as you when I found out about what happened today.
But I'm a Mac person, and a reeally stupid event can't send me off on my merry way to a PC.
I believe you were trying to be dramatic, but seriously, I guess in a few months this won't seem that it was so incredibly stupid... I hope.