Low Cost 2GB and 4GB iPods - at MWSF 2004?

[~Shard~]

Re: A bit late

Originally posted by tace
Too bad they didn't release these this month. I know of several friends who would have bought $150 ipods as gifts, but at $300 they are a bit too pricey for their function.

I agree, bad timing. Xmas is the busiest time of year, so releasing a new iPod like this that would appeal to the masses (i.e. having a lower price tag) would have been a huge hit before Xmas. Now, with everyone done spending money on gifts for the Xmas season, sales would be a lot lower on this product if it is indeed released.

Of course, if Apple is just in it for the money, then their philosophy might simply be, "Sell as many expensive iPods for the Xmas season as possible, to make as much money as possible, then release cheaper ones once everyone has already purchased one".

 

[Stella]

Hope this happens.

Apple have the high end Music player sorted out, now they need to make a similar impact in the cheapy end of the market.

OWNED!!!

Now, Apple need to keep on innovating the iPod and not become too arrogant.

When other Music Players start offering Video, Apple better be one of them, otherwise, the iPod will become apart of history, and therefore, iTMS, pointless.

 

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by dho
Hmmm interesting

if the use the recently rumored smaller hard drives, it will make for an interesting low end iPod.

I dont think steve will like the idea of having the low end ones being smaller, hmmm

im sure their is some sort of compromise.

My growing 500 mb itms collection will fit nicely on a 2gb model

The smaller (1" and sub-1") hard drives are significantly more expensive, not less.

Were Apple to make an iPod based on one of these, it would be moderately smaller, have significantly less space than the current models, and be more expensive.

If you don't need the size shrink (iPod is, IMHO, perfectly sized for a portable music device ... fits in a pocket and isn't completely subsumed in my hand), you shouldn't want to pay for it.

 

[MetallicPenguin]

Although the multiple color idea seems weird and I personally wouldn't like it (unless they included a plain white version too), the rumor matches the new commercials.

 

[jettredmont]

Re: Re: A bit late

Originally posted by ~Shard~
I agree, bad timing. Xmas is the busiest time of year, so releasing a new iPod like this that would appeal to the masses (i.e. having a lower price tag) would have been a huge hit before Xmas. Now, with everyone done spending money on gifts for the Xmas season, sales would be a lot lower on this product if it is indeed released.

Of course, if Apple is just in it for the money, then their philosophy might simply be, "Sell as many expensive iPods for the Xmas season as possible, to make as much money as possible, then release cheaper ones once everyone has already purchased one".

On the other hand, maybe Apple is going after the "You got me this cheap piece of crap? Give me the receipt so I can return it and get an iPod!" crowd ...

 

[Tommy Wasabi]

Price?

My 2 cents is 2 cents so it's free.

The price will be $149 for 2G and $179 for 4G.

The real statement that should be made is - that's soooo small.

 

[MazaGRANDEman]

I have been waiting for a cheaper iPod with my friend for a while and I hope these new iPods will be right for me (and my friend). Now I have about 2.65gb of music on my iMac and the size is just increasing. I think the size of the 4 gb model isn't enough for me. Hope that Apple will lower 10gb model prices...

Man, I don't know about those coloured iPod things...I just love the white iPod

But well, Apple guys knows what they are doing.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

A 2GB iPod for $150 would really rock. I guess it would be a very big seller. Even if its a little bit late for x-mas

 

[Jerry Spoon]

Originally posted by blueBomber
The only flaw I see in this prediction is the colors idea. Steve seems to be very over the idea of multiple fruity colors. Everything is very art deco right now. I just don't see it happening.

Those iPod print and commercial ads sport a variety of colors. Maybe that's what we're going to see.

 

[pexe]

awesome news.. cant wait till january

 

[suzerain]

language barrier

Originally posted by totally_fly
I'm worried about the "variety of colours."

I would never buy a pink iPod.

i am just wondering...in which language does "variety" = "pink"?

 

[dieselg4]

Originally posted by Le Big Mac
How much smaller can you make it and retain a similar appearance? Sure, a bit thinner, and a bit more square (less below the buttons), but really you can't shrink it to the size of a wrist watch and retain both the LCD and decent sized buttons.

Of course it can get smaller. Look at how small the buttons on cell phones are these days, and they've got alot more on them. Maybe about the size of a Sony Ericcson t616 but a hair thinner? Could have 4 512MB flash cards in it and be 2GB.

 

[Jerry Spoon]

Re: Re: A bit late

Originally posted by ~Shard~

Of course, if Apple is just in it for the money, then their philosophy might simply be, "Sell as many expensive iPods for the Xmas season as possible, to make as much money as possible, then release cheaper ones once everyone has already purchased one".

This is exactly what Apple's thinking. They just sold a 20 gb iPod to a guy who might have bought a 4 instead. Good for them.

 

[Titian]

I want instead a 80-100GB iPod with phone, panther, all i-softwares and a USB- and screen-connection.
Even if it would cost 400-500 $ it would be no problem for me.
I certainly left out something but at the moment I am more concentrated in filling up my list for Christmas...

 

[revenuee]

Re: Re: Re: Low Cost 2GB and 4GB iPods - at MWSF 2004?

Originally posted by jettredmont
Why didn't you get the 10GB iPod, then? If you didn't care about the Dock, you could have gotten a 5GB iPod relatively cheap on ebay ...

i thought about Ebay, but my parents said i can get it as gift

was going to go 10 gig, but for the price of buying the remote and dock and carry case separately, i can get those, and double the storage.

the iPod + Belkin Card reader solution seems ideal for my cause ... currently i shoot with a 35 mm SLR ... but i wanna switch to Digital SLR ... i don't have a laptop to dumb the files to, and since i'm going away for 4 months, i can see myself easily filling up the 20 GIG with pictures when i dumb off the memory cards ... and as i see it ...

Note prices quoted in Canadian dollars

the iPod is 550 + 150 for the card reader, so thats 20 GIGS of picture storate for 700$ ... compare that too 400$ for 1 GIG of compact flash cards that are used in the Nikon D100 (camera i plan on getting) so that would cost about 8000$ for memory cards ...

a difference of 7300$ ... how much would your rather spend?

 

[desdomg]

Interesting circular reporting going on here.

AtAT posts the original rumour, which is then picked up by MacRumors. Appleinsider then quotes MacRumors as support for its own speculation on the subject. And now MacRumors quotes Appleinsider as further support for the rumour.

I am not saying it wont happen, but from a journalistic standpoint you guys are not very professional.

 

[revenuee]

Originally posted by desdomg
Interesting circular reporting going on here.

AtAT posts the original rumour, which is then picked up by MacRumors. Appleinsider then quotes MacRumors as support for its own speculation on the subject. And now MacRumors quotes Appleinsider as further support for the rumour.

I am not saying it wont happen, but from a journalistic standpoint you guys are not very professional.

It still sparks a conversation ... and thats what were all after ...

 

[ITR 81]

Good timing by all means

Retail analysts have said this yr. will be the yr of cheap MP3 players using Flash.

Next yr they have all said is the yr. the HD based MP3 player will dominate. Whomever takes on innovation and gives the consumer what they want will win overall in Christmas 04'.

I believe this is the whole idea Jobs kept the low cost iPods away until Jan. to make a killing next yr.

I believe the pricing will be around $149 for the lowend and $200 for highend.
I could see it topping out however with a 8 or 10GB at $250.

As for colour iPods? I think SJ is taken a model plan from Nokia here and will be using iSkin like shells to change the colour of the iPod. He probably will include atleast 4-5 colours when you buy the iPod and all the other colours or thems are sold separately. Before long you will see college logo and football logo based iPods and even those Hello Kitty themed iPods.

The next step in the 4gen iPod is to get more storage and more battery life out of it. Make more software apps that interact with it. Make it so much apart of the computer lifestyle it becomes as needed as a mouse or printer is today. They also need to incorporate a colour screen and allow viewing of colour photos and small videos. The cost would probably be around $750 but then again this is what the new Sony MP3 player/video player costs.

 

[ccuilla]

Colors?

What about the iPod ad campaign colors? Seems reasonable. Helps distinguish iPod Jr.s from iPod Sr. a bit.

Maybe even a "reverse" ad campaign with white background, black silloutte person...colored iPod. So Apple.


Storage?

Who cares what it is. HD? Flash? Someone once said (stupidly) "If it doesn't have a HD, it's not an iPod." No. If it's not an iPod, it's not an iPod. Making such a statement betrays obvious "geekness". Not one person buying an iPod cares what is inside it...other than the music they put on it.

Price?

2GB - $149
4GB - $199

Size?

Same.

 

[backspinner]

my ten ideas about mini ipod

1. they want to sell as much expensive ones this christmas season as possible, that's why they introduce it in january
2. i don't think they will change the form factor already, but you never know
3. maybe they are only testing the colors, and will not sell them at all
4. maybe they omit all expensive features like the dock, recording, both usb and firewire, remote control, lock button
5. maybe they only use the lower cost USB technology and leave out the firewire for this one, after all 2GB is not that much to download over USB
6. maybe they are ready paying royalties to the people who invented the player chips
7. maybe they omit an expensive patented decoder and only provide their own
8. maybe they skip the scroll button, 2GB is not that much to scroll through by buttons
9. maybe it uses cheap replaceble batteries
10. maybe it's all plastic and no shiny but more expensive metal back anymore

 

[blueBomber]

Originally posted by desdomg

...I am not saying it wont happen, but from a journalistic standpoint you guys are not very professional.

The name of the site is macrumors. Playing the guessing game is why it's fun.

 

[inkswamp]

Lesson learned?

It seems Apple has learned its lesson about ignoring portions of the market. I think they don't intend to repeat the same mistake they made with the OS, allowing cheaper and less elegant alternatives to fill in the vacuum caused by more frugal elements of the market i.e., cheapskates like me.

This is certainly great news because already Dell, Wal-Mart and others are attempting to figure out how to undercut Apple with cheaper downloads and cheaper music players; it would only be a matter of time before the formidable iPod/iTMS combo is a pleasant memory and some other, second-best music store wannabe takes over. Bravo, Apple and Steve Jobs! If this rumor is true, it would mean they have taken the past in the form of a valuable lesson. I'd love nothing more than to see them stay on top of one of their own innovations instead of having to relegate it to yet another "Apple was there first" bragging rights item.

 

[pivo6]

Originally posted by desdomg
Interesting circular reporting going on here.

AtAT posts the original rumour, which is then picked up by MacRumors. Appleinsider then quotes MacRumors as support for its own speculation on the subject. And now MacRumors quotes Appleinsider as further support for the rumour.

I am not saying it wont happen, but from a journalistic standpoint you guys are not very professional.

I don't think anyone here claims to take the journalistic high ground (an oxymoron perhaps? ) with regards to rumors, but your point is well taken. I noticed that as well. In the end, all that matters is whether the rumor is true or not.

We all would like to see lower price iPods. I know I would buy a 4GB one if the price is right, about $150 US. I can't see myself spending much more for one at this time.

 

[gothamac]

This is obviously geared for kids. It's a huge demographic and they have money to spend but most parents wouldn't approve of spending $499 for the next cool thing. Bring to market a slightly smaller, less expensive iPod in different colors, and every school kid will HAVE to have one.

 

[paulc]

Well, what makes sense to me if flash based really mini Pod for not more than 149.95. Probably built in Flash memory allowing for a higher end model (~200 bucks) that has a CF slot. Flash memory ties right into the whole digital hub ethos.

BUT I also think it REAL important that they stop the fsck being rooted in the past and just add wmp drm support. It's the ONLY way that they are going to be able to really keep marketshare; remember beta had marketshare over VHS back in the day... As usual, it was the idiots of the world that made the 6 hour VHS stomp all over 5 hour beta!