New (video) iPod

Hey Dave! That is way cool! And thanks for the plug for LO-FI SAINT LOUIS too!!

I purchased one also am very impressed with quality, Mine seems to crash alot screen turns white and will not work have you had any simlar problems my email is videodiver9 [at] yahoo [dot] com

To force reboot the ipod just hold down the center button and the play button at the same time for about 10 seconds.

I got a 1GB memory stick Pro Duo for my PSP for 69 bucks!

You just need to know where to shop.

Also the PSP supports more than one GB.

In facr Sony is supposedly going to release a 4GB Hard Drive assecory.

The pics I’ve seen (if they are real… are super cool)

at any rate… there are Mem Stick Pro Duo cards greater than 1GB… but they are pretty expensive.

“… AND it’s about the same price point.”

iPod 30 Gig = $299

PSP 32 MB = $249 (amazon) + (“I got a 1GB memory stick Pro Duo for my PSP for 69 bucks!”) * 30 = $249 + 2070 = $2319*

*This does not include the cargo pants necessary to carry the 30 memory sticks and the pug sized game machine.

So $299 vs $2319 (and a new pair of pants)

Its simple, “You just need to know where to shop.”

Wasn’t about to blow up at all.

But you are quite right.

1GB is quite sufficient since the PSP (and I would imagine the ipod) is a PLAYER not a place to archive.

And if you want to compare apples to apples.

(Or in this case apples to sonys)

Add a web browser to the IPOD

Add a PS2 gaming console to the IPOD

Add the location free player to the IPOD (I think this is a useless feature but since you brought up cargo pants)

Bump the IPOD screen up a few inches.

Make the IPOD screen 16×9

Add a UMD media drive to the IPOD.

I’ll bet the Sony is a bargain now.

This is probably just another case of an apple fanatic taking it as a personal insult that someone ELSE has found a solution they enjoy from some other manufacturer.

David has a great site here and I do not want to pull it down. That said, I apologize for doing just that.

My “$2319, Cargo pants & Pug” comment was shooting for sarcastically pointing out that they are indeed two totally different machines, one a great music player that can also play video the other an breakthrough game platform that can also do everything under the sun but make grilled cheese sandwiches. I posted to quickly and didn’t make this evident and for that I am no better then a snotty middle school student.

I am not an Apple fanatic just a fan. I do own a fair share of stock in AAPL so I have a vested interest in there products and business practices. Sometimes this interest gets the best of me and I cut down competitors instead of touting the advantages of my holdings product.

Once again I apologize to the Meade brothers (save Ted) and will refrain from acting like a snotty middle school student.

I say the view that 35% of the cost that you view as hype/style is exactly what Apple wants the rest of the CE industry to think. The iPod is more then just silicon and chrome.

USAToday has a story in their tech section today, “Why are tech gizmos so hard to figure out?” It discusses how usability is more important than ever now as complicated technologies break out of college dorm rooms and into Ma and Pa’s living room. The article of course highlights the iPod as a shining example of taking a complicated and confused industry (MP3 players pre-2001) and making it so people other than Star Wars/Trek fans can use it. The article highlights a few of the usability challenges. Two of those really stood out to me.

Making it usable for all ages.

The first day I got my iPod I plugged it in named it and it started loading my music (with out changing it. When it finished I picked it up and in 3 clicks I was jamming away to a wonderful mix of Beastie Boys,Van Hallen and Chemical Brothers. This is something that even my 50 plus old mother can do. Its cliché but it just works. Also on this note Apple excels at minimizing clutter and I thank them for it. All of their products that I can think of draw power from the Firewire or USB connection. I plug it in and it not only connects but charges. Why more companies (digital video & still camera companies) don’t do this I will never know.

The iPod is usable for all ages because it is well thought out and understands what it is trying to be. The cheap way to make something more usable is to create tons of “wizards” and dancing paper clips that treat you like a small child so that the “dumb consumer” can use the product. This is the cheap way of making a product more user friendly.

The product does too much

This is a spot where Apple has done a great job really connecting with the market. The iPod is not bloated and it understands why you want it. It is a music player first and foremost. No voice recorders, fm tuners, sandwich makers, etc. in it. The iPod could have done video years ago. Why? It would just add a layer of complexity to the product when the market place was just getting use to the idea of downloading legal music. Now with the video store in place along with podcasting in video taking off it makes sense, but in the end it is still a music player.

This is a spot where I see the PSP having trouble and you highlighted it yourself in your posts “PSP” and “What me Blow up” It can do lots of stuff but none of it great (except games and Sony studio UMB movies only). I say this because with an iPod I buy it plug it in and then walk away a happy man. With a PSP (aside from games and Sony studio UMB movies only) I plug it in and have to pop in extra memory (assuming I bought some and those pants we talked about) for my music collection.

I see the PSP as a crippled product you said it yourself they sell it at a loss so they can get you to buy higher margin items games, memory, UMD disk holder (since with out the DVD sized box they come in they are very scratch prone). Again we are back to having to buy a new pair of pants to hold the much larger player, Along with game disks, maybe a movie and oh yeah my music.

The iPod I buy it, plug it in, put it and it alone in my pocket. and I have everything I need in one unbelievably small package.

That is where the 35% hype/style cost comes from. As a stock holder I hope the rest of the industry keeps thinking that 82% of the public buys iPods because they are a Fad and white.

Steve, you seem to want to either argue or convince me to buy an Apple.

Neither will work.

I have NEVER said apple shouldn’t make money.

NEVER.

If that’s what you took from it you took it wrong.

As for the storage which you keep coming back to…

(probably because it’s the biggest if not only advantage I’ve seen you make)

If you are using your iPOD for archive storage I suppose that’s your business.

But you do realize that your iPOD is no more safe than any hard drive from the crashes you seem to worry so much about??

And as for calendars and contacts, etc… that’s really not the core use of the product.

Didn’t you just make a very nice argument that the Apple’s strong point was staying true to it’s purpose?

No wonder 1GB isn’t cutting for you.

Video is BIG.

Yeah and? 1 GB Pointless?

No way.

Not at all.

I watch Vlogs, and tech tv episodes on my 1GB player all the time.

ALL THE TIME.

But if you insist on using your PORTABLT PLAYER as an archive storage device and contact & calendars that’s probably indicative of your problem.

Your CD analogy is only valid if we agree that the player should be used for archiving.

Clearly we do not.

And lastly:

I am not obsessed with component cost.

But I am in the business and thus aware of them.

If you are as enlightened a share holder as you claim you should be too.

For what it’s worth:

The Chinese manufactures are wrong, or you are misinformed.

My company (RCA) could make the same product as apple.

(and we pay all our royalties which can’t be said of many of the Chinese manufactures… though it is getting better.)

The only obstacle is the delta people are willing to pay for an RCA Vs. A Apple.

If Apple is at 249 we pretty much have to be 199 AT MOST.

It is difficult to make any money in this scenario unless you get massive distribution.

Which in today’s market is difficult if you aren’t Apple.

Steve,

This is coming from 10 years of experience, you probably don’t want to argue with a Meade….it just isn’t wise, for your sanity. You could have the entire supreme court on your side, and every ounce of evidence pointing to your favor, and you’d still lose in the long run. Just agree to disagree and let it go. Trust me.

K

I’m not alluding to anythign….to be honest, I’m not sure I read any of the posts, just saying that arguing with the Meade’s is more painful than gainful, regardless of whether or not you’re right.

Hail Purdue

Steve…

I’m done after this.

But what the hell Dave’s post count is getting good…

You spent a lot time quoting me just to say that I was correct that I hadn’t said “Apple shouldn’t make money”.

And then after all of that you agreed that the Sony is a value since it’s sold under cost.

(And by they way.. that’s the only reason I mentioned components. I was NOT trying to imply that Apple should sell below their cost.)

But then you get a weird again.

The Value of the PSP does not decrease when you buy games.

That’s ridiculous.

It’s a completely different purchase.

It’s CONTENT.

That’s like saying the value of the iPOD goes down when you buy music.

Or that the value a DVD player goes down every time you go to blockbuster.

Further….

Apple may make 20-30% on the player but you can’t realistically argue they make nothing from “the other items”.

It’s true that iPod accessories are HUGE sellers … but largely NOT made by apple.

Apple does however get licensing from all the manufactures out there making iPod accessories.

That’s almost 100% pure profit for apple.

And like licensing the costs associated with selling content (once it’s been produced) is very low so there’s money in that as well.

Lastly…

Truth be told Steve, I’m not attacking Apple’s business model at all.

They SHOULD hype their product.

They SHOULD charge whatever the market will let them get away with.

If anything I’m attacking the market for allowing it.

I’ve conceded in past posts that Apple is a cool product, that it’s true to it’s purpose, and that if it’s for the core consumer it’s probably a good buy.

I don’t understand why you continue to try and debunk me.

It looks more and more like you just can’t stand the fact that I’ve chosen something else.

Steve -

(Guess I wasn’t done)

Regarding the links you just added to your post.

The Lyra link you posted is to a product that was introduced YEARS ago.

Of course it’s marked down. (by the way we have enjoyed a nice percentage market share in this category thanks to that piece so unless you’re saying that Apple is the only one who should make money I fail to see how this is at all relevant)

Besides are we changing the topic now to the Lyra?!?! Good Grief.

Anyway…

Creative has been in trouble for many reasons.

They bought a lot of share with the push they made with the Zen Micro but it was at a huge loss.

Rio – Out of business.

Many others will follow.

I believe your original point was that these over seas manufactures were upset that they couldn’t produce the product as cheaply as apple.

While it’s true that Apple has a very good cost negotiation position given the volume of sales they do if RCA COULD produce the product then I think it’s safe to say that other companies could as well.

Whatever their “spin” is there are MANY reasons why these other companies are in trouble.

And the stories on how some of them are staying in business regardless of it are just as interesting.

If you really want the scoop maybe I can sneak you into one of our meetings. Then if you aren’t convinced you can throw all these links at our product development team, sourcing team, and finance guys because clearly our being in the business isn’t as insightful as your web surfing.

The take away from all of this is that Steve has made the DavidMeade.com quoteboard with:

“Everything kinda blurred after that into a muddy blend of cow girls”,

and also a close runner up quote with “It isn’t often I get to use cargo pants and pug dogs”. Congatulations. You’ll be the first addition without a last name as I know you only as “Steve”.

Also we’re very likely going to break the 50 comment mark on this post!

Just wanted to be post#50….

All Hail the Cowgirl

I think people are just reading ‘tone’ into posts that isnt really there, now. Thats why Text sucks.

… lets abandon the techie talk as it’s too confusing for an honest read now anyway … Kevin … got any more cowgirls?

i need a ipod video converter where can i get 1

No, thats not me sorry. I’ve been David Meade all my life.