ipod nano 4gb solid state - $249.00 - hmmm?

K

KnockOutFilms

Active member
Not to start a P2 bash, but I see that Apple has introduced a new ipod nano, with 4 gb of solid state memory for $249.00. It obviously has a processor of some sort to run the iTunes software.

How does this technology differ in any way to the P2 cards for the new HVX? I understand there may be a write speed difference, but is the difference in price between write speeds for solid state memory that much? or is it just ecomomy of scale for Apple? even so, I thought raw memory was market priced at the bulk level?

I really hope the price difference is something I didn't think of, otherwise I might start to feel a bit. . well. . . arrrgh :)

Cheers,
Chris
 
Not RAIDed storage. P2 cards have to handle much more information a lot faster than some compressed songs which does account for a lot of price difference.

Also, it's being speculated that both Samsung (the provider of Apple's flash memory) and Apple themselves are taking a profit hit to get the Nano out to people at this price point in an attempt to push Flash memory into common use.
 
the price difference is certainly strange... too high a difference....

And the P2 cards handle about 100Mbps if I am not mistaken which is not that much
 
krestofre said:
Also, it's being speculated that both Samsung (the provider of Apple's flash memory) and Apple themselves are taking a profit hit to get the Nano out to people at this price point in an attempt to push Flash memory into common use.
Click to expand...

Well then thats what Panasonic should do. They are a huge company, bigger than Apple and Samsung. They need to understand they are making a camera for the lower end user that wants professional grade. This camera isn't the perfect camera to shoot a film with so they should price it as such. I think its quite expensive for that. You can get the Hard Drive setup connected through firewire for much cheaper. Its just crazy to me. I want to get it but doubt id be able to afford that anytime soon.
 
I bet Samsung make the chips for a few dollars each. Probably supplied them cheap to Apple to secure massive or future contracts.
 
PS : Just Panasonics way of saying, we only have this, so do you REALLY want it? I think atleast 2 other companies need to get in the game with this fast enought to release if not at the same time maybe a few months later for competition.
 
The iPod Nano can use the cheapest, slowest type of solid-state memory. MP3s are encoded at something like 256kbits per second... i.e., 1/4 of one megabit. P2 cards support 640 megabits per second! So to qualify as a P2 card it has to support a data rate that's two thousand, five hundred and sixty TIMES as fast as the requirements for what's needed in an MP3 player. I don't know how fast the RAM is in the nano; I'm just saying that it wouldn't be surprising if it's quite slow indeed.

Also, consider that there are a few news articles about how Samsung had to slash the price of its Flash RAM in half in order to make this possible. If a P2 card were to have its price slashed in half, that'd make it $450 for the 4gb, which isn't a whole lot more considering that it needs to be 2,560 times as fast.

Further, yes economies of scale play into it. Panasonic may sell a couple hundred thousand P2 cards in a year. Apple's initial order from Samsung was probably on the order of 7 MILLION. That makes a difference.

P2 cards will only be as expensive as they need to be -- any more than that, and that will invite competition. And with a huge deal like this ipod thing, Samsung will be a more likely contender for P2 business as well. That's free market economics for you -- if there's a market opportunity and a chance to make a buck, someone will find a way and step in and fill the gap. I already know of two small-group efforts to develop DIY-style P2 alternatives. No way to know what may come of it, but people are working on it.
 
Apple's costs

Apple's costs

per krestofre, from CNET:

Apple's iPod costs likely went up--in a flash
Published: September 7, 2005, 5:35 PM PDT
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

The two new music players introduced by Apple Computer on Wednesday are smaller than the existing iPod Minis--and they probably cost more to make, too.

By using flash memory rather than mini hard drives in the iPod Nano music players, Apple likely increased its own component costs, said analysts.

Right now, 1GB of flash memory in the volume market costs about $45, according to both Semico and iSuppli. Thus, the 2GB iPod Nano, which sells for $199, contains around $90 worth of flash, while the $249 4GB version has about $180 worth of flash, said Semico's Jim Handy.

"They might have been able to get something for $40, but that's still $160 worth of memory," he said.

Apple likely got a substantial discount from its flash supplier, which Kim and others say is Samsung. Still, the price for flash is likely higher. Samsung's margins for flash in the second quarter came to around 45 percent, Kim said. Thus, Samsung would have to sell the memory at a loss or close to break even to give Apple a price that would be equal to a price for hard drive storage.


...


No way I would want my HD video crammed into the cheapest Flash card on the market - the kind I could get at Costco. According this this article and Barry, it seems like Panasonic is already taking a hit on P2 (as in a decreased profit margin). Their price predictions stem from the assumption that moves like this one by Apple will drive down Flash costs as a whole.

markus
 
I don't know about the speed of my new nano.....but I bet it will fit into the P2 card slot :shocked:
 
Lol. So you got one? Its nice I bet huh? Pretty small, I need something that can hold atleast 10 to 20 gigs though, so when that things capacity rises I will get one. I got a 40GB ipod. Too bad those things dont have a pop out usb to connect to the computer. Without caring wires around.
 
MLCinema, can you use it like a hard disk? I presume you can as my iPod has the feature.

If so, can you test its speed by timing how long it takes to upload a certain size file. It would be interesting to know.

Cheers.
(Do people say "cheers" in the USA to mean "thanks?")
(If not...Thanks)
 
No, Cheers is either a bar where everybody knows your name or more of a happy good-bye. "Cheers, see you later."

Still, your point was made. :)
 
krestofre said:
No, Cheers is either a bar where everybody knows your name or more of a happy good-bye. "Cheers, see you later."

Still, your point was made. :)
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:
 
mmm you know I did not even try that!

Im guessing you can just like all other iPods....but I don't know

Also I do wish it had a USB port like the shuffle....but O well

MLCinema
 
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