The BIG BIG MacWorld Thread

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But where does my Gamecube controller plug in? :D I like the design of this sucker, and I really wish I could justify the price just to have a neat little machine to mess around with OS X on, but its power seems awful underwhealming, but then again, it's not aimed at people like me.
 
mightynine said:
Which is exactly what the Shuffle is aiming for IMO: those who want an iPod, but don't need an absurd amount of storage space (to them) for their songs. You don't need more than 240 songs for the gym, I would think.
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I don't see a need for the shuffle though. I've got an iPod mini and I wouldn't buy this thing. The only thing I could see is the use as a flash drive in addition to the mp3 capabilities. I've already got a flash drive too, so I don't need it.
 
It's amusing that because Apple makes such great procuts, people expect every single one to be literally earth changing.

People said the iPod and iPod mini were both never going to sell too, initially.
 
Willco said:
I meant $100-$150 more, but go ahead and get the Shuffle. It's a ripoff. You can get 512MB/1GB sticks WITH SCREENS and more features for around the same price to $200.

Bunch of crap.
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What do I need a screen for? I do know what songs I own, right?

That's what I'm not understanding. Why is the screen that important to some of you?
 
Willco said:
I meant $100-$150 more, but go ahead and get the Shuffle. It's a ripoff. You can get 512MB/1GB sticks WITH SCREENS and more features for around the same price to $200.

Bunch of crap.
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You seem personally offended that Apple has let you down.
 
Manics said:
I don't see a need for the shuffle though. I've got an iPod mini and I wouldn't buy this thing. The only thing I could see is the use as a flash drive in addition to the mp3 capabilities. I've already got a flash drive too, so I don't need it.
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They're not selling this to you. You've bought a mini. You have a flash drive. You don't exist to this marketing campaign. They have your money already.
 
mightynine said:
What do I need a screen for? I do know what songs I own, right?

That's what I'm not understanding. Why is the screen that important to some of you?
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So I don't have to listen to the first 5-10 seconds of every single song just to know what it is or where I am in the album/playlist?
 
I dunno what you guys were expecting though, these are both base models that are cheaper than anytthing Apple's ever done, so obviously these can't be better than their more expensive counterparts that already exist. I'm disappointed that Apple didn't pull off a miracle with the Shuffle, but then again I wouldn't have expected one from any other company. You know what most people who think the iPod Shuffle is too limited would buy? That's right, a proper iPod! So Apple's not losing any customers. It might not be for you, but with the right marketing, I think it'll sell. And if it doesn't, I don't think Apple would have lost a lot of R&D money on it either.

The Mac mini, on the other hand, does look lovely.
 
xsarien said:
On eBay, and maybe not a current generation of the hardware. Apple's pricing policies are fairly strict.
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I meant more, as stated above!

And further more:
http://us.creative.com/shop/shopcategory.asp?category=213#215

Apple doesn't exist in a vacuum. I'm not exactly singing the praises of the iPod Shuffle - I think it's a clever marketing solution to a forced design, but their pricing is most certainly *not* out of line for the Flash players, judging purely by size.
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It is out of line. First, Creative is not the only ones selling Flash-based players. You can find cheaper rather easily. There are a couple of 1GB players under $200.

And why is it out line? Perhap you did not notice in that link you provided, but:

ALL OF THOSE PLAYERS HAVE A SCREEN.
 
mightynine said:
Shocking idea: they're not selling this to you. You've bought a mini. You have a flash drive. You don't exist to this marketing campaign. They have your money already.
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I'm not complaining about it though. I just think existing iPod owners wouldn't bother with this. I do believe it'll sell though. The iPod name alone guarantees that. Everyone that wants to get into the market with an affordable mp3 player can now own an iPod.
 
Manics said:
You seem personally offended that Apple has let you down.
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I'm not offended, but there was all this hype leading up to the announcement and I expected something worthy of the hype. And we got a bunch of crap. Really. We did.

It just makes no sense. There are comparable Flashed-based players that have screens and FM tuners and other features! If you're going to go into that market, don't half-ass it!

And then if you're buying solely on iPod brand name, why would you spend up to $150 for a glorified MP3 stick (again, without a screen!) with a capacity of just up to 1 GB, when plenty of HD-based models can offer you a lot more space and an incredible slate of features in a small form factor. Look at the Creative Zen Micro, the iPod Mini, the iRiver H10, etc. All available for ~$250 (or less!). And around the same price point you can get even higher capacity HD players without sacrificing much size or weight.

I mean, if the extra 2.8 ounces of the iPod Mini are too much for you to bear, I guess you should get the iPod Shuffle.

Don't strain yourself!
 
Timbuktu said:
You know what most people who think the iPod Shuffle is too limited would buy? That's right, a proper iPod!
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Personally, I'm buying neither -- an iPod is too rich for my blood right now, but Apple's crazy if they think I'm going to settle for this haphazard shit.
 
It's amazing the hate being spewed on here, because Apple did not release a new Mac for 199 with DVD Burnrer, 2 gigs of RAM, and a 3Ghz G5.

And DaCoco, very cute, but that was a major complaint of the Cube, so if you think I'm being obvious you're an idiot, because people will complain.
 
I've always wanted a Mac, but never been able to justify the price considering I can't play PC games on it. I already have a 19" LCD, an Apple Pro KB, and a USB Mouse.

This is my product. When I know the ins and outs I can upgrade proper.

Put me down for 1 please apple.
 
Willco said:
I'm not offended, but there was all this hype leading up to the announcement and I expected something worthy of the hype. And we got a bunch of crap. Really. We did.

It just makes no sense. There are comparable Flashed-based players that have screens and FM tuners and other features! If you're going to go into that market, don't half-ass it!

And then if you're buying solely on iPod brand name, why would you spend up to $150 for a glorified MP3 stick (again, without a screen!) with a capacity of just up to 1 GB, when plenty of HD-based models can offer you a lot more space and an incredible slate of features in a small form factor. Look at the Creative Zen Micro, the iPod Mini, the iRiver H10, etc. All available for ~$250 (or less!). And around the same price point you can get even higher capacity HD players without sacrificing much size or weight.

I mean, if the extra 2.8 ounces of the iPod Mini are too much for you to bear, I guess you should get the iPod Shuffle.

Don't strain yourself!
Click to expand...


I think there's a market out there for it though. iPod has become "the name" to have for mp3 players and people who aren't computer savvy and yet want something to play mp3's would probably get this. Alot of people don't need even 4 gig to carry around music and only want this thing as a player to listen to tunes while working out, walking to work etc. Not everyone is a techno-geek audiofile who wants all his music, the most RAM, all the features etc. I have an iRiver mp3 CD player with an FM tuner in it. I can count on my hand the number of times I actually used the FM tuner in that thing.
 
iPod Shuffle will sell on four points, three I consider valid:

1) Size. It's really smaller than any other player.
2) iTunes compatibility. Buy tunes online, play on iPod Shuffle
3) Cost. It looks to be abotu $50 less than comprable players, which for Apple, is astounding. Cheap enough to be an impulse buy for teens with jobs.
4) It's an iPod. Who cares? Well, some people, apparently.

It offers nothing to anybody who's already owned a player, really, but it's a great first player.


Edit: Er, that's three valid reasons.
 
Yeah, they lose me as a customer because iPod is too expensive and Shuffle is too barebones. I may skip the "high capacity MP3 players" altogether and go straight to the media jukeboxes.
 
Willco said:
And why is it out line? Perhap you did not notice in that link you provided, but:

ALL OF THOSE PLAYERS HAVE A SCREEN.
Click to expand...

I'm going to concur that you're acting like Apple kicked you square in the jimmies. ;)

All things considered, I don't believe that the LCD is the most expensive part of a player, its absence is due largely to Apple being a bunch of minimalist bastards, and probably their aim to make something that's a little different from the current crop of Flash-based players.

For the amount of storage given you, and given Apple's consistent, quality hardware (popularity aside), the price is fine. YOU may not be able to justify it, but others can. I know I can. I think the idea of going screenless is kinda stupid, but I certainly think that aside, the price is fair.

Willco said:
I'm not offended, but there was all this hype leading up to the announcement and I expected something worthy of the hype. And we got a bunch of crap. Really. We did.
Click to expand...

You must be a regular beam o' sunshine come E3, huh? :P
 
Manics said:
I'm not complaining about it though. I just think existing iPod owners wouldn't bother with this. I do believe it'll sell though. The iPod name alone guarantees that. Everyone that wants to get into the market with an affordable mp3 player can now own an iPod.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Didn't mean to come of as picking a fight earlier.

And we're all focusing too much on the mp3 side of things. This is now an afforable way for those who have iTunes but no iPod to jump in. All those Creative players in that link may have a 2 line screen, but they also are charging more for less storage, and don't have the AAC support right out of the box (if they do at all via a third party program).
 
And for those of you who think the iPod Shuffle is awesome, let me introduce you to this:

Rio2100_01_300.gif


Rio CE2100

omg! a screen!
2.5 GB capacity
Ultraslim design
Up to 20 hours of battery life
USB 2.0 connection
Seamless integration with both PC and Mac platforms
Support for tracks purchased from online music stores

Price? $200

... Suck it Apple!

I'm going to concur that you're acting like Apple kicked you square in the jimmies. ;)
Click to expand...

I am irritated that I spent all this time to find out what all the hype was about, psyched by lawsuits and whatnot, only to find out Apple is trying to sell us a piece of shit!
 
Burger said:
I've always wanted a Mac, but never been able to justify the price considering I can't play PC games on it. I already have a 19" LCD, an Apple Pro KB, and a USB Mouse.

This is my product. When I know the ins and outs I can upgrade proper.

Put me down for 1 please apple.
Click to expand...

You're the EXACT target market.

I will say that it not coming with a mouse and keyboard is really really cheap.
 
shantyman said:
You're the EXACT target market.

I will say that it not coming with a mouse and keyboard is really really cheap.
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The Mac Mini is sorely tempting me. I'm entrenched in PC software, and I see the Mini as a way to slowly - but surely - ease into a Mac software library.

(And before people start, I'm not talking about games. I'm talking about stuff I need for work, from everything from Adobe CS to Microsoft Office.)

Plus, the *worst* case scenario is that I use the VGA out if I can't find a proper DVI switch. USB KM switches are easy to find, though.
 
Sure its not much, but the new ipod's got me interested. I'm in a bit of a weird situation though.

I have a HiMD player that I love and have most of my music on spread between a few discs. My problem is that I have a Powerbook G4 as my school computer and I really have no way of getting new stuff onto the mini disc other then doing it when I go home for breaks.

I don't want to spend much on a new player like an IPod becasue I am happy with my HiMD and basically just got it this past summer.

I like the usb stick style interface that can also be used for charging on this thing, and the itunes mac support. I'm tempted to pick it up for "on my way to class" stuff and new music I get while at school, and then just continue to use my HiMD for road trips and travel.

Plus $139.00 with the student discount puts it quite a bit under other 1 gb screen players.
 
Willco said:
I am irritated that I spent all this time to find out what all the hype was about, psyched by lawsuits and whatnot, only to find out Apple is trying to sell us a piece of shit!
Click to expand...

And that is Apple's fault...like how? I don't think they sued Thinksecret just to get at you. Really, I think Apple is trying to stop rumor sites doing exactly this, building up hype and unrealistic expectations as well as disclosing product info.
 
The Bookerman said:
indextop20050111.jpg


Mini Mac

:D
Click to expand...

Love the idea behind this, but can't find any justifiable reason to actually purchase one. :)

What would the price be after someone bought a keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. though? $600? $700? Isn't that already approacing iMac pricing?
 
Willco said:
And for those of you who think the iPod Shuffle is awesome, let me introduce you to this:

Rio2100_01_300.gif


Rio CE2100

omg! a screen!
2.5 GB capacity
Ultraslim design
Up to 20 hours of battery life
USB 2.0 connection
Seamless integration with both PC and Mac platforms
Support for tracks purchased from online music stores

Price? $200

... Suck it Apple!



I am irritated that I spent all this time to find out what all the hype was about, psyched by lawsuits and whatnot, only to find out Apple is trying to sell us a piece of shit!
Click to expand...


Double the cost
No AAC support (by far the biggest/best-stocked legal online store is iTunes)
Quite a bit larger-- the iPod is barely noticable ina pocket.

Not that it isn't a great player. But the iPod mini is already competing with that. Apple is amining at the untra-low-end. $100 for 512MB is new, and bonus, it's an Apple and supports AAC. NO screen? Well, I got it cheap.

Like I said, this thing is for teens.
 
An apple brand keyboard mouse combo is rather expensive, so it would be wisr to go 3rd party on that.

The education discount on these is pretty light- 20 dollars.

I think I am going to sell my 2g 20 gig iPod and get a shuffle, it more than meets my needs.
 
The shuffle is odd. On the one hand I like the smallness and the fact you can abuse it more than an ipod. Plus I don't listen to much music or have a huge collection, so HD isn't needed.

People moaning about screens is odd, because with iPod, once you are listening to a playlist, you surely leave it in your pocket and just skip tracks with the remote?

I guess it comes down to how much music you store on it. If you genuinely get 240 songs on the 1GB, thats probably enough that you'd have a few different playlists with different types of music. Then you'd need a screen to see which one to play before you tuck it away in your pocket. Maybe there's a simple way to skip playlists - if so, then no screen isn't so bad.
 
Lyte Edge said:
Love the idea behind this, but can't find any justifiable reason to actually purchase one. :)

What would the price be after someone bought a keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. though? $600? $700? Isn't that already approacing iMac pricing?
Click to expand...

I think they're aiming for people who are might be switching from PC to Mac and already has a monitor, key and mouse that they want to keep. Otherwise, there is the iMac.
 
Willco is not going to feel any better but here is a quote from the PR about the Shuffle which explains the design of the shuffle:

"iPod shuffle is smaller and lighter than a pack of gum and costs less than $100," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With most flash-memory music players users must use tiny displays and complicated controls to find their music; with iPod shuffle you just relax and it serves up new combinations of your music every time you listen."
Click to expand...
 
What's with the "i" in front of all things from apple these days anyway? The "i" is starting to bother me. I'm ready to give someone an iBlow to the iHead.
 
You can get the latest Microsoft wireless mouse/keyboard combo for $80 bucks and plug it into the mac.

Currently my settop box/server box combo is about $600.
 
mrklaw said:
People moaning about screens is odd, because with iPod, once you are listening to a playlist, you surely leave it in your pocket and just skip tracks with the remote?
Click to expand...

I bought a remote since it was so handy for my MD Player but the iPod remote has the worst god damn design on the planet. The cord is FAR too long and it makes you look like a retard using it. Biggest waste of 40 bucks in my whole life I'd say.

P.S. This iPod shuffle is lame as all get out -- no screen is GARBAGE. Shantyman is spinning more damage control than I've ever seen just about.
 
Meier said:
P.S. This iPod shuffle is lame as all get out -- no screen is GARBAGE. Shantyman is spinning more damage control than I've ever seen just about.
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WTF, damage control? I offered a PR quote that offered some basic insight into why no screen. What is the point of a 2 line, barely legible screen? That is their point.
 
shantyman said:
An apple brand keyboard mouse combo is rather expensive, so it would be wisr to go 3rd party on that.

The education discount on these is pretty light- 20 dollars.

I think I am going to sell my 2g 20 gig iPod and get a shuffle, it more than meets my needs.
Click to expand...

Lemme' know on that one. I wouldn't mind an iPod on the cheap and may be able to help you out.
 
iPod shuffle will most likely be a success, I can see why some people would want one, especially at that price, even if it isn't the best idea.

What makes it garbage? It's cheaper, lacks features, is ultra-ultra convenient in a very narrow way.

They'll sell a boatload of them. It's brilliant marketing to the flash-player segment, which has never been about price/storage capacity and has always been about cheap + easy.
 
It doesn't matter how "lame" the iPod Shuffle is. I have a feeling it's going to sell so much it'll be disgusting. Just disgusting.

However, the Mini... hmm. Depending on how you look at it, the Mini is a very smart move in terms of mindshare. While it seems cheap that it doesn't come with a keyboard for instance, Apple is phrasing their description of the Mini in a way that seems far more "agnostic" than ever before. Sure, they offer to sell an Apple brand mouse and keyboard with it - but stress that you grab this tiny white box and *plug it into whatever you have laying around and you're good to go*. By Apple standards, this sounds closer to the beige-box PC world. I mean hell, there are a lot of people with Playstation 2 USB keybords and mice. They can grab a Mini and plug their stuff in.

Also, the design of the Mini makes me think of "Cube - The Second Coming". It's a Cube squashed.
 
Haha, the Mac Mini. What's the tagline: "slightly more powerful than an Xbox, and only 3x the cost"


BUT BUT BUT LIFESTYLE COMPUTING OMG LOL MARKET TO ME PLZ
 
Meier said:
Just one example of many.
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Damage control would be if I defended it blindly. I did not (see my comment on the lack of keyboard/mouse). The comment you quoted was a response to the unrealistic expectations with every Apple product. You're an idiot, and I am done with this conversation (remember, you called me out first).
 
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