Toshiba Ramping Up Flash Production Ahead of iPod Refresh?

[Michael73]

I'm almost postive we'll see a 64GB iPod touch.

We might also see an all-flash Classic perhaps? That would definately make it thinner and lighter. Plus, they might be able to shove 128GB of Flash into a classic, yet keep it at the same pricepoint as it doesn't have the expensive touchscreen like the touch. Who knows, I'm just speculating.

I'm not even in the market for another iPod, but I would love the entire line to transition to nothing but flash memory

I truly think this is the way all memory will go in the not too distant future. I think that spinning platters of memory will go the way that spinning platters of vinyl went, into virtual obsolesce. That said, we're still probably at least 4-6 years away from flash memory that we can talk about in the terabyte realm.

 

[GodWhomIsMike]

I'm hoping for a 32GB iPod Nano.

 

[troller]

No ability to play divx just sucks

 

[aokiqiao]

I'm hoping for a 32GB iPod Nano.

I would LOL. If they came out with one.

On another note. The only reason I never bought a touch when my 2nd Creative Zen Vision:M broke is because by then I had filled up the 32GB's. I really didnt want a classic at the time because I dont like the screen so I got the 120GB Zune when it came out. Maybe when my zune finally stops working I'll consider buying the 64GB touch.

 

[Bosep]

No ability to play divx just sucks

Uhm, buy a better computer, sure it's sucky by apple not supporting divx, but the few minutes it takes converting a movie its not even worth complaing on.

 

[Cynicalone]

64GB iPod touch with an OLED screen, and better battery life would be a wonderful thing.

 

[Shake 'n' Bake]

64GB iPod touch with an OLED screen, and better battery life would be a wonderful thing.

But it would cost $499.

 

[twoodcc]

now i really hope this has something to do with a new tablet

 

[Cynicalone]

But it would cost $499.

I'm thinking it will be something like this...

• 8GB $99.00
• 16GB $199.00
• 32GB $299.00
• 64GB $399.00

 

[Shake 'n' Bake]

I'm thinking it will be something like this...

• 8GB $99.00
• 16GB $199.00
• 32GB $299.00
• 64GB $399.00

If the 8 GB is $99, why not get an iPhone (aside from the contract)?

If there is a 64 GB, which I highly doubt, the 8 GB will be dropped and everything else will be moved down.

 

[NT1440]

If the 8 GB is $99, why not get an iPhone (aside from the contract)?

If there is a 64 GB, which I highly doubt, the 8 GB will be dropped and everything else will be moved down.

Indeed. Whenever there is a new capacity reached, apple drops the lowest and filters the price points down to where you got the highest capacity of last gen, for the middle or low price now.

 

[Cynicalone]

My thinking is they may keep the 8GB at $99 or $129 to make the App store available to more customers.

 

[Michael CM1]

The classic won't receive flash memory. There are three options for the classic:

-EOL
-Higher capacity HDD
-No update

If option 3, a price drop is possible. If the classic makes in through another year it will be EOLed in 2010 with a 128 GB iPod touch as the replacement, regardless of the capacity of the iPod classic at the time.

Pretty much what I was going to say. I would almost offer to buy everybody on here a flash-based Classic if such a device was released. The iPod Touch and Nano are the future of iPods. The only reason the Classic still exists is because it offers much more storage space. There are only two companies who make the HDDs that fit the iPod Classic, so it's EOL is coming soon. I see a $199 iPod Classic with the same exact specs being almost glossed completely over because it's the inbred redheaded stepchild of the iPod lineup now.

 

[Mal]

Indeed. Whenever there is a new capacity reached, apple drops the lowest and filters the price points down to where you got the highest capacity of last gen, for the middle or low price now.

Yes, that has typically been the case, but given that Apple's been shaking up their previous pricing policies in a few cases already, it's not completely unreasonable to think they might keep the 8GB at a lower price point... and possibly the current model instead of the 3G iPod touch (third generation people, obviously not 3G data).

jW

 

[cg0def]

wouldn't hold my breath

not to rain on ya'll's parade but Toshiba is about to release a smart phone with 32gb of flash memory so there is a pretty good chance that the ramp up is due to the fact that Toshiba needs their own memory this time ...

 

[DELLsFan]

Must be nice to drop $500M on an order of flash memory! Um ... that's a butt-ton of money!

 

[Cynicalone]

not to rain on ya'll's parade but Toshiba is about to release a smart phone with 32gb of flash memory so there is a pretty good chance that the ramp up is due to the fact that Toshiba needs their own memory this time ...

You know that Apple confirmed paying them 500 million for flash memory already?

 

[Bubba Satori]

I wonder if Apple would consider bringing back the iBook name for a new tablet device? Makes sense, although it may be confusing at first. Hopefully it uses at least 128gb of flash memory.

I agree. It would put a world of hurt on the Kindle and high end netbooks. Come on Apple, let's do it.

 

[pooryou]

Apple: don't bother releasing any new iPods until you can come up with something larger than 160GB.

 

[Xavier]

A 64gb iPod Touch with a camera will get me to upgrade. Hands down.

 

[redfirebird08]

I have had a 80 gig Classic for around a year and a half. It's a very good iPod. My previous iPod was a 30 gig Photo that had the battery life suddenly drop off a cliff after 2.5 years. I'm going to keep using the Classic for as long as possible, hopefully long enough to hold out for a 128 gig Touch at a reasonable price (probably 2 years from now, maybe longer).