# Apple Computer: You're kidding, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145 "2001-10-23T19:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/61 "2001-10-30T02:24:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\*This just in: a [comparison chart](http://ipod.kentidwell.com/) listing respective features of the iPod, the Nomad Jukebox, the Personal Jukebox PJB-100, and the Archos Jukebox. > > I loved this quote from the PJB-100 site: “I have about 900 mp3 files on my hardrive - It took me barely 4 hours to copy them all down onto the PJB.” > > Four HOURS?! Christ. There’s an argument for Firewire if ever there was one… \*\* Thanks for the link I can’t really comment on the specs of all the players (I’m not a portable mp3 player fan…and iPod will not make me one at $400)…I do note that he says “- The introductory price of the Nomad, (if you insist on comparing to the iPod), was $428.00 in November of 2000. That means the introductory price of the two units comes out in iPods favor. In 2001 dollars, that’s closer to $450.00. Nomad street price today is closer to $230.00 for the low model. Let’s see where things are for the iPod in twelve months.” That’s ludicrous. The mp3 player technology has been around for awhile…of course the price has come down. The new market expectation for an mp3 player, for the average consumer, will not support a $400 player… I think that the very presence of this kind of a site spells doom for the iPod. When the iBook (version 2) came out, there were no web sites “defending” the specs and price points of the iBook vs. competing products…because there didn’t need to be. It was and is a winning product aimed at the “other” 95% of the market. It is difficult to say with a straight face that the iPod is designed to capture more of that 95%. For a company that got rid of its peripheral lines a few years back (no printers, scanners, digital cameras, no PDAs anymore) in an attempt to streamline its product line, this seems like a silly step. It seems like a niche product that WILL have some fans…but I thought Apple wanted to break out of the niche mentality? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/62 "2001-10-30T08:41:47Z")
> [@](#): > > You can’t buy an MP3 player that holds 1,000 songs for $100-$200. Didn’t say you can. I DID say that you can get an MP3-CD player for $100. However, for $250,[this](http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories/overview/0,12069,259155,00.html) holds MORE than the iPod, costs LESS, and is smaller than the Nomad Jukebox (although, admittedly, still not as small as the iPod… although I did see one earlier today and they are pocket-sized, unless you have tiny pockets). So, essentially, for the iPod you’re paying $150 more for a bit of miniaturization. My point is that **there are cheaper, just-as-good alternatives** to the iPod. The iPod doesn’t provide any better quality… just a bit in the way of convenience. And, in my opinion, that little bit of added convenience _is not worth the extra heft in the price_. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/63 "2001-10-30T08:57:39Z")
Oh, I can’t believe I missed this… > [@](#): > > And 150 songs is not enough! It’s not even close. Does your CD collection hold only 150 songs? Cost of ANOTHER 150 songs: 30 cents. Cost for 1500 songs: $3. Cost for 15,000 songs: $30. Stop me when I surpass the price of the iPod. ---
**Author:** ![nerv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@nerv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerv)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/64 "2001-10-30T16:39:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by c\_goat \* > \*\*Those iMacs only have one mouse button. > > Weird… \*\* Actually, they have NO buttons. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/65 "2001-10-30T16:47:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > You can’t buy an MP3 player that holds 1,000 songs for $100-$200. > > Didn’t say you can. I DID say that you can get an MP3-CD player for $100. > > However, for $250,[this](http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories/overview/0,12069,259155,00.html) holds MORE than the iPod, costs LESS, and is smaller than the Nomad Jukebox (although, admittedly, still not as small as the iPod… although I did see one earlier today and they are pocket-sized, unless you have tiny pockets). So, essentially, for the iPod you’re paying $150 more for a bit of miniaturization. > > My point is that **there are cheaper, just-as-good alternatives** to the iPod. The iPod doesn’t provide any better quality… just a bit in the way of convenience. And, in my opinion, that little bit of added convenience _is not worth the extra heft in the price_. \*\* No, the price of that is $309 to $444, per the web site you posted. And it is a nice unit, if a little bit heavy. I would have purchased this about a year ago if the price wasn’t $599 then! I am pretty sure that after the first wave, you will be able to get the iPod for less than $400 as well. Maybe not, but at CompUSA, the prices on Macs in general are less than the list price that Apple gives when they first come up. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/66 "2001-10-30T16:59:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*Oh, I can’t believe I missed this… > > > [@](#): > > > > And 150 songs is not enough! It’s not even close. Does your CD collection hold only 150 songs? > > Cost of ANOTHER 150 songs: 30 cents. > Cost for 1500 songs: $3. > Cost for 15,000 songs: $30. > > Stop me when I surpass the price of the iPod. \*\* What does this mean? You buy CDs for 3 cents each ?(15 songs per CD average) Or that’s the cost of a CD-RW? If you are talking about the cost of a CD-RW, (1),I don’t want to carry around 5-10 CDs when all I have to carry around is one little unit. And (2),I don’t want to have to change the CD every time I want to play a new song (alright, not every time, but enough times to make it a hassle - I just don’t want to do it, and I think most people would rather not) (3) CDs break, especially when you put them in your coat pocket and then sit on your coat. MP3 cost of 150 songs: $0 MP3 cost of 1,500 songs: $0 MP3 cost of 150,000 songs: $0 using the cost comparison to a CD-RW. Obviously, the cost of the original music CD is still $10-15. And unless you are recording from the radio (?!?) or downloading from Napster, you still have those costs as well. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/67 "2001-10-30T20:38:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > So, essentially, for the iPod you’re paying $150 more for a bit of miniaturization. …and the ability to transfer your music library in minutes as opposed to hours. Yeah, the iPod is a bit expensive, but miniaturization, new technology (the iPod’s drive costs $400 retail on its own), and new products always come at a high price point. As I’ve said before, let Apple get production rolling and leverage economies of scale, and the prices on iPods will drop. As it stands right now, you _are_ paying extra for the conveniences. Isn’t that always the case? ---
**Author:** ![ScottHaneda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@ScottHaneda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScottHaneda)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145/68 "2001-10-31T07:04:52Z")
How about we all take a different approach here, go to any .com site and buy a same capacity firewire hard drive, same price apx. So, you get a cool looking firewire drive that also plays mp3’s, one that you can actually boot a mac off of. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-computer-youre-kidding-right/89145.md?page=3)