iLounge

1

Well of course price is the least-liked feature…. it could be $5 and I’d still prefer the compact size and scratch-resistant case to the loss of $5

(I suspect that making people expect impossible $99 iPods might be the least-liked feature of Apple rumor sites!)

Posted by Nagromme on March 24, 2004 at 9:34 AM (PDT)

2

I am so tired of this argument. If it’s too expensive for them, then have them buy a 128mb flash mp3 player for $50 less. These kind of people give me headaches.

- narco

Posted by narco in Burbank on March 24, 2004 at 9:37 AM (PDT)

3

“If it’s too expensive for them, then have them buy a 128mb flash mp3 player for $50 less.”

I don’t know where you buy your mp3 players from (same place as Steve Jobs ?) but the price difference between most flash ram players and the Mini is a lot more than a mere $50! More like $150-$200!

Lexar 128MB JumpDrive USB Drive + MP3 $35
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10357751&dcaid=1688

Stortecc 128MB MP3 Player/USB Flash Drive $49
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,9299810

Digitalway FY100 128 MB MP3 Player $50
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DF0OO/

TDK MOJO X MP3 Player - 128MB $60
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,9187209

256MB DiskGO! MP3 Player USB Flash Drive $100
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,9464347

Posted by NarcoBigSpender on March 24, 2004 at 9:56 AM (PDT)

4

NarcoBigSpender,

True, there are lots of cheapie MP3 players out there, but when compared to competing MP3 players of similar BUILD QUALITY and DESIGN to the mini, the gap is not so wide.

Consider the Rio Chiba 256 or the Creative Labs Rhomba 256 or Muvo NX 256. Even consider a few of the 1.5GB devices (i.e. rio Nitrus)

Many of these devices fall in the $150 - $200 retail range.

Now, consider that with the mini, you are getting superior CAPACITY, DESIGN and BUILD QUALITY that the above mentioned devices, the $50-100 difference is understandable, at least to me.

Posted by steve on March 24, 2004 at 10:14 AM (PDT)

5

Dude, I think he was being facetious. But thanks for the effort.

Posted by Agent Orange on March 24, 2004 at 10:15 AM (PDT)

6

Everything in life is too expensive nowadays.

Corporate greed is rampant.

About the only good deals in town are at fast food joints.

Posted by BigSid in Los Angeles on March 24, 2004 at 10:31 AM (PDT)

7

“consider that with the mini, you are getting superior CAPACITY, DESIGN and BUILD QUALITY that the above mentioned devices, the $50-100 difference is understandable, at least to me.”

I understand your point, and I appreciate it, but for the target market that Apple is making noises about going after, the difference between $50 and $250 might as well be the difference between $50 and $1500. It’s just very big!

These little flash players are tiny, their build quality is usually good because, let’s face it, they are pretty simple to make and probably cost around $5 to manufacture.

Given that so many people have had success pulling the 4GB cards out of their Muvo2s and inserting a 512MB/1GB card instead, has anyone tried the same thing with a Mini iPod?

What I am getting at here is that the 4GB drive is not cheap. If Apple had brought out a flash ram version of the Mini (like many people hoped they would before MacWorld) then we could have seen a sub-$100 Mini.

I say sell the hardware cheap, let people buy memory cards from Apple. Or even 4GB drives! All with a healthy markup. But sell a “bare” version of the Mini for less than $100.

Posted by Kiddi Bux on March 24, 2004 at 10:44 AM (PDT)

8

once the early adopters stop buying them, they will come down.

Posted by dave on March 24, 2004 at 10:45 AM (PDT)

9

If price is the biggest concern, Apple has another hit on its hands—as they have been selling more than they can make.

—-
http://thewired.blogs.com/teotwawki
The techno-mediated cultural conspiracy

Posted by Nicky G on March 24, 2004 at 10:56 AM (PDT)

10

“they have been selling more than they can make.”

This has always been a flaw in Apple’s execution - when they have a hit on their hands they can not ramp up quickly enough to satisfy demand. And then when they have duds, like the Cube, they go on wasting resources producing them no matter what… denying production capital to their hits. This goes right back to the Mac II.

Unsatisfied demand is lost sales! Sales revenue today is more valuable than inflation-adjusted, time-sensitive revenue six months down the line - even if you are certain that your demand will remain constant.

Posted by NotGood! on March 24, 2004 at 11:19 AM (PDT)

11

“However, even among likely iPod mini buyers, the $249 price tag remains the least liked feature.”

In other news:  iPod minis Sold Out

Posted by The Raven in USA on March 24, 2004 at 11:23 AM (PDT)

12

I had a “cheapie” Rio that croaked. The power button broke. And I only took it to the gym. So I decided i’d fork out the $50 for a new one (someone gave me the other).

I found out pretty quickly that only total ##### was available for under $150. And that’s when the iPod did not look so expensive. I knew that if I bought another cheap one it probably wouldn’t last the year.

Yeah, I want a mini for $99. But I just don’t think it’s overpriced.

Posted by lbarkett on March 24, 2004 at 12:21 PM (PDT)

13

Yes, Raven has won the award - iPod Mini’s are selling out everywhere.
I bought my wife one sight-unseen.  They’re awesome, so take that poll…
Oh, BTW, didn’t the “polls” predict Howard Dean would be Dem candidate for President on 2004?
I rest my case.

SB

Posted by SB on March 24, 2004 at 4:54 PM (PDT)

14

I wonder… if iPod use were proven to be carcinogenic, would the people who post on this forum say “cancer is only a small price to pay for the build quality.”

I own a 20Gb iPod, but this purchase has not had the effect of instilling me with the blind devotion to Apple so apparent in my fellow iPodloungers.  Steve Jobs is not perfection embodied.

Posted by NotBlindedByTheWhite on March 25, 2004 at 7:28 AM (PDT)

15

This just in:  People like nice things, don’t like spending money!!!

Posted by Chupacabra on March 25, 2004 at 10:09 AM (PDT)

16

“didn’t the “polls” predict Howard Dean would be Dem candidate for President on 2004?”

I believe the issue was that no pools had been taken to see if Dean would be a good candidate. All the buzz came from a relatively small bunch of self-referential blogging types and bulletin boards like this one. THe media is lazy so when they spammed with email and see stuff like DeanLounge.com they think it’s significant.

Back in December there were people like Eric Alterman saying “hey nobody has any idea of how Dean will do because nobody’s done any real polls”.

Then they they finally got around to doing polls and caucasus and voting, they find most people can’t stand Dean or his smug “technorati” supporters.

Judging from the crowd of Deaniacs I saw when I was coerced into attending a party, I’m willing to bet that a higher percentage of Deniacs have iPods than the general population, because they seemd like a typical bunch of middle-class whiteys who will jump on something “cool” when they see it advertised enough and all their rich friends are doing it.

Posted by Denialacs on March 25, 2004 at 10:44 AM (PDT)

17

I Don’t understand why some people are trying to pass off iPods as the greatest new creation of technology, yet they were saying the same when the game Boy came out and look at it now. There is bound to be something else that comes out soon enough that will make everyone forget about the ipod and it will be just as expensive, if not more so.
Why is it that the best things in life come with such a price? If anyone can answer me that I will be one happy person!
But does anyone know where I can get an ipod mini for £100 or under?

Posted by Potta37 on September 1, 2004 at 1:49 PM (PDT)