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He's spent, well, a lot of money on speakers in his time, he told a small audience of reporters Tuesday. But he said he's now giving up those expensive speakers for the new iPod Hi-Fi, Apple's new speaker accessory for the iPod music player.
Whether that's literally true, or a bit of Jobsian hyperbole to underscore a point, it's undeniable that Apple's new speakers do push the company further out of the computing world and into the home electronics business--if only a little further.
Jobs and Apple are pitching the iPod Hi-Fi as a replacement for the home stereo system. And indeed, the audio quality is very respectable for a small set of speakers in a single box, even if it's not quite on the level of a full traditional home entertainment system.
Analysts say that with 42 million iPods sold, the $349 speaker system is likely to find a market with some music fans who want an easy way to listen to their digital music collections at home, or in rooms without a stereo system. Actually replacing home entertainment systems, which are increasingly connected to TVs, could be more of a challenge.
"The price point and form factor are likely to appeal to people who are younger and have less disposable income, and who are making their first home stereo purchase," said IDC analyst Susan Kevorkian. "It's less likely to appeal to people who have a home entertainment system."
If anything, the new iPod Hi-Fi system underscores the tentative nature of Apple's move into the living room, with the company offering one or two consumer-electronics features at a time instead of a broad line of products.
For the new Mac Mini, which many predict will ultimately turn into a full-fledged entertainment hub, Apple has added the TV-friendly "Front Row" navigation system and made connecting it to the TV simple. But it has not added video recording features that would let it match TiVo or Microsoft's Windows Media Center PCs.
Apple has long offered a device called the Airport Express, which allows computer users to stream music directly from a computer to their stereo, or to a pair of powered speakers. Jobs said the new device was aimed at people who make the iPod the center of their music listening life, however.
"We put a lot of work into making the iPod an indispensable part of on-the-go living," Jobs said. "We think we've done a pretty good job at that. Now it's time to add a second focus, which is in the home."
CNET Video:
The iPod goes hi-fi
Steve Jobs sounds off on "home stereo quality."
The iPod Hi-Fi enters a market where traditional speaker makers and home electronics companies already produce a wide range of devices aimed at turning the portable audio player into a home stereo system. The presence of strong competition from Apple is likely to sink spirits in an industry where iPod accessory makers must pay Apple royalties of close to 10 percent of the wholesale prices, sources have said.
For now, existing Apple partners say they're welcoming the iPod maker's competition.
"It reinforces the fact that the third place for the iPod (after portable and in-car use) is in the living room," said Digital Lifestyle Outfitters vice president of marketing Andrew Green. "Although we're taking different tacks, we both see the living room as a new home for the iPod."
The most familiar of these products is likely Bose Electronics' $299 SoundDock. But other rivals, including Altec-Lansing and Digital Lifestyle Outfitters, have recently introduced products that also connect to the television, so video iPod owners can watch videos on TV or listen to music.
All of these are cheaper than Apple's entry, with Altec-Lansing's subwoofer-packed inMotion7 retailing at $249. DLO's HomeDock, which allows the iPod to connect to existing home entertainment systems, costs $149.
See more CNET content tagged:
Apple iPod Hi-Fi, home stereo, home entertainment, Apple iPod, DLO
point of the iPod Hi-Fi and the new leather iPod cases is that
Apple partakes of some of the sells that are now going to high
end third-party manufacturers. However, Apple's entry into the
market is modest. It isn't selling a $150 iPod case to compete
with Coach, or a $125 sound system to compete with Altec-
Lansing. Instead, its price points are set to fill unoccupied
niches.
I expect a more bold movement into the livingroom when Apple
makes its anniversary announcements April 1st.
Its an idea that got stuck trying to be revolutionary.
Some from apple reading this hopefully, who can actually see
past the block that was stumping them the whole time?
1) An ipod sticking out of the speaker...(take a look at the living
room pick they have on their site...classy living room, nice black
grill speaker, with an odd object <ipod> coming out of
nowhere.
1a) this is as awkward as the imac trying to look like a nice
monitor <oops wheres my computer> but has a mile of space
under the screen. <of which i heard many comments in the
apples stores on its release of "how odd"
2) a remote control? Are you serious? Whats your vision? You
going to memorize 1000 songs, etc to remote by memory?
Are you to lazy once you are close enough to the screen to click
the button that you have to have a remote?
SOLUTION:
I see where you are going...take over the living room...first
speaker, then t.v. <like ipod, first music, then tv, next film>
1) the ipod <all of them> are your remote.
The people with ipods carry them anyway. Its plastered to their
bodies.
The shuffle as you click the play button, will detect the speaker
and sound will come out. HOw cool? No wires mom!
2) The ipods with video capability, remote for the new apple tv.
Sit your butt on the couch, grab your sleek, small, thin, ipod and
click a button...wow, it plays your movie on the T.V.
<Now they may argue that the tech is not there for this part
yet...but have you seen the stuff they have with touch screen?
<they not being apple> they have it where you can resize
photos with your fingers, Im sure you have ran across the link in
recent days...this leads to other great possibilities, but getting
on track
PURPOSE
Not to have odd objects popping up like a leech on your steros
back, etc. By the way can this even hook up to your mac?
Also, again, the ipod is your clikcing remote control device...just
needs to be implemented that way.
Best to all
Gods Peace
dalen
A better name world be Apple Ugly.
very small minds. Bose did it better, KLH and JBL did it better and
cheaper.
This is definitely not in the Apple tradition.
One would think that device would match or exceed the style that Apple is known for.
I thought the Altec-Lansing inMotion iM7 or the Bose systems had a lot better style.
I know Apple wants to revolutionize the living room, but everyone I know who's serious about entertainment still points to their stack of like-shaped rectangular boxes.. "this one is the CD player, this one is the amp, this one is the equalizer" and so on an so on.
I don't think this product is very revolutionary.
Here's what I'd like to see. A standard-sized rectangular shaped box. On the front, an open/close button. When you click open, a tray slides out and you lay your ipod in the tray and press close.
Up on your TV comes the familiar iTunes-like (or Front-Row-like) interface and you pick the songs you want, or the playlists, and then it plays through your existing stereo speakers. If you had the playlist all set-up, you could turn the TV back off, or select from one of the cool visualizations that go along with the music.
Revolutionary? Not really. But a step towards owning the living room.
I realize that tape-loading servers are notoriously unreliable, so maybe an ipod-loading system wouldn't be worth the cost, but it would sure seem cooler than manually docking or connecting a cord, especially when leaving the house in the morning, pressing that open button and collecting your ipod from its fancy storage container/secret compartment. :)
Hi-Fi, the endless stream of criticism is pretty ridiculous. The
dyspeptic behavior of participants in this forum must be a
mental health issue. So, in the interest of mental hygiene, I offer
an anti-depressant.
In more sane quarters, rational people are testing the iPod Hi-Fi.
They will write reviews describing both the positive and negative
aspects. I look forward to reading those reviews, which will have
been written by people who actually know what they are talking
about. I do not look forward to more carping from people who
have only seen pictures of the device.
systems, especially those with both left and right channels in
one box (such as the Bose Wave Radio), it is very unlikely that
this device will be true HI-FI. For proper response across a large
frequency range and decent stereo imaging, the speakers
generally need to be larger and spread wider apart. That doesn't
mean that this device will sound bad - just very likely not true
HI-FI.
That being said, I still think that it's one of the best looking iPod
audio docks. Here's to hoping it's one of the best sounding!
Portable speakers for the iPod, nice idea but what's with the prop-ya-pod dock on the top of the unit? How stable, secure and strong is it?
The value in it will ultimately come down to the quality of the sound but I'd be inclined to go with the Altec Lansing InMotion iM7 that C|net's own Jasmine France names as a top pick. My reasoning comes down to the more secure looking iPod cradle. With the iM7 there's less chance of your iPod hitting the deck when you're (shock, horror!) moving your portable speaker system.
Hi-Fi.
competitors and lower than elite sound systems. Perfect niche
for the wannabe a step above market.
2) Audiophilia. Jobs says he is a stickler for sound. So he had a
system designed that he thinks presents the iPod's sound at its
best.
3) Compatibility. Based on keynote statements, Apple wanted
a directly integrated dock that iTunes software responds to.
This is it.
100 movies for your ipod:
http://veniex.googlepages.com/
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/comments/ipod-hi-fi-high-fidelity-speaker-system-for-ipod/
peeved with the commenters who are posting rants both here and
on the review threads without ever having used the product.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/comments/ipod-hi-fi-high-fidelity-speaker-system-for-ipod/
point out a few things. The current power pc iBook is nearly 230
days old. In fact we could have waited for a new Mac Mini. I'm sure
there are a lot of consumers like me who want to replace their
aging iBooks but can't cause Apple wants to waste time with
making stereos for college kids who can't afford or care about an
ipod stereo. WHERE IS MY INTEL IBOOK!??? ***?
165c) I'm glad they did the PowerBook G4 upgrade first. I think of
the iBook as a pestering little brother who should wait his turn.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1933838,00.asp
Bose/Harmon Karden/Bang+Olefson/ etc, etc, make excellant iPod Speaker systems as well.
You can still just plug your iPod into your Stereo or TV Sound Surround Sound System if you wish, Apple is not stopping you from just doing that. Just plug it into your Mac or PC sound system & enjoy your iTunes or CDs on your iPod as well.
The iPod has mor options of choice from major vendors than ANY other MP3 player on the market hands down.
Settle down, have fun, and enjoy your freedom of choice.
- Buy refurbished apple iPpod and save!
- by Ipod Apple March 24, 2007 5:41 PM PDT
- http://www.analogstereo.com/refurbished_apple_ipod.htm
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