Apple announces iPod Hi-Fi

33. You are ABSOLUTELY correct. Remember, you tech-loving, TUAW-reading Apple users are not the untapped market. The fact that you pshaw something like this shows that your needs are already met by the offerings out there. This, like the rest of these sorts of Apple products, are going for the audiences that Apple feels has growth, is under-served, strengthens brand, and all those other fun marketing buzzpoints. Remember how we all felt about an flash-based iPod with no display screen whose main feature was random playback?

Yes I would (and will once I get my other purchases done). I needed a speaker system to hook my iPod to, and this actually works perfectly in our living room bookshelf. Plus, the option to go battery is smart and I like the extra on-iPod features that it gets when docked. Given an chance to buy a "audiophile-targetted" system, I'd much rather buy an Apple product (ensured compatibility, integration, etc. etc.) over a Bose or JBL. And Apple knows this too -- this is a typical model for consumer electronics, and now Apple's ready to start claiming their share.

Guys, Think you are missing the point here.

Ipods are now a main stream product that is being bought by joe public, there is a better chance that they will buy apple branded accessories for there Ipods than going for another company.

This is 100% a pure marketing product, not a hint of tech in there but just something to sell to the very large number of existing and soon to be Ipod owners.

"Why is this marketed towards "Audiophiles" again?"

Because audiophiles don't download off of kazaa or iTMS?

I dont' think it's ugly. I like that it has black on the front, if there was no black on this product, the black 5G iPod would look funny in it. I'll wait to test it at an Apple Store ... but if I was rich, I'd buy it.

I really think Apple completely missed the boat here. I would have really liked to have seen AirPort express integration with airtunes to stream my music directly to the speaker or multiple speakers throughout my house.

The price is ridiculous; I'm not spending more than I paid for my iPod on a single-purpose speaker.

Matt Fitzsimmons wrote: "For those complaining about how you can't use it with your computer, just plug it into your airport express."

This is the crucial failure on Apple's part, in my opinion. Putting the wi-fi in da hi-fi (sorry, I couldn't help myself) would have let me take my music outside so I could stream WFMU while I was working in the garden. If I have to bring an airport express along, it kind of negates the whole point of the thing. I could bring out a cheap stereo and prop it up somewhere....no need for this fancy piece of plastic!

Someone must have mistaken Wi-Fi with Hi-Fi...

I have to agree with the price points. They are simply too high.

Maybe the REAL iPod killer will be Apple, because they think people will pay anything for brand loyalty. I don't think so.

That "leather" would have to be made from a skin graft from Jobs' butt before I'd consider paying $100.

I think it looks pretty good in a 60's retro sort of way. I wouldn't have much use for one myself, but I can see this selling pretty well.

ew. ew. ew.

I love Apple asthetics, and this thing is butt ugly. Why is the speaker fabric not white, or light grey? No big black ugly speakers will ever be making a precense in my house.