Bullcrap. Nobody I know is going to pay $749 for a still camera from Apple when they can get one from Canon, Sony, Olympus, Kodak, Nikon, etc. for 1/3 that!
But these companies ALSO have cameras in that price range. You make it sound like NO ONE is selling digital still cameras at this price, and you're wrong. There is clearly a market for them (and much higher too).
Consumers? Perhaps not. Would Apple be selling it as a consumer product? Who knows. (Of course we're purely speculating that Apple will be releasing ANYTHING.)
Your same statement could be applied to the MP3 player (pre-iPod).
"Bullcrap. Nobody I know is going to pay $399 (or $499) for an MP3 player from Apple when they can get one from <insert vendors here>, etc. for 1/3 that!"
if its a camera i'd be surprised. Apple wouldn't get but marginal returns on a 750 dollar camera, that people would only buy probably if they had an apple computer to go with it. I wish they'd make some home theater device to wireless play iphoto and itunes to your tv set, or something of the like. But realistically speaking probably an updated display with a spiffy new price... or super cheap headless mac (hopefully)
Really its up to conjecture... bad@$$ ipod? headless imac? at that price it can be just about anything. We need more clues.
Chris, that's why I said "something special with some Apple tweak on it". And yes, I'm totally aware all those companies sell expensive cameras. And people DO buy them. But not, in general, the kind of people I list (hobbyists, grannies, students, newcomers to digital photography, etc.).
That's just true. Designers might. Photographers might. People seriously into photography/design will.
But great stuff is found in the $200-400 range and THAT'S what most people are going in to Best Buy and Circuit City to buy, from all I've seen and heard.
The iPod? It always had a higher capacity and better design than any of that stuff from Diamond or whoever. I never balked at the asking price for an iPod because I knew - considering its integration with iTunes, the capacity, ease-of-use, battery life, smallness/slimness, etc. - it was totally worth it.
If Apple came out with a $749 STILL camera it would be a whole new Cube scenario, Part 2.
But I agree: a nice DV camera done up really cool, easy as pie to use, integrated with and made to work seamlessly with iMovie/iDVD/FCP and sporting some other cool "wow, how come nobody ever thought of that before?!?" features would probably sell like crazy.
But honestly, I'm inclined - at this point - to think a) the $749 "mystery product" was an error or b) a new 17" display.
I don't think Apple will ever produce a camera...still or video.
if its a camera i'd be surprised. Apple wouldn't get but marginal returns on a 750 dollar camera, that people would only buy probably if they had an apple computer to go with it. I wish they'd make some home theater device to wireless play iphoto and itunes to your tv set, or something of the like. But realistically speaking probably an updated display with a spiffy new price... or super cheap headless mac (hopefully)
Really its up to conjecture... bad@$$ ipod? headless imac? at that price it can be just about anything. We need more clues.
They should call it Phoenix... coming from the ashes of a QuickTake.
Yeah, yeah...I KNOW they did before. And also scanners, printers, etc.
I'm talking about now. 2003. And beyond. It's all different now.
They also made a PDA, if I recall. Where's THAT now?
The iPod makes sense. I didn't expect it, but I was massively digging iTunes and using it to get my music all onto my Mac. Even though I don't ever recall saying to myself "hey, it would be cool if Apple invented some sort of cool, handheld player for all these mp3s I have!", I instantly "got it" (and appreciated) the idea and introduction of the iPod.
2-and-a-half years later it's really become one of the coolest things going: recording, photo storage, iCal, Address Book, portable FireWire storage/shuttle, PLUS the whole music thing.
Like all their best stuff, they do it a bit different and strip away the nonsense and the unnecessary. And, to top it off, they throw in 1-3 "ohmigosh!" features for good measure.
That's why they'll always be best at what they do...and that's why everyone else is always running to catch up with them and do their own take on the path that Apple sets.
That's not "fanboy cooing" either. That's cold, hard simple facts.
This recent surge in digital music being a perfect example.
If Apple came out next week and decided that astronomy was cool and they made a new iApp called iSky and released a cool USB/FireWire telescope called iScope and really spent the next 6-9 months playing up the whole astronomy/space thing, how long do you think it would be before the other side put together their little half-ass version of it?
Microsoft Starz?. Dell SkyChart v1.0. Gateway AstroCam. Broderbund CosmoFactory?
The iPod makes sense. I didn't expect it, but I was massively digging iTunes and using it to get my music all onto my Mac. Even though I don't ever recall saying to myself "hey, it would be cool if Apple invented some sort of cool, handheld player for all these mp3s I have!", I instantly "got it" (and appreciated) the idea and introduction of the iPod.
If Apple came out next week and decided that astronomy was cool and they made a new iApp called iSky and released a cool USB/FireWire telescope called iScope and really spent the next 6-9 months playing up the whole astronomy/space thing, how long do you think it would be before the other side put together their little half-ass version of it?
Microsoft Starz?. Dell SkyChart v1.0. Gateway AstroCam. Broderbund CosmoFactory?
You know I'm right...
that was a great post my friend!
i hope the "mystery" item is as cool as we know it should be!
i'm sure of one thing, whatever the "mystery" thing is,
It's the new 60GB iPod. Apple took the 40GB ($499) and the 20GB ($299) and secured them together back to back with duct tape. But here's the really cool part ...*it's white duct tape* ...oohhhhhh ...and it has the Apple logo on the duct tape! No way! Yes, it's true. And Apple is knocking $49 dollars off the combined price. This is hot!
That thing is hideous and useless. No way Apple will do anything like that.
It may be hideous, but there are some good ideas there. The user interface is cluttered - too many features in one device. Also, storing video on flash memory is crazy; enough storage for 90 minutes will cost hundreds of dollars. Resolution is too low for a still camera.
I think we get back to "what makes sense", and that is a little digital video camera with hard disk storage, and limited playback capability. I think it'd sell, there's nothing like it on the market today.
There is no way Apple will place another cube like product on their line. It would cannibilize tower sales and iMac sales unless they discontinued the iMac.
Also Apple knows its customers are forced to chuck their old Macs for newer ones because they can't upgrade easily. This is how Apple makes their money. You can look at it sideways and feel mistreated all day and it wont change the fact that the company would rather have you feed them another $2200 toward their total sales than have you spend $300 on an upgrade and make 3rd Party Generic ®? more profitable on a $50 margin.
So forget a cube, your never going to see expandability on an iMac like you do on a Beige Box. And dont they like cement the freakin processor to the mother board to keep you from upgrading?
if Apple comes out with a new product at $749 it will be:
A. a product of a new direction that will not harm its other products currently on line. ie, video pod (recorder, player)
B. a product to replace one currently online, eMac with another eMac like product or LCD screen, or software.
C. a steve jobs doll with a 1.8" HD but not a headless iMac. maybe a headless steve jobs doll, with turtle neck. Also a bill gates doll with dark helmet included.
Comments
Originally posted by pscates
Bullcrap. Nobody I know is going to pay $749 for a still camera from Apple when they can get one from Canon, Sony, Olympus, Kodak, Nikon, etc. for 1/3 that!
But these companies ALSO have cameras in that price range. You make it sound like NO ONE is selling digital still cameras at this price, and you're wrong. There is clearly a market for them (and much higher too).
Consumers? Perhaps not. Would Apple be selling it as a consumer product? Who knows. (Of course we're purely speculating that Apple will be releasing ANYTHING.)
Your same statement could be applied to the MP3 player (pre-iPod).
"Bullcrap. Nobody I know is going to pay $399 (or $499) for an MP3 player from Apple when they can get one from <insert vendors here>, etc. for 1/3 that!"
Again, I'd hope for a DV camera.
Really its up to conjecture... bad@$$ ipod? headless imac? at that price it can be just about anything. We need more clues.
That's just true. Designers might. Photographers might. People seriously into photography/design will.
But great stuff is found in the $200-400 range and THAT'S what most people are going in to Best Buy and Circuit City to buy, from all I've seen and heard.
The iPod? It always had a higher capacity and better design than any of that stuff from Diamond or whoever. I never balked at the asking price for an iPod because I knew - considering its integration with iTunes, the capacity, ease-of-use, battery life, smallness/slimness, etc. - it was totally worth it.
If Apple came out with a $749 STILL camera it would be a whole new Cube scenario, Part 2.
But I agree: a nice DV camera done up really cool, easy as pie to use, integrated with and made to work seamlessly with iMovie/iDVD/FCP and sporting some other cool "wow, how come nobody ever thought of that before?!?" features would probably sell like crazy.
But honestly, I'm inclined - at this point - to think a) the $749 "mystery product" was an error or b) a new 17" display.
I don't think Apple will ever produce a camera...still or video.
Originally posted by kraig911
if its a camera i'd be surprised. Apple wouldn't get but marginal returns on a 750 dollar camera, that people would only buy probably if they had an apple computer to go with it. I wish they'd make some home theater device to wireless play iphoto and itunes to your tv set, or something of the like. But realistically speaking probably an updated display with a spiffy new price... or super cheap headless mac (hopefully)
Really its up to conjecture... bad@$$ ipod? headless imac? at that price it can be just about anything. We need more clues.
They should call it Phoenix... coming from the ashes of a QuickTake.
Originally posted by pscates
I don't think Apple will ever produce a camera...still or video.
One (or two, maybe) word[s]: QuickTake.
I'm talking about now. 2003. And beyond. It's all different now.
They also made a PDA, if I recall. Where's THAT now?
The iPod makes sense. I didn't expect it, but I was massively digging iTunes and using it to get my music all onto my Mac. Even though I don't ever recall saying to myself "hey, it would be cool if Apple invented some sort of cool, handheld player for all these mp3s I have!", I instantly "got it" (and appreciated) the idea and introduction of the iPod.
2-and-a-half years later it's really become one of the coolest things going: recording, photo storage, iCal, Address Book, portable FireWire storage/shuttle, PLUS the whole music thing.
Like all their best stuff, they do it a bit different and strip away the nonsense and the unnecessary. And, to top it off, they throw in 1-3 "ohmigosh!" features for good measure.
That's why they'll always be best at what they do...and that's why everyone else is always running to catch up with them and do their own take on the path that Apple sets.
That's not "fanboy cooing" either. That's cold, hard simple facts.
This recent surge in digital music being a perfect example.
If Apple came out next week and decided that astronomy was cool and they made a new iApp called iSky and released a cool USB/FireWire telescope called iScope and really spent the next 6-9 months playing up the whole astronomy/space thing, how long do you think it would be before the other side put together their little half-ass version of it?
Microsoft Starz?. Dell SkyChart v1.0. Gateway AstroCam. Broderbund CosmoFactory?
You know I'm right...
Originally posted by pscates
snip
Double post -or something like that
Originally posted by pscates
The iPod makes sense. I didn't expect it, but I was massively digging iTunes and using it to get my music all onto my Mac. Even though I don't ever recall saying to myself "hey, it would be cool if Apple invented some sort of cool, handheld player for all these mp3s I have!", I instantly "got it" (and appreciated) the idea and introduction of the iPod.
Hold that thought and think iMovie in reverse.
Originally posted by pscates
If Apple came out next week and decided that astronomy was cool and they made a new iApp called iSky and released a cool USB/FireWire telescope called iScope and really spent the next 6-9 months playing up the whole astronomy/space thing, how long do you think it would be before the other side put together their little half-ass version of it?
Microsoft Starz?. Dell SkyChart v1.0. Gateway AstroCam. Broderbund CosmoFactory?
You know I'm right...
that was a great post my friend!
i hope the "mystery" item is as cool as we know it should be!
i'm sure of one thing, whatever the "mystery" thing is,
we'll all want to have it!
Originally posted by Hobbes
One vote here for the headless $749 iMac G5 Cube.
Gosh that would be nice but it ain't gonna happen. It would cost Apple a bundle. That's why the Cube was never as cheap as is should have been.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=33892
small footprint. even portable.
think sync.
Originally posted by Existence
See my post in the thread linked below...
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=33892
That thing is hideous and useless. No way Apple will do anything like that.
(sorry, I'm a bit bored today...)
Originally posted by Hobbes
One vote here for the headless $749 iMac G5 Cube.
make that 2 votes
Originally posted by Silverlode
That thing is hideous and useless. No way Apple will do anything like that.
It may be hideous, but there are some good ideas there. The user interface is cluttered - too many features in one device. Also, storing video on flash memory is crazy; enough storage for 90 minutes will cost hundreds of dollars. Resolution is too low for a still camera.
I think we get back to "what makes sense", and that is a little digital video camera with hard disk storage, and limited playback capability. I think it'd sell, there's nothing like it on the market today.
128 MB RAM uprgrade?
Also Apple knows its customers are forced to chuck their old Macs for newer ones because they can't upgrade easily. This is how Apple makes their money. You can look at it sideways and feel mistreated all day and it wont change the fact that the company would rather have you feed them another $2200 toward their total sales than have you spend $300 on an upgrade and make 3rd Party Generic ®? more profitable on a $50 margin.
So forget a cube, your never going to see expandability on an iMac like you do on a Beige Box. And dont they like cement the freakin processor to the mother board to keep you from upgrading?
if Apple comes out with a new product at $749 it will be:
A. a product of a new direction that will not harm its other products currently on line. ie, video pod (recorder, player)
B. a product to replace one currently online, eMac with another eMac like product or LCD screen, or software.
C. a steve jobs doll with a 1.8" HD but not a headless iMac. maybe a headless steve jobs doll, with turtle neck. Also a bill gates doll with dark helmet included.