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iPod Mini Countdown
- Thread starter arn
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Anyone Students???
If anyone is a student or teacher or works for a school or college and can show some ID - you get up to $50 off!!
Serious, look online at the Apple Store, check your local retail location or even check some online educational sales sites.
I called my local store and I can use a student discount on Friday.. FYI -silverone
If anyone is a student or teacher or works for a school or college and can show some ID - you get up to $50 off!!
Serious, look online at the Apple Store, check your local retail location or even check some online educational sales sites.
I called my local store and I can use a student discount on Friday.. FYI -silverone
revenue
100,000 units preordered represents just under $25 Million in revenue booked before a mini even touches a store shelf. That's mightily impressive.
100,000 units preordered represents just under $25 Million in revenue booked before a mini even touches a store shelf. That's mightily impressive.
Re: Re: Complainers' Logic (or lack of)
I have to agree. Calling someone cheap or dumb over such a decision is a bit harsh. It is a value decision. For SOME people $499 for a digital music player is cheap and well worth the value. For SOME people $99 to TOO much and not worth the value at all. There are many factors involved including disposable income (a bit more scarce these days).
The point here is that Apple is very wisely selling the iPod Mini at $249 to the set of people for which $249 is a fair and reasonable value proposition. That may be 100,000, it may be 500,000. Next they'll work there way to the people that thing $199 is a fair and reasonable value proposition. That might be many more people. But in the mean time, they will have made another (assume 500,000 sold at $249) $25M is revenue (probably a large amount of profit). This is smart business. We should applaud them for this, since smart business people tend to STAY in business...and I want Apple to STAY in business.
(BTW...this last comment is a shot at anyone who says "I don't care about what Apple's making, profit-wise.")
I have to agree. Calling someone cheap or dumb over such a decision is a bit harsh. It is a value decision. For SOME people $499 for a digital music player is cheap and well worth the value. For SOME people $99 to TOO much and not worth the value at all. There are many factors involved including disposable income (a bit more scarce these days).
The point here is that Apple is very wisely selling the iPod Mini at $249 to the set of people for which $249 is a fair and reasonable value proposition. That may be 100,000, it may be 500,000. Next they'll work there way to the people that thing $199 is a fair and reasonable value proposition. That might be many more people. But in the mean time, they will have made another (assume 500,000 sold at $249) $25M is revenue (probably a large amount of profit). This is smart business. We should applaud them for this, since smart business people tend to STAY in business...and I want Apple to STAY in business.
(BTW...this last comment is a shot at anyone who says "I don't care about what Apple's making, profit-wise.")
100,000 already
100,000 already sold... if profits are say $25 each (guess) then that's $2.5 million profits on $25 million sales. Plus accessories and iTunes downloads (which do now make Apple a slight profit).
This is BEFORE any of the following:
* Mini ads outside of Macworld
* Widespread press coverage and reviews
* People seeing them in stores or being able to touch them and try them
* People seeing other people with them
* People even knowing when they can get one
In other words, this is before many people have even had the chance to know the Mini exists!
Re: battery: I have now seen three reviews in the national press, ALL of which have said the mini's battery exceeds Apple's stated life significantly. 3rd-party iPod batteries start around $45 if you have a problem after warranty. Expect mini batteries too.
Re: profits: Apple said margins on the mini are a lower % than the iPod, which is 20%. That means it costs something more than $200 to make a mini. Apple's pricing is not artificial here. (And is the same or lower than lesser players.)
Re: $50 more for the iPod 15: Sure, a great choice for many--and that's a good upsell for Apple since the 15 makes them a higher % profit on a higher price! But if you don't need more HD space then the $50 isn't worth it for you.
Re: Active use: The armband option tells you it's meant for that, and skips (does anyone even care?) should be rare. Like all iPods, music is played from RAM cache, not from HD. The HD is used to load the cache. Yes, a flash player takes this further and makes skips impossible--but it can still be damaged by dropping, and you pay a LOT per MB for flash--besides giving up the benefits of an iPod. Flash is a poor compromise--and yet before the Mini, people were paying up to $300 for that, mainly to get a small case.
100,000 already sold... if profits are say $25 each (guess) then that's $2.5 million profits on $25 million sales. Plus accessories and iTunes downloads (which do now make Apple a slight profit).
This is BEFORE any of the following:
* Mini ads outside of Macworld
* Widespread press coverage and reviews
* People seeing them in stores or being able to touch them and try them
* People seeing other people with them
* People even knowing when they can get one
In other words, this is before many people have even had the chance to know the Mini exists!
Re: battery: I have now seen three reviews in the national press, ALL of which have said the mini's battery exceeds Apple's stated life significantly. 3rd-party iPod batteries start around $45 if you have a problem after warranty. Expect mini batteries too.
Re: profits: Apple said margins on the mini are a lower % than the iPod, which is 20%. That means it costs something more than $200 to make a mini. Apple's pricing is not artificial here. (And is the same or lower than lesser players.)
Re: $50 more for the iPod 15: Sure, a great choice for many--and that's a good upsell for Apple since the 15 makes them a higher % profit on a higher price! But if you don't need more HD space then the $50 isn't worth it for you.
Re: Active use: The armband option tells you it's meant for that, and skips (does anyone even care?) should be rare. Like all iPods, music is played from RAM cache, not from HD. The HD is used to load the cache. Yes, a flash player takes this further and makes skips impossible--but it can still be damaged by dropping, and you pay a LOT per MB for flash--besides giving up the benefits of an iPod. Flash is a poor compromise--and yet before the Mini, people were paying up to $300 for that, mainly to get a small case.
Re: revenue
Kind of reminds me of the glory days of the profit for the mac desktop.
Before windows was workable.. Apple made tons of money on expensive computers.
Of course we all know the story.. windows became workable.. and apple got relegated to a bit player with only a fractional market share.
Is history repeating itself.... will apple have a short glory period with huge profits on an expensive mp3 player only to get beat in the end by a 'workable' and 'inexpensive' machine made by another company?
Apple needs to do better if they don't want to see the iPod end up with sub 5% market share
(YES ... I UNDERSTAND THAT THE IPOD IS DOING WELL NOW!... please don't make a million posts about the current sales volume... it is no different than how well the desktop did in the late 80's)
They need to make a better product and sell it for less. That's what we as consumers want and demand. The vast majority (not including the majority of people that read these posts) will not pay a high premium just because it has the apple name.
If they want more profit.. figure out how to make it cost less to build. Nobody wants to hear sob stories about what it costs Apple corp. to make iPods or how fair the price is.
We want more product and we want it for less. If apple can't do it... someone else will.
Given the choice.. I would prefer that it be Apple that did it (I am the loyal owner of a new G5)
Until then Apple is just leaving the door open for someone else.
Kind of reminds me of the glory days of the profit for the mac desktop.
Before windows was workable.. Apple made tons of money on expensive computers.
Of course we all know the story.. windows became workable.. and apple got relegated to a bit player with only a fractional market share.
Is history repeating itself.... will apple have a short glory period with huge profits on an expensive mp3 player only to get beat in the end by a 'workable' and 'inexpensive' machine made by another company?
Apple needs to do better if they don't want to see the iPod end up with sub 5% market share
(YES ... I UNDERSTAND THAT THE IPOD IS DOING WELL NOW!... please don't make a million posts about the current sales volume... it is no different than how well the desktop did in the late 80's)
They need to make a better product and sell it for less. That's what we as consumers want and demand. The vast majority (not including the majority of people that read these posts) will not pay a high premium just because it has the apple name.
If they want more profit.. figure out how to make it cost less to build. Nobody wants to hear sob stories about what it costs Apple corp. to make iPods or how fair the price is.
We want more product and we want it for less. If apple can't do it... someone else will.
Given the choice.. I would prefer that it be Apple that did it (I am the loyal owner of a new G5)
Until then Apple is just leaving the door open for someone else.
"They need to make a better product and sell it for less. That's what we as consumers want and demand.
Some facts:
Nobody is making a better product for less. Mini's microdrive competitors cost the same or more--NOT less. Many Flash players with a FRACTION of the capacity cost the same or MORE. An Apple flash player that held 60 songs could be made cheaper, but would NOT be a better product. It would be a poor product, no matter how easy to use. And if people want an iPod 15 for $50 more, because the bigger ones are cheaper to make, then that too is great for Apple and Apple customers.
If Apple is greedy, then why are their margins on the mini less than on the iPod? Why does the mini cost over $200 to build?
The truth is that--FOR NOW--microdrives are expensive. They will get cheaper per GB, and the iPod Mini will too. The Mini has no "high premium just because it has the apple name."
Looking for Apple's doom here is pretty far-fetched
A popular hobby, though.
Some facts:
Nobody is making a better product for less. Mini's microdrive competitors cost the same or more--NOT less. Many Flash players with a FRACTION of the capacity cost the same or MORE. An Apple flash player that held 60 songs could be made cheaper, but would NOT be a better product. It would be a poor product, no matter how easy to use. And if people want an iPod 15 for $50 more, because the bigger ones are cheaper to make, then that too is great for Apple and Apple customers.
If Apple is greedy, then why are their margins on the mini less than on the iPod? Why does the mini cost over $200 to build?
The truth is that--FOR NOW--microdrives are expensive. They will get cheaper per GB, and the iPod Mini will too. The Mini has no "high premium just because it has the apple name."
Looking for Apple's doom here is pretty far-fetched
A popular hobby, though.I laughed at the many nay-sayers when iPod mini showed up as #1 on the Apple Store best sellers list.
Of course, the nay-sayers countered that Apple was fudging the figures.
I laugh again as I see that over 100,000 units have been pre-ordered before shipping has even commenced.
I'm sure the nay-sayers will think up something to explain the success of the iPod mini, and will also try to think up a reason for why the success will bite Apple in the end. If that makes you happy, fine
My previous prediction on this board was that the iPod mini would not drop below $219 by June. I still stand by that prediction. Time will tell!
Of course, the nay-sayers countered that Apple was fudging the figures.
I laugh again as I see that over 100,000 units have been pre-ordered before shipping has even commenced.
I'm sure the nay-sayers will think up something to explain the success of the iPod mini, and will also try to think up a reason for why the success will bite Apple in the end. If that makes you happy, fine
My previous prediction on this board was that the iPod mini would not drop below $219 by June. I still stand by that prediction. Time will tell!
The product most threatened by the Mini is well the original iPod. The mini, overtime (we'll def. see a size increase before the end of the year) will only hold more, and cost less. it will replace the ipod before long. i mean personally i really have no reason to carry around 40GB worth of songs with me everyday. The only reason i would buy one of those would be to backup my music collection. It esentially has gone from mp3/harddrive to harddrive/mp3 player. Apple overthrew themselves.
So far so AMAZING
I am amazed at these numbers, I actually thought they would be higher but thats because I had nothing to go by. Everyone was saying that the mini's are too expensive, this and that bla bla...but I knew that Apple had hit the sweet spot. And Apple apparently has his the sweet spot in terms of pricing, coolness, capacity, and size.
What a wonderful product, mine just left Taiwan this morning and should hit U.S. land later today. Cant wait to have it on Friday and I'm just glad I ordered as soon as I did.
I like to lift weights and run, this will be a perfect companion/replacement for my old original iPod which I sold a while back in anticipation of the mini. I sold on the rumor and bought on fact, and I am about to reap the benefit of that gamble.
In my original forecast I said the mini would be Apple's best selling product of all time, I still think it will be. 100,000 down, 6,900,000 units to go.
I am amazed at these numbers, I actually thought they would be higher but thats because I had nothing to go by. Everyone was saying that the mini's are too expensive, this and that bla bla...but I knew that Apple had hit the sweet spot. And Apple apparently has his the sweet spot in terms of pricing, coolness, capacity, and size.
What a wonderful product, mine just left Taiwan this morning and should hit U.S. land later today. Cant wait to have it on Friday and I'm just glad I ordered as soon as I did.
I like to lift weights and run, this will be a perfect companion/replacement for my old original iPod which I sold a while back in anticipation of the mini. I sold on the rumor and bought on fact, and I am about to reap the benefit of that gamble.
In my original forecast I said the mini would be Apple's best selling product of all time, I still think it will be. 100,000 down, 6,900,000 units to go.
Apple hit a home run with the design, now, to not repeat history, they need to get the pricing down to $99. When HD prices fall and manufacturing becomes a matter of economies of scale, Apple will probably be able to sell 40 million units in North America alone.
What a better way to corner the market for iTunes music downloads, than to make the iPod Mini as ubiquitous as the Walkman. Apple, learn from past mistakes and please do not screw up now.
What a better way to corner the market for iTunes music downloads, than to make the iPod Mini as ubiquitous as the Walkman. Apple, learn from past mistakes and please do not screw up now.
I'm one of those 100,000. It seems I'm in good company.
And I'm betting that I convince at least two people to buy minis after mine comes in. I've already got people asking when it's coming just so they can see it and try it out.
And I'm betting that I convince at least two people to buy minis after mine comes in. I've already got people asking when it's coming just so they can see it and try it out.
You know what the smartest thing that Apple can do to hold onto the portable player market is? Have more than one product! Yes, imagine that, a mini for people who want a little thing, a classic for people who want a heftier one, and probably more models in the future. Sony sells more than one type of minidisc player, BMW sells more than one model of car, and Hitachi makes more than one kind of TV. Competitive pricing--which so far Apple is doing extremely well if you look at the competition--helps, but it's not everything.
Personally, I'm not surprised by the mini's success. No, it's not the best value for everybody--some people really will benefit from the extra storage at a proportionally lower price. But it is a good value for some people, because it's small physically, but more than big enough inside (I don't own 4GB of music, nor am I likely to soon, so why wouldn't I buy one if I was actually in the market?).
These sales figures prove that--people want 'em. And just wait till the mini hits Japan--they're going to lap it up like nobody's business.
(By the way, if you don't have a heap of money to spare, and don't have a burning need for a new music player, then waiting for a player to hit your price point doesn't make you an idiot, it just means you'd rather spend that $50, or $100, or whatever, on a pile of music, or a video game, or food, or something you value more than the time between now and when the price drops.)
A quick look at the MacNN comments or similar places will illustrate that they already have--calling all of those 100,000 people idiots.
Personally, I'm not surprised by the mini's success. No, it's not the best value for everybody--some people really will benefit from the extra storage at a proportionally lower price. But it is a good value for some people, because it's small physically, but more than big enough inside (I don't own 4GB of music, nor am I likely to soon, so why wouldn't I buy one if I was actually in the market?).
These sales figures prove that--people want 'em. And just wait till the mini hits Japan--they're going to lap it up like nobody's business.
(By the way, if you don't have a heap of money to spare, and don't have a burning need for a new music player, then waiting for a player to hit your price point doesn't make you an idiot, it just means you'd rather spend that $50, or $100, or whatever, on a pile of music, or a video game, or food, or something you value more than the time between now and when the price drops.)
if you qualify for education discount in australia, you will get some money off the ipod mini (can't say how much cause it wont be released here until april) and you get 3 years applecare.....
On another note, finally apple.com has something other than the pepsi ad on the main page
On another note, finally apple.com has something other than the pepsi ad on the main page
Very interesting, but...
There are some interesting comments here.
If someone is supposedly too stingy to buy an iPod mini now and wants to wait until it drops below $200, couldn't they also be stingy enough to not get an iPod and just use a Discman? My Discman cost $60, and it doesn't require a computer, and I can play any CD I want without worrying about disk storage. Yet, I got a good deal on a 10 GB iPod for under $200. I haven't touched my Discman since then. So, for some people, patience is a virtue and they don't mind waiting. Perhaps $50 isn't enough justification for waiting, but consider movies. I pretty much never go to the movie theaters, and a movie generally costs somewhere between $5-$10 to watch. Does that make me stupid because I don't want to spend/waste the money on watching a film once? Does it make economic sense to just rent the video and be able to watch it multiple times with friends and family, for a small fraction of everyone going to the theater.
I'm in the crowd which would like to see the iPod mini eventually go down in price. The iPod mini might be a good thing for my fiancee who does not own that much music, so 4 GB might work just fine for her.
It appears that Apple might be creating a consumer/pro line of the iPods. Inexpensive iPod minis for the more casual customer, and regular iPods for the more avid consumer who has a lot of music.
History may repeat itself yet once again (as with the Macintosh, Newton, etc.), but it appears that Apple has learned somewhat from its mistakes and they are taking a proactive approach to maintain their dominance in the MP3/portable music player field. However, I feel that they do need to be careful that they don't try and block everyone else off, or they might end up just having a niche MP3 player. Where Apple succeeded this time is that they were in the right place at the right time. The Newton was a good idea, but it just didn't come off as well as Apple had originally hoped. By the time the Newton line was killed, PDAs were finally taking off. It would have been interesting to have seen what would have happened had the Newton remained.
There are some interesting comments here.
If someone is supposedly too stingy to buy an iPod mini now and wants to wait until it drops below $200, couldn't they also be stingy enough to not get an iPod and just use a Discman? My Discman cost $60, and it doesn't require a computer, and I can play any CD I want without worrying about disk storage. Yet, I got a good deal on a 10 GB iPod for under $200. I haven't touched my Discman since then. So, for some people, patience is a virtue and they don't mind waiting. Perhaps $50 isn't enough justification for waiting, but consider movies. I pretty much never go to the movie theaters, and a movie generally costs somewhere between $5-$10 to watch. Does that make me stupid because I don't want to spend/waste the money on watching a film once? Does it make economic sense to just rent the video and be able to watch it multiple times with friends and family, for a small fraction of everyone going to the theater.
I'm in the crowd which would like to see the iPod mini eventually go down in price. The iPod mini might be a good thing for my fiancee who does not own that much music, so 4 GB might work just fine for her.
It appears that Apple might be creating a consumer/pro line of the iPods. Inexpensive iPod minis for the more casual customer, and regular iPods for the more avid consumer who has a lot of music.
History may repeat itself yet once again (as with the Macintosh, Newton, etc.), but it appears that Apple has learned somewhat from its mistakes and they are taking a proactive approach to maintain their dominance in the MP3/portable music player field. However, I feel that they do need to be careful that they don't try and block everyone else off, or they might end up just having a niche MP3 player. Where Apple succeeded this time is that they were in the right place at the right time. The Newton was a good idea, but it just didn't come off as well as Apple had originally hoped. By the time the Newton line was killed, PDAs were finally taking off. It would have been interesting to have seen what would have happened had the Newton remained.
You're quite right, the countdown is wrong
Also, although the Mini is prices fairly (for the competition AND for Apple's costs), waiting is ALWAYS good with tech purchases. Things get better and cheaper. I'm personally resisting a Mini just to see what the 4G full iPod is like--whenever that may be. If it's aluminum, with a clickwheel, and some nifty new features, I might choose it over a Mini.
BTW, don't forget that engraving is still free, including on the Mini! So if you want that, the Mini is "on sale" from day one.
Also, although the Mini is prices fairly (for the competition AND for Apple's costs), waiting is ALWAYS good with tech purchases. Things get better and cheaper. I'm personally resisting a Mini just to see what the 4G full iPod is like--whenever that may be. If it's aluminum, with a clickwheel, and some nifty new features, I might choose it over a Mini.
BTW, don't forget that engraving is still free, including on the Mini! So if you want that, the Mini is "on sale" from day one.
i was very skeptical at first of the mini, but i am sold now. it's size and improved battery life make it worth the money. once they drop the price down to 200, it will be the most popular player in the world.
The mini is a joy to hold in your hand, plain and simple. It is slicker than the original, IMO -- for my needs and desires, at least. I strongly believe it will outsell the original. These pre-order numbers make that hunch seem more realistic.