iPod WE WANT OUR iPOD CLASSIC BACK!

[blueroom]

iTunes Match plus any connected iOS device is the future. Of course your data plan may suffer.

 

[rgarjr]

1.8" HDD were around before the iPod. Where can you buy them now?

Yes Apple could pay someone to start up a production line of them again, but they would loose a lot of money doing that, and likely they compared the costs of updating it to flash storage as well and found that they wouldn't sell enough to make a profit.

I'm pretty sure they can get the price down on flash chips to be the same or cheaper as the HD.

Main thing is, they ain't selling iPods like pre-iPhone days.

 

[Paradoxally]

spotify plus any connected ios device is the future. Of course your data plan may suffer.

ftfy

 

[sracer]

1.8" HDD were around before the iPod. Where can you buy them now?

Yes Apple could pay someone to start up a production line of them again, but they would loose a lot of money doing that, and likely they compared the costs of updating it to flash storage as well and found that they wouldn't sell enough to make a profit.

Fair enough.

I simply don't find it very convincing that it was the top reason. IF it is true that there were no more 1.8" HDD's to be found, it would take minimal effort to produce a Solid-state version (if one didn't already exist)... especially considering how Apple essentially pioneered the widespread use of SSD's.

It is most likely that they simply wanted to close that chapter on the product line. But that wouldn't sit well with many, even if they had no intentions on buying an iPod Classic... lack of a hardware component, as goofy a reason as that is, is at least defensible by the Apple-faithful.

 

[0007776]

Fair enough.

I simply don't find it very convincing that it was the top reason. IF it is true that there were no more 1.8" HDD's to be found, it would take minimal effort to produce a Solid-state version (if one didn't already exist)... especially considering how Apple essentially pioneered the widespread use of SSD's.

Apple would also have to pay engineers to rework it so that the lightning connector could be used as the classic was the last to use the 30 pin connector, or keep making 30 pin accessories, all of which adds up in cost for a product that was barely selling. Yes Apple could have updated it to use available parts, but they couldn't do it at a low enough cost to make money on the units they would sell.

 

[baypharm]

This is the way I see it... When I got my first iPod, I was 14, and am now 26. The people who were 26 back then, are now close to being 40. Within those 12 years, the music industry has changed a lot. The target audience is much younger, and people who were afraid to buy albums, are now afraid to buy individual tracks because they have this idea that you cannot throw away a purchased music file in the same way you can delete a track off Spotify/etc.

While they wouldn't have a problem selling a flash based iPod Classic to those of us here, it would be hard for them to make any additional money from selling iTunes content. Most of us would just load our existing libraries, and call it a day, only buying things here and there and ripping CDs and vinyls. Because those who still care about buying music, now also care about having the highest quality tracks. I personally think the Mastered for iTunes albums I've listened to sound amazing, but some people will still rather have the same master from a CD.

It is better to make a product for the person who is still primarily building their collection. The person who has a Shuffle will eventually buy a Nano, and the person who buys a Nano will most likely buy an iPod Touch or an additional Nano since they are fairly cheap.

At this point I also feel like the record industry is also taking advantage of people who still buy music, getting people to buy albums and singles before even previewing them on the radio or elsewhere, they're also gaming the system with cheap prices and doing bundle deals that are complete nonsense. There are also artists who don't seem to understand that saying that they don't care if people pirate or stream music isn't a very good opinion to have. It just makes the artist who does care about their sales look "greedy". I don't like streaming either, but I absolutely HATE these tactics and would not like if my brother was buying into them instead of just using Rhapsody. Marketing and sales shouldn't be bigger than the music itself.

I would argue that mainstream music itself killed the iPod. Apple was just very lucky that they had the iPhone ready to sidetrack the journalists, and not scare off investors.

All my Apple products are very personal to me, and I find them more enjoyable to use everyday. When we go on about bringing back the iPod Classic, we don't "Think Different", we just go chasing for something that was relevant yesterday. The iPod let you relive memories, and was there for when new ones were being made. But it's not the iPod itself that we should look back on, but the music we listened to on it.

Would I rather an iPod Classic over an iPod Touch? Sure. But the experience of putting some headphones on, listening to an album, and getting lost in the music isn't as different now as it was back when the iPod was king.

Sooooo well said Jessica!!! I agree 1000 per cent!

 

[JoEw]

Apple would also have to pay engineers to rework it so that the lightning connector could be used as the classic was the last to use the 30 pin connector, or keep making 30 pin accessories, all of which adds up in cost for a product that was barely selling. Yes Apple could have updated it to use available parts, but they couldn't do it at a low enough cost to make money on the units they would sell.

The thing is, it is very likely Apple could add flash storage 256GB & Lightening connector keep the form factor and very easily charge upwards of $500.

It's a niche market for sure, but if your margin in incredible, it could still be profitable.

 

[philstubbington]

Much as I love my iPod....

.... it's presumably going to be superseded by an iPod Touch, once they can get 128g of storage, and better battery life. You can get an iPhone with 128g already of course.

I must say, I've always liked to keep my music and video separate from my phone, but perhaps we all need to move with the times?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

The simple explanation, that others have said too, is money.

The classic iPod is not a profitable enterprise any more.

Apple's latest financials don't even spell out the iPod as its own line any more. It falls under "Other Products" along with AppleTV, Beats, and Apple-branded accessories. All of those categories combined only make up 3.6% of their revenue. And I can assure you that Beats makes most of that.

The previous financials did separate out iPod - and it was a whopping 0.9% (yes, less than 1%,) of their total revenue. And that includes the still-reasonably-popular iPod nano and iPod touch.

iPod sales have declined every single quarter since 2009. And even when the Classic was still being updated, it was being outsold by the nano and touch.

Standalone MP3 players are now niche, rather than mainstream. Yes, Apple could come out with a new ultra-high-end standalone MP3 player. But they obviously don't see the market for it. Or else they'd be doing it. Most reviews of the Pono Player are just laughing at it.

Does that mean the iPod classic is a useless product? Of course not! It just means it doesn't make financial sense. A quick look on Amazon, and there are only three MP3 players on the market with a capacity greater than 120 GB. Two by Cowon and one by Sony. $1000 each. Plus two with MicroSD slots: One with a single MicroSD slot supporting up to 128 GB ($100 without MicroSD card,) and a higher-end one by the same company with two MicroSD slots supporting up to 256 GB total ($350 without MicroSD cards.) None of the still-made devices use a spinning hard drive, so only the "two Micro SD slot" model can achieve greater-than-iPod capacities.

As others have mentioned, nobody makes 1.8" spinning-platter drives any more, and SSDs are still fairly expensive in those capacities (although going down in price fast.) And with no market for them any more, nobody is going to start making them, either.

 

[MeeMac]

Never Give Up

All my Apple products are very personal to me, and I find them more enjoyable to use everyday.

Sooooo well said Jessica!!! I agree 1000 per cent!


That is why WE cannot give up on the iPod Classic.
Apple gave up on Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs never gave up on Apple.

Then Apple had a change of heart and brought back Steve Jobs.
And Steve created the ultimate freedom for the Individual; for the Music Lover; the iPod Classic.

So now Apple can have another change of heart and bring back the iPod Classic.
For Steve.
For US.

Be Like Steve.
Never Give Up.
Think Different

 

[ucfgrad93]

Sooooo well said Jessica!!! I agree 1000 per cent!


That is why WE cannot give up on the iPod Classic.
Apple gave up on Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs never gave up on Apple.

Then Apple had a change of heart and brought back Steve Jobs.
And Steve created the ultimate freedom for the Individual; for the Music Lover; the iPod Classic.

So now Apple can have another change of heart and bring back the iPod Classic.
For Steve.
For US.

Be Like Steve.
Never Give Up.
Think Different

Oh, good grief!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh, good grief!

Ahem. Yes. Clears throat. I do see where you are coming from. And I largely agree with you.

To the OP: This hyperbole that surrounds the memory of the late Mr Jobs is something that I, for one, have long found somewhat……unsettling.

 

[technosix]

Apple has a penchant for spinning a story to justify killing off excellent trouble free profitable products. They don't care about the money, they're drowning in cash.

----------

To the OP: This hyperbole that surrounds the memory of the late Mr Jobs is something that I, for one, have long found somewhat……unsettling.

I most certainly agree...enough already.

 

[scaredpoet]

That is why WE cannot give up on the iPod Classic.
Apple gave up on Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs never gave up on Apple.

Then Apple had a change of heart and brought back Steve Jobs.
And Steve created the ultimate freedom for the Individual; for the Music Lover; the iPod Classic.

So now Apple can have another change of heart and bring back the iPod Classic.
For Steve.
For US.

Be Like Steve.
Never Give Up.
Think Different

These are big words for someone who has never met Steve Jobs, nor anyone else involved in making these decisions.

The fact is, none of us know what would've happened to the iPod Classic if he were still alive, nor can any of us accuse the current leadership of Apple of "giving up" on Steve or his focus on personalness.

All product lines evolve; technology eventually gets discontinued. If decisions were made enitrely on sentimentality, then Apple would still be making Mac 512ks, and Newtons, and Mac Cubes, and Bondi Blue CRT iMacs and PowerPC iLamps. Even though the parts for none of these items are manufactured anymore... just like the iPod Classic.

But, that isn't the case, and hasn't been even when Steve Jobs was alive. He praised and blessed each and every one one of these things (okay, not the Newton), and then summarily ended them for newer, better models, when it was time. He knew when to let go, to move on. that appears to be the one lesson you didn't learn from your apparent idol worship of him.

While it's neat that you ascribe so much personal attachment to a model of device, the reality remains that technolgoy marches on. There are far better devices on the market - made by Apple - that do the job far better. Sentimentality can only go so far.

And let's be real here: Steve is dead. Even he himself told his subordinates not to dwell. If anything, he made it abundantly clear when he as still alive that the kind of sentimentality and thinking you're espousing would've actually been a bit offensive.

So, take Steve off the pedestal, and take the iPod classic off with him. Move on. Apple makes great, user-centered things today, and - surprise - it turns out people really like those newer things more than they ever did the old iPod. Maybe you should try those new things sometime.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Sure Apple could have paid someone to start an assembly line to make more 1.8" disks but what would be the point? The Classic's market was literally a niche inside an already niche market.

Apple *could have* swapped the hdd for a flash drive, and kept the Classic going. True, at some pedantic level, a 'Classic' with a flash memory system wouldn't be actually 'classic', but it would be more stable and use less power. Solving two small issues in the original design.

If they wanted to be rude, they could have even come up with a proprietary flash configuration just to screw people out of being able to upgrade their Classics. (Like we'd all believe them possible to do) Or, flash idea, make the flash un-upgradeable by soldering it to the mainboard somehow, and filling the case with resin.

But...

If they were going to do that, wouldn't they have already done it?

Ah, 'spring forward'? A flash based Classic? Um... 'Till Monday.

(has anyone ever looked at a Touch to see if it could be augmented/enlarged?)

 

[E.Lizardo]

Ahem. Yes. Clears throat. I do see where you are coming from. And I largely agree with you.

To the OP: This hyperbole that surrounds the memory of the late Mr Jobs is something that I, for one, have long found somewhat……unsettling.

Unsettling? I might use nauseating or disgusting. Jobs can't speak for himself,and the habit some have of using him to lend their viewpoint some legitimacy is,well,disgusting. You want the iPod classic produced again? It Is.Not.Going.To.Happen. And all your"LEAVE BRITTANY ALOOONE!!!!!" Hysteria Won't change that. So drop the"Do it for STEVE!" BS

 

[imanidiot]

Unsettling? I might use nauseating or disgusting. Jobs can't speak for himself,and the habit some have of using him to lend their viewpoint some legitimacy is,well,disgusting. You want the iPod classic produced again? It Is.Not.Going.To.Happen. And all your"LEAVE BRITTANY ALOOONE!!!!!" Hysteria Won't change that. So drop the"Do it for STEVE!" BS

This.

 

[rrm74001]

This was very creepy to read. You need to tone it down a bit. Apple is not a religion. Steve Jobs is not a God. This "true believers" nonsense has to stop.

Great products (especially technology) are eventually discontinued. Think about classic gaming consoles (Nintendo, Sega). Classic cars (Mustang, Camaro). Classic Mac OS (8, 9). They are gone. And they are never coming back. That is just the way it is.

 

[Centaurr]

i like ipod classic, steve jobs was god, the ipod was a game changer

 

[BCWorld]

I love the iPod Classic but lets be honest, its old tech now. I had a chance to get one here in Atlanta a few weeks ago for about $95.00 for a 6th Generation model in black with 120gb of space. I backed out of the deal. Why you ask? OLD TECH. The 30 pin connector is DEAD. The spinning Hard drive is DEAD. Unless Apple will update it, I'm no longer interested in it. Its a nice conversation piece but thats really it. It hurts me to says these things but they are very true., SO LONG iPOD CLASSIC! YOU HAD A GREAT RUN! **SALUTE**

 

[gooser]

it is not dead. there are plenty of them out there for every one here to get one or two of them that wants them. and enough spare parts for now to maintain them. they are not obsolete just because apple quit making them. they just have moved to collector status.

 

[Ipod Collector]

I love the iPod Classic but lets be honest, its old tech now. I had a chance to get one here in Atlanta a few weeks ago for about $95.00 for a 6th Generation model in black with 120gb of space. I backed out of the deal. Why you ask? OLD TECH. The 30 pin connector is DEAD. The spinning Hard drive is DEAD. Unless Apple will update it, I'm no longer interested in it. Its a nice conversation piece but thats really it. It hurts me to says these things but they are very true., SO LONG iPOD CLASSIC! YOU HAD A GREAT RUN! **SALUTE**

Now if that had been a 7th gen 160gb thin back I would have bought
that in a split second. I just scooped up a 7th gen 120gb this past week
for $65 in great condition. See, with the 7th gens you can scrap the
hard drive and go solid state in it, so far doing good with a 512gb mSata ssd
in it with a 1900mah 100+ hour play time per charge batter also in it.
Works great and should easily last a good 10 years to come if I want
to keep it that long. Not to mention it can hold the max of 50,000 tracks!

 

[noodles5666]

Now if that had been a 7th gen 160gb thin back I would have bought
that in a split second. I just scooped up a 7th gen 120gb this past week
for $65 in great condition. See, with the 7th gens you can scrap the
hard drive and go solid state in it, so far doing good with a 512gb mSata ssd
in it with a 1900mah 100+ hour play time per charge batter also in it.
Works great and should easily last a good 10 years to come if I want
to keep it that long. Not to mention it can hold the max of 50,000 tracks!

7th gen 120GB has the 128GB limitation unless you Rockbox it. Only the 5G/5.5G/7.5G160GB can be upgraded past the 128GB limit with stock OS.

 

[Ipod Collector]

7th gen 120GB has the 128GB limitation unless you Rockbox it. Only the 5G/5.5G/7.5G160GB can be upgraded past the 128GB limit with stock OS.

Thank you for clarifying that. I totally forgot to mention the limitation amount
on the 7th gen 120gb. But yeah, that one already got converted to 128gb,
just skipped my mind about the difference between the 2 with what the
other poster was talking about.

Have a good one!

 

[MH01]

Apple stopped making Classic iPods, cause they want you to buy an iPhone . They could have made the Classic with solid state memory ..... The parts excuse is just BS. Lots of people have replaced the HD with solid state