Apple announces it will keep stringing us along on the new MacBook Pros
Well, once again, a Tuesday morning has started with Apple’s “We’ll be back soon” Post-It note on their store, and ended without new MacBooks.
The “big” news today was a new 2 GB shuffle, a price drop on the 1 GB model, and a new Xsan. Kind of an odd combination of updates, assuming the lower shuffle price isn’t meant to encourage you to buy a bunch of shuffles and set them up in a RAID array. Hmmm…
One thing I always find funny about iPod shuffle announcements is Apple that considers them “iPods”. They really aren’t. Sure, they have circular shaped controls, but that’s about it. Really they are just cheap Flash-based MP3 players not really any different than the ones given away in cereal boxes these days (except of course Apple allows iTunes songs work on them). Anyway, just my opinion, but it annoys me in these shuffle press releases when you get quotes like “At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. whatever, Greg. Where’s the MacBook Pro?
Full press releases after the jump if you care (you don’t, btw.)
NEW SHUFFLES
iPod shuffle Now Just $49
New 2GB Model Priced at $69CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced that its iPod(R) shuffle, the world’s most wearable music player, is now even more affordably priced at $49 and that it is introducing a new 2GB model of the iPod shuffle for $69. The popular iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce, features an aluminum design with a built-in clip and comes in five colors-silver, blue, green, purple and a (PRODUCT) RED special edition.
“At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “The new 2GB model lets music lovers bring even more songs everywhere they go in the impossibly small iPod shuffle.”
The iPod is the world’s most popular family of digital music players with over 140 million sold. The lineup includes iPod shuffle, the world’s most wearable iPod; iPod classic holding up to 40,000 songs*; the incredible iPod nano with video playback and the breakthrough iPod touch with a revolutionary Multi-Touch(TM) user interface. iPod owners can choose from a vast ecosystem of accessories with over 4,000 products made specifically for the iPod including cases, fitness accessories, speaker systems and iPod connectivity in over 75 percent of US automobiles.
Pricing & AvailabilityThe new 1GB iPod shuffle is available immediately for a suggested retail price of $49 (US) through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 2GB iPod shuffle will be available later this month for a suggested retail price of $69 (US) through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod shuffle requires a Mac(R) with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS(R) X 10.4.8 or later and iTunes(R) 7.4; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 7.4 or later.
NEW XSAN
Apple Introduces Xsan 2
CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today introduced Xsan(R) 2, the first major upgrade to its easy to use, high performance, enterprise class Storage Area Network (SAN) file system for Mac OS(R) X. Combining enhanced performance with Apple’s legendary ease of use, Xsan 2 makes it easier for first time users to set up and quickly deploy a SAN; introduces MultiSAN, allowing users on a single workstation to access multiple SANs at the same time; is fully integrated with Mac OS X Leopard(TM) and Mac OS X Server Leopard and is now qualified to work with third-party RAID storage.
Administration tools have been completely redesigned in Xsan 2, making it easier than ever to set up and manage a SAN file system. Xsan 2 intelligently handles different data types, file sizes and usage scenarios for ideal performance. For example, administrators have the ability to pre-set volume workload settings for optimal streaming of all file types, from very large files, such as uncompressed HD video to small data center files. Xsan 2 includes a new feature, MultiSAN, for users who need to access multiple Xsan volumes from the same workstation or server, such as in newsrooms with separate SAN volumes for production and broadcast.
Xsan 2 is fully integrated with Mac OS X Leopard and takes complete advantage of core Mac OS X features, such as Spotlight(TM) to search across multiple SAN volumes. Xsan 2 also works seamlessly with Server Assistant in Leopard Server for easy setup and configuration of SAN volumes. Leopard Server features, such as iCal(R) Server, Mail Server and Podcast Producer, can now integrate with Xsan 2 to support clustered file systems, improving performance and scalability and reducing the impact of a service outage from the loss of any one server.
For the first time, Xsan 2 has been qualified with third-party RAID storage hardware. Along with Apple’s Xserve(R) RAID, Xsan 2 supports third-party RAID solutions from Promise Technology in configurations tuned and optimized for Xsan, Mac OS X Server and Apple’s professional applications.
Pricing & Availability
Xsan 2 is available immediately through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com) and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $999 (US) per node.
Apple has qualified Xsan 2 with Xserve, Mac(R) Pro and Apple Fibre Channel PCI-X cards. Xsan 2 requires Mac OS X version 10.5 or Mac OS X Server version 10.5 software installed and will support qualified Fibre Channel switches from vendors such as Brocade, QLogic and Cisco, and RAID storage hardware including Xserve RAID and Promise VTrak E-Class RAID subsystems.
Not really iPods? “iPod” is not a proper English word, it is a company product name, in this case to digital music players. They are free to call whatever they like an “iPod”.
Yeah, I agree w/ Jim. What exactly defines an iPod? I would think it is any digital music player designed by Apple; models are differentiated by features.
I think these cheap little players artificially inflate the market share numbers for Apple’s iPods. When you think about how much press Apple gets and the recognition value of all those white earbuds, you realize that Apple gains a great deal from selling lots of Shuffles. Additionally, when someone buys or receives a Shuffle as a gift, they end up buying a larger iPod later – the Trojan Horse effect. What surprises me is that it’s taken Apple so long to bring 2Gb Shuffles to the market.
Have you ever used a Shuffle?
It’s clearly an iPod:
– it’s easy to sue. Just click the damn Play button and go.
– you don’t have to look at the thing to use it. Very good for bikeing or running
– it fits just the music you NEED, not all the crap that you don’t lessen ever but carry over everywhere you go
– 10 minutes of charge and you can have an hour of music if you’re very hurry
Really,.what’s your problem with the Shuffle? I think it’s the best iPod ever made.
Oh, and if you happen to live in countries like Argentina where resellers charge 6 times the price, you would go with the Shuffle no matter what.
Yeah, what is your problem with the shuffle? I didn’t see any other company come up with a music player that small before Apple (the whole point of the shuffle is its size obviously).
And besides, just like Jim said, its a product name, so Apple can call its music/media players whatever they want. If not, then go complain to Microsoft about their ‘zune’, that piece of crap shouldn’t be called anything if you asked me.
If you have an Apple blog, I think you should show some support for what Apple is doing.
I want to see new MBP!!!
When Apple, when!?!?
What makes an iPod? For me it’s as much the interface with iTunes as anything having to do with the hardware.
You know, I don’t think that everyone needs to go as deep as they are in the case of “What makes an iPod an iPod”.
There’s no “To be, or not to be”.
It’s an iPod. I’ve owned one in the past. Hell, I wish that I still had it. The things are great fo keeping music in your pocket, and working out. The only reason I don’t have one now, is because a friend thought that he needed it more than I did, and decided to not hang anymore after that.
But, they don’t have the traditional iPod functions of scroll wheel, and screen.
So, they are iPods. Granted, low end. But, yes, they are part of the iPod line-up.
[…] Full press releases after the jump if you care (you don’t, btw.)
NEW SHUFFLES
iPod shuffle Now Just $49
[…]
What’s “the jump”? I see this all the time on web sites, blogs, etc. I’m expecting some kind of ad, a picture, a note to “turn to page 2” or whatever, but the story always just continues on the next line.
Am I supposed to be delving through the page’s source to read an insightful — but commented out — article on the eating habits and tribal dances of Brazilian supermodels?
I know what it is. It’s “the shark” that you’re all jumping, isn’t it? Come on, ‘fess up now.
Right?
— Tim
@ Leo (#4):
“It’s clearly an iPod:
– it’s easy to sue.”
And therefore clearly from Apple! Probably the funniest typo I’ve seen all day. Thanks!