Design master stroke, I reckon. It looks gorgeous, colors are cool (no stripes), and it's tiny. And how on earth do they make it fit 1000 songs and be able to pay the bills?
They claim 8 hrs battery life - liar liar pants on fire?
Love the arm band - this will really work in the gym.
On the pricey side, but people are going to pay. Hell, I'm going to pay, and i've already got a 2nd gen iPod.
Is it just me or do other people think there's something fundamentally wrong with the pricing? At $249 USD for a 4GB iPod mini - for $50 bucks more you can get a 15GB iPod!!! Who would buy the mini?! It really doesn't make any sense to me.
Smallest 1,000 Song Music Player Ever Comes in Five Colors
MACWORLD EXPO, SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple® today introduced iPod(TM) mini, the smallest portable music player ever to hold up to 1,000 CD-quality songs. iPod mini is encased in an ultra-portable, lightweight anodized aluminum body available in five stylish colors -- silver, gold, pink, blue or green -- and features a patent pending, touch-sensitive Click Wheel for easy, one-handed navigation. iPod mini features the same award-winning user interface as its "big brother" iPods and works effortlessly with Apple's iTunes® Music Store, the world's number one digital music service, and the iTunes digital music jukebox software for seamlessly buying, managing and listening to digital music collections.
"iPod has revolutionized the way people listen to music," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iPod mini joins the iPod family of best-selling digital music players, offering customers the same 1,000 songs in your pocket as the original iPod in an innovative design that's half the size. We think its going to be pretty popular, especially with younger music lovers."
iPod mini is the perfect combination of ultra-portable design, storage capacity, ease-of-use and audio performance. iPod mini is smaller than most cell phones and weighs only 3.6 ounces. Building on the success of the original touch wheel, iPod mini features an innovative, new Click Wheel that combines the ease and simplicity of a touch wheel with the precision of mechanical buttons for precise, one-handed navigation. iPod mini users can transfer a song per second from their Mac® or Windows computer and conveniently charge iPod mini with either the included FireWire or USB 2.0 cable.
iPod mini is the ultimate fashion statement with a choice of five stylish colors -- silver, gold, pink, blue or green -- the hallmark white headphones and a new belt clip. With a backlit, recessed screen and lightweight, yet durable anodized aluminum, iPod mini is the ultimate portable digital music player. Users can purchase an optional arm band, in-ear headphones or a dock to enhance their iPod mini experience.
iPod mini features Apple's patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads an entire digital music library onto iPod mini and keeps it up-to-date whenever iPod mini is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using FireWire or USB 2.0.
Users can personalize their new iPod mini with a custom laser engraving on the back. iPod mini can be custom engraved with a name or personal message to commemorate special events such as a graduation, birthday or a winning team's season, as well as for identification in case they lose their iPod.
Pricing & Availability
iPod mini for Mac and Windows will be available in the US in February for a suggested retail price of $249 (US), and will be available worldwide in April, in a choice of a silver, gold, pink, blue or green 4GB model with a belt clip. iPod mini will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. All iPod minis will include earbud headphones, an Apple iPod mini power adapter, a 1.2m 30-pin to FireWire cable, a 1.2m 30-pin to USB 2.0 cable, and a CD with iTunes 4.2 for Mac and Windows computers.
Optional accessories with the following suggested retail prices include the iPod Dock for $39 (US), in-ear headphones for $39 (US) and arm band for $29 (US). Laser engraving is available for iPod mini for $19 (US) and can include two lines of text with up to 23 characters per line.
iPod mini can be charged with either the FireWire or USB 2.0 cable and gets up to eight hours of battery life. iPod mini requires a Mac with a FireWire port and Mac OS® X version 10.1.5 or later (Mac OS X v10.2 or later recommended); or a Windows PC with a FireWire or USB 2.0 port, or a Windows- certified FireWire or USB 2.0 card and Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
(C) 2004 Apple. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac, Mac OS, iPod, iTunes, FireWire and Apple Store are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
This will sell better than the original iPods I believe. The idea here is size rather then capacity. Believe it or not 1000 songs on a player is enough for a lot of people. No need to carry your entire library around with you. Also, many people will buy this in addition to their regular iPods for short trips, jogs, walks, etc. Rio has just announced a similar product at the same price point. This is more elegant and easier to use. Naysayers abound, but those that predicted doom for the original iPod were wrong. Apple knows what it is doing. Talk about "a fashion statement" this is it.
Is it just me or do other people think there's something fundamentally wrong with the pricing? At $249 USD for a 4GB iPod mini - for $50 bucks more you can get a 15GB iPod!!! Who would buy the mini?! It really doesn't make any sense to me.
Cheers,
Billy
But for many, the $299 price was too much. The mini at $249 is a lot easier for some people to manage. Or, it's an even cooler version of the iPod so you have to buy one no matter what.
Hit: Form factor. They really hit the mark with size and usability with the Mini.
Miss: Price. This is a HUGE mistake. Jobs made a big deal about how the mini was only 50 bucks or somthing more expensive than the Rio. Well for 50 more bucks you get the 15GB iPod. This doesnt make any sense AT ALL.
The Mini iPod is not going to attract any more people that the original iPod, becuase it is fundamentaly (and financialy) the same product as the iPod.
Apple would have been better off having a 2 or 1GB drive for $150, or $99. Heck, even $199 would have been much better. It is time Apple stepped up to the plate, and batted for price superiority.
Bah. For 50 bucks more I get nearly 4X the capacity.
$199.00 would've done it perfectly.
So close, Apple....
Agreed.........at least $50 too expensive. I think 500 songs for $149.00 would have been an even better buy. That 62% share they are going after obviously have a problem spending more than $100-150. Why does Apple think they will suddenly be able to spend twice as much as their flash players?
Comments
Originally posted by MacUsers
iPod Mini is here... and in colors
OK
Design master stroke, I reckon. It looks gorgeous, colors are cool (no stripes), and it's tiny. And how on earth do they make it fit 1000 songs and be able to pay the bills?
They claim 8 hrs battery life - liar liar pants on fire?
Love the arm band - this will really work in the gym.
On the pricey side, but people are going to pay. Hell, I'm going to pay, and i've already got a 2nd gen iPod.
Cheers,
Billy
Originally posted by MacUsers
iPod Mini is here... and in colors
Let's see, for an extra $50, I get another 11 GB. Why would I want this?
Makes me think they REALLY would prefer you buy a 15Gb gen3 iPod instead.
Not sure if the price premium is worth it just for the size..
Opinions?
Then again, it would be easier to take out on my motorcycle...anyone want to buy a 2nd gen 10Gb?
Apple Introduces iPod mini
Tuesday January 6, 2:02 pm ET
Smallest 1,000 Song Music Player Ever Comes in Five Colors
MACWORLD EXPO, SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple® today introduced iPod(TM) mini, the smallest portable music player ever to hold up to 1,000 CD-quality songs. iPod mini is encased in an ultra-portable, lightweight anodized aluminum body available in five stylish colors -- silver, gold, pink, blue or green -- and features a patent pending, touch-sensitive Click Wheel for easy, one-handed navigation. iPod mini features the same award-winning user interface as its "big brother" iPods and works effortlessly with Apple's iTunes® Music Store, the world's number one digital music service, and the iTunes digital music jukebox software for seamlessly buying, managing and listening to digital music collections.
"iPod has revolutionized the way people listen to music," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iPod mini joins the iPod family of best-selling digital music players, offering customers the same 1,000 songs in your pocket as the original iPod in an innovative design that's half the size. We think its going to be pretty popular, especially with younger music lovers."
iPod mini is the perfect combination of ultra-portable design, storage capacity, ease-of-use and audio performance. iPod mini is smaller than most cell phones and weighs only 3.6 ounces. Building on the success of the original touch wheel, iPod mini features an innovative, new Click Wheel that combines the ease and simplicity of a touch wheel with the precision of mechanical buttons for precise, one-handed navigation. iPod mini users can transfer a song per second from their Mac® or Windows computer and conveniently charge iPod mini with either the included FireWire or USB 2.0 cable.
iPod mini is the ultimate fashion statement with a choice of five stylish colors -- silver, gold, pink, blue or green -- the hallmark white headphones and a new belt clip. With a backlit, recessed screen and lightweight, yet durable anodized aluminum, iPod mini is the ultimate portable digital music player. Users can purchase an optional arm band, in-ear headphones or a dock to enhance their iPod mini experience.
iPod mini features Apple's patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads an entire digital music library onto iPod mini and keeps it up-to-date whenever iPod mini is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using FireWire or USB 2.0.
Users can personalize their new iPod mini with a custom laser engraving on the back. iPod mini can be custom engraved with a name or personal message to commemorate special events such as a graduation, birthday or a winning team's season, as well as for identification in case they lose their iPod.
Pricing & Availability
iPod mini for Mac and Windows will be available in the US in February for a suggested retail price of $249 (US), and will be available worldwide in April, in a choice of a silver, gold, pink, blue or green 4GB model with a belt clip. iPod mini will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. All iPod minis will include earbud headphones, an Apple iPod mini power adapter, a 1.2m 30-pin to FireWire cable, a 1.2m 30-pin to USB 2.0 cable, and a CD with iTunes 4.2 for Mac and Windows computers.
Optional accessories with the following suggested retail prices include the iPod Dock for $39 (US), in-ear headphones for $39 (US) and arm band for $29 (US). Laser engraving is available for iPod mini for $19 (US) and can include two lines of text with up to 23 characters per line.
iPod mini can be charged with either the FireWire or USB 2.0 cable and gets up to eight hours of battery life. iPod mini requires a Mac with a FireWire port and Mac OS® X version 10.1.5 or later (Mac OS X v10.2 or later recommended); or a Windows PC with a FireWire or USB 2.0 port, or a Windows- certified FireWire or USB 2.0 card and Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
(C) 2004 Apple. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac, Mac OS, iPod, iTunes, FireWire and Apple Store are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
This will sell better than the original iPods I believe. The idea here is size rather then capacity. Believe it or not 1000 songs on a player is enough for a lot of people. No need to carry your entire library around with you. Also, many people will buy this in addition to their regular iPods for short trips, jogs, walks, etc. Rio has just announced a similar product at the same price point. This is more elegant and easier to use. Naysayers abound, but those that predicted doom for the original iPod were wrong. Apple knows what it is doing. Talk about "a fashion statement" this is it.
Originally posted by Billy Tung
Is it just me or do other people think there's something fundamentally wrong with the pricing? At $249 USD for a 4GB iPod mini - for $50 bucks more you can get a 15GB iPod!!! Who would buy the mini?! It really doesn't make any sense to me.
Cheers,
Billy
But for many, the $299 price was too much. The mini at $249 is a lot easier for some people to manage. Or, it's an even cooler version of the iPod so you have to buy one no matter what.
$199.00 would've done it perfectly.
So close, Apple....
Originally posted by PowerPC
dumb
Sorry people, but not dumb. It is hot, yet cooooooooooooool. People pay for size and form factor, and this has it in spades.
Miss: Price. This is a HUGE mistake. Jobs made a big deal about how the mini was only 50 bucks or somthing more expensive than the Rio. Well for 50 more bucks you get the 15GB iPod. This doesnt make any sense AT ALL.
The Mini iPod is not going to attract any more people that the original iPod, becuase it is fundamentaly (and financialy) the same product as the iPod.
Apple would have been better off having a 2 or 1GB drive for $150, or $99. Heck, even $199 would have been much better. It is time Apple stepped up to the plate, and batted for price superiority.
Originally posted by 709
Bah. For 50 bucks more I get nearly 4X the capacity.
$199.00 would've done it perfectly.
So close, Apple....
Agreed.........at least $50 too expensive. I think 500 songs for $149.00 would have been an even better buy. That 62% share they are going after obviously have a problem spending more than $100-150. Why does Apple think they will suddenly be able to spend twice as much as their flash players?
Price per gigabyte:
iPod 40GB: $12.48
iPod 20GB: $19.95
iPod 15GB: $19.93
iPod mini: $62.25!!!
If iPod mini were $199: $49.75/Gb
If iPod mini were $149: $37.25/Gb
If iPod mini were $129: $32.25/Gb
1. They should have left the bottom iPod at 10Gb.
2. This is the most blatantly overpriced Apple product I've ever seen.
I'm glad I'd never want that small of storage, because I'd never pay that price.