i think one of the reasons the ipod has done so well is the design...good design begets good marketing, and apple's marketing is top notch. i am an industrial design student myself, so i know a little about good design. the main reason i would never buy something like the archos jukebox or creative nomad is design and useability. i have a friend who bought a 20gb archos aroung the same time i got my ipod and he as saying how he got a better deal price/gb but when i tried to use the thing, the buttons were a pin to press and the scroll wheel on the side was basically unuseable, same for the nomad, i just found it clunky and difficult to use. To the average customer, just feeling the ipod in their hand versus the competition will sell them on one. That being siad, i think the biggest challenge with a smaller ipod is keeping the design consistant with the bigger one. i mean not the exact shape, but make people think of the larger ipod when they see the smaller one. another big problem is that with smaller size comes more difficulty with regard to well engineered buttins and screen size, that coupled with a "cool" factor will untimatley decide weather or not this thing will sell or not
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPods - Still #1
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that these figures were only for November. December sales went crazy - for Apple, Dell, Creative and everbody. The numbers might not change much, but it will definitely be interesting to see the December figures.
The hard drive is not meant for running. BUT if you must . Select the music you want when you start and 15-17 minutes later take a run break and pick another set of songs. the iPod can hold up to 20 minutes in skip protected memory. If you go past the skip free time the unit will likely freeze and have to be rebooted.
and yes flash is meant to be used for running. So a small flash ie 128mb could hold around 30 songs or 90-100 minutes for a run.
Top 5 players Megs for $
1. 10GB iPod ($299) = $0.03 / MB
2. 128MB Digitalway ($140) = $1.09 / MB
3. 20GB iPod ($399) = $0.02 / MB
4. 128MB iRiver ($119.99-$139.99) = about $1.00 / MB
5. 40GB iPod ($499) = $0.01 / MB
Conclusion: Apple's iPod = Good value. A cent a MB sounds good, especially compared to those Dollar a MB players... 100 times better ^_^
1. 10GB iPod ($299) = $0.03 / MB
2. 128MB Digitalway ($140) = $1.09 / MB
3. 20GB iPod ($399) = $0.02 / MB
4. 128MB iRiver ($119.99-$139.99) = about $1.00 / MB
5. 40GB iPod ($499) = $0.01 / MB
Conclusion: Apple's iPod = Good value. A cent a MB sounds good, especially compared to those Dollar a MB players... 100 times better ^_^
You call yourself a design student and can't spell 'usability' correctly?! Turn OSX's auto spell checking feature on!
my girlfriend got an ipod from me ... well, before that present i was kind of immune to the ipod's aura ... but now ... wow! this product just rocks an i am ready for one the soon some new pods come along ... home on ipod *sound* nice to me ... i even could have "my business on ipod" 
i do not mind if there are coming 2 ode 60 gb pods, though i hope apple can stay at the top!
.a
i do not mind if there are coming 2 ode 60 gb pods, though i hope apple can stay at the top!
.a
exactly, i said i was a design student, not an english major, i cant spell my way out of a first grade classroom, but that doesnt mean that im wrong
relax, tough guy... if you wanna sit around and correct people's english, go somewhere else.
what's even more pathetic on your end is that you didn't even include his "mistake" in the quote!
sorry for the off-topic everyone, but i've just about had it with people like aldo. if i sat here and nailed everyone on every little typo, mistake or misuse of the english language, "than" i would have the highest post count ever!
bring on the cheap ipods!
Originally posted by Thom_Edwards
relax, tough guy... if you wanna sit around and correct people's english, go somewhere else.
what's even more pathetic on your end is that you didn't even include his "mistake" in the quote!
sorry for the off-topic everyone, but i've just about had it with people like aldo. if i sat here and nailed everyone on every little typo, mistake or misuse of the english language, "than" i would have the highest post count ever!
bring on the cheap ipods!
thanks for backing me up, i know im new here, but the point of these boards is to discuss apple, not silly grammatical(i think thats right haha) errors
nobody commented on that article from the Telegraph...i'm posting the link...this is GRRRRRRRRRREAT!
iPod buyers singing the blues (unless you haven't bought one yet)
iPod buyers singing the blues (unless you haven't bought one yet)
I said it in the color choice poll thread.
I want a Mood pod!
Steve, if you reading this send me one and you can claim that the idea is yours
I want a Mood pod!
Steve, if you reading this send me one and you can claim that the idea is yours
i dont know why they should be singin the blues...yeah they paid quite alot of money for an ipod, but the writer is forgetting that THEY GOT AN IPOD!!!! sure if thay had waited they could get a minipod, but the people who bought ipods probably arent the people who apple are targeting with the minipod, they are targeting buyers of iRiver flash mp3 players and the like
Welcome Dstreelm. Great to have newbies still interested in posting. (I'm not that far away from a newbie myself).
I was wondering what you are quoting in your sig? (And maybe you could credited them/it for future ref)
thx
Originally posted by Thom_Edwards
relax, tough guy... if you wanna sit around and correct people's english, go somewhere else.
what's even more pathetic on your end is that you didn't even include his "mistake" in the quote!
sorry for the off-topic everyone, but i've just about had it with people like aldo. if i sat here and nailed everyone on every little typo, mistake or misuse of the english language, "than" i would have the highest post count ever!
bring on the cheap ipods!
...agreed, on all points.
... except your last one, kind of. Re: the cheaper iPods, I don't want a "cheaper" iPod. I want a "less-expensive" iPod. Big distinction. If I have to sacrifice the design, the ease of use, the coolness factor, etc, then forget it... I'll save up for a 10gb iPod.
Then again these are MY preferences. I don't want DVD Studio Pro either and yet people are buying that too. So I don't mind a less-expensive iPod being released, as long as it isn't "cheap". As soon as Apple releases something that's "cheap" it will diminish the Apple brand, whether rightfully so or not.
So, Mr. Thom I don't think we disagree on that, but I wanted to clarify...
-rjf
Interesting article
This is an odd story from London (different from the one mentioned above - note the phrasology):
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/8365047
The article says "Days after more than a million people paid up to £400 for the most popular hi-tech toy of Christmas, the iPod, manufacturer Apple *****has announced***** a cut-price mini version."
Note, it says "has announced." NOT "will announced." I can't find an announcement anywhere. Later it says "expected to unveil the cheaper iPod at a San Francisco exhibition next week."
Interesting. They must know something to phrase it that way. Some interesting notes:
1. It says "800 songs" (so if the ratios hold and this is accurate) that is about 3GB.
2. 65 lbs in the UK (cost not weight)
3. 1.3 million iPods sold for Christmas (I don't believe it, but it would be nice!). (".Up to 1.3million people bought the iPod for Christmas")
--------
[Had to edit because the URL was wrong.]
Apple launches mini iPod
By Richard Edwards, Evening Standard
30 December 2003
Days after more than a million people paid up to £400 for the most popular hi-tech toy of Christmas, the iPod, manufacturer Apple has announced a cut-price mini version.
...
But now Apple is set to release a smaller version, costing £65, which will be able to store 800 songs.
...Up to 1.3million people bought the iPod for Christmas, including a host of celebrities such as the Beckhams, Ronan Keating and Robbie Williams.
...
Related stories
This is an odd story from London (different from the one mentioned above - note the phrasology):
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/8365047
The article says "Days after more than a million people paid up to £400 for the most popular hi-tech toy of Christmas, the iPod, manufacturer Apple *****has announced***** a cut-price mini version."
Note, it says "has announced." NOT "will announced." I can't find an announcement anywhere. Later it says "expected to unveil the cheaper iPod at a San Francisco exhibition next week."
Interesting. They must know something to phrase it that way. Some interesting notes:
1. It says "800 songs" (so if the ratios hold and this is accurate) that is about 3GB.
2. 65 lbs in the UK (cost not weight)
3. 1.3 million iPods sold for Christmas (I don't believe it, but it would be nice!). (".Up to 1.3million people bought the iPod for Christmas")
--------
[Had to edit because the URL was wrong.]
Apple launches mini iPod
By Richard Edwards, Evening Standard
30 December 2003
Days after more than a million people paid up to £400 for the most popular hi-tech toy of Christmas, the iPod, manufacturer Apple has announced a cut-price mini version.
...
But now Apple is set to release a smaller version, costing £65, which will be able to store 800 songs.
...Up to 1.3million people bought the iPod for Christmas, including a host of celebrities such as the Beckhams, Ronan Keating and Robbie Williams.
...
Related stories
I've seen Japaneese cell phones that have built in MP3 players and you use flash memory in them. Of course these phones also had some weird lights on it for entertainment purposes, and built in cameras capable of taking low-quality video, but the weird part was it was like $126.
I wouldn't ditch my iPod, but when are we going to get crap like this?
Re: Interesting article
...Or they "know" something the same way The National Enquirer (Or was it The World"?) "knows" Bigfoot was shot by police last week.
...Or they "know" something the same way The National Enquirer (Or was it The World"?) "knows" Bigfoot was shot by police last week.
yeah i also dont think that apple would release a flash player because apple always likes to out-do the competition. like when the first ipod was released it was so much better than anything on the market, apple tends not to release something that someone has already made unless they do it incredibly better, and i think flash players have pretty much reached the end of their lives
by the way ive edited my sig, its a song off of Atmosphere's "Seven's Travels" album called "Apple" (no reference to the company in the song or anything, i just liked the line)
by the way ive edited my sig, its a song off of Atmosphere's "Seven's Travels" album called "Apple" (no reference to the company in the song or anything, i just liked the line)
From the iPod FAQ.
Question 9: Can I use iPod while running, or doing other activities? Will my music skip?
Answer: iPod was designed for people with an active lifestyle. It is compact and lightweight enough to take with you wherever you go. It was designed to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand or to be slipped into a pocket or purse for easy transport. iPod offers up to 20 minutes of skip protection - twice that of other hard drive-based MP3 players on the market - so you can enjoy outdoor athletic activities without missing a beat.
They clearly indicate that you should be able to run with it without skips. I run with it all the time. I hold it in my hand of course, no case, and it's the gen 1 5 gb. Even on 3 hour runs no skipping.