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Apple's New Stuff: Cheap Mac, Cheaper iPod
Computers | Jan 11, 05
Confirming rumors reported here by David Ness on 1/5/2005 ( see "Is There A Mini-Mac in Your Future" ), next Saturday Apple will start selling their Mini Mac computer for $499. It comes sans keyboard, monitor or mouse, but if you have those things lying around and your looking for a cheap way to download and backup your iTunes, here it is. Perhaps even more intriguing, Cupertino also unveiled an iPod for less than $100. It's the iPod Shuffle, and it's the size of a key chain with flash memory replacing the hard drive (it comes in 512 MB or 1G models that hold up to 240 songs). It has no display, so to program play order you have to plug into your computer's USB port and use the iTunes Autofill; otherwise you can play your songs in random or "shuffled" order, hence the name.
Between these two machines Apple is offering entry into the consumer music market at bargain-basement prices, without sacrificing style. If they can keep up with demand, and if the music industry continues to tolerate Apple's proprietary standards (see "Steve Jobs, Lord of the Dance" ), then the folks who brought us the Newton may have a winning combination here.
Posted by jeffrey.trester (Permalink)
