Briefly: iTunes 7.0.2, iSight shipments, 8GB nano
Apple Computer on Tuesday evening released an update to its iTunes jukebox software for both Mac and PC. Meanwhile, the company has commenced shipments of its iSight digital video camera following a several month hiatus.
iTunes 7.0.2
iTunes 7.0.2 (25.5MB) adds support for the Second Generation iPod shuffle, which is due to hit stores this friday.
The update also addresses a variety of stability and performance issues found in iTunes 7 and 7.0.1, Apple said.
iSights now shipping
Also on Tuesday, Apple store customers are reporting that their iSight orders, which have been on hold since September, are finally shipping.
Apple halted shipments of the cam several months ago, around the same time that it removed the product from the European market due to non-compliance with a recent environmental directive.
Oddly enough, the models shipping this week carry the same manufacturer part number ( M8817LL/C) as the iSight available earlier this year and checks with the UK Apple store still reflect no availability of the cam.
Even more perplexing is word from sources that, just as iSights began shipping to customers in the US this week, Apple issued a worldwide end-of-life notice on the cam.
Weak 8GB iPod nano sales?
In a research note issued Monday, Robert W. Baird & Co. analyst Tristan Gerra he has received "additional feedback about weak iPod 8GB nano sales," suggesting further pricing weakness for NAND flash memory in November.
"Our checks as of late last week indicate very weak NOR flash bookings for the month of December, in sharp contrast with Q3, along with the implementation of tight expense controls and/or hiring freezes at several semiconductor companies," the analyst wrote. "NAND flash pricing likely to decline again as 8GB nano sales remain weak, in our view."
Apple's 8GB nano retails for $249 but, other than an additional 4GB of storage and black casing, is otherwise identical to the company's sub-$200 4GB models.
iTunes 7.0.2
iTunes 7.0.2 (25.5MB) adds support for the Second Generation iPod shuffle, which is due to hit stores this friday.
The update also addresses a variety of stability and performance issues found in iTunes 7 and 7.0.1, Apple said.
iSights now shipping
Also on Tuesday, Apple store customers are reporting that their iSight orders, which have been on hold since September, are finally shipping.
Apple halted shipments of the cam several months ago, around the same time that it removed the product from the European market due to non-compliance with a recent environmental directive.
Oddly enough, the models shipping this week carry the same manufacturer part number ( M8817LL/C) as the iSight available earlier this year and checks with the UK Apple store still reflect no availability of the cam.
Even more perplexing is word from sources that, just as iSights began shipping to customers in the US this week, Apple issued a worldwide end-of-life notice on the cam.
Weak 8GB iPod nano sales?
In a research note issued Monday, Robert W. Baird & Co. analyst Tristan Gerra he has received "additional feedback about weak iPod 8GB nano sales," suggesting further pricing weakness for NAND flash memory in November.
"Our checks as of late last week indicate very weak NOR flash bookings for the month of December, in sharp contrast with Q3, along with the implementation of tight expense controls and/or hiring freezes at several semiconductor companies," the analyst wrote. "NAND flash pricing likely to decline again as 8GB nano sales remain weak, in our view."
Apple's 8GB nano retails for $249 but, other than an additional 4GB of storage and black casing, is otherwise identical to the company's sub-$200 4GB models.
Comments
Apple's 8GB nano retails for $249 but, other than an additional 4GB of storage and black casing, is otherwise identical to the company's sub-$200 4GB models.
And that's why I won't buy one. I don't want freakin' black, I want freakin' silver so I can replace my silver mini with a silver skini mini.
And that's why I won't buy one. I don't want freakin' black, I want freakin' silver so I can replace my silver mini with a silver skini mini.
That's my reason as well. When they offer a 8GB Nano in silver, I'll buy one!
The type of people who would buy a 8gig nano at the same price as (instead of) the 30gig iPod generally would be smaller compared to people looking for value, i.e. a normal consumer. People seeing higher specs at the same price would probably choose the higher specs if it was an obvious difference. Which it clearly is.
-=|Mgkwho
In any case, I don't think Apple minds people moving up to the 30GB iPod. Because then they are more likely to buy movies and TV shows at the iTS, and if they do that, then they are more likely to buy an iTV when it comes out.
Except that the nano is much smaller than the 30GB iPod. Smaller does have value for many people.
It is for me. When I listen to audio, video features do nothing for me, so it's extra weight that I don't need in my pocket.
I didn't get the 8GB model though. I have a 1GB nano and it can still hold more audio than it can play on a battery charge, which is a long time for me. I set iTunes to replace all the tracks I've played with new tracks when it charges.
Does this mean they will soon stop selling the iSight all together? If so I think we will soon see all the Apple displays with built-in iSights - and that's when I'll sell my 24" plastic Dell in exchange for a 30" iSighted aluminum Apple!
By the way, the 8GB nano is the 2nd best selling nano at Amazon behind just the 2GB nano.
Can you provide a URL for where you get this information?
If the sales show the 2GB ahead of the 8GB ahead of the 4GB nano, I would guess that the reason for this is because there are five colours of 4GB and they are each considered as a distict player for tallying (as opposed to the one colour for each of the other two storage sizes).
We all know why Apple has made the 8gb available only in black. They realize black is the "colour of the year" and many will pay extra if not just to match it to their black MacBook.
In both cases, the small added benefits don't justify the higher costs.
Give me an iPhone with built-in iSight and a dock for it - it'd be better for camera positioning on a desktop and I wouldn't have to spend $150 on a web camera.
Actually, I have a better a solution that's even better than iSighted Cinema Displays:
Give me an iPhone with built-in iSight and a dock for it - it'd be better for camera positioning on a desktop and I wouldn't have to spend $150 on a web camera.
depending on the features of the phone you might have to pay double the price of an iSight. but itd have to be REALLY loaded with features
a) The iPod 30GB is the same price (22 extra GB for the same price!)
b) the iPod 30GB+ plays video
The only plus the nano has is that it's small and uses flash memory. I doubt many people would choose size over video and 22GB, though.
It's quite open for a price drop at one point.
iPod nano 2GB: $120 US
iPod nano 4GB: $150
iPod nano 8GB: $200 (or even $180 perhaps)
$70 between the shuffle and the basic nano is way too big a difference.
depending on the features of the phone you might have to pay double the price of an iSight. but itd have to be REALLY loaded with features
I'd pay up to 12 Hamiltons for an Apple Phone, so I'm not really worried about that. I just kinda think the iSight is obtrusive. Sure, it's well designed and it looks as nice as it can, but it still looks silly on top of a monitor. I want as little on my desk as possible, so if I could dock my iPhone and use it as an iSight while the phone charges its battery... now that would be innovative.
Plus you'd only have one camera for everywhere you go - most people would have a camera-phone and a web cam... why not put them together? You're not gonna use your web cam when you're away from the computer.
(I am seeing one problem now though... what would happen when you're video chatting and get a call?
The only plus the nano has is that it's small and uses flash memory. I doubt many people would choose size over video and 22GB, though.
A quick check of Apple Discussions shows that there are a fair number of 5G/5.5G owners who are upset about the lack of Nike+ support on their iPods. The 8Gb Nano is the largest iPod that supports Nike+.
I do agree though that for the same price the extra 22Gb and Video/Game capabilites basically makes the 8Gb Nano redundant. Most ppl can't save their whole mp3 libraries on any Nano so you're always going to be swapping music in and out - may aswell swap it in a out a little more on a much much cheaper 2Gb Nano.
I'd like to see the figures for the UK or Europe where the 8Gb Nano is cheaper than the 30Gb 5.5G.
Taking away the iSight? I hope they're just remodling it. Despite its bulky look compared to the internal iSights I think taking them away altogether is a bad idea. And putting them into the Apple Displays is an okay idea but what about those of us with multiple screens? Or those of us who dont feel like spending 699 for a display? Id prefer my FW iSight cam. Maybe I'm an anomaly. idk. But it just doesnt feel like integrating a cam with their cinema displays is a very apple thing to do.
Has anyone done an image quality comparison between the iSight and the things that are built in? Being a cell phone sensor, it really sucks. I'd hope the external ones have decent sensors. If not, one may as well hook up a compact camcorder and use that.
A quick check of Apple Discussions shows that there are a fair number of 5G/5.5G owners who are upset about the lack of Nike+ support on their iPods. The 8Gb Nano is the largest iPod that supports Nike+.
I think the hard drive may be an issue. iPod does do a lot of caching to reduce the risk of vibration damage with the hard drive running, but it has to do a read eventually, and each read while running runs a risk of damage.