[psmith2.0]

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/newipods.html

Well that was quick.



I said, in that other thread, I thought they'd be here sooner rather than later (no real reason, just a hunch).

Also, read that part at the end of the above story: looks as though that info from the other day about purple, yellow and orange iPods might actually be referring to new colors for the iPod mini (which makes a hell of a lot more sense, really). Why **** up such a clean, iconic thing as the iPod by releasing it in colors no one is asking for, when it would work a lot better on the aluminum body of the iPod mini).

Glad to hear that's what seems to be shaking out...

I can imagine an orange, yellow or purple iPod mini (done in those muted, nice tones of the other colors) MUCH easier than those same colors on the plastic of the standard iPod!



[Edit: dipshit that I am, I just realized I could've tacked this on to my already-in-existence thread about ThinkSecret.com and new iPods. If some mod wants to merge this post into that other thread, my feelings won't be hurt. Sorry...]

[torifile]

I don't believe it. Apple's got a promotion running through the end of september (cram and jam).

[thegelding]

good idea getting them out so they get a run on the apple page and in the news and such for a month or more before the iMac release

give the iPod a month of press, then apple starts the leaks for a week or two leading up to aug 31st showing of new iMac G5

g

[FFL]

My, the NEWS travels fast this WEEK...

[DMBand0026]

I was wondering about the Cram and Jam promotion too. I don't know if TS is accurate about this. However, I really hope they are

[LoCash]

AppleNova says so too Check out front end. Boom.

[Luca]

Originally Posted by LoCash AppleNova says so too Check out front end. Boom.

You, uh, really misspelled "report." I think you put "reoirt" or something.

[jph1971]

I'm wondering what else will be new besides the slimmer form and the click-wheel....

Anyways, I'm glad that the iconic-white stays as it is....

edit: spelling

[LoCash]

I had to pull the story. We'll republish it tomorrow morning. Source's request.

[Messiahtosh]

Awesome, if shocking news! :wow:

[Messiahtosh]

Apple will not announce the new models through a press event, though Think Secret has learned that the announcement will be delivered through an out-of-the-ordinary publicity medium.

What is this all about?

[LoCash]

Originally Posted by Messiahtosh Apple will not announce the new models through a press event, though Think Secret has learned that the announcement will be delivered through an out-of-the-ordinary publicity medium. What is this all about?

Think Secret and Apple Nova will be publishing a collaborative story.

[Messiahtosh]

I am guessing it will be announced through the iTunes Music Store!

[thegelding]

nahhh...SJ is currently in las vegas...he has hired the sony walkman bighead alien



and the napster mascot...



he plans to set them on fire and slide them down the outside of the luxor hotel




now that would be a fun promotion


g

[Messiahtosh]

You sir, are insane.

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Messiahtosh You sir, are insane.

So is Jobs!

[Messiahtosh]

Originally Posted by Luca So is Jobs!

Jobs is insanely great, thegelding is clinically insane!

[oldmacfan]

I think it might come with insane new music on ITMS store, maybe Paul, Ringo, Yoko, and Harrisons widow at a press announcement about the entire Beatles catalog being exclusive on ITMS and the Euro indies and the vast catalogs of out-of-print songs being made available by the big Five. And just for fun lets throw in M&M dropping his suit. Maybe, they will go crazy and have a bunch of other big names at the event that are not yet represented in the ITMS and they will do a "We are the world" type thing.

(Yes, this is entirely made-up-shit on my end, but can't an overgrown kid at heart dream.)

[Messiahtosh]

Nothing to see here.

[BRussell]

Originally Posted by FFL My, the NEWS travels fast this WEEK...

Hmm, why do I get the feeling there's some kind of secret message in here somewhere. It must be my wild imagination.

I'm going to get my secret decoder ring and work on the answer.

[psmith2.0]

What do you think the chances of this being one of the most popular, highly-purchased issues of that rag?

I've still got three pristine Time issues from two-and-a-half years ago, with Jobs and the iMac G4 on the cover.

I'll buy this Newsweek (two, in fact: one to read, one to store), as will most every other Mac person, hardcore or otherwise.

Probably the best thing to happen to Newsweek in ages. Just hope I can manage to find the iPod story amidst all the pages devoted to Iraqi prison abuse, John Edwards' "boyish appeal" and Martha Stewart's woes.

[MacRGood4U]

A bit of history. When the flat panel iMac was introduced at MacWorld there was a simultaneous unveiling on the cover of Time Magazine. If you remember the website in Canada accidentally posted the story on Sunday rather then on Monday as they were supposed to. Steve gave out copies of the magazine at the keynote (well, he didn't personally but they were available).

Oops. Similar post to Pscates. Great minds think alike i guess.

[BRussell]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 What do you think the chances of this being one of the most popular, highly-purchased issues of that rag?

I guess that depends on how big of an announcement it is. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure why Newsweek would devote a big story to a simple increase in hard drive space/slight revision in looks to the ipod. That normally would barely merit a little blurb in the "New gadgets" section, wouldn't it? Could it be that this will be a more significant upgrade than the other ipod upgrades?

[Luca]

I'm pretty sure there will be SOMETHING more than JUST an iPod update tomorrow. I don't really know anything more than you guys (well, not MUCH more... *whistles*), but for Newsweek to devote a story to it, they'd have to do something more than just a design tweak on the iPods. There's going to be something else going on tomorrow, some kind of big announcement that merits a front-page story.

[psmith2.0]

I don't know. Normally, I'd agree...yeah, no big deal.

Maybe just the fact that the iPod has reached such a popular, mass appeal level and Newsweek felt like a new-generation/redesign of it warranted cover story status?

Probably as simple as that. I like the idea of it being the same size, only thinner. I think it's a great size to hold in your hand. But thinner/sleeker is almost always good. I'm most curious about the talk of the re-done scroll wheel. I'm sure they'll take on that of the iPod mini, right?

Leaves a lot of surface area with those four buttons missing...

Larger screen, perhaps?

Maybe it's a long-awaited pPod (p = photo) and it somehow integrates with iPhoto (an update to iPhoto may be available on Monday too). Maybe there's a video-out port on it so you can show your photos on a TV or something? I don't know...just wild-ass guessing on my part, of course...

Could be exactly what I say at the start of this post: the iPod is such a huge, popular thing now...any redesign or overhaul to it merits trumpeting? At least in Newsweek's opinion?

I know this: I LOVE out-of-the-blue stuff like this. It's way more exciting than the slow build-up thing (the iMac, for instance) because as soon as you learn about it, it's announced a day or so later (not months). And I feel good about it all because, after all, it is Think Secret...very rarely blow smoke or miss big things. Meader and MOSR they're not...



BTW, I will be at the Alpharetta (suburban Atlanta) Apple store tomorrow afternoon. I was going to see the displays and get my "Mac fix" for July/August (and eating lunch with my Dad), but now that I know this stuff is brewing, I'm going to make it a point to look around the store real good and see if I see ANY sign of something like this coming (some new signage, maybe clearing some older iPods out of the way, etc.).

I will make it a point to ask the highest-up employee I can find about the iPods, in an innocent way: "Yeah, I was thinking about getting one...I hear they're great. Are these white ones here good ones? Is that the kind I should get, over those little colored ones over there?"

And hope that prompts the person to go "well, uh...why don't you wait 24 more hours..."

If I saw a brochure or ANY sort of literature/photo/promo lying around, I'll do my best to either snatch it or commit it to memory and post about it tomorrow evening.



Didn't macrumors.com run a story (page 2, I think) about new iPod commercials recently being filmed? I suppose it's all coming together...

[Luca]

I don't know if Newsweek has already done a major article about the iPod yet. It seems that it's become so damn popular that every news outlet has to do at least one review and write-up on the iPod phenomenon. Maybe they chose now to do their major one, so even if it's a semi-minor update, they'll still put it on the front page.

I have to wonder though... with the whole iTMS/iPod situation remaining basically the same since the beginning of this year with the introduction of the mini, and with the sale of 100 million tracks to solidify the iTMS as the most popular online music store, you think Apple's going to give us a major surprise? I think it's highly likely. Unlike the situation with Macs these days (pessimism about the next iMac), I'm extremely optimistic about the future of the iPod. Apple's going to push this as hard as they can and pull out all the stops to make sure it remains the dominant player in this market. I don't have the same faith in their strategy towards the Macintosh.

One thing I do know is that just about everyone here will be reloading their forums and Apple.com front page about every 15 seconds . Anyone planning on driving out to the airport to pick up a copy of Newsweek the minute it hits the stands?

[onlyafterdark]

Maybe just the fact that the iPod has reached such a popular, mass appeal level and Newsweek felt like a new-generation/redesign of it warranted cover story status?

Thats what I think it is. The iPod is the most popular thing going right now in the music business (and the ITMS) that any major design change to the device would warrent a cover story. However I wouldnt be surprised if there was something more to the story than just the iPod. Maybe a brief history about where we were before the iPod and where we might be going.

[BRussell]

How about this - the iPod will get just a standard upgrade, with iPod mini-style scroll wheel and increased hard drive space. But Jobs has been talking a lot about going into the living room and the car, so maybe there will be some new functionality there. Maybe a new dock with wifi to go along with Airport Express. Or a new wireless remote.

[iMeowbot]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Maybe just the fact that the iPod has reached such a popular, mass appeal level and Newsweek felt like a new-generation/redesign of it warranted cover story status?

Or maybe they're writing up a bit more. They also hit the 100 million on the store, and Newsweek wouldn't have had much of a chance to hype it in the last issue.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by BRussell How about this - the iPod will get just a standard upgrade, with iPod mini-style scroll wheel and increased hard drive space. But Jobs has been talking a lot about going into the living room and the car, so maybe there will be some new functionality there. Maybe a new dock with wifi to go along with Airport Express. Or a new wireless remote.

Yeah, you're right. Jobs did say that they were working on "other automotive products" (or words to that effect). Maybe those (or some) get unveiled to.

"Put an iPod in Your Saturn". I'm SO there...