$149-199 is a go with most people. For the folks I hang out with 199 can get under the guilt radar, but when you go this far over $200 and people start to hang on to their wallets. $250 plus taxes and you start to worry about rent.
What apple has done is just go after a different high end market. The rich joggers and the "smaller is better" zealots. There is still no iPod for the masses.
This is good and bad:
On one hand it will still be elite and exclusive to have an iPod. Cool factor keeps margins high. This is the reason that you never see a movie action hero typing on his eMachines computer Instead he has his Powerbook. When the influential, chic folks have Apple stuff, other people will pay high margins to join the club.
On the other hand, most people will look at a price this high, buy the 50% cheaper alternative technologies and Apple's market share will dwindle slowly but steadily. I wouldn't mind being in the elite minority except that Microsoft controls the standard that EVERY OTHER DRM'ed PLAYER USES!
I know that Apple says that iPod is itself the goal, rather than just being a pawn in some battle between AAC and WMP, but the iPod and iTMS would be much safer to stay the standard, not have to eventually pay a Microsoft tax as the Windows Media format comes to dominate the market.
The iPod needs to support the iTMS as it struggles against WMP by having a way for people to buy into Apple's vision without a $250 upfront investment. We don't need another Apple product becoming dependant on Microsoft's technology to survive. And it is pricing itself right out of the crucial longterm marketshare numbers game. Why does Apple never go the other route and try to dominate the market?
I really hope this will drop to $199 or slightly below in a few months once the "oooh shiny" crowd buys the first batch of these things at the higher price.
NOTE: All you guys posting about how "I'm so mad about the price, so I'm just gonna spend more for the regular iPod, screw you Apple!" make me laugh. This IS STEVE's GOAL!
What we really need to talk about is whether Apple will ever bother to take the ready money of people who won't spend over $200, but would buy a reduced feature set, well designed Apple solution for music at a reasonable range of $100-200 dollars. This is the price range that will have the most volume year over year and will determine what the landscape looks like in music for the forseeable future.
It shocks me what the geek reaction to the iPod mini is. Here is a little experiment you can try at home (with parental supervision):
Go find somebody you know, but is not a computer person i.e. they don't know what longhorn, Ars, or /. are. Ask them how many songs they have on their computer, if they have heard what the iPod is, if they know what a Rio Nitrus is, and if $250 is too much for an iPod that will hold their entire music collection, is the size of a business card, and comes in colors.
Apple has access to something that we do not have. It's called extensive market research. Apple knows exactly what was keeping people from buying iPods. Most likely it is that they don't need 15GB of music with them. 2/3 of the market is buying sub 1GB mp3 players, but now they can get a 4GB iPod, which is the MP3 player to have, for a few more buck than they were going to pay for the 256 MB player.
6 months from now all the Whinny Bitchy Cheap Geeks® will be eating crow and wondering why the iPod mini is such a success like the original iPod was.
Just like the Cube. Apple has a great product and screws up the price. No way $249 sells the iPod mini when you see what $299 gets you. It needed to be sub-200. It needs to be sub-200. I thought Apple learned this little consumer lesson with the Cube, but apparently not.
Just like the Cube. Apple has a great product and screws up the price. No way $249 sells the iPod mini when you see what $299 gets you. It needed to be sub-200. It needs to be sub-200. I thought Apple learned this little consumer lesson with the Cube, but apparently not.
It's not about the HD size. That's not what you're paying for in the mini.
Just like the Cube. Apple has a great product and screws up the price. No way $249 sells the iPod mini when you see what $299 gets you. It needed to be sub-200. It needs to be sub-200. I thought Apple learned this little consumer lesson with the Cube, but apparently not.
I voted "No". However, the poll could have been better written by asking if the price is too high now. Offcourse the price will drop and should drop for all the reasons stated above. I really think all the bad press is from all those people reading the rumors before the Expo who convinced themselves they'll have iPods for less than $149, maybe even $99.
Why o' why o' why would Apple shoot itself in the foot when they are dominating the mp3 market selling high-end high-profit iPods by nose-diving the market to a way sub-$200 price level. I doubt they can do it, and even if they could they shouldn't. Its gravy time in this market and Apple is riding the gravy train. In a few years we will all have our sub $100 iPods and the big profits will be gone, as will the cool factor etc.
I mean really folks (I just don't get the whining), the new iPods look great and are tiny tiny. New hardware inside, this all costs money at the beginning.
BTW, just check at MacZone and a 1GB KanguruMicro Drive 2.0 (Flash Drive) costs around $400. Its smaller than a mini Pod, you don't need a cable when you use it as a portable drive-but then again thats all its good for. Hmm, do i buy a flash drive or an iPod??
Exactly, that's what I've been saying. The 15 GB iPod is the best all-around deal in the line-up.
Actually, the high end iPod gives you the most GB/$$-thats if you need a drive with that much capacity.
If they come out with the sync your home directory on your iPod technology, then maybe the high capcity ones will get more attention. I can see the iPod market spliting into mostly music mini Pods and better-for-all-tthose-other-functions maxi Pods (uh, bad name).
What's funny about reading these posts is that a lot of people are missing the design intent of the mini. With the mini, you can take 1000 songs EVERYWHERE, where as with the iPod, you can take your entire music collection ANYWHERE. It's not about spending $50 more for an additional 11 Gigs, voice recording, and photo storage, its about a different lifestyle.
Anyway, if you're prepared to spend $200 for something, $50 isn't that much more. Hell, just spend an additional $50, get the 15 Gig iPod and stopping complaining about the price. Reminds me of the original iPod introduction.
If Apple had priced the iPod mini at $199 or even $149, people would still be bitching about it.
"It ain't $99! Steve is the devil. This is gonna fail like the Cube! Why isn't the iPod free?? This is way overpriced."
The bottom line is that mini gadgets cost more. I don't care, they will still sell like hotcakes.
Probably the original iPod seemed overpriced too, and see how well it did!
That is so right on. If Apple introduced it at $199 people would bitch and moan that it wasn't $149.
Quote:
Originaly Posted by Cheap Whinny GeekI mean c'mon Steve don't you get it? We're cheap and out of touch with normal people. We refuse to pay what you ask because you are trying to rip us off. For the same price I can go buy a Dell DJ and it has 20GB. Not that I would, but I could. Man, I'm going to screw you guys and buy a 15GB iPod. Ha, take that!
Ok nm, now I don't care if its $249 instead of $199 (except that i'm a cheap bastard). With this HP deal its not quite so necessary to sacrifice margin for marketshare.
Snnneeeaaakkky Appple... wonder what other tricks they have up their sleeves?
Comments
What apple has done is just go after a different high end market. The rich joggers and the "smaller is better" zealots. There is still no iPod for the masses.
This is good and bad:
On one hand it will still be elite and exclusive to have an iPod. Cool factor keeps margins high. This is the reason that you never see a movie action hero typing on his eMachines computer
On the other hand, most people will look at a price this high, buy the 50% cheaper alternative technologies and Apple's market share will dwindle slowly but steadily. I wouldn't mind being in the elite minority except that Microsoft controls the standard that EVERY OTHER DRM'ed PLAYER USES!
I know that Apple says that iPod is itself the goal, rather than just being a pawn in some battle between AAC and WMP, but the iPod and iTMS would be much safer to stay the standard, not have to eventually pay a Microsoft tax as the Windows Media format comes to dominate the market.
The iPod needs to support the iTMS as it struggles against WMP by having a way for people to buy into Apple's vision without a $250 upfront investment. We don't need another Apple product becoming dependant on Microsoft's technology to survive. And it is pricing itself right out of the crucial longterm marketshare numbers game. Why does Apple never go the other route and try to dominate the market?
I really hope this will drop to $199 or slightly below in a few months once the "oooh shiny" crowd buys the first batch of these things at the higher price.
NOTE: All you guys posting about how "I'm so mad about the price, so I'm just gonna spend more for the regular iPod, screw you Apple!" make me laugh. This IS STEVE's GOAL!
What we really need to talk about is whether Apple will ever bother to take the ready money of people who won't spend over $200, but would buy a reduced feature set, well designed Apple solution for music at a reasonable range of $100-200 dollars. This is the price range that will have the most volume year over year and will determine what the landscape looks like in music for the forseeable future.
Go find somebody you know, but is not a computer person i.e. they don't know what longhorn, Ars, or /. are. Ask them how many songs they have on their computer, if they have heard what the iPod is, if they know what a Rio Nitrus is, and if $250 is too much for an iPod that will hold their entire music collection, is the size of a business card, and comes in colors.
Apple has access to something that we do not have. It's called extensive market research. Apple knows exactly what was keeping people from buying iPods. Most likely it is that they don't need 15GB of music with them. 2/3 of the market is buying sub 1GB mp3 players, but now they can get a 4GB iPod, which is the MP3 player to have, for a few more buck than they were going to pay for the 256 MB player.
6 months from now all the Whinny Bitchy Cheap Geeks® will be eating crow and wondering why the iPod mini is such a success like the original iPod was.
Originally posted by craig12co
Just like the Cube. Apple has a great product and screws up the price. No way $249 sells the iPod mini when you see what $299 gets you. It needed to be sub-200. It needs to be sub-200. I thought Apple learned this little consumer lesson with the Cube, but apparently not.
It's not about the HD size. That's not what you're paying for in the mini.
Originally posted by CosmoNut
Interestingly enough, I think the iPod mini's price would seem more reasonable if Apple had LEFT the low-end iPod at 10Gb.
Exactly, that's what I've been saying. The 15 GB iPod is the best all-around deal in the line-up.
Originally posted by craig12co
Just like the Cube. Apple has a great product and screws up the price. No way $249 sells the iPod mini when you see what $299 gets you. It needed to be sub-200. It needs to be sub-200. I thought Apple learned this little consumer lesson with the Cube, but apparently not.
Thanks, I just bought one and am pumped!
Why o' why o' why would Apple shoot itself in the foot when they are dominating the mp3 market selling high-end high-profit iPods by nose-diving the market to a way sub-$200 price level. I doubt they can do it, and even if they could they shouldn't. Its gravy time in this market and Apple is riding the gravy train. In a few years we will all have our sub $100 iPods and the big profits will be gone, as will the cool factor etc.
I mean really folks (I just don't get the whining), the new iPods look great and are tiny tiny. New hardware inside, this all costs money at the beginning.
BTW, just check at MacZone and a 1GB KanguruMicro Drive 2.0 (Flash Drive) costs around $400. Its smaller than a mini Pod, you don't need a cable when you use it as a portable drive-but then again thats all its good for. Hmm, do i buy a flash drive or an iPod??
Originally posted by Eugene
Exactly, that's what I've been saying. The 15 GB iPod is the best all-around deal in the line-up.
Actually, the high end iPod gives you the most GB/$$-thats if you need a drive with that much capacity.
If they come out with the sync your home directory on your iPod technology, then maybe the high capcity ones will get more attention. I can see the iPod market spliting into mostly music mini Pods and better-for-all-tthose-other-functions maxi Pods (uh, bad name).
Anyway, if you're prepared to spend $200 for something, $50 isn't that much more. Hell, just spend an additional $50, get the 15 Gig iPod and stopping complaining about the price. Reminds me of the original iPod introduction.
"It ain't $99! Steve is the devil. This is gonna fail like the Cube!
The bottom line is that mini gadgets cost more. I don't care, they will still sell like hotcakes.
Probably the original iPod seemed overpriced too, and see how well it did!
Originally posted by monkeyastronaut
If Apple had priced the iPod mini at $199 or even $149, people would still be bitching about it.
"It ain't $99! Steve is the devil. This is gonna fail like the Cube!
The bottom line is that mini gadgets cost more. I don't care, they will still sell like hotcakes.
Probably the original iPod seemed overpriced too, and see how well it did!
That is so right on. If Apple introduced it at $199 people would bitch and moan that it wasn't $149.
Originaly Posted by Cheap Whinny Geek I mean c'mon Steve don't you get it? We're cheap and out of touch with normal people. We refuse to pay what you ask because you are trying to rip us off. For the same price I can go buy a Dell DJ and it has 20GB. Not that I would, but I could. Man, I'm going to screw you guys and buy a 15GB iPod. Ha, take that!
Originally posted by Carson O'Genic
Actually, the high end iPod gives you the most GB/$$-thats if you need a drive with that much capacity.
Realistically, the market is much thinner for $500 portables than it is for $300 portables.
Snnneeeaaakkky Appple... wonder what other tricks they have up their sleeves?