Apple Expected to Introduce Cheaper iPod
Tuesday, January 6, 2004 12:59 AM ET
Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL, news)'s (AAPL, news) iPod was the season's must-have holiday gift, despite its daunting price tag. Now, just weeks after pricey versions of the sleek portable music player were flying off the shelves, Apple is expected to roll out a signficantly cheaper version, Tuesday's Wall Street Journal reported.
Apple is expected today to introduce a new iPod that costs much less than its current $299 entry-level model, according to people familiar with the matter. ( The top-of-the line 40-gigabyte iPod holds 10,000songs and costs an eye-popping $499.) Analysts believe Apple could price the new iPod as low as $200.
While that's more than the $100 figure that has circulated on Apple rumor Web sites in recent weeks, it's still a sharp enough markdown that Apple hopes will attract a much larger audience of music and gadget lovers.
Apple's move is expected to put pressure on a new crop of rivals to trim their prices.
Apple declined to comment on any new products it may be introducing this week, expected to be announced at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco.
Introduced in October 2001, the iPod was the first digital music player to combine huge song storage capacity in a style that hipsters could feel proud about clipping to their belt buckles. The gadget featured a navigation wheel that is regarded as one of the most-efficient ways to comb through a large number of songs.
Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter Nick Wingfield contributed to this report.
Dow Jones Newswires
01-06-04 0059ET
Copyright 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Apple launches mini iPod
By Richard Edwards, Evening Standard
Days after more than a million people paid up to £400 for the most popular hi-tech toy of Christmas, the iPod, manufacturer Apple has announced a cut-price mini version.
The iPod, a digital jukebox which can hold up to 10,000 songs, has been a worldwide hit in the past two months after Apple produced a version compatible with Windows computers.
But now Apple is set to release a smaller version, costing £65, which will be able to store 800 songs.
Apple chief Steve Jobs is expected to unveil the cheaper iPod at a San Francisco exhibition next week.
It is intended to target people who want a digital music player but do not need one which can hold music from more CDs then most people could ever own.
Up to 1.3million people bought the iPod for Christmas, including a host of celebrities such as the Beckhams, Ronan Keating and Robbie Williams.
It weighs less than two compact discs and, as well as storing music, holds digital camera images and can be used as a dictation machine and alarm clock. Music is loaded on to the device from an Apple computer or a PC.
High-street chains such as John Lewis said the demand for the iPod was outstripping supply. Many stores had to take post-Christmas orders from frustrated shoppers.
In addition to the lowercost version of its digital jukebox, Apple will introduce different coloured cases for the currently allwhite iPod. Dedicated iPod cases have been designed by Pucci and Christian Dior.
