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Up to Discussions in iPod and iTunes
14 Replies Last post: Sep 16, 2005 5:27 PM by azzaman  
Click to view mdawson's profile Old Hand
mdawson
2,704 posts since
Aug 31, 2004
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Sep 13, 2005 1:14 PM

Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great

There is actually a link to this story on the MacCentral home page, but people do not post too often on the sidebar stories.

Anyway, this article brings up some valid points. The iPod nano is going to create sticker shock for most people as it offers 2GB less storage than the iPod minis that it replaces at each price point. Secondly, the bright colors of the iPod mini made them very popular with female buyers. Just about everyone here at UD has some kind of iPod, and just on observation, most of the iPod mini owners are the female students.

The iPod nano, looks hot, but in some respects it is a downgrade from what it replaces.


“Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This is wrong tool.” 2.3GHz Power Mac G5/4GB/500GB HDD/OS X 10.4.11/30-inch ACD, 60GB iPod (Color)
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Dubbalubagis
209 posts since
Jul 23, 2001
1. Sep 13, 2005 1:39 PM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
Hi,

I agree there is going to be a "sticker shock" effect but it's only the first few days of sales figures. As the article stated the Mini itself was a "sticker shock" item and yet it turned out to be the best selling iPod to date. With a compact size and color screen I think people will be willing to pay a premium for a Nano. Give it time and the Nano should be able to pick up the same sales as the Mini did. A little news coverage and the awe factor will get the sales booming, I guarentee it.

Dubbalubagis
Apple iBook G4 12" 1.2GHz, 768MB, 30GB, Combo Drive, and an iPod shuffle 512MB
Debug Computer Services http://www.click2debug.com

installation 05 halo action figures and actionclix
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Click to view mdawson's profile Old Hand
mdawson
2,704 posts since
Aug 31, 2004
2. Sep 13, 2005 1:56 PM in response to: Dubbalubagis
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
I actually saw a commercial for the iPod nano Sunday night, so I agree that sales may pick up; as you stated it is still early in the game. The thing is for those that keep up with these kinds of things, the iPod nano does lack in certain respects and underestimating the buying power of female shoppers has the potential to hurt overall sales in the long-run.

“Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This is wrong tool.” 2.3GHz Power Mac G5/4GB/500GB HDD/OS X 10.4.11/30-inch ACD, 60GB iPod (Color)
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Dubbalubagis
209 posts since
Jul 23, 2001
3. Sep 13, 2005 2:27 PM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
In reply to:<hr />
underestimating the buying power of female shoppers has the potential to hurt overall sales in the long-run.

<hr />


Hi,

I completely agree with you there. Apple is always betting on young males, college students, tech junkies, and what not to purchase their products but the female shoppers were really a bonus for Apple's iPod sales.

Dubbalubagis
Apple iBook G4 12" 1.2GHz, 768MB, 30GB, Combo Drive, and an iPod shuffle 512MB
Debug Computer Services http://www.click2debug.com

installation 05 halo action figures and actionclix
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Click to view Chris Breen's profile Macworld Editorial
Chris Breen
2,635 posts since
Dec 11, 2000
4. Sep 13, 2005 3:30 PM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
After slagging the original mini for this same "sticker shock" issue, I've learned my lesson. It's not going to make a bit of difference that the nano holds two fewer GB than the mini. If people were really concerned about price per megabyte, no one would buy either the shuffle or nano -- you get far more bang for your buck from the full sized iPod.

As with the mini it's going to come down to what is hip (All Hail Tower of Power!). And the nano is absolutely the hippest iPod out there.

Chris
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Click to view mdawson's profile Old Hand
mdawson
2,704 posts since
Aug 31, 2004
5. Sep 13, 2005 3:49 PM in response to: Chris Breen
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
To your own defense Chris, at the time the iPod mini was introduced no one could have known that people would get over the price per megabyte issue so easily. The thing about the iPod nano, at least as I see it, is that it is a replacement for the iPod mini and stores less at the same price point. I am fully willing to accept that the coolness factor will supercede the price issue in the long run as it has for pretty much the entire iPod line.

Hey, I remember Tower of Power!

New ad for Apple:

Issac Hayes voiceoverWhats the funkiest portable digital music player out there?

(Several flashy scenes of the iPod nano with What Is Hip? playing in the background.)

White text on a black background comes up simply saying What is hip? fades and transitions to The new iPod nano.

“Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This is wrong tool.” 2.3GHz Power Mac G5/4GB/500GB HDD/OS X 10.4.11/30-inch ACD, 60GB iPod (Color)
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Click to view gdsegel's profile Member
gdsegel
224 posts since
Jun 22, 2001
6. Sep 14, 2005 7:35 AM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
Have the 4 GB iPod mini (in green).

Bought the 4 GB iPod nano in white.

Gave the green mini away in trade for some yard work to one of the neighborhood kids.

I am absolutely amazed at the nano. It feels like some kind of futuristic electronic communication device. It is very small to hold, but feels very solid. The screen, though very small, is beautiful and very easy to read.

The price for the nano, though fairly high in comparison to the larger iPods, is in my mind justified by its size and quality. Only having about 500 songs in my iTunes library, I'm not concerned about exceeding the memory limitations of the nano.

My personal opinion is that the nano will be a huge success. Other portable music player manufacturers are hustling to copy the nano I'm sure.

Gregg
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Argent
638 posts since
May 4, 2001
7. Sep 14, 2005 8:46 AM in response to: gdsegel
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
In reply to:<hr />
Other portable music player manufacturers are hustling to copy the nano I'm sure.

<hr />


They're going to have a difficult time doing so, since Apple has apparently bought up the initial production of high-capacity flash memory (just as they did with the 1.8" hard drives of the original iPod).

I agree, the price-per-megabyte argument is a non-issue. Once you actually hold a nano in your hands, the thing is just so small, sleek and with a great color screen, that the lust-factor kicks right in. Mine arrived yesterday, and I must have spent an hour just looking at it and turning it over and over in my hand. Sure, there will be consumers that are put off by the fact that the iPod mini had 6GB of storage at the same price, but it'll be a small percentage.
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Click to view Peter's profile Enthusiast
Peter
1,353 posts since
Mar 1, 2001
8. Sep 14, 2005 9:57 AM in response to: Argent
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
My only concern, and I think more so if you purchase a black one, is that they scratch if you just stare at them. My white one went from the packaging to sit in the JBL Sound Stage dock, and it has already scratched. If you read the Mac and MacNN forums, many people are complaining that this version of the iPod is designed with a highly delicate surface. As usual Apple sacrafices usability for design.
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Click to view Rugby's profile Enthusiast
Rugby
1,249 posts since
Aug 28, 2004
9. Sep 14, 2005 10:00 AM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
In reply to:<hr />
The iPod nano, looks hot, but in some respects it is a downgrade from what it replaces.

<hr />


??? replaces ?? sorry do not see the replacement, Mini ?, mini is HD not Flash AND the mini lacks the now obligatory colour screen. It possibly replaces the shuffle as a flash player, better priced and cooler.
I have been looking at flash player prices and they are way higher then Apples (minus the colour screen), I have been waiting for an upgrade to the shuffle and have ordered the 2GB in black (as a late gift )
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Click to view Argent's profile Member
Argent
638 posts since
May 4, 2001
10. Sep 14, 2005 10:22 AM in response to: Peter
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
In reply to:<hr />
My only concern, and I think more so if you purchase a black one, is that they scratch if you just stare at them.

<hr />


True, but that's been the case with every polycarbonate/chrome iPod since the original 5GB.
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Click to view mdawson's profile Old Hand
mdawson
2,704 posts since
Aug 31, 2004
11. Sep 14, 2005 3:37 PM in response to: Rugby
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
As per Apples own words, the iPod nano replaces the iPod mini. If the iPod nano had supplanted the iPod Shuffle then I would have not started this thread. In a way I am almost surprised that Apple did not tout the iPod nano as an iPod Shuffle replacement, but then that would have left the lower price point void. Apple could have easily added a color (er, colourlove British spellings) screens to the iPod mini, but they opted to replace the line altogether.

Being as they are, and as several people here have mentioned, the iPod nano like all of its predecessors will very likely be successful regardless. The key demographic for these portable digital music players typically do not have large music collections so the capacity issue is perhaps lost on them as opposed to the coolness factor; and the iPod nano is cool.

P.S. Based on Peters post and my experience when I first got my 60GB iPod this past July, get a cover for your nano before you take it out of the box. The materials used for these players are definitely on the delicate side.


“Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This is wrong tool.” 2.3GHz Power Mac G5/4GB/500GB HDD/OS X 10.4.11/30-inch ACD, 60GB iPod (Color)
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Click to view mdawson's profile Old Hand
mdawson
2,704 posts since
Aug 31, 2004
12. Sep 14, 2005 3:41 PM in response to: Argent
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
Very true. When I got my iPod this summer it was scratched on the first day and all I did was remove it from the box, download the songs off of the computer in my lab and put it back in its packaging. The next day I had it in my back pocket as I cleaned my apartment and as a result the chrome back was scuffed. I immediately ordered a cover/carry case when I got into work the following Monday. I hate to think what my iPod would look like had I gone to my conference without first getting the protective case.

In a matter of a few days of gentle handling my iPod looked as if I had owned it for several months. It is not horribly marred, but it quickly came to appear used.

“Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This is wrong tool.” 2.3GHz Power Mac G5/4GB/500GB HDD/OS X 10.4.11/30-inch ACD, 60GB iPod (Color)
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Click to view mdawson's profile Old Hand
mdawson
2,704 posts since
Aug 31, 2004
13. Sep 16, 2005 11:20 AM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
Well, it is nice to know that my initial concerns have been quelled. Apparently the iPod nano is doing well and I have no complaints.

Go Apple.

Now maybe they should put the same advertising clout behind their computers, especially now that they have peoples attention.


“Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This is wrong tool.” 2.3GHz Power Mac G5/4GB/500GB HDD/OS X 10.4.11/30-inch ACD, 60GB iPod (Color)
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Click to view azzaman's profile Member
azzaman
191 posts since
Apr 30, 2005
14. Sep 16, 2005 5:27 PM in response to: mdawson
Re: Analyst: Early iPod nano sales good, not great
What makes us, as a community, need to have the latest and greatest all the time?
Is that what makes us happy?
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