My question/idea regarding a flash-based player, is the ability to use your own Compact Flash card. I have a ton of 64-128 MB cards that I used with my digital camera before I bought a 516 MB (for $60.00). I would love to be able to use those in an Apple mini-iPod type interface. Just give us the player with the ability to accept CF cards. Apple could sell this for $99 easily, without the cards. I would snatch up at least 5 for Christmas gifts.
Merrill-Lynch has an advisory today (11/25) that says Apple is preparing a 60 GB iPod and a flash-based iPod for the first quarter of next year. It would be pretty silly from a marketing standpoint in my opinion to release a flash-based player right now just as production and delivery of the mini is going at full steam. It still is a sought after item and hasn't reached its sales potential as of yet.
Christmas selling season began a month ago. A flash player would be just one of 50 or so available and wouldn't really be able to stand out from the rest I think. Anyway, once a consumer buys a mini or regular iPod they would probably consider a low capacity flash player as an addition and not their prime player. Best time to offer such a device would be after a prime Holiday selling season, say next March after tax refunds!..... We'll see.
A person doesn't always have to take along his whole CD collection on a weekend or daily trip. Many people have bought the mini in addition to a regular iPod. A small, thin credit sized player for a daily commuute or jog that holds 100 songs would be interesting I think. In any event, The Macobserver has more on the meeting between Peter Oppenheimer of Apple and Merrill-Lynch. Both a flash player and color screen iPod are coming early next year according to the article.
The real 'meat' of the debate isn't in if it will ship with FLASH. The debate is if it can be produced and find a niche to fill. The iPod mini *is* the defacto sub iPod the same way the iBook is the subnotebook.
I'd say, Click wheel makes the iPod the iPod we know.
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flash based player advantage is small
The two big advantages are much smaller possible size and much better battery life. Of course, they come with a trade-off wrt storage capacity.
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clickwheel cant get much smaller than on mini
Agreed.
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therefore, pointless to make flash ipod
It depends. If Apple can offer a relatively cheap model (relative to the current iPod), it will find its customers. At least, I will at last consider buying such a device. Because the thought of carrying in a pocket a music player at a price of a full-fledged home stereo system is driving me crazy.
The traditional Christmas selling season kickoff is the day after Thanksgiving, November 26th.
Although the "traditional" Christmas selling season is the day after Thanksgiving, that has not been the case for the past 10 years or so. Christmas decorations in department stores go up as early as September along with seasonal promotions nowadays. Times have changed in order to stretch out the season. Add to this Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and there's a barrage of shopping days to promote (or offend) customers.
Comments
The story is here:
http://www.forbes.com/markets/2004/1...ketscan07.html
Also, Apple is going to introduce the aacPlus codec tomorrow according to this site:
http://www.apple-x.net/modules.php?o...rder=1&thold=0
I disagree that most people would buy both solid-state and HD-based. I know I wouldn't. It's one or the other.
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
Christmas selling season began a month ago.
The traditional Christmas selling season kickoff is the day after Thanksgiving, November 26th.
flash based player advantage is small
clickwheel cant get much smaller than on mini
therefore, pointless to make flash ipod
Originally posted by applenut
click wheel makes the iPod an iPod.
I'd say, Click wheel makes the iPod the iPod we know.
flash based player advantage is small
The two big advantages are much smaller possible size and much better battery life. Of course, they come with a trade-off wrt storage capacity.
clickwheel cant get much smaller than on mini
Agreed.
therefore, pointless to make flash ipod
It depends. If Apple can offer a relatively cheap model (relative to the current iPod), it will find its customers. At least, I will at last consider buying such a device. Because the thought of carrying in a pocket a music player at a price of a full-fledged home stereo system is driving me crazy.
The traditional Christmas selling season kickoff is the day after Thanksgiving, November 26th.
Although the "traditional" Christmas selling season is the day after Thanksgiving, that has not been the case for the past 10 years or so. Christmas decorations in department stores go up as early as September along with seasonal promotions nowadays. Times have changed in order to stretch out the season. Add to this Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and there's a barrage of shopping days to promote (or offend) customers.
...it looks like Apple are set to crush the opposition entirely with a flash based iPod.
I wouldn't bet against it!
They want as many people as possible to download iTunes at those new stores...
Critical Mass will come if they go Flash based iPod. I feel good for that...
Go Apple!!!
Lemon Bon Bon