Overall iPod sales surge, iPod photo demand mediocre
Sales of Apple's flagship iPods are booming in recent weeks, though sources claim the company's recently introduced iPod photo is not such a hot ticket.
According to a recent analysis of shipping data conducted by sources close to AppleInsider, Apple Computer's 20GB and 40GB iPod digital music players have been met with increasing demand in recent weeks.
Of the two offerings, the 20GB player appears to be the most sought after model, with backorders to the company's reseller and distribution channels listing wait times of up to 3 weeks.
On the other hand, the recently introduced 40GB and 60GB iPod photo models appear to be in ample supply, indicating a lesser demand for the higher priced players. Both models are available to ship to all channels within a 24-hour time period.
Data also reveals that iPod mini players are on the verge of scarcity, though Apple appears to have anticipated heightened demand for the blue-colored players. Shipping data indicates slightly better availability of the blue model when compared to the other minis, specifically when customers place orders directly from the company.
Other Apple products in strong demand this holiday buying season include the iMac G5, specifically the 17-inch 1.8GHz model, which is carrying a minimum 1-3 day waiting period, even on direct orders.
An article published in today's edition of The Wall Street Journal also notes that iPods are becoming scarce at retailers around the country. The report says that Amazon.com, Buy.com, and other online retailers are now out of stock and "Apple is contending with what appears to be an immense demand for the gadget."
According to AppleInsider sources, Apple is on pace to sell around 4 million iPods during its holiday fiscal quarter.
According to a recent analysis of shipping data conducted by sources close to AppleInsider, Apple Computer's 20GB and 40GB iPod digital music players have been met with increasing demand in recent weeks.
Of the two offerings, the 20GB player appears to be the most sought after model, with backorders to the company's reseller and distribution channels listing wait times of up to 3 weeks.
On the other hand, the recently introduced 40GB and 60GB iPod photo models appear to be in ample supply, indicating a lesser demand for the higher priced players. Both models are available to ship to all channels within a 24-hour time period.
Data also reveals that iPod mini players are on the verge of scarcity, though Apple appears to have anticipated heightened demand for the blue-colored players. Shipping data indicates slightly better availability of the blue model when compared to the other minis, specifically when customers place orders directly from the company.
Other Apple products in strong demand this holiday buying season include the iMac G5, specifically the 17-inch 1.8GHz model, which is carrying a minimum 1-3 day waiting period, even on direct orders.
An article published in today's edition of The Wall Street Journal also notes that iPods are becoming scarce at retailers around the country. The report says that Amazon.com, Buy.com, and other online retailers are now out of stock and "Apple is contending with what appears to be an immense demand for the gadget."
According to AppleInsider sources, Apple is on pace to sell around 4 million iPods during its holiday fiscal quarter.
Comments
If Apple were to do the thing that I suggested (and was jeered by the fanboys for *cough*) and put in/make a card reader for the iPod photo that automatically downloads to a library and erases the card, I'm sure they'd sell a lot more.
Think about it: you buy a 128mb XD chip for your camera, and for the price of two 512mb chips you can get 60GB of storage with a preview screen and mp3 player built in!
maybe a zoom/delete feature..
if I were a photographer, I'd get one in a second
Originally posted by slughead
People spend $300+ on XD memory for digital cameras.
If Apple were to do the thing that I suggested (and was jeered by the fanboys for *cough*) and put in/make a card reader for the iPod photo that automatically downloads to a library and erases the card, I'm sure they'd sell a lot more.
Think about it: you buy a 128mb XD chip for your camera, and for the price of two 512mb chips you can get 60GB of storage with a preview screen and mp3 player built in!
maybe a zoom/delete feature..
if I were a photographer, I'd get one in a second
That's a good idea.
But that's not the purpose of the iPod Photo. It's a good idea for a NEW purpose. The iPod Photo is for displaying your library--the modern equivalent of the shoebox or album, which has broad consumer appeal. It's not a photographer's companion or a camera accessory, which would have narrower appeal. But you're right, it COULD be, and it could be done better than Belkin's device does it. It would then serve a new market, which clearly exists.
(Happily, I'm in the Photo's intended market, and bought it for displaying photos. Getting photos off my camera has never been an issue for me--my flash card 200+ photos, far more than I need for the time I spend away from my computer.)
As for the iPod Photo being "not such a hot item"... talk about the glass half empty
So now, when Apple CAN meet demand, we call that a sign of an unsuccessful product?
Originally posted by slughead
People spend $300+ on XD memory for digital cameras.
If Apple were to do the thing that I suggested (and was jeered by the fanboys for *cough*) and put in/make a card reader for the iPod photo that automatically downloads to a library and erases the card, I'm sure they'd sell a lot more.
Think about it: you buy a 128mb XD chip for your camera, and for the price of two 512mb chips you can get 60GB of storage with a preview screen and mp3 player built in!
maybe a zoom/delete feature..
if I were a photographer, I'd get one in a second
not even.
they need to figure out how to add drivers to the iPod. It should be as simple as plugging the USB cable from your camera to your iPod.
Originally posted by slughead
Think about it: you buy a 128mb XD chip for your camera, and for the price of two 512mb chips you can get 60GB of storage with a preview screen and mp3 player built in!
if I were a photographer, I'd get one in a second
My camera runs on CF cards which is good because they seem to be the cheapest compact RAM around. As far as 128MB goes, my Canon can only fit about 60 pics on a 512MB CF card at highest quality (6.3MP RAW) so 128MB would be pretty useless to me (15 pics).
I agree with you Slughead, if the iPod photo was able to pull the pics off my camera and allow me to view the embedded .jpg files buried in the RAW data I'd definitely get one. I hate either being limited to 60 pics or using lower quality settings.
Adding CF import to the iPod Photo would be a big reason to upgrade from my 2G 20GB iPod. Until Apple offers something beyond "It's got a larger HD than last year" I'll be sticking with my 20GB iPod.
Originally posted by nagromme
That's a good idea, and one I hope you've requested at apple.com/feedback.
But that's not the purpose of the iPod Photo. It's a good idea for a NEW purpose....
Some people always fail to realize that the customer is ultimately the one who decides the purpose, not the manufacturer. If my problem is to transfer pictures from my digital camera and I think, with millions of other customers, that the iPod photo is the answer to that problem, then Apple better get on the bandwagon and deliver the solution I want...
J-23
Originally posted by J-23
The biggest mistake Apple would make with Flash-based iPod would be a to have a built-in memory card without option to upgrade. I hope Apple will not make this mistake. I will buy flash-based iPod if it has the ability to exchange memory cards, pretty much like all digital cameras nowadays (standard chips of course) This way I would be able to buy 2 or more flash chips with 1GB or 2GB of memory and carry them with iPod.
J-23
This usage scenario seems to be outside of Apple's target market. Let's dissect this:
1. Removability is likely add cost and complexity to iPod micro (assuming that it is even real)
2. While the ability to have multiple playlists on different CF cards (that you can also use for other purposes...like the camera) adds complexity to the usage...now you have to plug-in/unplug these cards and synch with iTunes (for each card).
3. Doing what've you've suggested seems to obviate the need for the iPod micro...couldn't you use any digital music player capable of accepting these CF cards (I suppose the Fairplay software MIGHT be on the iPod itself).
4. #3 leads to a question of what Apple can sell you now. Hmmm...this is all getting somewhat complex and unwieldy for what Apple might want.
5. If you want multiple playlists...greater capacity...why not buy a iPod mini?
So compare this to:
iPod micro: Plug In. Sync. Go. You're favorite (200 song) playlist on the go...only $99 (or $149).
Originally posted by vinney57
Perhaps the 'fanboys' understand the practical and strategic reasons why this isn't going to happen.
Yeah, I hear it's always a good strategy to have mediocre sales.
Originally posted by nagromme
That's a good idea, and one I hope you've requested at apple.com/feedback.
Of course not, if they fixed it then I'd have nothing to complain about! Sheesh.
OK I'll go there now.
edit: OK I sent it to them. Perhaps it's a product they will offer in january, and just released the iPod photo to satiate people now.
After all, it could be that they were selling so many iPods that they didn't want to have to meet demand for the iPod photo.
Edit: Might be worth mentioning it's only the 60GB models I speak of. I could have had a 40GB one two weeks back if I'd wanted.
Originally posted by slughead
Yeah, I hear it's always a good strategy to have mediocre sales.
You are assuming that the "mediocrity" of the sales (and this might be a relative term) of the iPod photo has to do with the missing feature you've talked about. Is this really true? Of course none of us know for sure. Maybe. Perhaps it's that the price is too high. Perhaps its that many people don't really see the use of it at all. Could be that the suggested featuer wouldn't affect sales at all.
Originally posted by Placebo
Yeah, what killed the iPod Photo was the requirement of the computer being the middleman.
Is it dead? Holy cow! That was fast. Apple only introduced the product 51 days ago...asles are noted as "mediocre". Now it is dead. Whew.
Originally posted by Placebo
Yeah, what killed the iPod Photo was the requirement of the computer being the middleman.
But isn't that the problem with the iPod too? For that matter, isn't that the problem with Apple's digital hub strategy -- that the computer is the middleman?
Concerning the iPod photo -- it's my understanding that iTunes/iPhoto duplicates your photo library and creates lower resolution files to be displayed on t.v.'s and quickly scrolled through on screen. Until that hurdle is overcome by the processor in an iPod, than the computer will always be the middleman. But, perhaps this brings up another question: what is wrong with Apple's strategy with the computer being the middleman? They are a computer company afterall.
Originally posted by Chris Cuilla
You are assuming that the "mediocrity" of the sales (and this might be a relative term) of the iPod photo has to do with the missing feature you've talked about. Is this really true? Of course none of us know for sure. Maybe. Perhaps it's that the price is too high. Perhaps its that many people don't really see the use of it at all. Could be that the suggested featuer wouldn't affect sales at all.
True. Sorry about that previous remark, it dawns on me that it was unfair.
The demand exists, and I don't know of anything like that which exists already.
Sure, it's a niche market, but if you think about it, the entire ipod photo shtick is niche. I mean, $100 more for the ability to look at photos you've seen before, but on this tiny screen? What functional purpose does that serve that necessitates a 25% higher price??
Yes, sales could be mediocre regardless, but at least with this new feature, people don't need to like music to buy an ipod.
I think that Apple relased this to create a variety of iPod as to have all the based covered. They did not, and will not as far as I can tell, get a huge demand for this. Its just not that revolutionary to justify its price. Cool, you can look at some pictures and all, but they're not of the highest quality and lets not start on the size.
iPod is meant to be a music player. That's why I bought it, that's why a lot of people (if not all) did. Eventually it may have FM tuners and other goodies, but that does not change its main and prinicipal purpose; music.
I think its cool to have an iPod photo because that shows and gives consumers choice when it comes to iPods. Many will not want that particular product, but thats not because of its fault(s), but because of their specific desires and needs. Others will. That's how a company works; offer as many choices as possible, even if it means that some will not sell as good as others. But they will serve a purpose; marketing. Having a lot of choices and products is what makes a company versatile and rich in innovation and offerings.
Originally posted by slughead
I mean, $100 more for the ability to look at photos you've seen before, but on this tiny screen? What functional purpose does that serve that necessitates a 25% higher price??
I'm not going to be an apologist for iPod photo (though I think its a decent product)...but you can also view pictures/slideshows on a bigger screen too. Minor but, perhaps, important fact.