But at what cost?!

Well, $159.99.  Yep, that price was the breaking point for me, and I got an iPod Mini (blue).  You may have seen that this week they released a new 6GB version and kept the price at $249.  The “old” 4GB versions went down to $199.  That’ was a very attractive price, but still not enough to win me over.

Well, I was at Best Buy today, and they changed how they stocked their portable music devices.  They used to have one out on display, on a security cable, and they kept all of the actual units for sale in the back, and would retrieve it for you.  They now have all of the product “live” with security tags.  That meant that they were taking their display units and selling them at an open box price, despite the fact that the unit was never even so much as powered on--they never bothered to charge the batteries.  So while I’m sure hundreds of people put their hands on it, it had no fingerprints or anything, all the packaging, full warranty, etc., but most importantly: a price that would trigger me to purchase it.

As a companion, I also snagged Griffin’s iTrip Mini, so I can use it in a vehicle while travelling.  I keep saying “I” btw, but this was really a purchase for my wife.  I’ll use it to do tricksy things and help her keep her playlists updated, but except when I’m travelling on work assignments, it’ll stay in her purse.

Posted Friday February 25, 2005 in Real Life by Derek Jones

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Comments

ah man… that makes me want to buy one. I so don’t need one, but man… that’s a good price. I saw some online selling them for $170 or something like that.

Enjoy the mini!

By les on February 25, 2005 at 09:26pm link

One thing to note with the new Minis released this week is that the battery life has at least doubled.  The general “clearance” price for the Old version seems to be $179, while you can get the New version for abour $195 (I’m talking about the 4GB version, obviously).  So, if you’re someone who will actually be using it as a portable device for long stretches then I’d say it would definitely be worth the extra $15-20 to get the New version with the much greater battery life.

As for me… I still can’t justify getting an iPod since I don’t really have any situations in which I’d use it.  Someday maybe.

By Chris Curtis on February 25, 2005 at 10:24pm link

True regarding the battery life, but my trigger price has to be considered as a whole.  $160 for the one I bought, with an 8 hour battery, or $230 for the new iPod Mini with an 18 hour battery.  You see, they don’t include the wall adapter with the new Minis, so unless you buy the $30 one, you won’t be able to charge your iPod unless you have a computer around.  So while the 18 hours makes it more “travelable”, it essentially *has* to be, since your options for charging along the way are greatly diminished with the out-of-the-box accessories.

It’s very nice to have instant access to nearly half of my music library on this tiny thing while driving my truck.  The iTrip sounds fabulous.  Wonder if passing cars could pick it up?  hehe.

By Derek Jones on February 25, 2005 at 11:24pm link

Yeah, I heard about the lack of AC adapter in the new version.  You’re right that its absence certainly could make a difference in the bigger picture for some people.  Mostly, the choice between the new and old version for people will come down to how they plan to use it.  The new version is great if you need long battery life so you can go longer between recharging, but the older one has the advantage of price and the AC adapter.

Anyway, I’m still waiting for a reason to get one for myself.  I rarely travel, don’t commute to work, and my truck has an MP3-capable CD player, so there really aren’t any situations where I’d use one.  It’s almost too bad, though, as i wouldn’t mind finding a reason to justify getting one for myself. :devil: 

By Chris Curtis on February 25, 2005 at 11:47pm link

Calendar, contact list, notes, and 4g USB drive you could carry around?

By Derek Jones on February 26, 2005 at 01:38am link

I am a jealous bastard.

By Greg Ferrell on February 26, 2005 at 05:00pm link

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