I can imagine a quick little game of poker between the folks at Apple and iriver going down something like this:
APPLE: I bet you our new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle. It’s teeny tiny, holds 1GB and costs only $79
IRIVER: I see your teeny little Shuffle, and raise you one iriver S10. It’s little bigger, but has a 1.5″ OLED color screen and supports more formats, AND has a FM tuner.
APPLE: Uhhhh… uhhhh… uhhhh… OK I fold.
I admit, I was even a little intrigued by the new iPod Shuffle that was announced yesterday, but the S10 from iriver just blows it away. That being said, I really do want one of the new Nanos – probably the 2GB green one to take to Russia in October. My little 512MB Shuffle that I got for my birthday is great for when I’m mowing the lawn or taking a few tracks in the car, but the capacity and battery life just won’t cut it for about 25 hours of round trip flight time plus whatever time I use it while travelling around Moscow.
Hat tip: DailyTech
Where was it that I read that the 8GB Nanos only come in black and cost as much as a 30GB iPod? That’s crazy.
I hadn’t made the connection that the 8GB model was as much as the full-size 30GB version. The details are all one Apple’s site though:
I guess that’s the price you pay for the small form factor.