Speculations for an iPod Mini Update?
I don't know any of the details about the HD that Apple uses in the iPod Mini, but I was wondering if anyone else does. Has the manufacturer given any clues as to when it may increase its capacity. And, if so, by how much?
When Apple announced the 4GB Mini in January I really expected there to plans for a 6 or 8GB version by this fall, but I haven't heard any rumblings about this. Anyone else?
When Apple announced the 4GB Mini in January I really expected there to plans for a 6 or 8GB version by this fall, but I haven't heard any rumblings about this. Anyone else?
Comments
Originally posted by Michael Grey
When Apple announced the 4GB Mini in January I really expected there to plans for a 6 or 8GB version by this fall, but I haven't heard any rumblings about this. Anyone else?
I can hardly think about updates when the iPod mini still has serious difficulties to cross the Atlantic ocean.
So, considering the drive supply problems, think Apple could switch to flash-based memory for the next revision of the Mini? If they aren't locked into an agreement with Hitachi?
Originally posted by Michael Grey
So, considering the drive supply problems, think Apple could switch to flash-based memory for the next revision of the Mini?
Are you kidding? Steve's entire introduction and demo of the iPod mini was based on the uselessness of flash based players and the fact that the HD based mini is specifically engineered to take over that entire market segement.
Originally posted by Andi
The Creative Nomad MuVo² uses the same 4gb microdrive if i'm not mistaken... and from what I understand, the 4gb microdrive IS a flash card or atleast flash compatible. People are buying the Creative MuVo², pick the 4gb microdrive and sell the mp3 player without the microdrive on ebay.
Um, no.
The 4GB microdrive in the Muvo is NOT flash. That's the whole point of ripping the thing open and selling the drive on eBay. It's the cheapest way to get a bare Hitachi 4GB drive.
Originally posted by Michael Grey
Thanks for the info.
So, considering the drive supply problems, think Apple could switch to flash-based memory for the next revision of the Mini? If they aren't locked into an agreement with Hitachi?
They probably do have an agreement with Hitachi, and flash memory is far too expensive in those quantities to be a backup.
Hitachi's actually ramping up production in a different (larger) factory, according to one article I read. Once that's up and going, and there's a good stockpile, Apple can start shipping iPod minis worldwide.
I'd be surprised if Hitachi announces an 8GB microdrive while they're still struggling to make enough 4GB drives. They know what'll happen.
I also don't think Apple will be increasing the HD size any time soon. Or at least they won't be putting pressure on Hitachi etc to increase them. The iPod mini is designed specifically to fill a market: People that want an iPod but don't need 15+Gb of music and want the thing to slip nicely into a pocket/purse... Oh, and runners.
The mini is for people who want to listen to a selection of music as opposed to all the people that bag out the iPod because it won't store their 100Gb of music (you know who you are!!!)
Sure, eventually Hitachi et al with stop making 4Gb variations of this drive and Apple will have to switch up to the new bigger ones (if they exist).
Personally I see the iPod mini becoming like the iPod in storage capacity etc and the iPod will evolve into something else completely. Perhaps when we reach 100Gb drives for iPods we might see a video output of some sort so you can play your DVD/movie projects straight out of the iPod onto a TV (NOTE: I said nothing about a colour screen and watching movies on the iPod itself, the thing would need to grow in physical size to accomodate that).
When Hitachi can get enough HD's out to accomodate world wide sales of the mini, then we can talk about increased capacity. Until then, Earth will have to wait patiently until planet USA has had its fill of iPod minis and leaves some for us (at least Europe has the photo albums available now, here in Oz we don't even have that yet!!! And don't get me started about the iTunes music stor(ag)e).
Last modified: April 22, 2004, 11:59 AM PDT
By CNET News.com Staff
One thousand songs is just about the right size for a portable media player, according to a survey by Jupiter Research.
The online survey found that 90 percent of consumers have no more than 1,000 songs on their PCs. And 77 percent of the consumers Jupiter questioned said they'd be interested in purchasing a portable media player with a capacity of 1,000 songs. The 4GB hard drive included in Apple Computer's iPod Mini, and in MP3 players from some Apple rivals, holds roughly that number of songs.
Apple's latest product was so popular in the United States that the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker had to push the player's global release back from April to July.
"Vendors such as Creative, Archos, Dell and Apple have all created hard drive music players that can hold up to and beyond 5,000 songs," the report states. "Hard drive players with such large capacity for content go above and beyond not only the music that most consumers want on their portable music player, but also beyond the digital music that they own."
Hard drive size isn't the only thing that matters to music lovers. When asked which features matter most, 55 percent listed a rechargeable battery, 52 percent said small device size, and 49 percent said the ability to connect the device to their computer. Vendors should be cognizant of these priorities, Jupiter said.
The Jupiter Research survey also found that 20 percent of consumers said playing MP3 files is important, versus 7 percent who would prefer files in Microsoft's WMA format and fewer than 1 percent who prefer the Advanced Audio Coding format, an open standard that was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group and which is supported on Apple's iTunes music store.
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
A recent survey of consumers stated that 1000 song capacity for an iPod was "just right".
This was what I was talking about.... Apple won't be pressuring Hitachi to make bigger drives for the mini because potential users of this product are, according to "research", happy with its capacity.
Want more space? Get an iPod.
I have a 40Gb iPod and it has less than 1000 tracks on it. But it has 20Gb of images for work
Originally posted by Aquatic
Think they'll at least drop the price in a month or two? Drat. I was hoping a rev 2 would come out before my sister's birthday July 14.
People in Europe are hoping for rev 1's before july 14.
Originally posted by Matsu
A CF based iPod grows closer every day. Just a matter of time.
Eventually, for a small "music player", the lines between capacity, price, and compression will intersect in favor of a solid state machine.
Not soon, but closer today than yesterday, or the day before... ergo, just a matter of time.
I'd bet that if you could do a solid state iPod mini with 1.5-2GB for the same price as a 4GB HDD model, a great many people would consider the solid state version first.
Yes, HDD's will continue to grow, but once we get up into a work-day full of tunes, it becomes superfluous for a single purpose device.