Besides introducing the world to the newest incarnations of the iPod and iPod Nano, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple (NYSE: APPL), also ticked off many of those eager beavers who have already purchased the iPhone by announcing a $200 price cut to the device, at an invitation only press conference held in San Francisco today.
Gone is the iconic white and scroll-wheel design of the original iPod, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide, in its stead, the iPod Touch. The new MP3 player comes WiFi enabled and is capable of downloading the last 10 song played at Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX), in a nifty little partnership between the two behemoths.
The iPod we've all come to love has been dubbed "the classic" and will remain in Apple's lineup. The newest iPod starts at $299 for the 8-gigabyte version. Featuring a touch screen, a black and aluminum case, and full web browsing with Safari, all you have to do is plug in the headphones, add a microphone dock, choose your VoIP, and you’ve just circumvented AT&T (NYSE: T) and fashioned yourself an iPhone.
Not that you’d need to go to such lengths. Down from its original price of $599, the iPhone is now $399 for the 8-gigabyte version. Good news for those of us pinching pennies at the pump, but the price slash will undoubtedly rankle anyone who recently purchased the now retired 4-gigabyte version, only to see they could have gotten double for their money. Tim Beyers, analyst at The Motley Fool, predicts the move will cause many consumers to think twice before purchasing Apple products so quickly in the future. Perhaps anticipating the accuracy of Beyers’ prediction, Apple stock dropped 5%, closing at $136.76. 
I’m certainly no stock expert, but if anything can make Apple’s stock rebound, surely the new iPod Nano, with video capabilities, will help the cause. I would think the bigger, 2-inch screen, thinner profile, and ability to watch movies or play games should make the Nano a great stocking stuffer this holiday season. If you know better than I do (and I’m sure there’s plenty of you out there), how about giving me a quick education.
Oh, and did I just mention the holiday season in the first week of September? Somebody help me.
Gone is the iconic white and scroll-wheel design of the original iPod, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide, in its stead, the iPod Touch. The new MP3 player comes WiFi enabled and is capable of downloading the last 10 song played at Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX), in a nifty little partnership between the two behemoths. 
Man, Steve Jobs must be a genius! I'm going to have to get the new iPod now, I just have to...
Posted by: Kimberlee Morrison | September 6, 2007 12:34 PM | Permalink to Comment