Lesser Evets said:
Yup. I suspect the nano will become the new "music"/"sports" iPod and the full size iPod the new "multimedia" iPod. Apple will market them completely different. Shuffle stays around in the 512MB format as the "entry level" iPod.
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New iPods, iPhone?
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Yup. I suspect the nano will become the new "music"/"sports" iPod and the full size iPod the new "multimedia" iPod. Apple will market them completely different. Shuffle stays around in the 512MB format as the "entry level" iPod.
The Beatles will be added to the iTMS and a Beatles-inspired iPod will be announced. 
It will be in yellow, with Beatles signatures engraved on the back.
It will be in yellow, with Beatles signatures engraved on the back.
Speaking of which, there's an Apple Store at Arden Fair Mall a few miles from where I live. Can I go see those new iPods at that store by 1200 hours PDT today?
Apple is in a bind regarding the ipod/cell phone business. The cell phone will soon engulf the MP3 player and PDA markets so that everyone will have just one device to carry around.
Apple must have seen the writing on the wall for quite awhile that this scenario would play out, which is why they got involved with Motorola in the first place. The question must be asked how Apple will stay relevant in the MP3 market is it becomes a part a cell phone. They only way is for Apple to release a cell phone themselves or partner themselves with cell phone manufacturers. Apple may have done this already with a new Motorola phone. If Apple removed some of the limitations that existed on the ROKR, it would be much more competitive in the market. It wouldn't take much to make that phone, or the RAZR more attractive as an MP3 player. And if all of the new iPods had sufficient capacity and screen space to double as a video player, the phones would not be in such direct competition to the iPod.
Whatever the solution, Apple needs to have the iPod attached to a phone or it will soon no longer exist.
Apple must have seen the writing on the wall for quite awhile that this scenario would play out, which is why they got involved with Motorola in the first place. The question must be asked how Apple will stay relevant in the MP3 market is it becomes a part a cell phone. They only way is for Apple to release a cell phone themselves or partner themselves with cell phone manufacturers. Apple may have done this already with a new Motorola phone. If Apple removed some of the limitations that existed on the ROKR, it would be much more competitive in the market. It wouldn't take much to make that phone, or the RAZR more attractive as an MP3 player. And if all of the new iPods had sufficient capacity and screen space to double as a video player, the phones would not be in such direct competition to the iPod.
Whatever the solution, Apple needs to have the iPod attached to a phone or it will soon no longer exist.
SactoGuy18 said:Speaking of which, there's an Apple Store at Arden Fair Mall a few miles from where I live. Can I go see those new iPods at that store by 1200 hours PDT today?
Seriously doubt they'll be at any store today except for maybe at the SF and NYC flagship stores. Check back on Thurs-Fri.
Play Ultimate said:
I disagree. I have a Treo 700p. Love it. Great phone, great palm, nice web browser in a pinch. But I'd never listen to music on it. 1) sound isn't that great. 2) it would eat my batteries like a goat on a Scottish golf course. The extras on my Treo are great, but my phone is my phone, and I can't afford to drain the batteries on mp3s. I will always want just a stand-alone music player. Whether it continues to be the iPod is up to Apple.
Does anyone remember that cellphone sold to Cingular customers that included access to the iTunes music store? I think the so-called iPhone is something similar but this time the cellphone sports full iPod functionality, including (probably) 4 GB of flash memory storage for music and the ability to download music from your computer using iTunes 7.0 software.
Hmmm, an interesting point.matttrick said:
Wonder if that was an incentive for Apple to push the iPod into newer markets like video and the Nike+ .. both areas where (paraphrasing you) cell phone technology is again nowhere near up to par.
I was ready to ditch Sprint today and sign up my wife an I for an ipod-phone. I have a bulky phone and an ipod video, between those, an occassional pack of smokes, my keys and wallet, I'm almost ready for a "European Carry All"
I hear the arguement about wasting batteries on mp3s but I can charge the ipod in my car, on my work computer, in my house, they even sell cheesy solar chargers, I'm not worried about batteries I'm worried about pocket space.
Micro$haft is already working to release a phone/mp3/video player.. is Apple ready to watch their market share go down the toilet... I was very dissappointed by the lack of innovation I saw today. They rolled out new Nano's and a New Shuffle, along with Movies available on Itunes, near as I can tell, all of the new ipods today, can't even play movies, they actually announced two products that aren't compatible with each other in the same press circus, I mean press conference.
I'm a huge Apple fan, I'm an owner of Apple stock, but I was disappointed today.
I hear the arguement about wasting batteries on mp3s but I can charge the ipod in my car, on my work computer, in my house, they even sell cheesy solar chargers, I'm not worried about batteries I'm worried about pocket space.
Micro$haft is already working to release a phone/mp3/video player.. is Apple ready to watch their market share go down the toilet... I was very dissappointed by the lack of innovation I saw today. They rolled out new Nano's and a New Shuffle, along with Movies available on Itunes, near as I can tell, all of the new ipods today, can't even play movies, they actually announced two products that aren't compatible with each other in the same press circus, I mean press conference.
I'm a huge Apple fan, I'm an owner of Apple stock, but I was disappointed today.
Are you talking about the Microsoft Zune thing? It doesn't have any phone features.sdchargerrt said:
And when it comes to phones, the Windows Mobile 5 stuff that they last released is a huge bit better than before, but it's still very weak when it comes to multimedia. I don't know of anyone with an iPod that would put up with how you have to monkey around with Windows Media Player on those things...
I wasn't all that impressed with the iPods today (although the price drops on the bigger ones was something I bet Samsung and Creative didn't want to see), but IMO Apple did a great job of getting iTunes out before the new Windows Media Player in Vista starts to get all of the press. The iTV thing is going to get a lot of media attention, as will the movies.
If I had Apple stock, I wouldn't worry.
I have a phone with Winblows Mobile 5.0 and it gets me a real internet browser, I also downloaded the firefox mobile version Minmo which works nicely, I have 1gb mini SD card and music quality is pretty lame, but the phone is a tank.
When I got the phone I did a lot of reading about the mobile 5.0 and Micro$ucks stated goal (on their mobile 5.0 website) is to provide a single handheld device, phone, pmp, pda, etc. I haven't heard that goal from apple, but I would like to see it because I think Apple is clearly in a position to dominate that market. Having an Iphone is also a great way to undercut Verizon and Sprint's online music stores as well because Apple has the best content available.
Sometimes things move to slowly for me
When I got the phone I did a lot of reading about the mobile 5.0 and Micro$ucks stated goal (on their mobile 5.0 website) is to provide a single handheld device, phone, pmp, pda, etc. I haven't heard that goal from apple, but I would like to see it because I think Apple is clearly in a position to dominate that market. Having an Iphone is also a great way to undercut Verizon and Sprint's online music stores as well because Apple has the best content available.
Sometimes things move to slowly for me
Still One More Thing.....
For the regular iPod this was the least significant change it has ever seen. You can't tell me for the last 12months iPod engineers found out how to 1) make the screen brighter 2) increase battery life 3) add two new search features. WOOPIE!
Which this leads me to believe is that there is still..."one more thing" I see how the price drop has gone to $249 and $349 as well for an MP3 music player. Could there be prices back to the normal $299 and $399 for an MP4 video player? Have the basic iPod drop in price and target those who want the best in an mp3/semi-video player and produce the ultimate MP4 video player for those who want more video than audio.
Supposing the Zune will be out before the holiday season. Once they set a release date, couldn't you see Apple, within the next week holding an event reading "Oh, did we forget something" and just killing the Zune's thunder with the next gen of iPods?
I don't know what to expect, this stuff is total random, but if you piece it together I don't think Apple is done releasing products for the holiday season.
For the regular iPod this was the least significant change it has ever seen. You can't tell me for the last 12months iPod engineers found out how to 1) make the screen brighter 2) increase battery life 3) add two new search features. WOOPIE!
Which this leads me to believe is that there is still..."one more thing" I see how the price drop has gone to $249 and $349 as well for an MP3 music player. Could there be prices back to the normal $299 and $399 for an MP4 video player? Have the basic iPod drop in price and target those who want the best in an mp3/semi-video player and produce the ultimate MP4 video player for those who want more video than audio.
Supposing the Zune will be out before the holiday season. Once they set a release date, couldn't you see Apple, within the next week holding an event reading "Oh, did we forget something" and just killing the Zune's thunder with the next gen of iPods?
I don't know what to expect, this stuff is total random, but if you piece it together I don't think Apple is done releasing products for the holiday season.
You mean, like two months from now? That seems highly unlikely.appleman64 said:
Back to the iPhone (sort of): well, the iTunes RAZR has FINALLY been introduced in the US. Current prices at Cingular (assuming rebates, etc.): regular RAZR, $99. iTunes RAZR, $249. So, they're charging $150 for iTunes software. Yeah, right.
appleman64 said:
They also added a gaming platform FWIW. You can buy games from the iTS and load them into the iPod, as I understand it.
I think it's good they're not being over radical in what they do with the iPod. It's a good platform. Let it stay that way.