Apple releases new iPods...

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-23 08:10pm

Apple released new iPods today (see apple.com).

The iPod Mini at 4 GB is now $199 and has an 18 hour battery life (as opposed to the previous 12 hour battery life). There's also a 6 GB model at $249.

The normal iPod, which was $299 for 20 GB and $399 for 40 GB, no longer has the 40 GB model.

The iPod Photo, which was $499 for 40 GB and $599 for 60 GB, is now $349 for 30 GB and $449 for 60 GB.

About time they dropped the iPod Photo's price!

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-02-23 08:55pm

I'm waiting for the proper multi-media portables. This year is the year for those I hear, so screw the iPod.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-23 09:18pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:I'm waiting for the proper multi-media portables. This year is the year for those I hear, so screw the iPod.

I dunno, I'm wary on the "jack of all trades, master of none" devices.
Just look what happened to the PSP

Vohu Manah · Post by **Vohu Manah** » 2005-02-23 09:55pm

Glad the wife and I held off on getting iPods, we can cheaply upgrade now.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-02-24 12:34am

They're covering pretty much the entire spectrum now. Someone might come into the store for a $99 iPod shuffle and walk out with a $349 iPod photo.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-24 12:52am

Durandal wrote:They're covering pretty much the entire spectrum now. Someone might come into the store for a $99 iPod shuffle and walk out with a $349 iPod photo.

I know what you mean...
$99 gets you 512 MB...Hm, I can double it for $50, I'll go for the $150. Wait a sec, for $50 more I can quadruple it...I'll go for the mini...well, a bit more space would be nice, the full iPod is only $100 more and is 10 times the space...hey, I can get a color screen for only $50 more...iPod Photo!

lol.

Fire Fly · Post by **Fire Fly** » 2005-02-24 01:57am

I don't understand the concept behind a music player with a color screen.

That of course doesn't mean I don't want one. I'm thinking about buying an iPod as a gift for someone but am so strapped on cash currenlty. Arg...damn you Apple for releasing such wonderful technology!

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-02-24 02:12am

Fire Fly wrote:I don't understand the concept behind a music player with a color screen.

So you can view photos on it, of course! Hence why it's the "iPod photo."

Plus, a color screen gives you perks like being able to display album art associated with a song.

Fire Fly · Post by **Fire Fly** » 2005-02-24 02:29am

Of course!

But really, its like they decided to slap on a color screen and the word "photo" just so they could put another product on the market and raise the price even more. Still, the whole "looking at pictures on your portable music play thing" still eludes me; maybe I don't think like their customer target.

entfern · Post by **entfern** » 2005-02-24 02:36am

*looks at color cell phone screen next to antique oneline black and white screen*
*looks at ipod photo and normal ipod*
but. . .but. . . . the colors!!!!!

Seriously. . . color is prettier, and regardless of wheter or not it is useful, people like having flashy gadgets. (which of course means that the companies make a profit) Take the Motorola Razor for example. Most people don't need bluetooth, digital cam, or the best color cell phone resolution on the american market. Most reviews advise against it, and recommend waiting for the upgraded versions of the "triplets". It doesn't stop people from desperatly wanting to buy it. . .

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2005-02-24 06:10am

Until the iPod VideoOut is released, I dont think I'll bother upgrading

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-24 04:06pm

Fire Fly wrote:Of course!

But really, its like they decided to slap on a color screen and the word "photo" just so they could put another product on the market and raise the price even more. Still, the whole "looking at pictures on your portable music play thing" still eludes me; maybe I don't think like their customer target.

Well, now you get Album art when you buy from iTunes so you'll see the album cover for any song you play.

It's also handy for photo slideshows with music, since you can plug it in to a projector or TV.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2005-02-24 04:09pm

When the Ipod gets a FM radio I will buy one.
That is more inportaint to mee than some silly photowiever

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-24 04:42pm

Don't they have FM recievers for the iPod?

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2005-02-24 04:44pm

Praxis wrote:Don't they have FM recievers for the iPod?

And broadcasters so you can tune your radio into your iPod.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2005-02-25 01:21am

Who the fuck listens to the radio? Its the 21st century, man!

entfern · Post by **entfern** » 2005-02-25 01:43am

Don't they have FM transmitters with some car adaptors? That's nice. . .

Post by **Gandalf** » 2005-02-25 01:46am

Crown wrote:
Praxis wrote:Don't they have FM recievers for the iPod?
And broadcasters so you can tune your radio into your iPod.

That wuoldn't be too bad if they had transmitters, then you could leave the Ipod at home and take a cheap radio walkman out. This way theft is less of a concern.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-02-25 01:57am

Gandalf wrote:
Crown wrote:
Praxis wrote:Don't they have FM recievers for the iPod?
And broadcasters so you can tune your radio into your iPod.
That wuoldn't be too bad if they had transmitters, then you could leave the Ipod at home and take a cheap radio walkman out. This way theft is less of a concern.

Yeah, too bad Apple doesn't sell a transmission tower accessory for the iPod. I think you've just found something new and different for the Slashdot crowd to bitch about.

"iPods are lame. My iRiver can play Ogg and has a 300-foot radio transmission tower."

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-25 02:21am

Crown wrote:
Praxis wrote:Don't they have FM recievers for the iPod?
And broadcasters so you can tune your radio into your iPod.

My sister has one of those.

That wuoldn't be too bad if they had transmitters, then you could leave the Ipod at home and take a cheap radio walkman out. This way theft is less of a concern.

They HAVE transmitters. But they don't have that kind of range. That's what transmission towers are for.
Unless you want to buy a new property to put your iPod+transmission tower addon on :p

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2005-02-28 11:01am

The old ipod photos came with AV cable (20USD), firewire cable (30USD), case (30USD) and dock (40USD). The new ones don't. And the camera connector is 30USD, where on the iRiver H320 it comes free (camera connector and dock).

That AV cable is just plain annoying to leave out - it's like the one decisive pratical feature of the ipod photo against its color competitors.

While I would never use the crappy included case, and the ipod is much hotter than a H320, it is something to think about.

SPOOFE · Post by **SPOOFE** » 2005-02-28 04:48pm

But really, its like they decided to slap on a color screen and the word "photo" just so they could put another product on the market and raise the price even more.

They did it in response to Archos' line of media players... they have like 4" color screens and huge fucking hard drives so you can watch little movies.

I dunno, I'm wary on the "jack of all trades, master of none" devices.

Eventually you start to realize that there's not much to master when it comes to digital medium. All that was really necessary was a larger, more efficient screen. I mean, really, when you have 60 gigabytes of space, just how much music can you cram into that? I guess if you encoded all your music as a WAV file...

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-28 07:42pm

SPOOFE wrote:
But really, its like they decided to slap on a color screen and the word "photo" just so they could put another product on the market and raise the price even more.
They did it in response to Archos' line of media players... they have like 4" color screens and huge fucking hard drives so you can watch little movies.

I dunno, I'm wary on the "jack of all trades, master of none" devices.
Eventually you start to realize that there's not much to master when it comes to digital medium. All that was really necessary was a larger, more efficient screen. I mean, really, when you have 60 gigabytes of space, just how much music can you cram into that? I guess if you encoded all your music as a WAV file...

I saw one of those "Portable Media Centers" today and it made me think of that.

At the price it was ($500 for a 20 gig HD and little screen) you could have bought a laptop running Linux with a 40 gig HD.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2005-02-28 09:50pm

Its laughable - all those people who want to watch movies on 3" screens (like the idiots who thought that'd be good functionality on the PSP) must have eye problems. 3" screen? Whats the point? As has been pointed out, the iPod photo is a fucking waste of time without the av cable to display on something DECENT.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-02-28 10:47pm

Stark wrote:Its laughable - all those people who want to watch movies on 3" screens (like the idiots who thought that'd be good functionality on the PSP) must have eye problems. 3" screen? Whats the point? As has been pointed out, the iPod photo is a fucking waste of time without the av cable to display on something DECENT.

Well, at least it HAS the connector for an AV cable. The PSP doesn't even have that capability

Sucks that it no longer includes the cable though. I didn't realize that.