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Apple Ends Delay, Sets iPod Mini Worldwide Launch
dncsky1530 writes "Apple Computer said Wednesday that it would end the waiting and launch its iPod mini digital music player around the world on July 24.
The release ends a three-month delay of the iPod mini's debut outside the United States. In March, Apple said it would postpone the mini player's release because of stronger-than-expected domestic demand and slow production of the device's hard drives."
While I used to agree with you. Why spend $50 less for 11GB less space...
There is a 6 week wait for these things as they can't get the parts and or build them fast enough.
As has been hashed out many times here before, they aren't competing with the $299 15GB iPod, they are competing with the $199 512MB flash players. Does it look like a better deal now?
As for the size, when you look at the numbers in print it doesn't seem that much smaller, when you hold one of each in your hand the size difference is significant.
Miniaturization costs money: look at the prices we pay to have those tiny cellular phones compared to the communi-bricks from the late 80's. You're saving a half the weight, half the volume, getting a more "durable" (scratch resistant) outer body. If you had no interest in using more than 1gb of storage the iPod mini is a pretty good deal - even compared to the big ipod for a number of reasons, some examples may include:
1. The guys at my gym that want a smaller iPod to run with. The iPod mini is about half the size of the already small iPod.
2. People that have 4gb or less of music digitized or possibly people who will only ever want to listen to 1,000 songs before returning to their computers to change the list. Using iTunes it's only a half-dozen clicks to switch from "sync playlist x" to "sync songs in playlist x, y and z" - wait a few seconds and you're ready to go.
That's prefect for a lot of people who are used to selecting a couple of CDs in the morning for the commute to work. Buying an additional 11gb of space isn't a better deal for these people, it's a waste of $50!
3. People who just like "cute" or "blue". There are some people who see the iPod as a fashion accessory - $250 isn't a lot compared to a designer belt or purse.
4. People who just don't have $299 to spend on the "big boy" ipods but still want to be part of Apple's "digital lifestyle". The fact remains that the only portable player you can (easily) use your iTunes Music Store tunes with is made by Apple. Also, Apple has arguably one of the best interfaces for a portable MP3 player of this kind, and it's digital jukebox software has been well received too - some people are willing to sacrifice a few gigabytes of storage if they thing they will end up with a better overall user experience.
$50 may not seam like a lot to some of us, but for someone like my younger brother working part time at subway in high-school that's a fair size chunk of his monthly income. They may decide to purchase the 'best quality' by whatever measure they use - rather than the highest specifications.
first off, it's a lithium ion battery. if you recharge it from empty 500 times in 18 months, regardless of the manufacturer, the battery will die. second, it's not a bug, it's called physics.
- tristan
Actaully, at that point, I think it's called chemistry.