Could read "where the iPod as a whole has poor retail presence and is relatively highly priced".
Love the Apple policy of
Foreign price = US price x exchange rate + 20% or so
I mean, I was at a store in China where I could have thrown a rock and hit the factory of iPods (figuratively speaking, I didn't have a rock with me, and I didn't want to damage the windows) but the price is higher than in the US.
But then again, much of this stuff can be put down to two words "life sucks".
Mendosi
Some of it can also be put down to the fact that distributors in foreign countries are separate entities (e.g. another layer of middlemen).
As long as you can only play AAC on Apple's stuff, WMA still has a colossally large advantage. I fear that in a few years, the iPod will be using WMA as its primary format...
Possibly, but not probably. AAC is part of MPEG-4, which is gaining a huge amount of ground right now in the HD-DVD groups, beating out WMP9's codecs. Whoo!
Remember, it's not AAC vs. everyone, it's AAC vs. WMA. Both types of players can play MP3s, which is still the most common file format by far. WMA doesn't have a colossally large advantage by any means... in fact, the *only* thing it has going for it is that it has MS's monopoly pushing it... and this time, it doesn't seem to be winning.
My guess is that the timing of the release is intentional. They probably realized they would never be able to meet Christmas demand, and rather than have a bunch of po'd customers -- they opted for a post-Christmas release.
My guess is that the timing of the release is intentional. You never release a cheaper product in your prime buying season when the more expensive product is going to completely sell out. They did this with iPod Mini. This is very deft product management and marketing. If all goes well (and according to recent history)...next Christmas season they'll have all three levels, and likely to sell 6-7 million in the Christmas quarter.
As long as you can only play AAC on Apple's stuff, WMA still has a colossally large advantage. I fear that in a few years, the iPod will be using WMA as its primary format...
Actually, anyone could make a player using AAC. It is Apple's DRM protocol which is exclusive to Apple.
As long as you can only play AAC on Apple's stuff, WMA still has a colossally large advantage.
Please do explain.
Currently 70% of the legally purchased download music is in AAC (protected) format.
Why do so many assume that Apple must fail here...or more importantly...that MS must win? MS has lost in more markets than they have won. People rarely realize this.
I would not be surprised at all to see a different form factor for this new thing. Maybe something you attach to your key chain...or hang on a lanyard around your neck.
Think Different.
What about the shape of a stick/pen/wand? Not sure about the UI...but I am confident Apple could figure something out.
I would love for them to get rid of the UI lock button on the top of the iPod and replace it will some type of pressure sensor on the sides so you can hold it normally without worring about unwanted input but with a slight squeeze on the sides as you hold it, the UI is active.
Or if not that, a quick double squeeze on the sides as you hold it in your hand pauses/mutes the music. And another double squeeze resumes/unmutes it.
I love the round one. That's awesome, and functional. Would require a proprietary LCD, though, and that would be too expensive for Apple to develop at the price point they're aiming toward.
Maybe instead, Apple could overlay a touch sensitive navigation wheel over the LCD. Tapping the sides of the wheel would perform the "click" function, as you wouldn't be able to have it actually "click". I
tonton that's brilliant. I wouldn't be surprised to see that, as it must have occurred to them.
Just got the Creative Labs Zen Micro in work today, and although I haven't had a proper look yet, it looks nicer than an iPod Mini - maybe Apple does need to update its range to keep up, since the iPod Mini has been out for a year by MW SF. iPod mini to go to 10gb and a new micro underneath? That would be sweet!
This new Zen Micro is smaller than iPod mini, has removable rechargeable, good screen, menu similar to iPod, calendar, decent battery life, touch pad thing and comes in 10 colours. Oh ye, it's 5gb, and only £10 more than iPod mini. If it had an Apple badge I'd buy one! Grrr, come on January!
I'm suprised that nobody has considered the possibility that Apple will eventually replace nearly every single HD-based model with a flash-based model.
Flash memory prices are continuing to drop, making larger capacity flash-based devices more economical, so one has to wonder how long it will be before we are talking about 5-10GB flash-based players. And no, I'm not suggesting that we will see such a high capacity device a couple of months from now.
I'm suprised that nobody has considered the possibility that Apple will eventually replace nearly every single HD-based model with a flash-based model.
Flash memory prices are continuing to drop, making larger capacity flash-based devices more economical, so one has to wonder how long it will be before we are talking about 5-10GB flash-based players. And no, I'm not suggesting that we will see such a high capacity device a couple of months from now.
You know, flash memory prices have been continuing to drop for years. The problem is that hard drive prices have been dropping at least as fast, and the tricks that the drive makers are using to make smaller and denser drives are good for at least a couple of orders of magnitude of improvement. In other words, the issue isn't whether flash memory will be up to the task, the issue is whether hard drives will continue to be a consistently better value.
If you think of iPod as "Your Life - To Go" and think about what sort of capacity would be required to really make that happen (bring your music, photos, documents, movies, app prefs and bookmarks; possibly even your account!) the significantly higher capacity and significantly lower cost/GB will favor hard drives for a very, very long time. Flash will take over the current low end (the mini) when it becomes able to store 1,000 songs economically.
You know, flash memory prices have been continuing to drop for years. The problem is that hard drive prices have been dropping at least as fast, and the tricks that the drive makers are using to make smaller and denser drives are good for at least a couple of orders of magnitude of improvement. In other words, the issue isn't whether flash memory will be up to the task, the issue is whether hard drives will continue to be a consistently better value.
If you think of iPod as "Your Life - To Go" and think about what sort of capacity would be required to really make that happen (bring your music, photos, documents, movies, app prefs and bookmarks; possibly even your account!) the significantly higher capacity and significantly lower cost/GB will favor hard drives for a very, very long time. Flash will take over the current low end (the mini) when it becomes able to store 1,000 songs economically.
While I agree with your post, I would argue that this may happen sooner than we might think. For example, Lexar 512MB Jump Drives are currently selling for around $70CND, the iPod Mini goes for around $350CND. The gap was significantly larger even a year ago.
I think it's going to be very, very interesting to see the storage capacity of Apple's forthcoming flash-based iPod.
Comments
Originally posted by Mendosi
Could read "where the iPod as a whole has poor retail presence and is relatively highly priced".
Love the Apple policy of
Foreign price = US price x exchange rate + 20% or so
I mean, I was at a store in China where I could have thrown a rock and hit the factory of iPods (figuratively speaking, I didn't have a rock with me, and I didn't want to damage the windows) but the price is higher than in the US.
But then again, much of this stuff can be put down to two words "life sucks".
Mendosi
Some of it can also be put down to the fact that distributors in foreign countries are separate entities (e.g. another layer of middlemen).
Originally posted by CharlesS
As long as you can only play AAC on Apple's stuff, WMA still has a colossally large advantage. I fear that in a few years, the iPod will be using WMA as its primary format...
Possibly, but not probably. AAC is part of MPEG-4, which is gaining a huge amount of ground right now in the HD-DVD groups, beating out WMP9's codecs. Whoo!
Remember, it's not AAC vs. everyone, it's AAC vs. WMA. Both types of players can play MP3s, which is still the most common file format by far. WMA doesn't have a colossally large advantage by any means... in fact, the *only* thing it has going for it is that it has MS's monopoly pushing it... and this time, it doesn't seem to be winning.
Originally posted by allan
My guess is that the timing of the release is intentional. They probably realized they would never be able to meet Christmas demand, and rather than have a bunch of po'd customers -- they opted for a post-Christmas release.
My guess is that the timing of the release is intentional. You never release a cheaper product in your prime buying season when the more expensive product is going to completely sell out. They did this with iPod Mini. This is very deft product management and marketing. If all goes well (and according to recent history)...next Christmas season they'll have all three levels, and likely to sell 6-7 million in the Christmas quarter.
Originally posted by one3
Just for fun ... I did some Photoshop mockups of possible designs for the Flash-based iPod "micro". You can see them here: http://applepete.com/
Love the pics - I'd be first in line for either of the first two, but the third one is a bit cheesy even for the die hard Apple fan!
Originally posted by CharlesS
As long as you can only play AAC on Apple's stuff, WMA still has a colossally large advantage. I fear that in a few years, the iPod will be using WMA as its primary format...
Actually, anyone could make a player using AAC. It is Apple's DRM protocol which is exclusive to Apple.
Originally posted by CharlesS
As long as you can only play AAC on Apple's stuff, WMA still has a colossally large advantage.
Please do explain.
Currently 70% of the legally purchased download music is in AAC (protected) format.
Why do so many assume that Apple must fail here...or more importantly...that MS must win? MS has lost in more markets than they have won. People rarely realize this.
Think Different.
What about the shape of a stick/pen/wand? Not sure about the UI...but I am confident Apple could figure something out.
Or if not that, a quick double squeeze on the sides as you hold it in your hand pauses/mutes the music. And another double squeeze resumes/unmutes it.
Originally posted by tonton
What? Like this?
Yes...only something that wouldn't give you bruises.
Originally posted by tonton
I love the round one. That's awesome, and functional. Would require a proprietary LCD, though, and that would be too expensive for Apple to develop at the price point they're aiming toward.
Or not...
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B0002UB2Q4
This one claims 16 hours of music (lower encoding rate of course). But at the standard iTMS AAC rate 512MB could store about 8 hours of audio.
I can imagine taking iPod Micro (512MB) to work...enough music for a day's work. I can see the marketing of it now.
Maybe instead, Apple could overlay a touch sensitive navigation wheel over the LCD. Tapping the sides of the wheel would perform the "click" function, as you wouldn't be able to have it actually "click". I
tonton that's brilliant. I wouldn't be surprised to see that, as it must have occurred to them.
This new Zen Micro is smaller than iPod mini, has removable rechargeable, good screen, menu similar to iPod, calendar, decent battery life, touch pad thing and comes in 10 colours. Oh ye, it's 5gb, and only £10 more than iPod mini. If it had an Apple badge I'd buy one! Grrr, come on January!
Had someone ask for one where I work, nearly barfed all over him
Originally posted by one3
Just for fun ... I did some Photoshop mockups of possible designs for the Flash-based iPod "micro". You can see them here: http://applepete.com/
I like the second one. Kinda like the size and shape of a credit card.
The third one with the Apple logo shape would look like it could stab you with those sharp edges.
Mike
Flash memory prices are continuing to drop, making larger capacity flash-based devices more economical, so one has to wonder how long it will be before we are talking about 5-10GB flash-based players. And no, I'm not suggesting that we will see such a high capacity device a couple of months from now.
Originally posted by Chagi
I'm suprised that nobody has considered the possibility that Apple will eventually replace nearly every single HD-based model with a flash-based model.
Flash memory prices are continuing to drop, making larger capacity flash-based devices more economical, so one has to wonder how long it will be before we are talking about 5-10GB flash-based players. And no, I'm not suggesting that we will see such a high capacity device a couple of months from now.
You know, flash memory prices have been continuing to drop for years. The problem is that hard drive prices have been dropping at least as fast, and the tricks that the drive makers are using to make smaller and denser drives are good for at least a couple of orders of magnitude of improvement. In other words, the issue isn't whether flash memory will be up to the task, the issue is whether hard drives will continue to be a consistently better value.
If you think of iPod as "Your Life - To Go" and think about what sort of capacity would be required to really make that happen (bring your music, photos, documents, movies, app prefs and bookmarks; possibly even your account!) the significantly higher capacity and significantly lower cost/GB will favor hard drives for a very, very long time. Flash will take over the current low end (the mini) when it becomes able to store 1,000 songs economically.
Originally posted by Amorph
You know, flash memory prices have been continuing to drop for years. The problem is that hard drive prices have been dropping at least as fast, and the tricks that the drive makers are using to make smaller and denser drives are good for at least a couple of orders of magnitude of improvement. In other words, the issue isn't whether flash memory will be up to the task, the issue is whether hard drives will continue to be a consistently better value.
If you think of iPod as "Your Life - To Go" and think about what sort of capacity would be required to really make that happen (bring your music, photos, documents, movies, app prefs and bookmarks; possibly even your account!) the significantly higher capacity and significantly lower cost/GB will favor hard drives for a very, very long time. Flash will take over the current low end (the mini) when it becomes able to store 1,000 songs economically.
While I agree with your post, I would argue that this may happen sooner than we might think. For example, Lexar 512MB Jump Drives are currently selling for around $70CND, the iPod Mini goes for around $350CND. The gap was significantly larger even a year ago.
I think it's going to be very, very interesting to see the storage capacity of Apple's forthcoming flash-based iPod.