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iPod Minis - Feb 20th

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Despite limited supply arriving at Apple Stores for the iPod mini as early as Feb 16th... the new Minis will reportedly not go on sale until February 20th at 6pm.

Some Apple Stores are taking reservations for early orders at this time.

Apple may be hosting some sort of event/launch party at that time, but details are yet unavailable.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2004/02/15/ipod-minis-feb-20th/
Well, it does look better than the regular iPod IMHO and I don't need the extra space. I was ready to buy this tomorrow, this sucks. What's the source for the date change? Let the flames begin!
 
It's hard for me to tell without seeing them in person first, but unless they're alot smaller than the reg. iPod they don't appear to be a good value... Of course that all depends on your needs, but at $249 I don't think I'd consider one...
 
Originally posted by macmax
i am really an Apple dude, but for that price u can get this

http://www.nomadworld.com/products/Jukebox_ZenXtra/

40 g and the same price.
Click to expand...

but NOT the same physical size.

ipodmini02.jpg


by the same argument, why would you get a 17" PowerBook for $2999 when you can get a PowerMac G5 for the same price?

for that matter... why did anyone buy the original iPod when you could get the Archos player (bigger storage, bigger physically) for the same price?

arn
 
Aaaaugh! I'm going to the Ginza store tomorrow (first time to an Apple store in my life), and I was hoping to see them! Well, they may still have demo models, but it's not the same as knowing that, if I had the impulse, I could buy one. I probably won't get down to the Apple store again anytime soon (perhaps never)! It costs quite a bit for transportation. By the time I see an iPod mini, PowerBook G5s will probably be out! This is aggravating!
 
I was the source for this item (well, at least one of them). I was in the Towson Maryland Apple Store on Saturday and asked one of the floor people when the iPod minis would be in stock. She said "we'll have them here, available for purchase, at 6 p.m. on Friday February 20th."

She also offered to put my name on a list for a color preference with no obligation (i.e. no $ deposit). I was in a hurry, so I didn't ask her any followup questions, such as whether there would be an event at 6 p.m., how the "voting" on the colors was going, etc. Anyone who's going to be in an Apple Store soon may want to ask.

As for why I would consider the mini over an admittedly larger-capacity 3rd Gen whitePod:

1. Ergonomics. In our family, we have two of the original iPods, both with the buttons arrayed around the scrollwheel. I may just be a curmudgeon, but I don't like the button placement at all on the 3Gs. If the smaller scrollwheel with the integrated buttons feels right when I try one out, that may be what pushes me over the edge.

2. Size. These are not enormously smaller in actual size, but they "feel" a lot smaller. For the total geek experience, CDW has a printable .pdf that your can cut out and assemble to get an approximation of the mini's size.

http://www.cdw.com/webcontent/hubs/MW/family/ipod.asp

3. Storage is really irrelevant. With smart playlists and some careful selection for a 2 gig permanent collection, I can have an effectively unlimited number of songs on any iPod. I plan to create a 500-meg playlist of recently-added tunes and a 1.5 gig playlist of songs I haven't played in the past month. With a 4,000 song iTunes library, that should keep me in "new" music for a good long time.

My only concern with this approach would be wear and tear on the drive as I sync, as I imagine this will lead to a fair amount of swapping songs in and out of the iPod. Should this be a worry?

Styling also goes into it a bit, but as my iPod spends most of its time in a pocket or my car, that doesn't matter too much. Although it would be nice if the new brushed aluminum finish is scratch and fingerprint resistant.

My plans? Go to the in-store, try out the mini and decide then and there which way to go.
 
Originally posted by Perceptes
Why in the world would someone actually buy an iPod Mini?
Click to expand...

Because I like the pink color. Because it will be a cool fashion item. Because it's going to fit in my purse (and my smaller hand) better than an iPod. I couldn't care less about the smaller capacity.

Why is the fact that the minis are fashionable and girly (unlike lots of other crappy engineer's gadgets) and therefore hits an underserved market hard to understand?
 
Why I bought a iPod Mini

I really don't understand those who keep asking "why would anyone buy an iPod mini." I ordered one when they were first introduced, so I guess I get it.

First off, most people thought that the original iPod was crazy - too expensive was the main complaint. So keep that in mind before you act too indignantly towards the mini.

I've had a 5gb iPod since they were first introduced. 5gb is, really, plenty of music for me. I've never scrolled through my iPod and thought, "you know, I just don't have anything worth listening to between these 1000 songs." If you're someone who must carry around every song you own, then great, the big iPod is for you. If you're someone like me, for whom ~83 hours of continuous music is plenty, then the mini is the better choice. It is cheaper, smaller, lighter, (seems) more durable, etc.

People buy 2 seater cars, 2 megapixel digital cameras that fit in a shirtpocket, etc. and you don't call them crazy. My point is simply that, for those of you who don't get it, try to understand that there are people out there who don't value the same things that you value in a portable mp3 player.

I'm not saying that the mini will be a hit, and I'm not saying that it isn't a bit too expensive. I'm just saying that the iPod mini is not a product that completely defies logic.
 
I'm gonna get an iPod mini because

a) I don't listen to more than 200 songs in any given month,

b) I don't need to have my entire music collection with me... that's what my home computer is for,

c) I want something really small and lightweight so I can take it to the gym without my regular 20GB iPod pulling down my shorts when I lift weights or when I jog,

d) I want an iPod that is scratch resistant,

e) I want one that will match my 17" PowerBook.

I swear, the people who say "why get an iPod mini when for $50 more I can get a regular iPod" just don't ****ing get it.
 
The iPod mini would have been the perfect thing for me to take to the gym, were it cost effective. I haev a powerbook so I don't need a mini storage device to hold all of my songs - thats what the powerbook is for. I just need something small and convenient. For that matter, I don't even need 4 gigs. If the dock and armband were included for $249, I'd probably stop my bitching and go get one. But when I'm looking at well over $300 just to get peripherals that are necessary in my view, and that should be included by default, no thanks.
 
Originally posted by agentmouthwash
I hate when Apple announced a product, but then
doesn't release it until 2 months later.
Click to expand...

Yep! as a UK reader, i'm lucky enough to have an american wife who is currently on holiday. She's looking forward to ditching her tank of a CD player in favour of a pink mini ipod. She's also picking me and a friend up a couple for the bargain price of £125! lol, have you seen the currency conversion atm? we could be picking up maxed out G5s for a grand in the next couple of months :D

http://finance.yahoo.com/m5?a=1&s=GBP&t=USD&c=0

my point is, I kinda presumed that the mini iPods would have been in the stalls a month ago!
 
Would the iPod Mini use the same software as the orig. iPod? I'm looking to replace my Palm with the contacts and to-do lists of the iPod (as well as listening to tunes while I walk, bike, etc.).

Also, the orig. iPod can sync with digital pictures via the Belkin device. Any likelihood that the Mini may get a similar device and capability?
 
Originally posted by agentmouthwash
I hate when Apple announced a product, but then
doesn't release it until 2 months later.
Click to expand...
Well, actually a month and a half, but the point is well taken. But unfortunately, that's the way of the world. Movie previews at Christmas routinely hype film releases for the following May or June.
 
Originally posted by timwindsor
I was the source for this item (well, at least one of them). I was in the Towson Maryland Apple Store on Saturday and asked one of the floor people when the iPod minis would be in stock. She said "we'll have them here, available for purchase, at 6 p.m. on Friday February 20th."

She also offered to put my name on a list for a color preference with no obligation (i.e. no $ deposit). I was in a hurry, so I didn't ask her any followup questions, such as whether there would be an event at 6 p.m., how the "voting" on the colors was going, etc. Anyone who's going to be in an Apple Store soon may want to ask.

As for why I would consider the mini over an admittedly larger-capacity 3rd Gen whitePod:

1. Ergonomics. In our family, we have two of the original iPods, both with the buttons arrayed around the scrollwheel. I may just be a curmudgeon, but I don't like the button placement at all on the 3Gs. If the smaller scrollwheel with the integrated buttons feels right when I try one out, that may be what pushes me over the edge.

2. Size. These are not enormously smaller in actual size, but they "feel" a lot smaller. For the total geek experience, CDW has a printable .pdf that your can cut out and assemble to get an approximation of the mini's size.

http://www.cdw.com/webcontent/hubs/MW/family/ipod.asp

3. Storage is really irrelevant. With smart playlists and some careful selection for a 2 gig permanent collection, I can have an effectively unlimited number of songs on any iPod. I plan to create a 500-meg playlist of recently-added tunes and a 1.5 gig playlist of songs I haven't played in the past month. With a 4,000 song iTunes library, that should keep me in "new" music for a good long time.

My only concern with this approach would be wear and tear on the drive as I sync, as I imagine this will lead to a fair amount of swapping songs in and out of the iPod. Should this be a worry?

Styling also goes into it a bit, but as my iPod spends most of its time in a pocket or my car, that doesn't matter too much. Although it would be nice if the new brushed aluminum finish is scratch and fingerprint resistant.

My plans? Go to the in-store, try out the mini and decide then and there which way to go.
Click to expand...

No problem, thanks for the info. I guess I'll go to Claredon store and preorder mine. The silver iPod mini will look so sexy next to my powerbook!:)
 
Originally posted by Perceptes
Why in the world would someone actually buy an iPod Mini?
Click to expand...
I think the mini is something you need to actually hold in your hand to understand. I was underwhelmed when I saw them announced at MacWorld but after I actually got my hands on one, I changed my mind; they are very cool. I never considered the (regular) iPods to be "bulky" until I held the mini and saw them next to each other. The mini is the perfect workout device. You want something small and light and you don't need your entire 40 MB collection on it to get a good mix. 4 MB is adequate for that and the iTunes software gives it an edge over the cheap flash players. I'm still going to wait for them to drop to $200 before I buy one though.
 
Arn's picture comparison with a mobile phone has made me realise they are quite small and cute. When Steven Jobs showed them, they didn't look much smaller than the regular iPod (which is hardly huge itself). I guess it seemed like almost the same price for something that held a lot less and didn't look much smaller. Now, I can see it is that much smaller. And, as someone else said, it could be partly targeted at getting more girls into the gadget market.

If it wasn't for the fact that 1) they're not out 'til April here, 2) I have no money, and 3) my brother would kill me (for just having got his own regular 20 GB iPod), I would snap one of these up in an instant :)
 
Originally posted by agentmouthwash
I hate when Apple announced a product, but then
doesn't release it until 2 months later.
Click to expand...

This is common, not just from Apple. And... it makes perfect sense. Apple and every other company who is in business to make money, wants you to know that they have a new product coming. Do you realize how many people who are waiting to buy a Mini would have bought something else instead had that not known ahead of time that the Mini's were coming?

It really bugs me when people post things, that do not take into consideration anything other than their own personal needs. I see that a lot on this board, and it baffles me... Some of you who obviously love Apple, sure love to hate them as well, when most of the things you compain about are things that are also commonplace from every other company out there! Jeez...
 
Re: iPod Minis - Feb 20th

Originally posted by Macrumors
Despite limited supply arriving at Apple Stores for the iPod mini as early as Feb 16th... the new Minis will reportedly not go on sale until February 20th at 6pm.

Some Apple Stores are taking reservations for early orders at this time.

Apple may be hosting some sort of event/launch party at that time, but details are yet unavailable.
Click to expand...

It sucks to me that here is Apple releasing this new product - and I'm not the least bit excited.

We need cooler Macs. More options. More oomph. I've had an iPod since day 1 and I still LOVE it, but I don't feel I need to upgrade, and come the day when the battery is fried and it lives off the mains, so be it, it will still be cool.

I used want a new Powerbook G5, sorry for the rant.
 
I'd buy an iPod mini.... for like $50 or $100 less. $250 (and tack on accessories)... feh, overpriced.
 
I'm glad to hear from people who support the mini for their own reasons. Seems all I ever hear are people bashing it, mainly because of the price.
I've ordered a mini, mainly because of the physical size of the device and the size of my music collection. I'm looking forward to getting mine and know that there's a possibility of moving up to a larger iPod a year or two in the future. That doesn't bother me though because I've got friends who have purchased iPods since they've been out and upgraded a year or so after they got theym for more space.

As far as the mini's having the same software, I think most of it is the same. I have heard though that the mini will not support voice recording so the belkin and upcoming griffin products that work with that will presumably not be usable. Read that off Griffin's web site. Anyone have any other info?
 
Does holding these till Thursday open up the overflow of speculation that we might finally see a Tuesday release pertinent to the prosumers?
 
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