How Apple's newest iPods prove (and disprove) that it learns from design mistakes

ok these are money matters i think. apple does not make much money on iTouch(name changed for simplicity). having a camera in a bigger yet super sleek ipod nano would drive away some more sales from iTouch. in order to make money on iTouch they made a Dx version of shuffle. crap you apple.
also sub-par cam on iTouch means Steve Jobs can brag about a superior version for the next gen which is just 8-9 months away.

Apple may or may not have made some design balls ups here, but one thing I'm sure about is that they didn't make their decisions out of some whimsical attachment to making things smaller - that idea is a frustrated caricature from an end user who didn't get what he wants. I mean, no worries, we all do that when we don't get what we want, but I hope on sober reflection people can see it's a bit immature. I can see lots of reasons why Apple might have made the moves they have - most of which have been suggested in these comments - and which make much more sense than a company who are patently obsessed with making functional products just going 'wheee!!! Lets make it smaller!!!'. Apple have balls when it comes to making decisions about their products based on how they see the market place etc. it's what makes them industry leaders in innovation (that & their non-whimsical intelligence). Like Steve said at G8, if people don't like something they vote by not buying & then Apple can change the product, but if they don't take chances then they'll degenerate into yet another stale company making design decisions out of fear or laziness. Then their products really will disappoint.

I'm not sure what to make of the new Nano. I won't pass judgement until I've held an used one.
However, I don't think you can compare it to getting rid of FireWire on the MacBooks... I was pissed, but hey, they did introduce the 13-inch MacBook Pro which has FireWire, and I'm happy with it.

Actually, it seems that the list of missing features from the iPod Nano isn't complete. You can add the following:

6. Games

Anyone upgrading from previous editions of the iPod Classic or iPod Nano will now find that not only does the new Nano lack any games built-in but you also can't play any click-wheel games that you bought from the iTunes Store. I realise that this is obvious given that the click-wheel is no more but it is something else that has been removed without something comparable replacing it. Suffice to say that I can't see my wife buying one given her general addiction to Cubis.

This is textbook nerd spec-obsession.

Sometimes companies will move their product up or down market, adding or removing features until it sits exactly in the market segment the company aimed for.

Your complaints are nearly ALL "more features plz!" without ANY consideration of the reality of the device or market. I think the feature list is WAY more appropriate now that it was previously. It's putting the nano nearly at the bottom of the scale, where it belongs, and widening the market for the Touch (the iPhone training wheels).

You and a few other spec-obsessed nerd might squawk, but I bet the market reacts different.

There's a big difference between "cramming in ever more and more features" and "learning from design mistakes" - and you're on completely the wrong side of both.

Article summary: "Get off my lawn!"

At the event steve confirmed that the iPod touch has become the most popular iPod,replacing the nano the former champ. I think the lineup make sense and of course many of us objected when the fat nano arrived only to like them later. Change always takes adjustment so it may be to early to tell but somehow I think despite our opinions Apple will likely sell lots of these. Not everyone needs a device as advanced as the touch but it makes sense since most do that the shuffle and Nano have been reduced in size to appeal to the ones most likely to buy something smaller and clip on.
Interestingly enough Apple fans like their products come in all colors shapes and sizes including the tech savvy crowd. But never underestimate the audience you did not consider. Some easily forget that the Apple store has more in common with the Gap or Bananna Republic than Best Buy from a marketing approach.
I half expect if I asked an Apple store employee his or her favourite new feature of the new Nano they might say " I like the green! it goes with my new sneakers!

Cheers

Does the new iPod Touch have a built in speaker? I can't find anywhere that says it does or doesn't...

I ordered the new nano the day of the keynote, and I am very happy with its design. I had the last version of the shuffle and paired that with a set of klipsch earbuds (with the built in buttons).

I honestly applaud the generation back shuffle with a screen design. It has a pretty decent battery life and is small enough to run with while still carrying a pedometer.

Someone who wants more features should just get the fullsized ipods, but the nano and the shuffle have been nicely geared more to an active lifestyle. The shuffle works, but hell, a screen makes things easier.

i loved my fat-nano. but it died recently, and instead of buying a newer model, i bought a 2nd gen for $30 on craigslist.

the idea behind it was simple, since it's durable and technically disposable, it sits in my pocket during my runs. i never have to worry about armbands again - which usually have to be replaced after a few years.

i think the new nano is headed in the right direction. the majority buy them for the gym, armbands are cumbersome and expensive so a clip solves that problem.

i used to listen to news video podcasts during my run, and when i was finished, would watch the tail end of the program on the nano's screen. i miss that. but it's not like i lose it all - audio versions are still available.