The Worst. Macworld Keynote. Ever.

January 6, 2004 11:29 AM

I just want to congratulate AppleFilter collectively on refraining from any lame, gratuitous FPP's about the Worst. Macworld Keynote. Ever.
posted by stonerose to Etiquette/Policy at 11:29 AM (45 comments total)

I sure am glad I didn't wait to buy my 15" AlBook.
posted by bshort at 11:31 AM on January 6, 2004

Someone's bound to post it; someone who doesn't read the gray. That iPod mini is underwhelming.
posted by brownpau at 11:44 AM on January 6, 2004

Yes, and thank you for breaking that silence, you emotionless robot. Dance for us robot--dance.
posted by The God Complex at 11:46 AM on January 6, 2004

I think I read on MetaFilter that the big thing this keynote was supposed to be a smaller, considerably cheaper iPod (the price I remember seeing was $100) so I was really excited. And sure enough, Apple annouced a new 4 gig "Mini iPod" for... $249.00, $50 less than their 15 gig model, that's not all that much bigger.

Are colored plastic cases really that expensive? Shouldn't Apple be trying to compete with the cheaper mp3 players instead of creating a new category for candy-colored, overpriced mp3 players? I never claimed to understand the wacky world of business, but this just seems ridiculous and doomed to failure. Is having a pink iPod really worth it, when you can get a honking 15 gig player for $50 more clams?

*does the robot*
posted by jennyb at 11:48 AM on January 6, 2004

Having clearly missed it on preview, I must now post again to add:

Underwhelming. Yes. Also slightly infuriating.
posted by jennyb at 11:50 AM on January 6, 2004

The reason for the price is, I assume, the flash based memory. It does seem like they priced it too close to the 15 gig model, though. A player with half the memory at half the price would have been much more successful, I think. [I am a computer; I dance like metronome.]
posted by monju_bosatsu at 11:51 AM on January 6, 2004

i'm so disappointed (way too expensive (only 50 cheaper than the 15gig, and cheap-looking aluminum)..I wish someone had posted it tho.
posted by amberglow at 11:58 AM on January 6, 2004

A player with half the memory at half the price would have been much more successful...

...and much more in my Apple Store cart. Seriously! I had reserved Christmas money for one (I have an older 10 gig model that I bought from a friend, which serves me well but 1) it's a little too big for use while running, 2) I'd rather a smaller player that I can change the contents of according to my random whims instead of one to hold an entire mp3 collection, and 3) I'm tired of fighting my SO for it) but nooooo... Apple had to get all fancy pants with this flash memory (big freaking deal) and totally price their new toys out of my range. (And probably the range of lots of other people who were ready to pony up $150 for a smaller iPod, and who don't give a rip about flash memory.)

Wow. I am totally surprised at how bitter I am! Neat.
posted by jennyb at 12:04 PM on January 6, 2004

Apple has screwed up the marketing of the mini-ipod already. The front page of apple.com has side-by-side pictures of the new models. Under the 15 gig, it says (10,000 songs), while under the mini 4 gig, it says (1,000 songs). It also lists the prices next to each. So wait, I'd be paying only $50 less for 1/10 the capacity? That's a fuckin' rip. What's worse, is that's not even the right ratio!

Also, isn't the mini just ugly?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:10 PM on January 6, 2004

Since we've stolen the thread away from the poster

Aww, not really. I was being a little bit genuine, a little bit provocative, a little bit preemptive, a little bit sheepish (because I likely would've been the one to make the post) and a whole lot tongue-in-cheek. So... pile on!
posted by stonerose at 12:12 PM on January 6, 2004

It's been suggested that Apple will lower the price for the MiniPod in a couple of months after all the early adopters have been burned, and perhaps introduce an even smaller model. It's not unusual for them to update product lines shortly after MacWorlds... but agreed, the whole thing sucks. GarageBand was nice, but it's not something to centre a keynote around.

Here's another thing - why the hell would you buy a 20GB iPod when you can get a 15GB one for $100 less? Apple really needs to sort out its pricing.
posted by adrianhon at 12:12 PM on January 6, 2004

Count me in on the disappointed too. The only "innovation" is that the women in the remake of the 1984 video wears an iPod.
The mini iPod has a harddrive, even macworld got it wrong
posted by meikel at 12:20 PM on January 6, 2004

mini ipod...



MACRO PRICE!
posted by lotsofno at 12:21 PM on January 6, 2004

i will now act as if i didn't steal that from /.
posted by lotsofno at 12:21 PM on January 6, 2004

Also, the slogan "It's Microsoft Office for the rest of your life" is slightly disconcerting.
posted by staggernation at 12:25 PM on January 6, 2004

Seems to me that we've witnessed the end of free major iLife app updates - at no point did Jobs say "iTunes 4 and iPhoto 4 will be available as a free download, or as part of the $49 iLife package" - he just said iLife would be sold for $49 starting Jan. 16. This is what people bit his head off for last year - let's see what happens now that he appears to be demanding $49 for the speed and stability upgrade iPhoto should have delivered for free about 8 months ago.

Cheap bastard didn't even hand out free copies of iLife (or was it Keynote?) to Macworld attendees as he did last year. Speaking of Keynote, it still kind of sucks vis a vis speed and stability, despite being beautiful - where's Keynote 2.0?
posted by stonerose at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2004

won't they start getting larger disks in the smaller size very soon? i would guess they'll increase the 4Gb to 15Gb at pretty much the same price as soon as they've cleared stock on the bigger models. and maybe they can't sell many little ones at the moment (some kind of prodn problem, say), but had to announce it anyway, so put the price that high?

i'm surprised they don't have colour screens - they're on phones now.
posted by andrew cooke at 12:43 PM on January 6, 2004

well, they got a sale out of me--I just ordered the 15 gig and being my friend's designated ipod feeder made me want one, altho I really wanted one for $99
posted by amberglow at 12:53 PM on January 6, 2004

PERHAPS ALL OF YOU MISSED MY POINT: I HATE YOU, ALL OF YOU, EVEN THE METAL ONE WHO MOVES SO COMICALLY AND MAKES THE FUNNY BEEPING SOUNDS.
posted by The God Complex at 12:58 PM on January 6, 2004

Reading the tech specs on Apple's site it looks like the new Mini iPod is still harddrive based - not flash ram.

I'd been waiting for this announcement too, looks like I'll be going with the 40gb instead.
posted by Tenuki at 1:00 PM on January 6, 2004

Underwhelming? It looks like the competition is also charging $249. Furthermore, I think Garage Band looks really cool.
posted by gyc at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2004

What's the difference in posting an FPP on the blue and this snotty ass diatribe in the gray?
posted by mischief at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2004

What's the difference in posting an FPP on the blue and this snotty ass diatribe in the gray?

Fewer dickheads in the gray. Not none, just fewer.
posted by stonerose at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2004

I am a computer; I dance like metronome.

That is awesome. Did you make that up?
posted by me3dia at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2004

It's from Clockwork Punk, by Bis. I wish I had made it up, because then I would be cool. Alas...
posted by monju_bosatsu at 1:40 PM on January 6, 2004

Garage Band looks like an Acid-lite for a managable price.
posted by eyeballkid at 1:52 PM on January 6, 2004

*weep*
posted by brownpau at 1:56 PM on January 6, 2004

... which just goes to confirm my suspicion that MetaTalk is the preferred domicile for some of the less considerate and more self-congratulatory elements of the MetaFilter community.

Are we now supposed to read MetaTalk in advance of posting to MeFi in order to gain permission from the group mind as to what the permitted topics have become?

I'm heading back to AskMeFi where the people look good and the music is loud!
posted by skylar at 1:59 PM on January 6, 2004

But I brought my acoustic guitar! And there is brie and triscuits!
posted by stonerose at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2004

You people are dumbasses. This macworld was quite good, actually.

It's definitely nice to know that MS Office will continue to be upgraded, and still receive good treatment from MS' MacBU (the biggest apple developer there is, outside of apple)

The G5 Xserve is making me feel weak in the knees.

The mini iPod is too expensive, for now, but unlike some I'm not taking it as a personal offence to me. I'll either wait for it to come down in price or just buy a proper iPod like I know I eventually will.

GarageBand is incredibly cool, and like John Mayer said, will be a really great practice tool.

Anybody else creeped out by the idea of changing the 1984 image? Very.. orwellian.

iPhoto becoming useful again is nice, though overdue.

Was hoping for a little more info on what this Xgrid stuff is all about.

All in all, though, it was quite good. And I prefer apple releasing hardware updates when they're ready (i.e, g4 ibook) instead of waiting for MacWorld.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:44 PM on January 6, 2004

I think calling the iPod Mini "ugly" is going a little far. I know you're bitter over the price/performance ratio, but let's be rational!
posted by botono9 at 3:10 PM on January 6, 2004

You people are dumbasses.

And yesterday you said 'You're all idiots,' as I recall. Nice. Tell ya what, chuckles, if you're damn smart, howzabout you tell me how they put that fucking bam in the bam-a-lam-a-lam already.

[/derail]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:20 PM on January 6, 2004

Woohoo, I've been enough of a dick in a short enough period of time to warrant somebody making an effort in pointing it out.

That brightened up my day considerably.
posted by Space Coyote at 3:23 PM on January 6, 2004

why the hell would you buy a 20GB iPod when you can get a 15GB one for $100 less?

I'll do the math. There happens to be more than 5 gigs in the difference...you get a wired remote ($39 - price includes another set of headphones), carrying case w/ belt clip ($39) and iPod Dock ($39).

Also, even with a 2k CD collection, I don't think bigger is better when it comes to gigs on an mp3 player...just like I am just as happy listening to a single CD player versus a 5 disc or one of those crazy 100 disc players. To me, 1,000 songs is plenty for an eight hour battery life.
posted by boost ventilator at 6:52 PM on January 6, 2004

i'm with boost on this one... 20 gig is the much better buy.
posted by lotsofno at 7:45 PM on January 6, 2004

That Garage Band looks pretty good. I wish I could find some real stats on it, not just sell points. I want to know if I'll be able to add non-destructive EQ/echo/etc. filters to the tracks. VST capable? Given how much time they gave to that demo, I would have thought they would talk about such a feature set if Garage band has it. And BTW, that name really rots.

I concur with the general tone of disappointment at the mini-iPod. I can wait for 2GB/$100. Probably a year.
posted by squirrel at 8:24 PM on January 6, 2004

squirrel - have you seen this page? It's tough to say for sure, but I think you'll be able to add up to 3 effects to a track, and since it says you can turn them off, I'm guessing it's non-destructive.
posted by willnot at 9:32 PM on January 6, 2004

You're right, willnot. Apple has updated their iLife info since mid-afternoon. Thanks.

"It's Microsoft Office for the rest of your life."
*shudder*
posted by squirrel at 10:30 PM on January 6, 2004

Well I'm dead happy. Mini iPod released in USA in February for USD249. Released in UK April for GBP199. I arrive in USA April & return to UK June.

Today GBP 1 = USD 1.82

By May probably GBP 1 = USD 2.00+

Soooo, US iPod = GBP 124.50. UK iPod = GBP 199.00

4. PROFIT!! (GBP 74.50 / USD 149)

Niiiice.

I'm also thinking of buying a nice USian family to take home to help out with the housework & as family pets.
posted by i_cola at 11:44 PM on January 6, 2004

"It's Microsoft Office for the rest of your life."
*shudder*

So true.. though if they're sucking up to microsoft and it means continued upgrades of MS Office I can life with a retarded catchphrase here and there :)
posted by Space Coyote at 2:09 AM on January 7, 2004

Why is it so hard to understand the pricing? Apple is counting on the fact that some will say, "Oh wait, only $50 more for the larger 15GB iPod! I think I'll buy it." Some may look at other vendors' pathetic offerings in the flash market and say, "Wow! For only $50 more I can have the iPod mini. I've heard so much about the iPod and the ITMS. I think I'll buy it!" And some will say, "Look at Rio's new 4GB offering. For the same price I can buy the much cooler iPod mini and use the ITMS!"
posted by scalz at 8:05 AM on January 7, 2004

To me, 1,000 songs is plenty for an eight hour battery life.

Yeah, but the problem is... which 1,000 songs do you put on it?
posted by kindall at 5:52 PM on January 7, 2004

Yeah, but the problem is... which 1,000 songs do you put on it?

You can change the songs, right? It doesn't seem like much of a problem, unless you carried around 250 cds with you before iPods came out. In which case, I apologize and tactfully withdraw.
posted by The God Complex at 6:05 PM on January 7, 2004

The beauty of a portable music player is that you can do your DJing before hand and focus the rest of your attention on walking, biking, etc. A mix, be it tape, CDR or playlist can sound a whole lot better when you put some time and thought into it. And I think you would get some mileage out of 66.6 hour mix (if a song = 4 minutes).

If anything, the less songs you squeeze on a player, the more creative you will be in your playlisting. Sure, random with 1000 songs might not sound as random with 10 000, but it still sounds pretty random to me.
posted by boost ventilator at 8:02 PM on January 7, 2004

Check the technique and see if you can follow it.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 11:16 AM on January 8, 2004