Apple doesn't like to make cheap products. It would cheapen their brand which is based on paying a higher price for a "higher quality user experience". That's why they have kept the price of the ipod up when it could obviously be a lot lower. Part of apple's cachet is in the higher price. They have spent to much on their brand identity to now start selling cheap stuff. I think they are going to take that cheap box throw an airport extreme inside it and sell it with a couple of airport express plugs so you can take it out of the box and have your whole house wireless in 10 minutes. You'll be sending mp3's to your stereo and video to any monitor that you can get it plugged into. The only thing that is missing is having it transfer wireless speeds fast enough for video to your flatpanel display in the living room. Although if it were up to me id add a touch screen flat panel monitor that wouldn't be to ugly to look at in the living room and a small wireless keyboard that would slide into the back of the monitor when it wasn't needed. Now you have your whole digital media home center, no wires needed
Slashdot Mirror
Apple doesn't like to make cheap products. It would cheapen their brand which is based on paying a higher price for a "higher quality user experience". That's why they have kept the price of the ipod up when it could obviously be a lot lower. Part of apple's cachet is in the higher price. They have spent to much on their brand identity to now start selling cheap stuff. I think they are going to take that cheap box throw an airport extreme inside it and sell it with a couple of airport express plugs so you can take it out of the box and have your whole house wireless in 10 minutes. You'll be sending mp3's to your stereo and video to any monitor that you can get it plugged into. The only thing that is missing is having it transfer wireless speeds fast enough for video to your flatpanel display in the living room. Although if it were up to me id add a touch screen flat panel monitor that wouldn't be to ugly to look at in the living room and a small wireless keyboard that would slide into the back of the monitor when it wasn't needed. Now you have your whole digital media home center, no wires needed