New full size iPods coming

With the Nano out for less than a month, there are reports of new full size iPods on the horizon. The new iPods will have click wheels by Apple and will be smaller in size compared to previous iPods of similar storage size. Most likely Toshiba's new 1.8" HD's will be used in 40Gb and 80GB capacities. This will make the 40GB HD 3mm smaller than the previous 40GB model. Other functionality will also likely include video playback functionality, which is probably the reason for the recent public posturing between Warner Music and Apple regarding iTunes prices. They are probably in negotiation over music video prices and Warner Music wants to get some concessions on iTunes song prices before they give Apple music videos.

Looking at inventory levels, 20GB, 60GB iPods are low implying that Apple intends to announce new products soon.

Whats going on with Apple and Time Warner Music/Motorola

Just some speculation to help explain whats been going on in the news this past week. It has been reported that both Apple and Time Warner Music were posturing for upcoming negotiations in Spring of next year on iTunes pricing. I don't think the companies would posture quite so vehemently so early. Considering that iTunes 5.0.1 has a videos button, and pictures of a buy videos link, whats probably happening behind the scenes is negotiations for iTunes to sell music videos. Time Warner Music of course wants to get away from $.99 cent per song pricing (even though they have variable album pricing this isn't good enough), and Apple doesn't want to. So TW wants to use this as leverage to get better video pricing terms.

Re: Motorola
Steve Jobs pulled out of the Paris Expo and he has been quoted that he wanted to release the iPod Nano early. So when he pulled out of the Paris Expo he knew that the reason for this was that he was going to introduce the Nano and the ROKR. Originally the ROKR was going to be announced on its own. Steve Jobs probably knew the availabilty probably wouldn't be immediate after the announcement and knew the phone wasn't that great so he purposely upstaged it with the iPod Nano announcement. Most likely the Motorola CEO knew of this change beforehand, but probably wasn't too happy since he was expecting the media to be buzzing about the ROKR for a few weeks before the Nano announcement. Instead the media generally trashed the ROKR and praised the Nano.

Motorola CEO: Apple 'to build a smart phone'

The Motorola CEO, Ed Zander, get some more headlines for his latest comment. While talking to Cnet's News.com he stated that his 'screw the nano' comments were take out of context. This was old hat, but he made a previous statement significantly stronger. When previously asked about an Apple cell phone, he only said all computer companies were looking at voice. In his latest interview, he quite explicitly states this will happen.

"And we know that they are going to build a smart phone--it's only a matter of time."

Restore your ipod nano with a $4 can of Brasso

If your iPod Nano is really scratched up and Apple won't let your return it, you can clean it with a can of Brasso. Once you are finished, all your light scratches should be gone and the deep ones should be faded. Excellent pictures at the link.

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Apple responds to ipod nano screen concerns

Apple admits to one screen problem but denies the other. According to the website (now taken down) flawedmusicplayer.com, complaints were made that using a microfiber cloth to clean the screen resulted in scratches. Apple claims the same screen is being used as in the regular iPod. Perhaps there is some manufacturing problem that hasn't been resolved?

For people who have broken their screen without dropping it, Apple admits that there was a quality problem from one supplier. Supposedly this only affected .1% of the iPod Nanos out there. If your screen has been cracked, take it to Apple to get it replaced.

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'Screw the nano' comment a 'joke'

Motorola is claiming the IDG is taking the "screw the nano" comment out of context. They also claim the CEO praised Apple and its iPod, though comments like "who the hell listens to 1000 songs anyway," seem to indicate otherwise. This is explained as the CEO being repeatedly asked about the Nano and the ROKR 100 song limit. It seems plausible, it sounded surprising that a CEO should make such disparaging remarks against a partner products.

Motorola CEO says 'screw the nano'

IDG interviews the CEO of Motorola and covers a variety of topics. Initially the CEO discusses his first days at the company, but eventually discusses Apple. When asked his opinions on Apple getting into the cell phone market, he responded that "all computer companies are thinking about voice." His response to questions about the Nano was quite negative. Apparently he didn't like that the ROKR was upstaged by the Nano. While most thought the Apple event would bring a lot of media attention to the ROKR, instead Apple brought out the Nano and the ROKR got lost in the Nano buzz.

"Screw the nano. What the hell does the nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?"

New iPods: The player sizzles, the phone fizzles

Consumer Reports reviews the Apple iPod Nano and new Motorola ROKR and gives their opinion. They say that the Apple iPod Nano lives up to the hype, but that the phone is not ripe. They don't give many details about the Nano, they just mention its got a small sharp screen and syncs with Outlook.

They compare the ROKR to the Sony Ericsson W800 and say its not as good. The W800 has a better camera, can hold more songs if you increase its memory, and has a better bluetooth implementation. On the ROKR you can only listen to music or take calls on a BT headseat, but the W800 lets you do both.

Just got my 5 free ipod nano referrals!

Woot! My fifth referral just went green today, I requested approval on my account minutes ago. The site says that approval takes 7-10 days. I have heard of people gettig their account approved in 2 days. Since today is Saturday, I doubt my account will be approved before Monday. Unfortunately after that, it looks like the ship time on iPod Nanos from Freepay is going to be 4-6 weeks. I guess since they are ordering in bulk to get a discount Apple is probably going to fill regular retail orders at full price first. I haven't heard of anyone getting their iPod Nano from Freepay yet so hopefully my Nano is part of the first batch that is shipped out!

From freepay.com:
Your Status:
Great news!

You have requested approval for your account. After we have reviewed your account and referrals we should be able to send out your FREE iPod nano. Please check back after 7-10 business days to complete your FREE order.

Recording industry responds to Jobs 'greedy' comment

Red Herring has a detailed article on what Edgar Bronfman Jr., Warner Music Group CEO, said in response to Steve Jobs comments. Jobs earlier had stated the recording industry was just being greedy as they already make more money selling songs on iTunes than with a regular CD. His response skirted the issue of profit, stating that no content does not have variable pricing. Technically Jobs is only enforcing $.99 per song prices, not album prices which are vaiable. This of course is glossed over, Bronfman holds out that the market should decide the price not Apple. Didn't the market decide that Apple was taking the correct approach by making it such a success? Why doesn't the recording industry create other online stores that sell music instead of subscriptions, if they did they could set the price to whatever they want.

Bronfman also upped the ante stating that the recording industry should get a cut of iPod revenues. This of course is absurd, further stating that "We are selling our songs through iPod, but we don’t have a share of iPod’s revenue." If you don't like Apple's terms then don't sell your songs through iTunes.

Steve Jobs Interview

The Guardian interviews Steve Jobs. No new details about forthcoming products, but its an interesting read on the nature of Apple and Steve Jobs. Interesting comments:

-admits they got lucky with the iPod, but that they are now exploiting that luck
-blames the media for hyping up the ROKR to be something other than Apple "dipping its toes in the water"
-Apple is more of a lifestyle brand
-they are working on being environmentally friendly
-how Jobs is like a politician and how he dismissed the recording industry's call to raise prices in iTunes.

Unpeeling Apple's Nano

iSuppli took apart an iPod nano and based its results concluded that Apple could be making up to 50% profit margin on the 2GB iPod Nano. The 4GB model is supposedly mroe profitable than the 2GB model, so Apple should be doing really well.

The 2GB model coss $90.18 in materials and $8 to assemble. These estimates are based on Apple receiving a 40% price discount from Samsung on the flash memory in the iPod Nano. Comparing this to other Apple products, a Mac Mini costs Appled $283, giving it a margin of 44%.

Apple creating private iTunes stores for universities

This is pretty interesting, Apple apparently has created a private online iTunes music store for the University of Michigan. UofM states that others are partnering with Apple to do the same thing. I guess in some sense this is their response to Napster licensing music to universities. This also opens up the possibility of others creating branded versions of the iTunes music store instead of setting up their own. Walmart created their own music store, but now say Target could just partner with Apple and create a Target version of the iTunes music store. This also plays into what Cingular was hoping to partner with Apple regarding their music store. If they did this with Cingular, then it would just be a Cingular branded iTunes music store.

U of M page on private iTunes music store

Cingular and Apple may team on music download service

Though previous reports seemed to indicate that Cingular would introduce its own music service, AppleInsider indicates possibilities that they may work together. Steve Jobs has publicly stated that he doesn't think people will pay higher prices for wireless downloads. He seems to be referring to current wireless networks with relatively low download speeds. As Cingular will only introduce their service after they roll out their high speed network, Steve Jobs still has left himself a way out to work with Cingular.

Steve Jobs on Forbes 400 Richest People List

Forbes annual ranking of the 400 richest people puts Steve Jobs at number 67 with $3.3 billion. Bill Gates is again first with $51 billion. The Walmart family takes up spots 6-10 on the list. The Google guys come in ahead of the founder of eBay with $11 billion each, not bad for just having gone public a year ago. This isn't just paper wealth either, they have already sold more than a billion dollars worth of stock already. The CEO of Google who joined only before Google IPO'd received enough stock to become 52nd on the list at $4 billion.

Apple Computer Seen As Top Pick In PC Hardware

CSFB has picked AAPL stock as the top stock to own in PC Hardware. They state that Apple has had 93% overall unit growth and 66% revenue growth year-over-year. They picked Apple over Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Gateway.

iPod Nano Commercial Spoof

Funny Apple iPod Nano spoof commercial.

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Apple share of MP3 players to drop

via theRegister - Future news headlines will claim that Apples MP3 player marketshare will drop. This is because the iPod Mini, which was HD based, was the best selling player in the world. The replacement, the iPod Nano, is flash based. As Apple doesn't have a 75%+ marketshare in flash based players, Apples marketshare numbers in both flash and HD players will drop though its overall marketshare might increase.

Flash MP3 player marketshare:
0% before January (before the iPod Shuffle)
11.9% iPod 1G Shuffle Market Share
46.3% total flash marketshare

Apple Computer Could Sell 43 Million iPods In 2006

Deutsche Bank initiated coverage on Apple Computer, and unlike another analyst set a price target of $60, which is above the current stock price. The firm mentions among its factors for believing that Apple will grow marketshare is because of its iPod product line, the stickiness of iTunes and renewed enthusiasm for the Apple brand. It also stated that Apple was the best positioned PC maker to capitalize on the convergence of digital media.

Free iPod nanos Now Available from FreePay.com

via PR Newsire - Freepay put out a press release today that they are giving away free iPod Nanos for people who sign up and get 5 referrals. Sign up using the conga at the top of the page and get your referrals faster. The conga will take you to Freepays website and once you are green your name will be added to the conga. Then without much effort people will sign up under you. Make sure to leave a comment with your email address so the conga admin can keep in touch with you about your referrals.

Steve Jobs discusses music labels, iPods and Intel Macs

Macworld has an article on what Steve Jobs discussed at the Apple Expo Paris. Some highlights:

-upgraded .Mac
-ROKR was a learning experience
-doesn't think $3 wireless downloads will work
-can already download movies, and video podcasts from iTunes
-doesn't think TV/PC convergence will happen
-didn't launch the iPod Nano in Paris to have more time before the holidays
-says not many people want a radio with their iPod
-says Bluetooth is a technology in search of problem, sounds like BT ipods unlikely
-says iTunes is competing with piracy
-75% of songs on iTunes are sold once a month
-iPod halo effect seems to be happening, best marketshare increases in Europe
-says future OS X for Intel will only install on MacTels

Second weekend 4GB iPod nano sales strong

AppleInsider gives and update on iPod Nano sales. As before 4GB versions are more popular than the 2GB versions and black is outselling white. Apple is now shipping 3x more white than black iPods and are starting to catch up to demand. As Apple has a factory dedicated to creating iPod Nanos they are now probably switching over to create more black iPod Nanos.

Interestingly most people are heading to Apple stores to pick up iPod Nanos, and so Apple stores are having more trouble keep Nanos in stock whereas place such as Best Buy still have a fair amount of Nano inventory. Before the Nano launch the $199 iPod Mini was the best selling iPod, whereas the $249 iPod Nano looks to be the current best seller.

Nano accessories are still lagging and the lanyard and nano tube cases have a backorder time of 4-6 weeks!

Apple CEO Steve Jobs Attacks 'Greedy' Music Companies

via BusinessWeek Even though the recording industry is already sick of him, Steve Jobs gave them more reason to feel that way at Apple Expo in Paris. He revealed that the recording companies are already making more money selling songs on iTunes than they would by selling a song with a CD. He did qualify it by saying that only when you take into account all the marketing, distribution and manufacturing costs, is iTunes more profitable than selling CDs.

His rationale is that they are currently trying to fight piracy and that raising prices a lot would drive people back to piracy. I guess the question comes down to whether $.50 is considered "a lot." The recording industry counters that the problem with per song downloads is that they get less total revenue. When they sell a CD the consumer only really wants a few songs on the CD. So if they can buy the songs individually then they will spend less money.

There is also mention that even though the ROKR isn't that great, better phones are in the pipeline and that MacTel PCs are still on track to ship next June.

Apple Q4 sales ahead of expectations

Financial analysts, in checking the industry and the channel, believe that Apple sales are ahead of expectations for Q4. They are benefitting from a strong back to school season as well as good sales of iPod Nanos. As mentioned before, Apple expected to sell 5x white iPod nanos as black iPod nanos. Thus sales of iPod nanos have been hampered somewhat. Apple is now readjusting its manufacturing to deliver more black iPod nanos. The firm also increased its price target to $45 even though the stock is currently trading above $53 this morning.

Apple climbs to 4.7% U.S. marketshare.

According to MacWorld, Apple has surpassed Lenovo (who bought IBM's PC business) to rank 4th in U.S. computer sales. Apple also grew 37% compared to the average worldwide industry growth at 16.6%. Last year, Apple was at 3.7% marketshare.

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The resurrection of Steve Jobs

via economist Steve Jobs was cast out by the then CEO of Apple, John Sculley, and started NeXT computer. His investment in Pixar paid off and made him a billionaire after which he returned to Apple and forced out Gil Amelio to become its CEO.

The story talks about how Jobs faced and overcame cancer and has created a success with the iPod and the iTunes music store. That his Jobs life seems characterized by large changes in fortune and how these events have left Jobs softer and more creative.

The article continues with some speculation on what is up next on the Apple product list including: video ipods, tvs, and iphones and how these might affect the music and movie industry. Initially the music industry welcomed him, but is are now "sick of his power"

iPod Nano solidies Apple's dominance

via Macworld According to analysts the iPod Nano gives Apple "another year in the drivers seat." They say that only Apple gives the consumer an iPod experience that is unmatched. Apple has marketed the Nano well, but its not until people hold it in their hands that they get the Nano. The experience goes further when they plug their iPod into their PC and get a seamless connection with iTunes and the iTunes music store.

The article talks about how the patents that were given to Creative and Microsoft will not affect sales and that Apple will find a way to get around them, if not invalidate them.

Red, Green, Pink iPod Nanos

Colorware will soon sell colored iPod Nanos. The current site shows red, green and pink iPod Nanos. You can either send in your current iPod Nano, or buy a new colored iPod Nano from Colorware directly.

Sound quality of iPod Nano

via Serious Personal Audio Bill Machrone put various MP3 players through some sound tests to determine how good they were. When he first started on the tests he found that the iPod shuffle has the best sound of any player on the market, even better than the iPod Mini and full size iPod. He does another test on the iPod Nano and gives the results. Verdit: its got good sound, not quite a shuffle, but better than most players out there.

Hack your iPod Nano

via Make hack some basic iPod nano settings. Change the "ipod" text at the top of the ipod, change the font, the wording on different screens and change the font itself.

Comments on Apple Cell Phone Service

via Business 2.0 the article discusses how Apple has probably given Motorola a 1 year license to use an iTunes phone client. After that Apple could license its iTunes mobile client to other cell phone companies or even get into the cell phone business with its own phones itself.

iPod marketshare to increase

via NYT A NYT tech columnist, after seeing the iPod Nano states that Apple's marketshare will actually increase. He contradicts a financial analyst that says having 80% marketshare for more than 2-3 years is impossible. He says "Beware, however: to see one is to want one. If you hope to resist, lash your credit card to your wallet like Odysseus to the mast"

Interesting points:
-it weighs to little that dropping it to the ground isn't a problem
-nano can identify podcasts that have not been heard
-nano can diplay lyrics of whatever song is currently playing

ipod nano in depth review

via ilounge
-instantly elicits wow reaction
-only two colors instead of four
-feels more scratch resistant and shows fingerprints more easily
-sound quality is just as good as full size ipod

Is the iPod Nano too thin?

via mashable The iPod nano makes all other mp3 players look too fat. Is that something we as a society want to concern ourselves with? Should looks be all important, do we want to create yet another negative cultural stereotype? Quote from an ipod user "I used to think my iPod was attractive, but now I realize it’s morbidly obese"

Apple Ipod Nano Ship Times Extended

via MacNN The Apple Store has extended ship times on both the black and white 4gb ipod nano models. This indicates that sales are doing well for the 4gb model. In contrast, the 2gb model has shipping time of within 24 hours.

Microsoft gushes over Apple Ipod Nano

via Toms Hardware Microsoft representatives at Microsoft's PDC "were in awe" regarding the design and marketing of Apple's new iPod Nano.

Apple iPod Nano sales not so bad after all

via Forbes They reiterated that no stores had the black ipod nano in stock. Previous stories had mentioned that Apple had expected to sell 5x white nanos and thus did not manufacture enough black nanos to meet demand. Traffic to apple.com increased and Piper Jaffray expects Apple to outsell its agressive sales goals for the iPod nano.

Gates on Apple, Google -- and Microsoft's future

via Seattle pi Bill Gates commented on Apple stating that they were being outclassed by a really smart competitor. He also mentions that Office 12 will have an Aqua type interface.

Ipods seem clean because they remind us of toilets

via Gizmodo Ipods are always described as having a clean design. Someone at frog design figured out why. The surfaces of ipods remind us of items in our bathroom. Toilets, bathtubs, sinks, they all have the same surface finish as an ipod.

Destroying an Apple Ipod Nano

var Ars Technica As part of their review of the Apple Ipod Nano, Ars Technica put it through a stress test. This included:
-sitting on the ipod nano (no damage)
-dropping the ipod nano while jogging (minimal damage)
-dropping the ipod nano while riding a bike (minimal damage)
-dropping the ipod nano out of a moving car (cosmetic scratches)
-dropping the ipod nano from 9 ft (broken screen)
-running over with car (still going)
-tossing the ipod nano 40ft into the air (still...not going)

Stevies Little Wonder

via Time Time takes a look at the iPod nano development process. Notable quotes:
-the screen is smaller and sharper
-the click wheel had to be redesigned to fit such a small device
-Apple has 4.5% of computer users but 75% of the mp3 player market
-Apple might be working on its own branded cell phone

Apple iPod Nano sales off to a slow start

via AppleInsider despite favorable review by the media, Apple's iPod nano sales are below expectations. While stores received over 1400 Apple iPod nano's only a couple hundred were sold by the weekend. Black ipod nanos are significantly outselling white ipod nanos by 5:1 up to 8:1 in some places which is the opposite of what Apple had expected. Black ipod nanos are sold out while other models are in stock. iPod mini sales continue to be strong and discounts have been discontinued.

Apple's Dazzling iPod Nano

PCworld review of the Apple Ipod Nano. Notable quotes:
-you won't notice it in your shirt pocket its so light
-the screen is amazing, but photos looked a little dark on it
-smaller scroll wheel worked great
-non replaceable battery

Apple Ipod Nano Review

Apple Ipod Nano Review via ipodobserver Review of Apple Ipod Nano with pictures comparing Ipod Nano to a stack of credit cards as well as other Ipods.

Free Ipod Nano Conga Line

Join the free ipod nano conga line by clicking the link of the last person in line. Leave a comment to this post and get your name added to the list. The company running this promotion has been covered in Wired and in other media as being legitimate. The company makes approximately $40 dollars per referral but do not have to pay out unless someone gets 5 referrals. As many people will join but not get the 5 referrals they make money. This conga line is to help more people get their five referrals faster. Join the conga line at the top of the page and leave a comment that you have joined the conga, who you signed up under and your referral link.

Check ratetheoffers.com to find the best offer to complete.