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Low Cost 2GB and 4GB iPods - at MWSF 2004?
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And another thought...about timing...maybe this timing is PERFECT. Here's why:
1. Apple sells as many higher cost iPods as possible now.
2. In January, they intro iPod Jr. for $149, and all of the people that bought cheaper ($100-$200) MP3 players rush to BestBuy, CircuitCity and CompUSA to return them and buy iPod Jr.
Just thinking out loud here.
1. Apple sells as many higher cost iPods as possible now.
2. In January, they intro iPod Jr. for $149, and all of the people that bought cheaper ($100-$200) MP3 players rush to BestBuy, CircuitCity and CompUSA to return them and buy iPod Jr.
Just thinking out loud here.
Re: Colored iPods
yes, but this is an aftermarket customization. My point is that Apple themselves doesn't seem too interested in going back to brightly colored plastic; they're currently in a very machined and streamlined frame of mind.
Re: Re: Colored iPods
i agree... i dont think i like this idea at all... and honestly, how many people really have music collections this small? i dont know anyone that has less than 4 gigs of music... i'd rather see them keep the same sizes, but make them cheaper.
i agree... i dont think i like this idea at all... and honestly, how many people really have music collections this small? i dont know anyone that has less than 4 gigs of music... i'd rather see them keep the same sizes, but make them cheaper.
Customer lock-in
My guess is that over time this will change. And by getting customers to buy large number of songs from iTMS, which supports Apple's digital rights management controlled through Apple, it locks people into Apple products.
I have purchased about $200 in songs from iTMS (more than I have probably spent on music CDs in the past decade), so there is no way I am going to switch to a new jukebox software (iTunes) and appliance (iPod) and walk away from my $200 investment.
iPod and iTMS are the two hostest items in the music industry right now, and Apple has the opportunity it has not had in about two decades -- secure a large marketshare that is locked in to their product line. Go Apple!
Right now Apple claims that iTMS is not profitable, but it does help drive the profitable iPods.
My guess is that over time this will change. And by getting customers to buy large number of songs from iTMS, which supports Apple's digital rights management controlled through Apple, it locks people into Apple products.
I have purchased about $200 in songs from iTMS (more than I have probably spent on music CDs in the past decade), so there is no way I am going to switch to a new jukebox software (iTunes) and appliance (iPod) and walk away from my $200 investment.
iPod and iTMS are the two hostest items in the music industry right now, and Apple has the opportunity it has not had in about two decades -- secure a large marketshare that is locked in to their product line. Go Apple!
Re: Re: Colored iPods
I don't see Apple going back to the all colorful days of the late 90's. But the "all white" thing has also been played. The new color commercials are a refreshing change, and I believe it will transfer over to the iPod.
I don't think we need to worry about seeing a bondi blue G5 Tower.
I don't see Apple going back to the all colorful days of the late 90's. But the "all white" thing has also been played. The new color commercials are a refreshing change, and I believe it will transfer over to the iPod.
I don't think we need to worry about seeing a bondi blue G5 Tower.
Re: Re: Re: Colored iPods
I sure hope so. I actually cheered when Steve showed the G5 for the first time. Finally, the death of plastic in the pro line!
I sure hope so. I actually cheered when Steve showed the G5 for the first time. Finally, the death of plastic in the pro line!
Re: Re: Re: Colored iPods
Well, if they do and want to carry their whole collection with them...buy a 10GB HD.
If they don't want to spend $300, assuming Apple does do an iPod Jr. ($149), then they'll have to live with only 20-40 hours of music in their pocket. Darn.
20 hours is plenty of music to get you through the bus stop, the bus ride, school, study hall, lunch, after school bus ride and home. (Oh, Apple needs to up the battery life.)
Trade-offs. It's life.
Well, if they do and want to carry their whole collection with them...buy a 10GB HD.
If they don't want to spend $300, assuming Apple does do an iPod Jr. ($149), then they'll have to live with only 20-40 hours of music in their pocket. Darn.
20 hours is plenty of music to get you through the bus stop, the bus ride, school, study hall, lunch, after school bus ride and home. (Oh, Apple needs to up the battery life.)
Trade-offs. It's life.
Re: language barrier
Why would you wonder that? I think you're on the wrong side of the language barrier.
No one's mentioned the AAC angle.
One thing that is different between iTMS/iPod and everybody else is the AAC format with FairPlay DRM.
At this stage of the game, if Apple can gain mindshare by selling zillions of songs in this format, it might be worth it to sell "mini-iPods" at very slim margins to promote AAC.
I am not interested in spending 300 dollars to have a 10GB hard drive. I don't need to have my music with me all the time even though I could since I spend almost all of my music-listening time at home, at the office or in my car and at each one I have several existing choices for listening. I also can't get one for my daughter (even though I have given her a 32MB Rio ($37) and we're both frustrated by its lack of capacity and its reliability), because that's too expensive for such a young child (a demographic not known for going gentle on consumer electronics.)
A 2GB iPod for, say, $99 may give me an opportunity to learn new habits where I may need a new high-end iPod next time. I've always though the digital camera companies should have a super-cheap model (which is actually pretty good and sold at cost) to get people hooked into digital photography and let them trade up to the fancier models if they like it.
One thing we need to realize is that AAC is an open format, so Apple stands to make nothing if others adopt it (Microsoft, on the other hand, gets a cut of every WMA-formatted song sold by everyone else), but maybe they could get a little something for the FairPlay DRM.
PS: The first mini-iPod I'd buy might be the pink one, if my daughter wants it and is a real good girl!
One thing that is different between iTMS/iPod and everybody else is the AAC format with FairPlay DRM.
At this stage of the game, if Apple can gain mindshare by selling zillions of songs in this format, it might be worth it to sell "mini-iPods" at very slim margins to promote AAC.
I am not interested in spending 300 dollars to have a 10GB hard drive. I don't need to have my music with me all the time even though I could since I spend almost all of my music-listening time at home, at the office or in my car and at each one I have several existing choices for listening. I also can't get one for my daughter (even though I have given her a 32MB Rio ($37) and we're both frustrated by its lack of capacity and its reliability), because that's too expensive for such a young child (a demographic not known for going gentle on consumer electronics.)
A 2GB iPod for, say, $99 may give me an opportunity to learn new habits where I may need a new high-end iPod next time. I've always though the digital camera companies should have a super-cheap model (which is actually pretty good and sold at cost) to get people hooked into digital photography and let them trade up to the fancier models if they like it.
One thing we need to realize is that AAC is an open format, so Apple stands to make nothing if others adopt it (Microsoft, on the other hand, gets a cut of every WMA-formatted song sold by everyone else), but maybe they could get a little something for the FairPlay DRM.
PS: The first mini-iPod I'd buy might be the pink one, if my daughter wants it and is a real good girl!
Re: Re: Re: Colored iPods
You are thinking too narrow.. (more past the quote)
You don't have to put your entire music collection on to your iPod.
Think about those people who go out and buy 256MB flash ram based MP3 players... do you seriously think they have only 256MB of music? Of course not, they only transfer what they want to listen to... slowly (USB 1).
In the article it says the jnr iPods will be restrictive. Hopefully they will still sport Firewire connection. Don't care that they may not contain the full software such as the games and stuff.
The cheapy iPods may even have a reduced screen size etc. That will certainly keep the price down.
Why do they buy only these players - they don't see the point in spending too much money, or they can't afford it.
Its a Good Thing that apple may be targeting the cheap side of the Market.
You are thinking too narrow.. (more past the quote)
You don't have to put your entire music collection on to your iPod.
Think about those people who go out and buy 256MB flash ram based MP3 players... do you seriously think they have only 256MB of music? Of course not, they only transfer what they want to listen to... slowly (USB 1).
In the article it says the jnr iPods will be restrictive. Hopefully they will still sport Firewire connection. Don't care that they may not contain the full software such as the games and stuff.
The cheapy iPods may even have a reduced screen size etc. That will certainly keep the price down.
Why do they buy only these players - they don't see the point in spending too much money, or they can't afford it.
Its a Good Thing that apple may be targeting the cheap side of the Market.
Re: Re: Re: Colored iPods
Quick back of the envelope calculation based on my purchases. 4 gigs represent almost $1000 in legal music. Kids these days...
Maybe iTunes and iPod already support this, but if it doesn't I would prefer better nesting control of playlists (i.e., hierarchical folders). Then you could have much more than 4 gigs of songs in iTunes, but make it easy to move 4 gigs of songs on and off the iPod.
(PS. I don't like the checking of individual playlists. I would prefer lists of playlists).
Quick back of the envelope calculation based on my purchases. 4 gigs represent almost $1000 in legal music. Kids these days... Maybe iTunes and iPod already support this, but if it doesn't I would prefer better nesting control of playlists (i.e., hierarchical folders). Then you could have much more than 4 gigs of songs in iTunes, but make it easy to move 4 gigs of songs on and off the iPod.
(PS. I don't like the checking of individual playlists. I would prefer lists of playlists).
Re: Re: Re: Colored iPods
Do you work for this company or something? What's up with the testimonial? I've seen their work up close and it's really good, but I still don't want a painted ipod.
Do you work for this company or something? What's up with the testimonial? I've seen their work up close and it's really good, but I still don't want a painted ipod.
color
Apple won't be repeating the fruity iMac type colors. Instead, expect something like White, Black, Champagne, Silver, etc. like the Canon SD10.
where they can save money
-An all-plastic body, instead of the metal back
-cheaper battery (hopefully not)
-no back lighting
-cheaper HDD (not sure from where)
-integrated controller for firewire, HD, battery, display, etc.
-mass mass production
-smaller profit margin
price
The reason they didn't introduce the cheaper ipods this season is b/c the current ipods are flying off the shelves anyways. Why cut into their sales?
New prices:
$149 - 2GB
$199 - 4GB
$269 - 10GB
$349 - 20GB
$449 - 40GB
flash vs. hdd vs. hdd
Flash media in the 1GB - 2GB range are expensive--$200-300. It'd be cheaper to put-in a 5GB HDD, unless Apple wants to go super small. The 2GB and 4GB these rumors are quoting come from recent reports of Hitachi and Toshiba producing 1" HDDs in those capacities. No word yet on how much the 1" drives cost. They could be cheaper if Apple ordered some massive quantities of these.
Apple won't be repeating the fruity iMac type colors. Instead, expect something like White, Black, Champagne, Silver, etc. like the Canon SD10.
where they can save money
-An all-plastic body, instead of the metal back
-cheaper battery (hopefully not)
-no back lighting
-cheaper HDD (not sure from where)
-integrated controller for firewire, HD, battery, display, etc.
-mass mass production
-smaller profit margin
price
The reason they didn't introduce the cheaper ipods this season is b/c the current ipods are flying off the shelves anyways. Why cut into their sales?
New prices:
$149 - 2GB
$199 - 4GB
$269 - 10GB
$349 - 20GB
$449 - 40GB
flash vs. hdd vs. hdd
Flash media in the 1GB - 2GB range are expensive--$200-300. It'd be cheaper to put-in a 5GB HDD, unless Apple wants to go super small. The 2GB and 4GB these rumors are quoting come from recent reports of Hitachi and Toshiba producing 1" HDDs in those capacities. No word yet on how much the 1" drives cost. They could be cheaper if Apple ordered some massive quantities of these.
Re: No one's mentioned the AAC angle.
Suppose Napster supports AAC. Can I switch to Napster's jukebox software and keep all my songs purchased from iTMS in the Napster software?
How does that fit in with the "authorizing' and "deauthorizing" of a computer?
Suppose Napster supports AAC. Can I switch to Napster's jukebox software and keep all my songs purchased from iTMS in the Napster software?
Re: No one's mentioned the AAC angle.
This would be exactly the reason to do iPod Jr.
Killing off the meme that is WMA (which, BTW, is exactly the reason they will NOT support WMA on iPod...yet.)
If Apple does this (iPod Jr.) They have a real chance of killing WMA.
This would be exactly the reason to do iPod Jr.
Killing off the meme that is WMA (which, BTW, is exactly the reason they will NOT support WMA on iPod...yet.)
If Apple does this (iPod Jr.) They have a real chance of killing WMA.
It is about time Apple jumped in and produced a low-end, quality product instead of abandoning that segment of the market to others. I would like to see some attention paid to innovative products for those of us who can't afford the $499 version.
Great.......Price point?!?!
Without a highly competitive price, 2GB and 4GB iPods don't mean jack squat. I want to beleve that Apple is going to release a competitvly priced product. I really do but in the back of my mind I have a little voice going. Joooooobs is goooooooinnnnnnng to get greeeeeeeedy.
Without a highly competitive price, 2GB and 4GB iPods don't mean jack squat. I want to beleve that Apple is going to release a competitvly priced product. I really do but in the back of my mind I have a little voice going. Joooooobs is goooooooinnnnnnng to get greeeeeeeedy.
3. In February, Apple and Pepsi kickoff (pun intended) the great Tunes Music Store Song Giveaway contest. 100 million songs are going to be downloaded from iTMS, and all those people are going to need something to play them on.
While the timing is bad for Christmas, it's perfect for the Superbowl ads.