iPod Hi-Fi Introduced

[MarcelV]

Where's the revolution? Where's the true innovation?
I don't get it.

I guess, they shouldn't have made the ipod either, based on your logic. It wasn't innovative. They weren't the first. They made something that was existing, just better by simplifying it......
And look at the lines of this thing. Much more simple as the competition, same as the original iPod.
Apple is slowly becoming the next Sony, Philips or Matshusita. They have the branding, they have the people and the capital to do that. If we follow your logic, Apple would be still losing marketshare and would be non existent in the next 5 years.
And no, I am not in their targeted market. My Bohlender Graebener speakers will do for a now. But I am not the market they go after. Hifi is not the same as audiophile, which I think I would be classified under. I hope Apple would ever build and improve on something like this http://www.avantgarde-usa.com/duo.html. But then, again, they probably only would sell a few.

 

[backspinner]

some British folk who seem to go through life thinking that the UK is the center of the universe

Well, Greenwich is in the UK

there where 5 Tv channels WHOOOO

it's about quality, not about quantity

 

[gregarious119]

I guess, they shouldn't have made the ipod either, based on your logic. It wasn't innovative. They weren't the first. tehy made something that was existing, just better and more simple......

And to follow your logic, the first iPod really wasn't that great. It came into an existing market, gave a decent product, then made it better as time went on.

Although I am skeptical, I do see the potential of the same happening with the Hi-Fi. It was introduced into an existing market, isn't that great, but offers a lot of potential for improvement.

Wait...I guess I just repeated you. I think that it may take a while, but with the introduction of Wi-fi (AirTunes), and a better way to dock it, this could actually be a decent seller for Apple in a year or two.

 

[Scarpad]

I missed out on yesterdays announcements but got caught up today, when I firsdt saw that thing I thought it was a Bose Outside speaker, it's the ugliest thing I have seen, and these designs, would'nt the Hard drive in the Ipod get whacked around by thumping Bass (assuming the unit has thumping bass) I'm a mini fan too and the first thing I thought when reading the updated specs is the PC I could get for $799 would blow the doors off this new mini, if they are aiming the new mini at the HT crowd both the video specs and Front Row is woefully inadequate.

 

[Svennig]

I guess, they shouldn't have made the ipod either, based on your logic. It wasn't innovative. They weren't the first. They made something that was existing, just better by simplifying it......
And look at the lines of this thing. Much more simple as the competition, same as the original iPod.
Apple is slowly becoming the next Sony, Philips or Matshusita. They have the branding, they have the people and the capital to do that. If we follow your logic, Apple would be still losing marketshare and would be non existent in the next 5 years.
And no, I am not in their targeted market. My Bohlender Graebener speakers will do for a now. But I am not the market they go after. Hifi is not the same as audiophile, which I think I would be classified under. I hope Apple would ever build and improve on something like this http://www.avantgarde-usa.com/duo.html. But then, again, they probably only would sell a few.

Sophistry. The ipod was two things 1) prettyier and easier to use (better gui) than the competition and 2) had fantastic integration with software (iTunes). This "all in one" package where you can buy music (or rip it) easily, upload it easily to a simple, functional, attractive device which was easy to use was the true innovation. The iPod, as others have pointed out, isn't actually as good as some of its competition (format support, audio quality, gapless playback etc). But at the time, other units were ugly, difficult to use, and the software was difficult to use, and they had no online music store.

The iPod's success isn't about how great the hardware is, its about how easy the user experience is. That was (at the time) the innovation.

As I said, apple had trememdous potential here and screwed it up. They looked at what the competition are doing, and replicated it. But unlike the iPod, they didn't bring anything else to the party. Where's the WiFi that would allow seamless, easy integration with iTunes? Wheres the remote so that you can control it easily from across the room? Where's the radio?

The iPod made it much easier for people to use portable music players. Can you _honestly_ tell me that this "hifi" makes it easier to use speakers?

 

[psidentity]

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[mcorange]

Crap.

This presentation was so much crap.
Is apple taking on the 3rd party stuff that we all love so much?
For me, the great thing about an ipod, is that it's a portable music collection and I can take it with me to whereever, and connect it to whatever. I love having my retro B&O speakers in my ceiling, a retro pioneer amplifier and an ipod...it's a game to have the most interesting combination of quality stereos!

Now, in general i was always hoping this rumor would either be ********, or that apple would sincerely bring something unique! If they'd bring a medium priced stereo, featuring Adaptive Bass Control, for instance i'd have sayd...okay, this is something, since ALL other ABC's are so damn expensive.

Now about that MacMini. It was expected, but given that it had no crashing-cool thingie unveiled at the same time, it might just have saved the day had it incorporated a real DVR feature, which it doesn't.

On another note, if macminis would feature real dvr's, wouldn't they as well be roughing into a 3rd party supplier field as well?

over and out. I dislike that stereo from day one.

 

[mixgrafix]

None have you have heard it.

Don't judge a book by its cover. I hope everyone here is at least openminded enough to at least listen to it before they dismiss it as a dud. I hated the iMac when I first saw it, but when I went to the Apple store, I used it, and fell in love with it, and I am typing on it as we speak.

Whether we like it or not, Apple is not only a computer company anymore. Apple is turning into a multimedia company, and has to offer more than just computers, screens, and iPods. I feel that this is huge step in the turning point of Apple. Iread the specs on it, and I never thought that this would replace a B&O that I have in my home theater, but I do think it will make a nice addition to the mac mini that I am going to be putting into my bedroom.

Folks, Apple has always delivered on quality, and I think that many people here are jumping the gun saying "this HiFi thing sucks" without even hearing it.

I do not think Steve would release an Apple branded product that he was not proud of. I just don't see it.

 

[bloomfeld]

So, anyone ordered one?

I did it last night. Wanted to be the first one

I like that italian-70s-retrostylish design. I'm currently using my iBook connected to harman kardon's sound sticks via USB to listen to my music library in my bedroom. That iBook is very quiet, but I still don't like the harddisk noise when I'm listening with low volumes. Also, I don't like all the wires and power cords cluttering up my sideboard.

I confess to be one of the target crowd. I just waited for Apple to put something like this out. Also considered buying that Bose Sounddock, but its limited connectivity (*only* via the iPod connector) kept me from doing it.

I will do a unpacking ceremony and somke kind of report when the sweetie arrives.

Cheers,
bloom

 

[mandis]

Rating (259 Positives; 1598 Negatives)

 

[ZLurker]

I did it last night. Wanted to be the first one

I like that italian-70s-retrostylish design. I'm currently using my iBook connected to harman kardon's sound sticks via USB to listen to my music library in my bedroom. That iBook is very quiet, but I still don't like the harddisk noise when I'm listening with low volumes. Also, I don't like all the wires and power cords cluttering up my sideboard.

I confess to be one of the target crowd. I just waited for Apple to put something like this out. Also considered buying that Bose Sounddock, but its limited connectivity (*only* via the iPod connector) kept me from doing it.

I will do a unpacking ceremony and somke kind of report when the sweetie arrives.

Cheers,
bloom

Great!!
I look forward to your report.
It would have been sweet with some extras... wifi and FM,
but Im still conserdering buying one....

 

[lom8104]

So could the Hi-Fi be used as the center channel of my 5.1 system? IE can it also be hooked up to a stereo?

 

[theluckyone]

So many people get upset that ANY products in the world exist other than the specific ones they want to own. But different people have different needs and wants. Your needs are yours--not mine.

Not everyone has all those things in every room (Also note that this will connect to AirPort Express for iTunes use. You CAN stream to it, with that optional extra.)

You are SO right. What people aren't realizing with the "$8 cable" argument is that it's not going to be hooked up to something this small. I am an audiophile, and I wouldn't give up my full-sized stereo for anything, but I could definately use this in my bedroom, or when I wash my car, or in the kitchen.

Of course, no one's heard it yet.... I'll be thrilled if Apple unseats Bose, which, by the way, is almost as expensive and it's REALLY bad.

 

[theluckyone]

The iPod's success isn't about how great the hardware is, its about how easy the user experience is. That was (at the time) the innovation.

As I said, apple had trememdous potential here and screwed it up. They looked at what the competition are doing, and replicated it. But unlike the iPod, they didn't bring anything else to the party. Where's the WiFi that would allow seamless, easy integration with iTunes? Wheres the remote so that you can control it easily from across the room? Where's the radio?

The iPod made it much easier for people to use portable music players. Can you _honestly_ tell me that this "hifi" makes it easier to use speakers?

Yes! It uses the ipod for its control menu, simple remote, an input for AirTunes...it just unifies the whole experience. And you can just pick it up and carry it around (try doing that with $150 Monsoons).

The other all-in-one players are HORRIBLE, cost $150-$300+ and sell like crazy. This is going to be really interesting. This product was clearly not created for the bleeding edge Apple fans and it's going to sell like crazy.

 

[awesomebase]

Really Disappointed

I can't believe a news conference was called for this piece of cr**! Anybody who knows anything about sound and audio quality would not get this thing. $349 for this?!? I love Apple and I love using my macs and iPod and Shuffle, but I don't know what kind of market they were going after with this thing. No radio, no speaker separation, no ethernet or "Airport Express"-type connectivity with AirTunes to your system. I have to think that the profit margin on this thing is about 95% with the case and drivers... on their web-site they don't mention how much power it has, only SPL measurements. I'll be quite surprised if they even sell any of these things. Why couldn't they make a nice "wood" cabinet for the speakers? (You know, think outside the box!) The new mac mini was fantastic and I'm eager to get my hands on one, but that was vastly contrasted with this piece of garbage. I don't think its worth $49, much less $349. $99 for leather carrying cases? Is there somebody new at the helm of the pricing department? Did they not get the memo? People that switch from PCs to Apple are doing so because they like the ease of use and the fact that Macs no longer cost 3x as much as their PC competitors. Well, both the "Hi-Fi" and the leather carrying cases are just so out of whack, it will turn more people away than bring them in. Steve... what the heck where you thinking?

 

[MarcelV]

The ipod was two things 1) prettyier and easier to use (better gui) than the competition and 2) had fantastic integration with software (iTunes). This "all in one" package where you can buy music (or rip it) easily, upload it easily to a simple, functional, attractive device which was easy to use was the true innovation

No discussion will move your from your opinion. But just to make sure you have some facts straight, the 1st and 2nd gen had NO better interface as the competition. There was no Music Store at that time!!!!! And the 3rd gen, was not easier to use. The buttons are awkward placed. And yes, I still use one every day! It doesn't have clickwheel, which was a real innovation on the iPod. But that wasn't introduced till the 4rd generation.

 

[janitorC7]

Actually I;m impressed

Look at the specs on this thing. It has bose technology all over it, its using the similar specs of the bose wave radio but in a very elegant design that (when you see it in person, which I have) actually looks really good. basicly this is what known as a central surround speaker this means that this is a about $475 bose speaker system in one box.

Cheers Apple

 

[theluckyone]

I can't believe a news conference was called for this piece of cr**! Anybody who knows anything about sound and audio quality would not get this thing. $349 for this?!? I love Apple and I love using my macs and iPod and Shuffle, but I don't know what kind of market they were going after with this thing. No radio, no speaker separation, no ethernet or "Airport Express"-type connectivity with AirTunes to your system.

I haven't heard it (and neither have you), but I know something about 'sound and audio quality' and if you want a real audiophile experience, be prepared to shell out $15,000+ (and most audiophiles will tell you that's not nearly enough).

Just from looking at the pictures and listening to what he said:
* Very sturdy structure
* high-quality plastic cones (not the cheap paper you find in most of these)
* thick surrounds (looks like the cones will really move)

though the cones are small -- and very likely cannot reprodice 'audiophile' sound, they are large enough to beat out most high-end computer speakers and most likely ALL similar all-in-one systems.

I just can't believe that more of you don't see the point...

 

[AidenShaw]

This should help you "unblock"

Excellent point! I've actually blocked those things out. They've had flops since he's been back. These are cruddy, but they ain't flower power bad.

Those who forget the past, ...

2001: Apple introduces the ill-fated Dalmation and Flower Power iMac models in Japan.

 

[zoozx]

Was Bill Gates involved in designing this stuff?

$100 for a leather ipod case LOLOLOL what was apple thinking, were all morons and will buy any piece of crap they throw at us.
I guess they must...

 

[atomcoeur]

if they tossed a 100gb hd in there, and a large screen on top, then it would be a actually an ipod hi-fi.

 

[sishaw]

Of course, no one's heard it yet.... I'll be thrilled if Apple unseats Bose, which, by the way, is almost as expensive and it's REALLY bad.

That's the key. I hope the early adopters will be kind enough to give us reports on the sound quality, particularly any differences at different bitrates.

I'm not ready to spring for this item until I have some idea of the sound. I will try to see if I can listen to it at an Apple store--maybe during an off-peak time (if there is one) when I can really focus on sound. Frankly, a quality-sounding portable speaker for the iPod would be nice to have at work, on travel, and in my bedroom (where my nice stereo isn't).

A lot of people are comparing this to the original iPod, saying the iPod also wasn't "innovative." At the time the iPod was released, there were two choices in MP3 players: crappy flash memory ones with small capacities and horrible UIs (that's why I wouldn't buy one) or clunky, heavy, non-pocket sized hard drive ones (which I almost bought, then the iPod came out, and it was a breath of fresh air). The innovation was basically that Apple kept the good features of these devices and improved on the bad ones, resulting in a high-capacity, nice UI, light, small and highly portable player. The further innovation was the great integration between the source (iTunes) and the output device (the iPod itself).

Speakers have been around for a long time. Boomboxes that are portable, sound good, run on batteries or main power, and that accept auxiliary input have been around since at least the late 1970's. In this context, the parallel "Apple-worthy" innovation would have been something that improved on the weaknesses of those devices while retaining the good qualities. One thing that is particularly dissapointing in this regard is the use of D-cell batteries. Apple uses some great rechargeable batteries in its iPods, and it was retrograde to go back to flashlight cells in this context. How well I remember carrying around my Panasonic boombox with its six batteries back in the day! Apple should have used a high-quality li-ion rechargeable/replaceable battery.

The second innovation I would have thought Apple would do is better integration in sound sourcing. Clearly, the "next step" in this area is wireless connectivity, that is, the device should have a built-in ability to stream music from your computer to any room in the house. I know that you can use the Airport with the iPod hi-fi, but then you're back to a non-simple device with extra bits to carry around rather than a fully integrated, simple, and compelling all-in-one solution.

I think with a li-ion battery and wireless connectivity, and assuming quality sound output, this would have been a true advance worthy of the Apple tradition. As it is, I have hopes that it is a nice portable speaker and sounds better than the lower-priced offerings in this category.

 

[theluckyone]

I think with a li-ion battery and wireless connectivity, and assuming quality sound output, this would have been a true advance worthy of the Apple tradition. As it is, I have hopes that it is a nice portable speaker and sounds better than the lower-priced offerings in this category.

I agree. Those features would be nice, but good sound is really expensive to create. A fabulous battery and a wireless card (plus the interface updpates/extras) would have to push this thing toward $450-$500. They'll probably pull an iPod and update it as it catches on.

 

[iGav]

I really like it's 1960's retro'futurist/2001 inspired lines myself.

 

[artifex]

About this i-fi thing:

I don't care how it will sound. It's lame. They probably saw Bose was selling its crappy single piece units, and decided to shoot for that. But where's the real stereo functionality? Where's the inputs and outputs for something really functional? This looks almost like someone originally conceived of it as a boombox, but... please. You can't carry it around without the iPod falling off, it looks like. That's just silly. "Carry it out to the cabana?" That's not the world I live in. But if I did, a single-piece unit with radio would be much more useful and portable than a platform that is useless without also charging up a separate iPod. And I don't see how high-fidelity really comes up when it's on the table by the pool.

Is it just me, or did Steve's analogy, that 40%(?) of cars now have inputs, but Hi-Fis don't, so let's not build adapters, let's throw the Hi-Fis out, not make sense?

About the leather cases:

Apple finally, blatantly reaches those people who see iPods as must-have fashion accessories, who don't intend to actually do anything but carry them around to show they have money and are hip. And they manage to alienate PETAphiles at the same time.