Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Other Events
Apple's special event a bit of a letdown
I rushed to TUAW's special event headquarters
(actually my spare room) to participate in our chatcast during Apple's special event this morning. My blood was
pumping; my fingers were poised at the keyboard; I was psyched for something really exciting. . . . And then came the
letdown. Sure it's nice to see the Mac mini go Intel, but if I'm going to splurge on any of the Intel Macs it's more likely to be on a MacBook Pro given my peripatetic lifestyle. The iPod Hi-Fi is a bit of a surprise, but I have to agree with C.K. that the concept is just so '80's. More importantly, the Hi-Fi's price point is too steep for my pocketbook. I'd rather save my $349 bucks toward that MacBook Pro. When Steve first mentioned the leather cases for the iPod with video I was psyched, but for $99 I'd expect to be able to view the screen and access the controls -- neither of which is possible with these cases.
So I'm going home empty-handed and will remain that way until the next big Apple announcement. I may be disappointed now, but I know the letdown is only temporary. I'm sure I'll be the first one in line for the next Apple special event. That is, unless you're there first.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Ben Gold said 4:12PM on 2-28-2006
I am in between ipods now and was hoping that there would be a new one introduced, because every time i get a new apod it gets replaced a few months later, i still don't know if i should buy now.
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jeff said 4:12PM on 2-28-2006
Totally agreed old mac mini = Affordable
Intel mac mini = Rape
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Ireland said 4:13PM on 2-28-2006
Early times guys and gals!
Give this company a chance in the next 10-14 months all the things we all want will be here! iPhone, touchscreen iPod and tablet, Pro line, faster everything.
Next generation, airport exress, and a software up-date to include radios in all iPods, and in turn in the, I think cool, iPod Hi-Fi!
Give them a break, movie store April 1st! WOOOOHHHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
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Billy K said 4:14PM on 2-28-2006
I agree with something said on another thread at TUAW - this could NEGATIVELY affect Apple's stock price.
This stuff should've just been rolled out to the Apple Store.
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Dat Le said 4:15PM on 2-28-2006
WTF NO NEW IPOD? THANKS FOR LETTING ME DOWN BIG TIME, UGH
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dashiel said 4:17PM on 2-28-2006
i don't know apple did everything to indicate that this was a low profile event. announcements went out less than a week before the event, it was held on campus, it was only 150 or so invites. i was expecting something in between the airport express non-event and the ROKR announcement which is exactly what i got.
as for complaining about the $100 bump in the mini price. yeah i wish it eas still $499, but the inclusion of S/PDIF alone is worth $100 (literally an external USB to SPDIF would set you back about that)
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Chris said 4:22PM on 2-28-2006
The Hi-Fi would have been a much better deal and price if it incorporated a radio tuner and CD player (yes, Steve, believe it or not, people still listen to CDs). I was hoping for something like that for just under $200... this thing won't take off!
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Mousir said 4:23PM on 2-28-2006
I know hoe you feel Ben, I'm in the same boat.
I was really hoping for a new iPod.
Was hoping for something special, instead we get another addition to the intel mac family, an iPod case which is useless and a hi-fi which costs as much as the iPod.
I don't remember the last time Apple disappointed at such an event. Hope its not a sign of things to come this year.
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south said 4:24PM on 2-28-2006
I have to say I've had a case of "oh, is that it?" for the past two big Apple announcements now, but this one in particular seemed to come with the sound of a balloon deflating. Maybe it was the promise of "fun new products" that got me interested this time. But I'm probably not going to head down to the Apple Store just to see a Mac Mini and a set of iPod speakers in action. Or a new iPod case for that matter.
having said all that, I still expect to see something exciting from Apple in the next 6 months. something...
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shrimp said 4:25PM on 2-28-2006
The media really hyped this more than Apple did. I just hope for the PDA/iTablet on April 1st.
I don't really care about the mini, boombox or leather cases. Bah humbug.
But I still don't get the tie-in with the Apple invite ... what was with that iCal icon and how was it relevant to the announcements?!
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Paul Adams said 4:26PM on 2-28-2006
While the Apple User community were hoping for Large Scale announcements, the "Medium Scale" announcements are interesting pointers of the way ahead.
The Mac Mini was inline with my expectation of an Intel version and the Hi Fi is at first glance a Ho-hum product, the real news was Bonjour support in Front Row. Streaming media from elsewhere around the home into the living room is a taste of things to come. Perhaps the Hi Fi will be the basis of a 5.1 surround sound system in the living room -- just add Apple branded bluetooth rear speakers later on.
Only one calendar month until 1st April...
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Alasdair Allan said 4:27PM on 2-28-2006
We got our Intel Mac mini, but a leather iPod case? They're kidding, right? After rumours of a video iPod this was a real let down...
http://www.babilim.co.uk/blog/2006/02/fun-products-apple-style.html
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steve said 4:29PM on 2-28-2006
If you think about the pricepoint for the new intel mac mini it is just the same on the low end. the old Mac minis with airport and bluetooth were also 599.00 but now you get frontrow and a remote and a dvi-vga adapter and it's a bit faster then before. not to mention the memory is upgradeable to 2GB as opposed to just 1Gb. So i really don't see it as anything except a great deal. The iPod hiFi i agree is way too expensive as is the the leather case. It should be interesting to see if Apple really gets behind the speaker or drops it in a year due to lack of sales. I think it's pretty ugly. I think it would've been cooler if it had a sl ot your ipod slid into and a flip top screen on top, or maybe plgeed into your T.V with OSD of some sort. Oh well they can't all be winners i guess
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Pablo said 4:31PM on 2-28-2006
A bit of a letdown?? Gimme a break, that was totally lame. An overpriced intel mac mini with crappy graphics, a set of speakers for the ipod, and a ridiculously expensive ipod leather case. Definitely not special event worthy. Not even close to Steve's RDF.
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Neal said 4:35PM on 2-28-2006
Worst Apple Special Event ever.
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Michael said 4:40PM on 2-28-2006
Why is everybody so excited about the PDA/Tablet computer? Hasn't anybody seen the sales charts of the other PDAs and tablet PCs? Nobody wants them except a few Apple fans.
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N8 said 4:42PM on 2-28-2006
Hi Fi? Why bother? When you can spend 150 bucks less to Tango... http://www.xtrememac.com/audio/speakers/tango.php
Not to mention the Tango will do video out to your TV...granted it's only RCA plug, but it beats the HiFi! Plus if you saw this little number at MacWorld, you know that it's thumps nicely with it's down-firing woofer!!
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Rick J said 4:43PM on 2-28-2006
This is the worst Apple event ever. Usually I'm left inspired thinking "how did they think of that?"- but come on, a speaker with an ipod plonked on top is not cutting edge indusustrial design- it's not even worthy of Dell. And a $100 price hike for a computer with integrated graphics? I really feel that this was a chance to grow Apple's market share, unfortunately they just seem to be getting greedy and everything thing they once stood for is evaporating!
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vanlandw said 4:43PM on 2-28-2006
personally this "event" went as expected. one new intel machine and one new device. with the video capable ipod's just being released so there was no way they were going to introduce another so soon. most people seem to just be getting their hopes up.
of all the rumors the video store seemed to be the most realistic at this point
he most disapointing aspect was the $100 increase for the mini.
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Edsle said 4:45PM on 2-28-2006
I suspect these announcements where more akin to a "peak behind the curtain" kind of product rollout. The new Mini will make a wonderful media hub and I suspect that Apple is getting serious about acoustic convenience with their new "Hi Fi". Perhaps a wireless Bluetooth surround system is in Apple's future. The digital input is overkill if all its ever going to be is a stand alone speaker.
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