New iMacs (and iPods)

Dilaudid writes "According to this story at MacWorld Apple has just announced three new iMac models - all with Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme. More importantly there are new iPods too. Cool." The iMacs got a speed bump up to 1.25GHz, and the iPods were capacity-bumped up to 40GB.

Comments

Headless iMacs

[Anonymous Coward]

Why can't Apple make a less expensive headless box? All thier lower-priced units have some sort of monitor attached (e/iMac). Why not have an iMac-class system without the screen? Their product line seems to be all or nothing (G5 tower or iMac with integrated monitor).

Re:Headless iMacs

[Chuck Bucket]

They did this with the Cube, but it didn't catch fire like the original iMacs did so I doubt they'll be trying that again. I think their all in one solution for the iMac is sound - it provides a great entry into Apple, at a competitive cost - while providing that 'apple' feel with the design and control of the monitor.

Having said that, I would like to see another go at a 'cube type' solution.

CB

Re:Headless iMacs

[Angostura]

Because the iMac is postioned as a plug-and-play consumer appliance. That is its positioning, its raison d'etre. The towers are positioned as the professional boxes - lots of options, upgradable etc. Now, you can argue that this is a purely marketing-led distinction, and you would be right. But Apple has decided that consumers like their machines simple and are put of by more choice than 'fast, faster, fastest'

Re:Headless iMacs

[boaworm]

Why can't Apple make a less expensive headless box?
They did this with the Cube, but it didn't catch fire like the original iMacs did so I doubt they'll be trying that again.

Not exactly true. The G4 Cube was monitor-less, but it was far from cheap. It cost just below a PowerMac with the same peformance, but with very limited expantion slots.

The cool thing with the cube was that it was almost completely silent (no fans what so ever!). Only a 5400rpm disk.

Another interesting thing with the cube is that it's second hand value is still very high, often around 500 to 900 dollars (ebay), even though the model is old. That's about half its retail price as new...

Re:Headless iMacs

[the_2nd_coming]

give it 10 more years and it will be worth more than the origional retail price.

iPod longevity

[bokelley]

It's been a while since the iPod came out, and it still seems to be one of the best MP3 players out there. So what's next? Seems like more storage doesn't make a difference at some point (ooh 15,000 songs instead of 10,000).

Re:iPod longevity

[IM6100]

Color LCDs use significantly more power than monochrome ones.

Perhaps, just for you, they will come out with a color plasma screen version. With a thick cord that tethers it to the big 70 pound lead-acid battery that you wheel around in a cart.

Mercy!

I thought the IPod was "Lame"

[maan]

To this day I still can't forget the comment Taco made when he posted the initial IPod announcement:

No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.

Oh well, I guess opinions change.

Seriously though, the ipod is great...

Maan

Re:I thought the IPod was "Lame"

[Xerithane]

That just means you aren't the target market. The thing that you get with the iPod is decent storage space, decent hardware, and really great system integration.

It is pricey, but so are Plasma TVs. If it's out of your price range, it isn't for you. It's for the millions of people who do buy them. It's ok to not want to buy something, for whatever reasons. I have an Archos mp3 player, it has 6GB of storage. It has good battery life, it's integration is mediocre and it's footprint is fairly large. It still works perfectly fine for me, as it's just a USB hard drive and I don't need iTunes to listen to music.

The iPod isn't for me. I'm ok with that.

I don't need to post a comment bitching about something I'm not going to buy, though. But, if everybody didn't do that there would only be about 15 comments under this story.

I'm waiting for the model with mic/line in

[jcsehak]

No, there's no actual proof that they're ever going to make one, but c'mon, isn't it the obvious next step? Record your entire classroom lecture for study purposes, record the next Phish show, record your own demos -- with a simple little multitracking app, it could kill portable 4-tracks. Or, plug your iSight into a video in and turn it into a video camera.

Also, with a mic in, you'll be able to use Apple's speech recognition software to give it voice commands -- no more fuddling around with menus, just speak into the mic: "iPod, play Smashing Pumpkins, album Gish" or something like that.

Re:For a minute there,

[diamondsw]

What would you use it for? You're not really going to copy over your MP3's at a miniscule 20Mbps, when Firewire is 20x faster?

Re:Still no OGG

[hype7]

this was the other big piece of Apple news today:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/sep/08musicst ore.html

iTunes Music Store Sells Ten Millionth Song

Cupertino, California--September 8, 2003--Apple(R) today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded over ten million songs from the iTunes(R) Music Store since its launch just over four months ago, averaging over 500,000 songs per week. The ten millionth song, "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, was purchased and downloaded at 11:34 p.m. (PDT) on September 3.

The combination of the iTunes digital music jukebox, the pioneering iTunes Music Store and the market-leading iPod(TM) digital music player provide users with a complete solution for buying, managing and listening to their digital music collections anywhere. The iTunes Music Store will be available to Windows users by the end of this year.

"Legally selling ten million songs online in just four months is a historic milestone for the music industry, musicians and music lovers everywhere," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Apple offers the only complete solution for digital music with iTunes and the amazing iPod, which now holds 10,000 songs in your pocket."

"We are honored and grateful to be one of the top selling artists in the iTunes Music Store," said Chris Martin, singer/songwriter of the Grammy-award winning band Coldplay. "It's clear Apple has delivered a working and successful platform for music fans to discover artists and purchase both albums and single songs instantly with ease. We embrace these efforts enthusiastically and see them as the future of our business."

The revolutionary online music store offers songs from major and independent music labels, groundbreaking personal use rights, and one-click download directly into Apple's integrated digital jukebox software, iTunes--all for just 99 cents per song. Users can listen to free 30-second previews of any song in the store, then purchase and download their favorite songs or complete albums in pristine digital quality. Songs can be burned at no extra cost onto an unlimited number of CDs for personal use, played on up to three computers, and listened to on an unlimited number of iPods.

ipod

[MoFoQ]

D'OH!!!!

And here I am with an out-dated 30GB ipod....

Maybe it's time for those pitchforks and flaming torches again....

Brilliant!

[green pizza]

I thought you were saying that the new iPods had BlueTooth and Airport Extreme support, heh.

Now, that would rock. Apple, are you listening?

Wow, I'll bet Steve Jobs is reading your Slashdot post right now thinking "wireless! Damn, why didn't I think of that!".

Re:You are so lazy!

[Anonymous Coward]

uh, no. America is THE most important country in the world. Sorry man, that's how it is.

are you hiring?

[Bizzarobot]

...to help me at my freelance gig where I copy a 17 Meg file from one folder on the hard drive to another folder.

I have experience in copying files of all sizes and can provide references! What's the pay-scale?

What's really interesting...

[edremy]

is how little money this must be making Apple

10M songs? Yeah, but it's only 0.99 per song, so that's less than $10M. IIRC, Apple keeps about a third of that, so ~$3M.

How much did it cost to program, to feed the lawyers to get all the contracts, to set up the servers/bandwidth needed? (And the Apple Store is *fast*- they didn't skimp here.)

I can't imagine this is going to have a big positive impact on Apple's bottom line, unless (and it's a big unless) the publicity they are getting sells more Macs/iPods. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the sole reason they are bothering.

Get a Neuros

[Joseph Vigneau]

Get a Neuros.

• Plays Ogg Vorbis files (DI employs one of Vorbis' founders).
  
• Can sync w/ Linux.
  
• "Backpack" system lets you remove the hard drive when you want to go solid state. Also allows for upgrades (like the upcoming USB 2 backpack).
  
• Open source cross-platform song manager (NeurosDBM)
  
• Built-in FM tuner.
  
• "MiSi" feature, which allows you to record a clip from FM, and have it identified when you sync.
  
• Low-power FM transmitter, which can be picked up by a car stereo, boom-box, etc.
  
• Embraces the open source community.
  
• Stands behind a social contract
  

Re:Get a Neuros

[ZackSchil]

Does not play iTMS DRMed files
Costs the same amount as the iPod ($399, 20GB Models)
Is larger and heavier than the iPod: 5.3" x 3.1" x 1.3", 9.4 oz. vs 4.1" x 2.4" x .62", 5.6oz.
Cannot use Firewire or USB 2.0 without a special "backpack" (iPod uses a USB/2.0 adaptor kit to translate pins)
Not nearly as good looking
Difficult syncing
No smart playlists
No Mac support

Your average listener does not have any OGG Vorbis files. The FM transmitter and tuner sound cool but not cool enough. Apple will add voice recording to the iPod with a firmware update, the hardware to do so is already in place. This player sounds cool but it's by no means at all an iPod killer. Has any one out there actually used one as well as an iPod? How do their features compare? Ease of use?

Just a thought...

[raptor21]

Assuming that a Apple user only downloads songs legally through iTunes MS.

The 40GB ipod would hold $10,000 dollars worth of songs. That's a little too much change to be carrying around in you pocket don't you think. You could get mugged for that kinda dough.

Mugger: hand me you wallet.... no wait, Say, that's one of em new 40GB iPods ain't it, whats that iPod worth.
Guy being mugged: I'd say about 5 grand, it's only half full.
Mugger: Screw the wallet, hand me that iPod.

Accessory?

[Swannie]

Does anyone else find it funny that apple lists a VW New Beetle as an iPod accessory? Wait until I tell my wife...