Apple to pull plug on iPod?
Apple makes the most sought after gadgets on the planet, but they may be about to pull the plug on one that helped get the revolution rolling.
Classic is just another way to say outdated.
Rumor has it that the iPod Classic (and iPod Shuffle) may be discontinued.
Apple sells millions of iPods, but the Classic and Shuffle don’t have touchscreens, which are the interface of the present and future.
CNET’s Crave gadget blog notes there’s no mention of iPod news in the upcoming Oct. 4 Apple press conference, where details of the iPhone 5 will be announced.
The iPod first appeared 10 years ago … a long time in tech circles … and Apple would rather folks buy an iPhone (or iTouch) than an iPod, which contributed a mere 8 percent of the company’s revenue.
Crave has a great Steve Jobs quote: ”Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff.”
The iPod Classic can hold 120 gigabytes of music … which I think is really good, but probably not enough to keep it from going the way of the Walkman.
What about the iPhone 5? It is speculated to have …
* A bigger screen
* A new teardrop shape
* An aluminum ‘unibody’
* A dual-core 1.2 ghz processor
* Angel wings (just kidding)
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
47 comments Add your comment
Alex
September 29th, 2011
7:58 pm
All of you commenting are losers and old. We don’t care if we have ipods or not we have our phones so get over it you old bags.
iPod Fan
September 29th, 2011
8:13 pm
Bummer. I love my 120G iPod Classic. I don’t want a fancier device that can’t store all my music/videos/photos.
baby
September 29th, 2011
8:21 pm
I love my shuffle and take it everywhere i go. Unlike an ipod, i don’t need to secure it anywhere just clip and go. I walk my dog 3 or 4 times a day, and jog with it. It’s the perfect size and weight. Hope this is not true!
CNET readers react to the iPod’s possible demise – CNET | News Nuance
September 29th, 2011
8:30 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
PositiveCynic
September 29th, 2011
8:36 pm
Apple has to be nuts. I would not discontinue the Shuffle. If anything, I would make the Shuffle less expensive. I know many people that own shuffle along with another audio apple device for three reasons.
1) It is not heavy so good for working out.
2) If stolen, it is least expensive iPod so less of a hit on the wallet to replace.
3) The shuffle can be used in all situations and even without having to look at it. I do not have to actually see my remote for my TV to use it and I like other devices that have the same feature without touchscreens.
If Apple was even smarter about their iPod, they would sell “packages” of preload songs for the Shuffle with larger headphones that appeal to an older crowd much like TimeLife does with it’s CD collections. Granny in old folk home can rock out to the Everly Brothers and Little Richard.
The iPod classic has a even greater possible future with minor changes. I would increase the storage capacity dramatically and have the software for itunes on the iPod Classic for use through USB. itunes (or a version of itunes) as portable software only on the iPod Classic. This means people can manage their music library on any computer without the boss or owner of the computer seeing any evidence.
If sales are slower for a product line maybe you just need to change things to fit a niche market rather than discontinue the line…..
George Stein
September 29th, 2011
8:58 pm
Cancelling the Shuffle is a terrible idea. It’s great to use while running or working out.
Kahuna
September 29th, 2011
8:58 pm
Yes i have ipod & yes i buy music & when the new itouch comes out I’ll get one but i want a itouch with 64gb or higher I want Music video’s & most of the apps I’ve have stored on my computer are free I’m not for paying for apps & if i can get my music cheaper than what itunes charges like amazon.com i do.
If they drop the price on the Ipod i will pick one up it’ll be a nice backup for when i want to give my Itouch a weekend off lol.
hellatone
September 29th, 2011
9:12 pm
“The iPod Classic can hold 120 gigabytes of music … which I think is really good, but probably not enough to keep it from going the way of the Walkman.”
My daughter’s iPod Classic holds 160GB if I am not mistaken. I have two ancient Archos mp3 players and they work great.I prefer my Droid to the iPhone.
Judy
September 29th, 2011
9:22 pm
I love my iPod – use it every day. Do not want an iPhone.
srsly
September 29th, 2011
9:42 pm
As soon as there is something worth putting on it, I will run out and buy an Ipad.