“In releasing newly affordable iPod photo hardware, Apple Computer has changed the product’s packaging to a thinner and highly attractive black and metal foiled design. Metal foil is used for the box’s front text, while an all-black matte background highlights the metallic luster,” iPodlounge reports.
iPodlounge has a photo of the box which shows that Apple has “dramatically” de-emphasized the word ‘photo’ on its front, reducing it to a tiny badge underneath the letters “PC” in Apple’s “PC+Mac” portion of the packaging. “This contrasts markedly with Apple’s new iPod mini packaging, which continues to grant the word ‘mini’ equal prominence with the iPod name,” iPodlounge reports.
Full article with image here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s obviously working on the iPod photo line. As Apple doesn’t break out individual iPod models from sales totals, nobody really knows for sure how well the first iPod photo units sold. Of course, the iPod photo is the most full-featured iPod with the color screen, nicer system font, ability to display album art, large drive capacity, extended battery life, and the photo features, but it also carried a stiff price tag upon launch, so one would guess that sales naturally weren’t as robust as, say, the iPod 20GB. Now, with new lower prices and packaging, Apple seems to be positioning iPod photo for a marked sales increase. We bet that a lot of those 30GB iPod photo units start showing up all over in coming months.
30GB or 60GB with the new Digital Photo connector
=
PHOTOGRAPHER’S HOLY GRAIL
WHY BUY $200 1GB COMPACT FLASH NOW?
GET A 30GB DRIVE INSTEAD…
AND YOUR IPOD BECOMES TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!!!!
You bet, even the 60giga is reasonably affordable here in Oz. 300AU cheaper.
Still wishing for an 80gig vidPod though.
$200 for 1GB CF?
Where do you buy your CF cards?
Try $62 at newegg.
It’s marketing psychology. My guess is the the iPod Photos aren’t selling at all well. Actually emphasising a function people aren’t primarily buying it for works against the product and makes it off-putting (and weakens the brand)- especially so when fashion is involved and everyone wants to join their mates in the iPod ‘music’ party.
I can see the whole iPod ‘craze’ reaching its peek VERY SOON (perhaps even this quarter). Apple will need the play things very carefully from here on. I would even say that the iPod shuffle is a mistake… not in the short term, but in the long term it could ‘wear out’ the brand and the market position Apple have spend years building.
OMG now Apple is disrespecting the photo people too!!!!!
What is going on?
Smart to play down the “photo”. I’ve been very seriously asked by several people: “Does the iPod photo also play music?”
Oh… They were all windows users, so I guess that explains it.
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I wonder if this strategy involves looking ahead to larger drive sizes for the mini. Eventually the drives will be as big as the regular iPod is now, so maybe Apple is angling to have the Photo become the normal iPod so there is a clear distinction between the lines?
Maybe I’m just talking out of my ass.
I would not be surprised that eventually all the iPods will have color eventually. Right now there is only one non color iPod (can’t include the U2 special edition).
That could explain the de-emphasis on Photo.
I suspect this is part of Apple’s strategy to drop the ‘photo’ from the iPod name. Once the entire iPod line moves to colour screens with photo capability, there won’t be a need to distinguish between a regular iPod and one with a ‘photo’ attached to its name.
Brian D..
well first of all.. there’s nothing about the word iPod that means music.. so calling it the iPod photo means.. well.. is it still able to play music.. what’s it for?
like chuch said
Stantheman-
$200 does sound a bit high for a 1GB CF, but any serious digital photographer will be using the high speed versions, which do cost a lot more than $60.
teh sellout has already started…
“PC + MAC”
and USB 2.0 cables for everybody.
BRILLIANT!!1
Am I the only one who thinks it should read “Mac + PC”? They’re catering to the PC crowd too much, why not make two button mouses/mice standard too?
Maybe I’m just being picky…
u kidding Twenty Benson? Apple is now on thin ground and the “craze” will be over after “this quarter”? How high are you? I’m not saying the iPod is always going to rule, but it seems to be continuing to best the other players. It’s very early in the game, to be sure, but that actually argues for Apple to enjoy at least a year of time at their peak.
You can blather on all you want about “weakening” the brand, but by providing options at both the low and high end, they met niches that otherwise would have gone for devices by other manufacturers.
rent v own,
more or less share your opinion.
There are superficial ‘crazes’ that die quickly and quietly; but we’re talking here of a very useful device – the way people listen to music – plus lifestyle/fashion.
There’ll be portable MP3-players for a good few years now. How long Apple dominates the market is another question. But there are many millions now with music on their computers and iPods in Apple’s format.
The iPod has become a standard.
Apple will have to make a series of very bad mistakes to mess this one up, and the recent iPod mini update shows that they’re doing just the opposite – they’re right on the ball!
Agree. It isn’t often that middle-aged folk want the same thing as a teenager is it. This is a sea-change in the way we own and listen to music.
I don’t see anything but the iPod staying on top for some time to come but it’s worth keeping on watching for the next thing.
My daughters boyfriend had a Zen last autumn and after 6 -yes 6- replacements he’s finally switched to an iPod. And the next thing is the switch to Mac OSX!
Who wants to look at 10,000 photos on the tiny screen of the ipod?
Very, very few people carry around photos to show to people.
The conversation would be, “Uh, Bob, you spent $300 on an iPod just to bring in 500 postage-sized photos of your dog running in the backyard that none of us want to really look at? You could have just brought in your camera that you took the photos with and we could have looked at them an the screen on the back of the camera”
The paradox with the ‘Photo’ option is that it’s aimed at the opposite end of the spectrum from those who would actually enjoy making use of it on a daily basis. If the photo option were included only on the cheap iPod shuffle it would be exactly hitting its appropriate market – people whose life value includes photo-documenting daily events with friends and family and sharing the results around. The market the top-end iPod is aimed at (the only market who can afford them) have little use for, and no sustainable interest in, such activities and are also very unlikely to want to carry around hundreds of private and personal pictures on a device which could easily be stolen or lost.
I would imagine S. Jobs released the ‘Photo’ reluctantly and only to be seen to keep up with the competition and keep on the right side of the press. I would be surprised if there is ever a ‘video’ iPod.
Of course, I don’t include the small number of people work as photographers and for whom the ‘Photo’ is a very useful bit of kit.
Im still waiting for an iPod with an actual camera. Maybe not a professional quality camera, but even pros like to use a cheap instant camera once in a while. It could also connect to a “real” camera and store all your “serious” photos.
I also think they might add satelite radio to the iPod. Even though I have a great record collection, I still like to listen to the radio once in a while to hear some new stuff. Maybe we don’t need satelite radio however, if the iPod could have some sort of steaming capabilities it could tap into Internet radio.
I’m waiting for an ipod + satelite radio + a sidekick type device. (Phone / e-mail / instant messaging / camera) https://www.wirefly.com/PhoneDetails.aspx?referringdomain=pricespecials2&oflag=tmo460&zipcode=47906&refcode1=sidekick2&refcode2;=&eid;=&agent;=&originpage;=/offer.asp&carrierid=59&phoneid=9681&curPhoneId=9681&LinkPage=sonepager.asp
It may be years away – but I think it is coming. This craze is still growing IMO. Plus – who wants to go around town with BOTH a sidekick and iPod to deal with. People want ONE device. When it makes sense and can be done cheaply Apple will introduce it.
The biggest problem IMO is who wants to have to get a new iPod when you change mobile phone carriers? They need to make mobile phones that work with all carriers – instead of the hardware being tied to the phone company you happen to be with at the time.
I also think there is a long way to go for iPods + Cars. People want to listen to their iPods in their cars without a lot of fuss and without losing audio quality or functionality. This thing (iPod craze) ain’t nearly over. Oh – and the iPod isn’t just for young and middle aged people – senior citizens love it too.
I think soon most of us will have two Apple devices.
1) The iPod / everyting mentioned above.
2) A mac / Home media center.
So why don´t Canon, Sony, Olympus, etc. bring out a digital camera with hard drive system like the iPod?
(Or do they?)
Too heavy or bulky?
One very big question is whether you will be able to view photos you downloaded directly from your camera or whether they are simply stored as files as is the case right now. If they are simply stored as files then this is not really that big of a deal. If they can be viewed that will be nice but if they REALLY want to make it a useful feature they will have it so you can delete, rate, and organize photos within your iPod.
My stupid link above:
1) Doesn’t work
2) Screwed up the format of this page.
Sorry!!!!
I have a digital camera and when I take long trips I run out of room to store my photos – so having an iPod that connects directly to the camera to store photos and free up space on my digital camera until I got back would be a good idea for me.
If they have an attachment that can download and display photos instantly on the iPod photo, what’s stopping them from making a small attachment that will take pictures as well? What if Apple allowed software companies to create additional software for the iPod? There are rumors about additional games for the iPod, what if you could download and sync a third-party program as well? It wouldn’t have to complicate the iPod either. Menu would have Music, Photos, Programs, Extras, Settings… really simple but really useful and suddenly gives much more potential for those that want it while leaving it very simple for those that want only a music player.
Jack A,
According to an article from AppleInsider, you will be able to view photos immediately after downloading them. However, you will not be able to do much of anything else.
I think another one of the reasons for de-emphasizing “Photo” was that probably a lot of people thought this was a “Camera iPod” and not a “Music iPod”; which caused confusion in the stores.
“I don´t want an iPod for photos – I want one for music”.
And vice-versa.