Why iPod Mini is a smart move for Apple 730
Ample Dave writes "Ars Technica has an analytical article up right now that looks at Apple's strategy with the (many would say overpriced) iPod Mini. I have to admit that I bought into the rumors of a dirt cheap iPod Jr., and thus was very disappointed when the real price of $250 was announced, but this article changed my mind. It leads me to wonder about Apple's other pricing games. You an see this kind of thing with the eMac and iMac, too."
Yeah, I almost agree... (Score:5, Interesting)
It costs an extra $120 to get all the accessories that should come with the damn thing! Why is it so much extra to get the armband, the dock, and the remote? For $250 the should be included.
Accessories: where the money is. (Score:5, Insightful)
Only $250! But the CompactFlash is so small as to be stupid. And you'll need a case. And some rechargeable batteries. And an AC adapter. And a docking station. And...
After its all over, you just spent $500 on something that costs $225.
I guess thats the new Bait and switch? Or can you come up with a better name for it? (upselling?)
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:5, Insightful)
Same thing here - go in (relatively) small with the basics, at a smaller margin, then sell sell sell on the extras, where the real profit is.
It's *not* bait and switch, because you are getting exactly what's advertised - it's just not quite as useful on its own as you thought it was. That's not really the company's fault though.
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:3, Insightful)
The correct term, if I'm not mistaken, would be "attachments." For example, if a customer goes into a store for a printer, it won't come with the printer cable, paper, photo paper, full ink cartridges, etc. The goal of the sales person i
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:5, Informative)
Sometimes it pays to not be blindly loyal to a particular brand. I was shocked at how much extra stuff was in the box.
Re:Accessories: where the money is. (Score:5, Insightful)
leather case
You'll never see one of these coming with an iPod. It's not because Apple is cheap, either (leather is cheap anyway) but because Steve is a vegetarian. Also, the Jaguar pattern on their box was rendered by Pixar because Steve didn't want to use a real Jaguar (hint, you have to take the skin off to get it that flat)
Re:Yeah, I almost agree... (Score:3, Insightful)
For my iPod (30 GB, if you're curious), I got a dock but never use it. I just plug it into the cord every so often to sync up my audio books or some such.
So for most of the items, I'd say they are truly "extras". Don't get me wrong - I personally think the mini-iPod should be $199, but after reading the Ars article as well with that handy little table I'm leaning more towards the "Probably *is* worth the cost".
Either way, I'll hope for a price
Re: About the extras... (Score:3, Interesting)
I do agree it'd be great if they all came with all the accessories, though. It's not just the mini; the 15 GB doesn't come with the dock, remote o
Re: About the extras... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: extra $'s for the extras (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd never use an armband with a portable music player, for example. I tend to put them in my inner coat pocket in the winter, and other times, just leave them in my car, on my desk at work, or wherever I want to use them.
Even the remote, which I thought was a "must have" option for my iPod at first, is little more than a toy to me now. (As often as not, I use my iPod to listen to music in my car - so I can't make use of their wired remote in that scenario anyway. I just have a Griffin iTrip plugged into the top of my iPod.) It's fine for when you're actually using the earbud headphones -- but I don't find it that much more of a problem to just reach down and use the iPod's controls themselves for volume or to skip tracks.
As they say, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." When you buy something with "free bonus accessories" in the box, you can be sure you paid for them in the price of the item.
Re:Yeah, I almost agree... (Score:3, Insightful)
Either way, I still stand by my point that it doesn't look like a good deal, so I really don't k
Mac hardware is expensive?? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Mac hardware is expensive?? (Score:5, Insightful)
At the very least, it's competatively priced, and given the iTunes support and the superior UI, it's probably a no-brainer for anyone looking in that general price range.
This article is 100% right. (Score:5, Interesting)
How many people don't even have enough MP3s to fill the 4GB mini? Answer: A LOT. They don't give a crap that they can have every MP3 in the world in their pocket. They want something easy to carry, and being cute pink helps too.
I have always admired the ipod for its design and interface, but even with as small as they made it it was too big for me so I have been through a few flash players. But come Feb 16, guess which new player I'm going to have....
Also, IMO, the ipod mini is going to pave the way for where the ipod is going. As the 1 inch hard drive capacities go up to the 10, 20, 30 GB range, I can forsee a time when the ipod is discontinued and the mini takes the center stage.
Re:This article is 100% right. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:This article is 100% right. (Score:4, Informative)
I disagree. Everyone I know who actually can spell MP3 and rip MP3s has a lot more than 4 gigs. I personally am at 93 gigs in my collection right now...
You are a geek with geek friends. You are reading a geek site. You are not typical. I'm not insulting you, I'm also a geek with (mostly) geek friends who is replying to someone on a geek site.
The point is that very few people have 93 gigs of music. Most people don't have 4 gigs of music and those that do probably don't need to put their entire collection in their iPod mini. This product is aimed at the mainstream and you are simply outside of that.
Re:This article is 100% right. (Score:3, Interesting)
Give me a break. (Score:3, Interesting)
"Uh, me, and any of my friends who listen to mp3s."
"Well, you're all egotistical freaks with abnormally large music collections!"
It's like this: the mp3 landscape is changing rapidly. As much as it's become hackneyed to say it, iTunes, the iPod, and the iTMS have had an explosive effect on digital music. Heck, without either of the other two items, iTunes alone is among the most intuitive and easy mp3 ripping software currently available, i
Let's get this out of the way... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Let's get this out of the way... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Let's get this out of the way... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm not saying it will, mind you; I just don't think those of us outside Apple have any real reason to know. Unlike WMA, whose spread Apple might actively be trying to fight for strategic reasons, there's no real reason for them to object to OGG. The only reason for them not to support it is that there's not much reason to support it. As I see it, they could very easily go either way on official OGG support in iTunes and the iPod, and th
I got a 512mb player for $165 (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I got a 512mb player for $165 (Score:4, Interesting)
And why it's not (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:And why it's not (Score:5, Interesting)
Can you burn everything you buy with MS's music store to CD?
Dual purpose (No, I'm not serious). (Score:4, Funny)
It's competetively priced (Score:4, Interesting)
But still, it's not like it's wristwatch-size. When I heard the rumors of a small iPod, I shrugged and said "it's already small." It's like hearing about a new version of Photoshop. I was happy with version 6.
iPods Mini or Otherwise (Score:5, Insightful)
Secondly, maybe the Apple marketing team thought that a $50 difference was all that was really stopping them from taking hold of the lower market share. I also think that once people start buying more of the iPod minis, it will force Apple to bring down the price of the iPod Majors. I've yet to find 15Gb of music to fill up my player with, legal and quasi-legal. It really is a mind-game. $50 may put some people above what they wanted to spend on a player. If it stops 1000 people from buying other players, Apple just made $250,000 instead of $0.
I too! (Score:2, Funny)
One point he misses (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:One point he misses (Score:3, Insightful)
Not to mention that Apple typically is not able to produce enough of these sort of items to fulfill demand. They probably had a choice: make x units and sell them at $199, making little profit and not being able to meet demand or make x units and sell them at $249, still selling all they could make. They will probably sell close to all the units they can make at either price, it just makes sense to sell a
No excuse (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:No excuse (Score:3, Insightful)
1) It costs that much to produce, and that price is barely above break even.
2) Market research shows that's what consumers will spend for the product, and so it's price is set there.
3) A combo of 1 and 2.
So yes, it *does* excuse it... if the market will bear that price, then it's not too expensive. Welcome to capitalism. If the market won't handle that price, they will be discounted unti
Good article (Score:3, Insightful)
But consider the average Joe wandering around his local shop, who doesn't know much of about technology, and just knows that he wants a player that can hold lots of music, and isn't particularly large.
He is going to see many tiny music players, all with the ability to play the mp3's he downloads from Kazaa.
Being able to compare a 512MB player, and a 4GB player for the same price won't leave much decision making to be done.
Now me personally, I bought a 15GB iPod recently, because I feel $50 more is a pretty good investment for 11GB. But many people don't understand what a "gigabyte" or "megabyte" are. They see Apple's ad for "1,000 songs!", and think "Hmm, that's a lot of songs."
what's the difference? (Score:2)
Most reports miss the market (Score:5, Funny)
Fashion is important. Small is important; their purses are full of stuff.
Think of it as technical jewelry.
I know girls who are buying all five colors to match their outfits and moods.
Re:Most reports miss the market (Score:3, Funny)
I know girls who are buying all five colors to match their outfits and moods.
You know the Hilton sisters?!?
~jeff
Re:Most reports miss the market (Score:3, Informative)
I'm not replying to toot my own horn, but I started making $300/mo. when I was 12 managing an accounts receivable database in FileMaker Pro. Legally. When I was 16 I started consulting and was making several thousand a year which I used to buy "gadgets".
Maybe those teenage girls aren't so stupid, hm?
Really smart move (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Really smart move (Score:3, Insightful)
I really couldn't justify buying an iPod just over a year ago, when I was thinking about it. But I was tired of having to make tapes for long drives, so I was seriously considering getting a 10-CD changer for my car. When I priced out the low end on that, it was over $400.00, including installation.
Instead, I got a 10GB iPod at MWSF 2003 for $369 and now I have a 100+CD changer whenever I drive! And work out. And go on /.!
Apple trumps all competitors on storage density (Score:3, Interesting)
Below you'll find the analysis. First column is number of gigabytes, second column is the size of the device in cubic inches. The third column is the ratio, "storage density". Notice that the Rio Nitrus is the only unit which comes close to Apple.(Anyone know of a way of making columns show up in slashdot posts?)
And if you selling at a low price... (Score:3, Insightful)
Had they started selling the iPod Mini for say $149.99 US, they would not have been able to lower their price without hitting their margins. And--as people remind us regularly on
When the next Minis come out, maybe I'll get a first generation one at the reduced price.... until then, I'll probably upgrade my original iPod (5G) to one of the large ones. But that's because I use my iPod as a way to carry a large percentage of my music Library. My runner friends are already converting to Minis.
And it is cute...
Some people simply don't get it (Score:5, Insightful)
To a great many people, 4GB (if they even understand the concept of a gigabyte, some people actually don't bother themselves with such things!) is a number sufficiently high that a higher number is needless. For someone that isn't going to fill 4GB, buying a 15GB player is spending money on features they don't need/want.
However, for many of these same people, small form factor is desirable, as are colors.
It's funny how many geeks don't get that not every potential iPod customer thinks in terms of data storage.
Price comparisons are irrelevant (Score:5, Insightful)
Wanted: Competition (Score:3, Interesting)
- Lightweight, metallic case
- Teeny form factor
- USB2 or FireWire interface
- Backlit LCD
- Easy navigation/interface
And so on. It seems like every player on the market gets maybe four of the five, except for Apple, which nails all of them. And Apple crushes the market. I ran into the exact same thing last month when I was shopping for a laptop: want one that has the best 3D graphics card (ATI MR 9600 Pro), thin profile, light weight, beautiful LCD widescreen, WiFi, bluetooth, metallic case, etc? You have but one choice [apple.com], my friend. I realize maybe Apple has a brilliant, one-of-a-kind group of innovators dreawming up all these great products. But it shouldn't take a world-class engineering team, or even a particularly brilliant one, to simply knock off all their products and give Apple a little healthy competition.iPod Mini Ridiculously Expensive! (Score:5, Funny)
Why would someone spend $250 for 4 gigs in a iPod Mini, when I can by a brand new Dell Dimension 2400 with 40 gigs of space on it for only $400! That's only $150 more dollars for 36 more gigs of memory!
It's ridiculous that they could charge that much for something with no storage in it at all. I don't care if it's a little smaller. It's absolutely a crime that they should even insult us like this.
iPod Mini isn't bad, but iTunes Windows is (Score:3, Interesting)
So, even though I see the 15GB iPod is much more compelling from a value standpoint, I sort of suffer from the reverse problem - I'd rather have a Mini with an even larger drive but the same operating controls. That market is defintely going to be the last one served here!
Both iPods seem inferior at a glance to the very original iPod. It was too expensive and (now) not a good story on space, but the wheel (an actual physical control) was just awesome.
I think iTunes is pretty good too, but one of the things you rarely see mentioned here is that there's a huge gap in feature set between the Mac and Windows versions. No, it's not in the app or music libraries, it's in the support of players. The Mac version of iTunes supports any mp3 player capable of playing MP3 or AAC which is pretty much everybody if you don't want to play the music you bought at the iTMS (they're all AAC).
The Windows version of iTunes is identical in functionality to the Mac version if you have an iPod. But it appears that iTunes Windows won't sync with anything other than iPods.
Sadly, Apple is shooting itself in the foot here. Given a choice between iTunes and anything else, iTunes would clobber all comers. iTunes is well thought out and implemented, while the alternatives seem thrown together or hacky. But, if I can't organize my world on my PC and sync to my non-iPod, I just won't use iTunes no matter how good it is.
This protects Apple's iPod sales vs. the competition (on Macs, you've already paid your tribute to Apple when you got your Mac!) but at great cost. If iTunes in visibly better designed software than it's competitors, it's only a matter of time (and short time, I think) before the desirable interface aspects are ripped off. And just like productivity apps, you reach a point where adding more features and innovation has a diminishing return.
iPod profits pay for iTunes, so there's really no other way this can be. But I feel bad to see Apple miss a chance to really lock up their domination of the iTunes-like app world because of this business model. As an ex-Apple employee and Apple watcher, I hard to see this mistake being repeated - they really are poised to achieve a Windows-like stranglehold on the computer end of the formula, but by closing off the other players (that the cited article shows they can beat anyway!) they're marking themselves for death.
too late to get modded up, but what the hell (Score:3, Insightful)
Apple is going to make hay while the sun shines and plenty of people are going to pony up the bucks for the first gen player. These should be $199 by summer and maybe $149 by fall or XMas. And maybe Apple will drop a $99 1 or 2 GB bomb, at which popint they will totally 0wn the mp3 player market.
Re:typo? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:typo? (Score:2)
anyway, thanks for the clarification
Re:typo? (Score:3, Informative)
When you are expecting lower prices, you expect lower specs.
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Interesting)
I think it's worth it, I'm a student and can't afford it, but I would buy one if I weren't poor.
And no, I'm not a Mac User/Activist
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
Smaller form factor and colors. For a lot of people this stuff really really matters.
I run and I would much rather carry the Mini, than a full size ipod. Plus, I only have 3 gigs of music, so I really wound't get much more value out of a 40 gig player.
Jeff
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
That's one reason I've been eyeing the 20GB one. I'd also like to store all my CDs on there and then box them away. The fact that I can then connect the iPod to my stereo, car, computer, etc... to use as a jukebox is also a major plus. But of course, it's still a bit much for those of us on a student's budget.
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:4, Funny)
Not everyone is a geek!!!!
Thank you, and have a nice day.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Informative)
I used my 20GB original iPod with the touch wheel (you know the one I mean) for just about everything for a while. I used it in the car, in the living room, in my bedroom and on the move. It's very sturdy in terms of taking knocks, sure, and especially so with a carry case. However, the constant inserting and removing of headphones and various 3.5mm-to-whatever cables took its toll in about 6 months. It developed some serious noise in the left channel, and eventually went quiet
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:4, Informative)
One bit of advice that might save you some money: get some contact cleaner (that really spendy stuff you get in hi-fi and electronic repair stores.) It is very likely that a thin layer of crud and/or oxydization has developed at the exact point on the headphone jack where it comes in contact with the plug. you might not even see it easilly if it's only big enough to hold the channel barely far enough to prevent a solid connection.
Brush some of that cleaning solvent on the jack contacts (you may need take it apart to do this, but it's obviously out of warranty anyway or you could have this fixed for free), and while you are at it, clean the plugs that you usually use with it.
9 times out of 10 a good cleaning is all that really needs to be done to repair unreliable headphone jacks, noisy volume control knobs, unresponsive VU meters, etc.
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Interesting)
I mean, that is what I see as the reason why people still buy the solid state devices, when you can get reasonably small, not much more expensive drive based units anyway.
Just as the battery issue has been (over) hyped recently, if the iPod Mini sells significant numbers to runners, what are the chances of complaints about skips, or damaged hard drives?
And there are ot
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
- You think the iPod is too big, and the mini is just right
- 4 gigs of music at 192 kbps gives you ~2 days of continuous music. (Calculated here. [waxy.org]) That's enough to last a week or so, and with firewire transfer speeds, changing playlists isn't that big of a deal
- You want the newest, coolest thing
- You're an Apple fan-kid
I'm sure I've left off some potential reasons, but those are the ones that came to mind right away.Re:Still Don't like it (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Insightful)
"System Integration" is vague at best, and meaningless at worst (for instance it means nothing to a Windows user). The simpl
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:4, Informative)
Riiiiiiiight.
The iPod Mini is not all about price per gigabyte. It's about a good amount of storage (WAY more than a flash player) in a very light package. The iPod itself is a bit heavy still for jogging. Best you can do is put it on your belt and it flops around enough to pull nylon jogging shorts (hello, Dolphin
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:3, Interesting)
However, as Apple says, 20% of the market is people spending $250+ for a 512MB flash player.. and that's the market apple is after. They are not trying to sell this to those who otherwise would buy a normal iPod... because we sould say "50 bucks more for 10 times the space, that's a no brainer"
Re:Still Don't like it (Score:5, Interesting)
Size (Score:4, Insightful)
This is exactly what I thought when I saw Jobs give the keynote. It's only $50 more for another 11 GB in the low end full size iPod. What a rip off.
Then I looked at the size of the mini. It's smaller than a Sony Ericsson T610 phone. "Way too little" *is* what costs more cash in tech. The 1.8" Toshiba drives in a normal iPod aren't exactly going to be cheap. The iPod mini is using a 4 GB 1" *microdrive*. Yet it's not much more expensive than comparable flash memory players.
I think expectations were raised far too high by rumours before the keynote of $99 2 GB iPods. In the UK, we're seeing it priced at 199 pounds "subject to change." I reckon it'll come down in price a bit fairly soon anyway, maybe to $200. Then people might realise what a good deal it really is.
You didn't RTA. Here's all the specs. (Score:5, Informative)
Manufacturer | Model | Price(USD) | Capacity
Apple | iPod Mini | 249 | 4.0 GB
Creative | MuVo2 | 299/199 | 4.0 GB
Rio | Nitrus | 249 | 4.0 GB
iRiver | iGP-100 | 249 | 1.5 GB
Rio | Nitrus | 199 | 1.5 GB
Sony | NW-MS70D Network Walkman | 299 | 256MB
iRiver | iFP-195T | 299 | 512 MB
Creative | Muvo TX | 269 | 512 MB
DigitalWay | MPIO FY-200 | 249 | 512 MB
Rio | Chiba | 199 | 256 MB
iRock! | iRock! 860 | 149 | 256 MB
The iPod Mini gives you sixteen times the storage of a Rio Chiba, for $50 more. Or eight times the storage of the Network Walkman, for $50 LESS. Of course, a chintzy no-name player is gonna be a lot cheaper, but you get what you pay for, and in its class, the MiPod is a pretty freakin' good deal - sort of the Phaeton of small players.
Re:Fact is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Fact is... (Score:2)
People seem to forget... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Fact is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh, please. Not every man is design impaired, and color and styling may be among the criteria evaluated in a purchase. When you buy a car, or clothes or whatever do you completely eschew color and design? I doubt it. While the very few will take function completely over form most of us enjoy having something that is aesthecially pleasing besides being of great functional value.
Am I to assume from the tone of your post that if you were to be able to have a girlfriend/boyfriend you would completely ignore looks? :-)
Re:Fact is... (Score:5, Funny)
Not every man is design impaired, and color and styling may be among the criteria evaluated in a purchase.
While this is true, the small minority of men that aren't design impaired embarrass the hell out of the rest of us.
myke
Have you tried running with an iPod? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Have you tried running with an iPod? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Have you tried running with an iPod? (Score:4, Informative)
Contrary to popular belief, the smaller the hard drive the more resistant it is to damage due to shock. On a smaller drive the arm that the head is mounted on is shorter. A shorter arm has less give in it (try bending a piece of paperclip 2 inches long and a piece of paperclip 0.5 inches long) and thus the arm will be less likely to bend enough to crash into the hard drive's media.
The newest of these small drives have shock ratings on the order of 200 G while they are operating and 1500 G while the heads are parked.
Re:Why not a Flash iPod? (Score:3, Insightful)
Without answering the battery/moving parts problem, it then says "However, if your budget is keeping you from snapping up a larger player, or you do not have much of a digital music library to speak of, then a smaller-capacity hard drive player like the MuVo2 or iPod Mini is a better
Re:Heh (Score:5, Insightful)
Could you people just put on your marketing hat for a few seconds?
Joe and Jane Consumer do not have more than a few gigs of MP3s, at most. Once you hit a certain point, they aren't looking at the capacity anymore - they are looking at style and price. With the mini-iPod, they are saving $50 and getting better style.
Style = Smaller (until things become choking hazzards)
Re:Heh (Score:3, Insightful)
Right, there are no luxury goods.. (Score:5, Insightful)
There is one lesson Apple seems not to learn: people want much and they want it cheaply. Nobody cares about quality.
If that were true, every computer would be an eMachine, every car would be a Kia, and every DVD player would be an Apex.
But no, people buy Alienware computes, cars from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Audi, ect, and hi end DVD players from Denon, ect.
Apple is not the only company that concentrates on selling a smaller number of items to people who want quality, and they are not the only company that is good at it.
You're taking a naive, extremist view. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Overpriced (Score:5, Interesting)
"...in the long term they will be failing." Long term here being what, 5 years? How many portable audio players, CD, Tape, MP3, etc, have a product life cycle of 5 years? Zero. Sure, the Walkman has been around forever but it certainly hasn't remaind the same product for the past 25 years, or even the last 5 years. Portable CD players 5 years ago didn't know what MP3's were. Now, even the inexpensive ones play MP3 encoded discs.
USD30 mp3 players? Maybe eventually and at that point, Apple and all the other device manufacturers will have a new product with new features that people will gladly pay a premium price for. 10 cent downloads? Riiiight, that will happen....maybe with indie music, but never with mainstream, RIAA endorsed/encoded, DRM'd music. If you've ever read any type of financial article about iTMS, you'd know that it is a loss leader to sell iPods, cited here [theregister.com]. Those songs will not be less than $0.99 for a long time, maybe $0.69 on sale, or something to that effect. Yeah, yeah, $0.79 at some of the other sites, that's got them where in market share and profitability? $0.10/song gets you what? In legal trouble with the music industry, and a real quick sucking sound of your VC funds because for ever song you sell, you lose $1.00 or so.
Apparently Mercedes-Benz, [mercedes-benz.com] Giorgio Armani, [giorgioarmani.com] and Rolex [rolex.com] have never learned your lesson about "Nobody cares about quality." I know I do, which is why I bought an Apple Powerbook G4 instead of some POS HP/Compaq. Does this make me biased toward Apple? No. I bought the better product for my needs and the comparable Dells, which I do not believe have better quality or service, were several hundred dollars more and did less than my PB. I also don't shop at Walmart [walmart.com] because of the low quality of much of the items they stock. Obviously, Walmart is doing something right to become the number one retailer in the world, but I still refuse to shop there and a completely separate discussion. I don't buy Kia's [kia.com] because I believe that they are lousy automobiles. My point here is that many people, including myself, care about quality.
I'm not quite sure what universal law of economics you are talking about, unless you have some odd perception of the supply and demand curves. If there was an economic law that stated that the cheapest product wins the most market share, we'd all be driving Kia's (or taking public transportation), doing all of our shopping at the dollar stores, buying clothes at the salvation army, and buying old computers off eBay as "upgrades."
Re:Why has slashdot become so apple finatic ? (Score:5, Interesting)
A) Like it or not, they're a major industry player.
B) They're a competitor to Microsoft. Possibly the most significant competitor.
C) We need more competition in this market.
D) MacOS is Unix-based, and Slashdot has a Unix-centric userbase.
I thought those were pretty good reasons, personally.
Re:They let me down big time. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:They let me down big time. (Score:3, Insightful)
Your scenario assumes that Apple makes more profit on the 15G than the 4G. Which is possible, but not likely. If Apple were making a large profit on the 15G, why not just drop the price $50 and make it back through quantity? Now they've spent a lot of engineering time, manufacturing time, ad space, and patience of Apple fans to sell a product that noone will buy in favor of something more expensive with a (possibly) smaller profit margin.
Re:They let me down big time. (Score:3, Insightful)
Not a very original insight. I certainly wouldn't buy one. However, RTFA - there is a market at that price level, and Apple wasn't quite reaching it with the 15 GB iPod. This market apparently doesn't have a use for 15 GB. We could fill up three 40 GB iPods, but I suppose (I hope) we're not typical.
Re:They let me down big time. (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes it is. Anyone who chooses to buy the mini one is perfectly capable if they choose of instead buying the large one. It may not be apple's intent to compete with the ipod here, but given that the two do similar things in a similar price range, they are competing with each other, even if there are some differences between them.
The price seems cheap to me (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Hmm (Score:5, Informative)
Zen: 4.4 by 3 by 0.86 inches
iPod: 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.62 inches
iPod Mini: 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches
Weight:
Zen: 7.9 ounces
iPod: 5.6 ounces
iPod Mini: 3.6 ounces
Yes, you might be able to find more storage in the Zen, but size is the issue here. Further, I think anyone can see that the iPod's design is far more intuitive. The Zen is a great product, and I drool over the price tag. However, the iPod can not be discarded as an overpriced player. Expensive, perhaps, but there are reasons.
Re:within a year, more iPod users than Mac OS X us (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah they really should port iTunes, oh wait! They did! iTunes for windows [itunes.com]
And why should they all the sudden make a change in their business from being a niche player to something that's doomed to fail?
Re:iPod marketing and pricing space (Score:3, Insightful)
Tim