“The iPod nano, which stores either 500 or 1,000 songs and is priced at $199 and $249, is intended to replace an existing model, the iPod Mini. The new device will be available in the United States, Japan and Europe this week,” John Markoff reports for The New York Times. “‘The iPod nano is the biggest revolution since the original iPod,’ Apple CEO Steve Jobs said. In an interview after his presentation, he called the new player, which is one of the industry’s smallest, a ‘bold gamble.’ By replacing the Mini, which accounts for more than half of all iPods currently sold, the company risked a huge revenue shortfall if the new product had been delayed, Mr. Jobs said. Despite that risk, he said, the nano reflects several innovations.”
Markoff reports, “He focused on the shift away from the small disk-drive storage device used in the iPod Mini to the solid-state flash memory at the heart of the nano. He said the custom chips and the miniaturized circuit board used in the nano had also been potential stumbling blocks. ‘Entire factories were created to make this device,’ he said. ‘Overnight we have become the largest consumer of flash memory in the world.'”
Markoff reports, “Mr. Jobs described an Apple ‘top 100’ meeting earlier this year – a retreat of the company’s top employees – where he urged those attending to take a big risk rather than fall into complacency in protecting the company’s lead in digital music… Several analysts said that Apple had moved the introduction of the nano ahead to ensure it would be widely available for the holiday season… Mr. Jobs said on Wednesday that he was pleased that the details surrounding the nano player had not surfaced prematurely in the press or on the Macintosh rumor sites on the Web. ‘It would have broken my heart,’ he said.”
Full article here.
Markoff also has an audio report on Apple’s New Products here (Requires Real Player).
Advertisement: Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
It’s a good thing Steve Jobs doesn’t read Kevin Rose or he’d have been scrambling for a cardiologist. Rose reported on Monday, September 5th: “Why wait till Wed? New 2GB ipod called the ‘Nano’ – it will sport a color screen and will be much smaller and thinner than a mini. Price = $199. You heard it here first.”
Related articles:
Mossberg: Apple iPod nano ‘beautiful, incredibly thin, and exceeds Apple’s performance specs’ – September 08, 2005
Apple’s iPod nano will make competitors whimper, Motorola’s ROKR inexplicably bland – September 07, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘iPod Nano is a hit,’ Motorola ROKR ‘simply doesn’t have enough Apple in it’ – September 07, 2005
Jupiter analyst Gartenberg: ‘the market is going to go for Apple iPod nano in a big way’ – September 07, 2005
Analyst: iPod nano ‘could be Apple’s next home run’ – September 07, 2005
Video of Steve Jobs introducing iPod nano, ROKR iTunes phone now available online – September 07, 2005
Apple’s Steve Jobs predicts ultra-thin iPod nano ‘will become the highest volume iPod in the world’ – September 07, 2005
Apple introduces iPod nano – September 07, 2005
Apple’s iPod nano will make competitors whimper, Motorola’s ROKR inexplicably bland – September 07, 2005
I’m with MacDude, speculation is one thing, exposing facts in advance is bad form – if you support Apple’s drive for innovation.
Agree also with Joe that Nano is a great name… just watch it spawn myriads of new ‘Nano this’ and ‘Nano thats’…
Hats off -again- to Apple.
Mr Jobs rules with an iron fist, but is, in reality, a very nice guy.
Good Job,
That’s what I’ll name you after you get up off your knees servicing my equipment.
apple didn’t design the rokr, motorola did. what about that don’t you understand? if apple had designed it then steve would’ve announced it instead of the president of moto. why do people assum apple had anything to do with the design specs? they just designed the itune/ipod interface. none of the press has ever stated apple designed the thing. good god, man.
I agree with previous posters…the itunes phone bites…its an open faced “nokia wannabe” looking thing that only holds 100 songs…no estarle me gusta…This nano is very cool…I guess I’ll have to wait for the video ipod a little longer…
Andrew Hamilton
Las Vegas Videographers
http://www.hiproductions.com
Of course I understand all that. But a company with such high standards and an excellent track record shouldn’t partner with mediocrity. Do it right (whether in-house or with a partner) or don’t do it at all.
macdude is gay!!!???!!!
Heh, wonder if Kevin Rose will be banned from future Apple keynotes and special events.
Probably, yes.
There were reports about a larger capacity flash player from a Apple for a little while–adding the name, which Rose did, wasn’t all that great a hurt.
What didn’t happen, and what Jobs must be referring to, is that no pictures of the thing leaked, unlike the phone.
Saying “it is smaller and lighter” than the mini is okay, but seeing a photo is what makes someone (like..um..me..) say, “Time for a sixth ipod.”
Strange MDN secret word coindence #2000- “look”
let me ask a dumb question… does flash memory mean no moving parts?
I apologize, it just continues to astound me how small things keep getting.
I appreciate any answers that aren’t smart a$$!!!
I really do want to know.
cb
I want a nanobook!
Marcie88 writes, “It’s a bloody piece of harware for christ sake.”
Nice one Marcie. Taking God’s name in vain to make a point. You are pure class.
cb
Yes it does. Flash memory is a rather large RAM chip that keeps it memory even when the power is off. The only moving part is really the play on on the wheel -center button.
Good Job:
“Stupidity screws up my typing”
…
Whose stupidity? Yours perhaps?
It took you 3 attempts to type one simple sentence?
I hate Kevin Rose. I don’t pay attention to him and neither does anyone else, so he didn’t spoil anything.
Kevin Rose is a nobody. If Apple news hasn’t hit appleinsider or thinksecret, it hasn’t really hit the news in my book.
To iMaki,
Taking God’s name in vain? Cool it, it’s a bloody expression for christ sake! (you guys are nuts)
All the rumor sites are off in the details. Also, none of them had pictures. The rumor sites got scooped on this one.
To iMaki,
Taking God’s name in vain? Cool it, it’s a bloody expression for christ sake! (you guys are nuts)
And who in your mind is Christ?
MacDude, you posted some homosexual fantasy of yours at 1:45 PM and then came back at 4:01 PM to write :
“Good Job:
“Stupidity screws up my typing”
…
Whose stupidity? Yours perhaps?
It took you 3 attempts to type one simple sentence?”
Did it really take you almost 3 hours to come up with that? And a more serious question, did you really sit there for 3 hours thinking of a halfway decent comeback?
Wow!
I was just joking around but you really are an idiot.
I’m sorry to hear that.
macdude is gay!!!???!!!
No, but in the case of Good Job I’ll make a exception.
I heard about it a month ago, but discounted it because the email called it an iPod “nono” so, naturally, I thought “no … no-no-no … no-way.” (M/W: almost).
As a matter of fact, iMaki, I have it on good authority (a revelation by a very catholic lady) that God’s name is actually Albert (“Alberto,” she said) but the scripters thought that sounded too gay and unmarketable. Anyway, she’s always claiming he talks to her so I figured that if anyone knew, she would.
Nice one, Troll!
If god existed and Jesus was his son – none of which I believe – then do you religious nuts really think that these all-mighty creators of the universe would be insulted by someone using their names out of context.
If you think your god is so petty, then you’re the one who is insulting him – or “taking his name in vain” to use that very absurd expression.
Why is it that believers – of whatever religion (look at Salmon Rushdie’s case) – are so sensitive to what people say about their gods or prophets?
I sense insecurity here.
If I believed in god, then you would be welcome to say what you like about him/her or his son/daughter.
I would be secure in my belief and that my god wasn’t oversensitive or paranoid.
I don’t believe in a god that insists on being praised
– Nitzche