Apple May Introduce New iPod on Wednesday

UnHolier than ever writes "Apple may be planning to announce a 'revamp' of the iPod on Wednesday. Reporters from across Europe have been asked to view a broadcast presentation by Steve Jobs at the BBC headquarters. Theorized features for this new iPod include a full or wide-screen with touch controls, ala the ever-popular iPhone. '[An analyst with Goldman Sachs] believes that a new line of iPods will boost demand for the gadget from Goldman's present forecast of about 19.8 million units for Apple's key first quarter - the reporting period that covers Christmas. However, that still suggests that demand for iPods will be flat, at best, compared with the same period last year, when Apple sold about 21 million devices.'"

You know

[phoenixwade]

With 6 billion or so people on the planet, sooner or later the market will reach saturation, and ipod sale are going to become flat. I'm not really sure why flattening of iPod sales is big news.

That said, I have a 3rd gen iPod, and it's getting close to the time to replace it, I have hopes for a widescreen color iPod in the 100 gb range, So if it's avaiable soon, I may very well bee the 19 million and first sale this year.

Re:Based on iPhone?

[phoenixwade]

Not that unlocking hasn't done that already though...

Do you really think that unlocking the iPhone has caused damage to the business model? An unlocking hack made the iPhone available to consumers who didn't want to be locked into AT&T, and Apple still gets whatever the benefits of contract exclusivity provided them.

Sounds to me like everyones business model except AT&T's wins here. I can live with that....

Re:Based on iPhone?

[Anonymous Coward]

Buy a Mac or Build Your Own [PC in an old ] Mac [chassis]?

Buy a Mac, dude. $499 at Fry's.

Just add a PC keyboard+Mouse and throw it behind your HDTV or flat-panel and you're golden, complete with $200 worth of software (Tiger, GarageBand, iPhoto3, iMovieHD3, iWeb, etc..). Also, spring for the extra $60 to get a .Mac account ($99 if you don't take it at the time of purchase), but blow-off AppleCare for the low-end model.

Yeah, Apple has models that go all the way to $2800 and they are worth every penny, but if you are just looking for an alternative to a PC-clone, grab the $499 model and begin getting things done with software written by people who would see their visual interface as a combination of art and a reflection on their intelligence. Do you think the slaves in Redmond have such feelings?

Sounds like the European iPhone launch to me

[Andy_R]

So, we know Apple are calling in journalists from all over Europe, we know that in the iPhone launch presentation Steve Jobs said Europe would get the iPhone in Q3 2007, and we know there are only another 27 days of Q3 2007 left. So why are people jumping to the conclusion that this is a iPod launch?

Re:I have always wondered

[animaal]

I can only assume it's because Apple would rather you pay them for music on iTunes than listen to the radio for free.

Shame really, radio hardware can be tony, and costs almost nothing.

Re:You know

[DurendalMac]

What he doesn't take into account are people unloading their old iPods for a new one. I have an 80GB iPod Video right now, and I will put it up for sale the moment Apple announces a video iPod. If it has everything the iPhone does minus the phone, expect sales to go off the charts.

Re:look at the contracts...

[Dogtanian]

As long as Apple makes money on the phone (which seems likely), they come out ahead. People who don't want AT&T can now buy the phone. This is a big deal in Europe where AT&T has almost no market.

You're assuming that the AT&T deal is worldwide, which isn't the case as far as I know. Last I heard, Apple were in negotiations with the major Euro telcos (Orange, T Mobile, etc).

That having been said, Apple would be better going with the proposed 3G version of the iPhone in Europe for reasons I cover in this comment [slashdot.org]. (Note that this was written before I was aware that Apple *did* intend launching a 3G version of the iPhone).

Re:Sounds like the European iPhone launch to me

[WIAKywbfatw]

Still, Q4 2007 is less than 4 weeks away. This could well be the European iPhone launch confirmation but it could just as as easily be something else.

Knowing Apple, though, it'll probably be both. After all, if they have flown in European journalists then why fly them in twice in a matter of months when you could get everything done in one go?

I predict the new iPods, plus confirmation of the European iPhone launch dates, service providers and sample price plans.

Re:Awesome

[Darth]

Here you go :

Creative Zen supports AAC.

Also, the Zune supports AAC (although it doesn't support having any market share, so i figured you wouldn't accept it as an example.)

The PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Sansa e200R all support AAC as well.
(the sansa apparently requires a firmware update)

As far as your search criteria for your google example goes, you really do need to go take that class if you thought that was a good way to search for portable hardware devices that support AAC.