New iPods No Later Than May...
I know most people may already think or pretty much anticipate this to be true, I just have one more reason as to why it might be. I think it is worthy of being discussed here.
The new iPod line will be released around this time, not because its the anniversary of the iTMS, but because the market will purchase these things. Q1 is historically the slowest economic period of the year, where retail is down and people are still recovering from the holliday shopping blitz. For this reason also, is why I think Apple did not release big ticket items in this quarter. Also, the eMac may have been released just before the earnings conference call to make good on Fred Anderson's $999 sweet spot talk.
High School graduation will be the main reason iPods will be released very shortly. Hundreds of thousands of kids across the nation will be graduating from high school in just 2 months time, and they will have some cash to spend. iPods might be THE gift parents give to their kids as graduation presents. There is no better target than college aged kids with some spending cash, especially a market that is notorious for its music listening/CD buying and downloading.
---Reasons for the iPod update recap---
?iTunes Music Store Anniversary on April 28th. (Mentioned by this site)
?Quarter 1 2004 is over, spending habits will increase. More retail sales.
?Education buying season, "spring line of products" totally refreshing everything is also good PR.
?Other online music services are sprouting up.
?The HP+Apple deal will start very shortly.
?Competitor players are becoming cheaper/more functional.
?High School graduation.
The new iPod line will be released around this time, not because its the anniversary of the iTMS, but because the market will purchase these things. Q1 is historically the slowest economic period of the year, where retail is down and people are still recovering from the holliday shopping blitz. For this reason also, is why I think Apple did not release big ticket items in this quarter. Also, the eMac may have been released just before the earnings conference call to make good on Fred Anderson's $999 sweet spot talk.
High School graduation will be the main reason iPods will be released very shortly. Hundreds of thousands of kids across the nation will be graduating from high school in just 2 months time, and they will have some cash to spend. iPods might be THE gift parents give to their kids as graduation presents. There is no better target than college aged kids with some spending cash, especially a market that is notorious for its music listening/CD buying and downloading.
---Reasons for the iPod update recap---
?iTunes Music Store Anniversary on April 28th. (Mentioned by this site)
?Quarter 1 2004 is over, spending habits will increase. More retail sales.
?Education buying season, "spring line of products" totally refreshing everything is also good PR.
?Other online music services are sprouting up.
?The HP+Apple deal will start very shortly.
?Competitor players are becoming cheaper/more functional.
?High School graduation.
Comments
Originally posted by Messiahtosh
Well, I thought this would jumpstart some discussion....riiiight.
I guess people are just too excited about the new eMacs to talk about 4th gen iPods.
Yes, it would be about time to refresh the iPod line, but with mini-Pods not yet shipping in quantity, I can't really see a next-gen Pod coming. What is more, this would be a slap in the face of HP (which will start selling Gen3 iPods).
So, I see a rev coming in Sept/Oct.
Originally posted by Smircle
Well, I don't know.
Yes, it would be about time to refresh the iPod line, but with mini-Pods not yet shipping in quantity, I can't really see a next-gen Pod coming. What is more, this would be a slap in the face of HP (which will start selling Gen3 iPods).
So, I see a rev coming in Sept/Oct.
You are horribly incorrect.
Originally posted by Messiahtosh
You are horribly incorrect.
Actually, he is probably correct. The re-engineered iPod mini will finally be in stock and selling like hotcakes for this particular "graduation" season. Fall or closer to Christmas is a much more likely time for an iPod intro.
By the way, Messiahtosh, have you ever been correct (horribly or otherwise) on any of your predictions? Oh that's right I didn't think so.
Ba-ZAAAM!
Originally posted by buckeye
Actually, he is probably correct. The re-engineered iPod mini will finally be in stock and selling like hotcakes for this particular "graduation" season. Fall or closer to Christmas is a much more likely time for an iPod intro.
By the way, Messiahtosh, have you ever been correct (horribly or otherwise) on any of your predictions? Oh that's right I didn't think so.
Just wait and see man, it'll all happen like I've said and like nearly all rumors sites have said. A new iPod line would most certainly have to be released before the FALL, considering competition especially. April will usher in an either re-priced iPod line or a revised one.
The fall is 4 and a half months away. You are horribly, horrendously, sickly, and grotesquely wrong to think that iPods wont come until then.....plus, what is Apple going to do, sell the same player HP does? Ha!
BTW-the re-engineered iPod mini's? That whole concept is based soley on rumors, Apple has not even publicly addressed the "problem"...seeing that I have a perfectly functional iPod mini after 2+ months of use should say something. ISOLATED ISSUE.
Originally posted by Messiahtosh
You are horribly, horrendously, sickly, and grotesquely wrong ...
Oh, the humanity!
Originally posted by Messiahtosh
This thread has gotten off topic, please get back to the topic at hand.
We are actually in Q3 right now and it is Q2 that is traditionally weak as it follows the Holiday buying season. Q1 is the last three months of the previous year. Ah, financial obfuscation. Speaking of which, don't forget the conference call today...
Originally posted by Messiahtosh
This thread has gotten off topic, please get back to the topic at hand.
Okay then, back on topic. The flaw in your logic is that Apple has never, never, timed a product release to coincide with holidays, shopping sprees, fiscal quarters or what the competition is doing. The fact that Jobs almost always announces new products and updates in January -- a full two weeks after the close of the the holiday shopping season -- should tell you that.
Nope, Apple releases products as soon as its suppliers can deliver them. Its schedule is tied to production and little else.
Originally posted by Messiahtosh
You are horribly incorrect.
I agree with Messiahtosh. Apple's sales in the ipod would slow down maybe even dead if apple and HP was selling the same technology. In topic of mp3 players how does the dell DJ 15GB( 7000 songs) hold more songs then the ipod 15 GB ( 3700 songs)?
Originally posted by quagmire
In topic of mp3 players how does the dell DJ 15GB( 7000 songs) hold more songs then the ipod 15 GB ( 3700 songs)?
7000 songs = wma
3700 songs = mp3 (or AAC)
Wma takes up less disk space but sounds worse than mp3
Originally posted by Dylsexic Manupilator
7000 songs = wma
3700 songs = mp3 (or AAC)
Wma takes up less disk space but sounds worse than mp3
Thank you.
Maybe - new designed iPod with solid state scroll wheel navigation same as mini:
20Gb
30Gb
60Gb
Introduced mid/late May to coincide with iTMS Europe...
Hopefully the HPod will be restricted to 10/15Gb, so not to eat into the 'mini' or high end market...
®en
Originally posted by Dylsexic Manupilator
7000 songs = wma
3700 songs = mp3 (or AAC)
Wma takes up less disk space but sounds worse than mp3
WMA doesn't sound bad..they just try and con you to encoding it at 32 or 64k (which sounds like crap)