[chucker]

Originally Posted by Maciej When did it not have iTunes Store support?

iTunes launched in January 2001. The iPod launched in October 2001. The iTunes Music Store didn't launch until April 2003, with iTunes 4.0.

[psmith2.0]

I'm talking about purchasing stuff from the device. Most iPods don't have this ability.

[Maciej]

Durr, I totally got confused.

[Iago]

Originally Posted by addabox Price isn't the only issue, there's also size. Not everyone wants to carry around a Touch sized device just to listen to music.

I wasn't suggesting that the iPod Nano would grow into an iPod Touch form factor. I was suggesting that the iPod Nano will die when it becomes financially possible to sell the iPod Touch at a similar price (to within about $20, I'd guess) of the current lowest-price Nano.

Jobs himself said that he doesn't back one-shot devices. People ultimately want multifunctional devices. Why carry around an iPod and a phone when you can have just a phone?

Apple makes their margin on the Nano and then a cut of any music sales it generates from the iTunes Store. If they replaced their Nano sales with iPod Touch sales, would you bet against them selling even more apps and making even more money?

There is no ideological/platform victory in selling iPod Nano, if they can sell iPod Touch instead. If they sell iOS devices they gain market share. If they sell Nano they make a few pennies on some music once in a while.

As for people not wanting something of that size, I'd suggest that the fact that the iPod Touch has become far and away the biggest selling iPod in the line-up is indicative of the fact that, actually, most people don't care. And even if they did, people are a lousy barometer. At this point if Apple cut every product from the line-up except the iPod classic, a bunch of people would still run out and buy them.

Originally Posted by addabox Having said that, I don't think anything smaller than a Touch is really suited to running iOS (sorry iPhone nano fans), yet Apple seems to want there to be a smaller touch device running a lesser OS.

I don't think there's any evidence to suggest that Apple wants a smaller touch device for a lesser OS. They just needed a 'thing' for the iPod Nano refresh last year. As it happens, it took them closer towards a unified iPod lineup (since I believe the iPod Touch is going to be the main model of three iPods in the range very soon).

Originally Posted by addabox I just think they went overboard with the current Nano, making it so small the touch aspects are almost silly.

Agree. It sucks. But if you haven't used multi-touch before (I know it's not true multi-touch) then it's still amazing. Now go out and buy an iPod Touch because you love it so much.

Originally Posted by addabox So my wish would be for a relatively cheap touch Nano that's about twice the size of the current one-- still far smaller than the Touch but big enough where the touch adapted iPod OS would be semi-usable.

Bleeeeurgh! I'd be astonished if that happened. It'd really confuse the lineup and consumers alike.

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 It's iOS and Multi-Touch, small and light and a nice bridge from the shuffle to the iPod touch. The way I designed/thought about it, it wouldn't be tied to the App Store or support that, so third-party outfits (and Apple) wouldn't have to redesign gazillions of apps. They're simply onboard, nano-designed in-house apps from Apple. Kind of a "training wheels" iPod touch, but a lot less expensive and not requiring store activation/access, etc.

iOS without apps? Apple would have to branch iOS again (iPad, iPhone, iPod Nano Touch) and add to their developer workload. Not gonna happen.

Originally Posted by Maciej I can't get behind the idea of an iPod without access to the App Store / iTunes. It just doesn't add up for me, business wise.

Exactly. Apple now has a platform that they make a lot of money from, both directly through sales and indirectly through having the best developers onboard because they've got a huge addressable market. If Apple ships something like that I'd be amazed.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Iago iOS without apps? Apple would have to branch iOS again (iPad, iPhone, iPod Nano Touch) and add to their developer workload. Not gonna happen.

There is an iOS-without-apps branch already. It's called Apple TV 2.

[Brave Ulysses]

The more I think about it, the more I believe that this Fall's iPod lineup (or maybe next Spring's) will be focused on adding WiFi capabilities for wireless syncing, and also AirPlay support.

Those are two big features that iPods have been missing out on, that would be very enticing for existing owners and help increase third party AirPlay support.

[Robo]

I wrote an amazing post for this thread, but then Safari decided to simple dog when I opened a new tab and I lost all of it. And I'm too annoyed to write it all out again. So if you could all just pretend to be blinded by my brilliant insights, that would be great.

[thegeriatric]

Ok. Suitably blinded......................

[Robo]

The post contained the line

"But I think this is actually really important. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the secrets to Apple's success, in that"

...but that's all I feel like re-typing. I'm going to bed, and I'll probably forget it all in the morning. Oh well!

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Robo The post contained the line "But I think this is actually really important. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the secrets to Apple's success, in that" ...but that's all I feel like re-typing. I'm going to bed, and I'll probably forget it all in the morning. Oh well!

Brilliant stuff, Robo. I'm nominating you for a Pulitzer.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by Robo ...but that's all I feel like re-typing. I'm going to bed, and I'll probably forget it all in the morning. Oh well!

This reminds me of The Princess Bride line I used on my wife last night:

"Good night; sleep well; I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

She sat bolt upright in bed, "What did you say?!?!"

Needless to say, she is not as big a Princess Bride fan as I am.

[El Gallo]

I think the iPod Touch is done and will be replaced with the prepaid iPhone. At least this is what I hope Apple does because almost every kid I see has a prepaid Android phone as of late. Sure they are still hacking it and tethering an iPod Touch to it, but how much longer will that go on?

[Frank777]

I've lost track. I had heard there was to be some kind of iPod announcement today, and haven't seen anything this evening.

Was that just a rumour?

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Frank777 I've lost track. I had heard there was to be some kind of iPod announcement today, and haven't seen anything this evening. Was that just a rumour?

Apple held their "September iPod event" on the equivalent date in 2009 and 2010, but they never sent out invites this year, so it was just a rumor.

Current rumors point to the iPhone 5 launching in October, and there really aren't many rumors concerning new iPods at all.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

The only new iPod rumor I've heard is the possible inclusion of a 3G radio for data.

[Robo]

The lack of rumorage, coupled with the later-than-usual iPhone launch, makes me wonder if there will be a "Fall 2011 iPod release."

My thoughts haven't changed since this March post, so I'll just quote part of it:

Originally Posted by Robo iPod classic: Done for! iPod shuffle: Capacity bump? (What else can they do? It's an odd regression that two years ago you could buy a 4GB shuffle for $79 but now you can't buy one at any price.) No more colors! iPod nano: Price drop! (I think the iPod nano would have been much more warmly received if it was $99. There's a market for a music player that isn't a pocket computer, but not at $150-180.) No capacity bump! No white model! iPod 2: "touch" no more! ("iPod touch (fifth generation)" is geeky and awkward. In the iOS era, normal people need to know what model they own.) Bigger screen! Smaller bezels! No capacity bump! Yes white model! Hooray beer! One more thing: iPod mini! iOS! $199! Same size screen as current iPod touch! Colors! Possible 16GB version at $249? iPod shuffle: $49 iPod nano: $99+ iPod mini: $199+ iPod 2: $299+

I still like that line-up. (Though, see my thoughts on what current rumors mean for the new minis here.)

The only thing I'd change is that I think Apple won't bump the iPod shuffle's capacity. The iPod shuffle has a history of going longer than the other models between updates and getting updates out of left field in the middle of spring. Also, they're not going to want to bother talking about it in what will inevitably be a crowded presentation. I think they might just quietly drop all the non-silver models from their online store.

Also, I could maybe see Apple moving to only one size of iPod nano. They did the $99/$129 thing for a while for the original shuffle, and I'm not sure a lot of people went for the higher-end model (a whopping 1GB!). But you never know. Selling an extra 8GB of space for thirty more dollars is basically free money for Apple.

[Satchmo]

I'm getting pretty bummed out with the lack of iPod rumours. I'd be happy with a one size Nano...as long as it goes back to bar form. I hate the current tiny touch based square form factor.

Perhaps a new iPod Touch could grow to 5" or even 6".
It wouldn't quite encroach on iPad territory, but would fend off competing 7" tablets. It would also be a perfect gaming device.

[PB PM]

I'm almost starting to think there won't be an update this year, unless they are tacked onto the end of the iPhone 5 release.

[psmith2.0]

If anything, I think they'll be rushed through at the beginning, and gotten out of the way. This event is all iPhone/iOS/iCloud, I'm betting. Tacking on iPod stuff, which isn't as big or exciting as it has been in previous years, would end the show on a bit of an anti-climatic, "eh..." note, IMO.

The iOS stuff is Apple's bread-and-butter now.

Retail updates, Mac sales, OS X Lion adoption and "oh yeah, we've slightly tweaked the iPods in case anyone gives a rip...let's take 2-3 minutes and go over them" stuff will probably make up the first 15-20 minutes of the show.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 If anything, I think they'll be rushed through at the beginning, and gotten out of the way. This event is all iPhone/iOS/iCloud, I'm betting. Tacking on iPod stuff, which isn't as big or exciting as it has been in previous years, would end the show on a bit of an anti-climatic, "eh..." note, IMO. The iOS stuff is Apple's bread-and-butter now. Retail updates, Mac sales, OS X Lion adoption and "oh yeah, we've slightly tweaked the iPods in case anyone gives a rip...let's take 2-3 minutes and go over them" stuff will probably make up the first 15-20 minutes of the show.

We talked about this in the other thread, but I agree.

Leaked part numbers suggest that the iPod touch and iPod nano will see only minor revisions, not new models. There's no leaked iPod classic or shuffle part numbers. I think they'll discontinue the classic and keep the shuffle around unchanged. The iPod shuffle has never been updated on the rock-solid schedule of the iPod nano anyway — the second-gen model came out in fall 2006, the third-gen in spring 2009 — and it's not like Apple has any other iPod they could sell for $49. They make bank selling 2GB memory chips for $49, and I highly doubt it cannibalizes sales of other iPods.

It'll be a "in ten years we've sold 340,000,000 iPods, it's the bestselling anything ever, but we want to reach even more people, we're dropping the price of last year's nano and touch, here's a pretty white model, okay onto the iPhone!" sort of thing.