“Engineers working on the hardware design of Apple Computer’s second-generation iPod nano are facing several technical challenges, but it’s currently unclear whether the obstacles will delay the player’s release,” Prince McLean reports for AppleInsider.
“Earlier this week, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said Apple’s decision to switch system-on-a-chip (SoC) suppliers from PortalPlayer to Samsung has formed complications that could set back the release of the much anticipated iPod by as many as three months,” McLean reports.
McLean reports, “However, over 90 percent of the defects in the project are said to have been ironed out at this time. Therefore, it may be too early to tell whether the remaining issues will force Apple to delay the nano’s expected manufacturing ramp of late August… Optimally, Apple aims to begin shipping the new players by the second half of September, reliable sources have said.”
More in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy” for the heads up.]
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Related article:
Analyst Wu: New iPods may face delays of as much as six months – June 28, 2006
ok, where is the new iPod?
Well Samsung isn’t well known for the quality of their products.
Most likely they bidded low and the result was inferior working iPods, which now Apple has to teach Samsung how to improve it’s quality control.
It’s no use selling a $300 iPod for $60 in profit and then have to spend $20 for shipping and another $240 to replace the defective one.
That’s just bad buisness. Just look how much replacing the stained MacBook plastic is costing Apple.
integrated wireless voip for use with lepard please, making an ipod useful at home and on the move.
Whenever it comes out it’ll still be 6 months ahead of the competition just like the Nano was. All the also ran mp3 players will then have to be heavily discounted and we’ll see Creative go to the wall.
“Earlier this week, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said Apple’s decision to switch system-on-a-chip (SoC) suppliers from PortalPlayer to Samsung has formed complications that could set back the release of the much anticipated iPod by as many as three months,”
Wu may have reported something that may occur, but so what? People aren’t going to run out and buy a Creative, Samsung, or Sandisk product just because the iPod hasn’t been upgraded.
First choice for a music player is the iPod. It will remain first choice, regardless of whether it is upgraded or not.
This subject makes for good press, but it is a non-issue.
lordy.
when will people stop listening to research analysts?
they have no hard information – they are basing their decisions purely on previous release agendas and current market trends (much of which Apple tends to buck).
everytime i read a headline like this one… i click on the link… and as soon as the words ‘*insert name*, an analyst from *insert company* said today’ – i stop reading because the ‘research’ is pure speculation.
hey – look at me! im a research analyst! i predict that apple will release some great computers in the future! and their OS will get better! and they will also do… well… you know… other stuff!!!!
watch the stock price rocket!
all new ipods to feature front row style interface? ? what do ya think? would kinda make sense and would be a good precaution for the outcome of the creative legal case
samsung is actually getting better… my samsung dvd player works perfectly. Sony is becoming the new samsung, sad to say.
“Just look how much replacing the stained MacBook plastic is costing Apple.”
First of all, how do you know how much it’s costing Apple? Secondly, not everyone is having the problem.
I don’t get this. Why does a company have to release a completely new version of something (in this case iPod nano) every frickin’ year? I’m absolutely sure this isn’t about normal demand-and-supply, but instead about trying to keep the so-called analysts satisfied, who think the company’s gonna tank without this new version of the gadget in question, and thus stoking the panic among investors.
The system is rotten, irrational and sick. People don’t want to have their less-than-a-year-old prefectly good device be outdated almost immediately. Speed blindness, eh. Hope reality’s gonna take over at some point soon.
Because it’s part of Apple’s marketing strategy. Repeatedly building up hype and releasing new products every year apparently makes them a lot of money and unless people suddenly stop wanting the latest and greatest Apple is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Also, while it’s true that nobody wants their less-than-a-year-old product to be outdated, nobody’s forcing them to buy from Apple. Anyone who buys an iPod, whether or not he or she realizes it, assumes the acceptance of Apple’s business model, one that will update its products at its discretion.
Static in my Attic = Static Mesh = MacDude = Ambien
THIS IS ALL AN EXCUSE TO COVER UP THE REAL REASON FOR THE DELAY.
Steve Jobs has been unable to reach an agreement with movie studios for an iTunes Movie Store. There will be no new iPods until they can be launched simaultaneously with the new movie service.
Static in my Attic… Apple’s been using Samsung and LG monitors for more than 5 years… didn’t see you complaining then… oh wait, if you don’t know it’s a samsung then it’s a great apple product as the logo certifies it’s quality? In case you didn’t know Apple buys their parts from other manufacturers… the people at apple know what they’re doing so keep your ignorance to your self, please…
Apple manufactures zero of its products.
Apple is a design and sales organization. All its manufacturing is done with parts from third party manufacturers and then are all assembled by a company that Apple has given a contract.
i work for a tech company.
i always find it funny when ‘the public’ think that a new product has just been dreamt up in the few months before its release.
there is a ‘slow release’ agenda in most tech companies – most of what we see that is ‘new’ today was on the drawingboard up to 2-3 years ago. a normal technology slow release will go back around 5 years. those 5 years are spent honing down. why slow release? because more money can be made from incremental advances – keeping a company healthy for longer.
i know for a fact that the current imac (vertical all-in-one) was ‘designed’ sometime in 2001/2 – the only things required were advances in screen tech / drive tech. whilst those advances were made the product is honed down to a point where its ready for release. it’s not a case of ‘hey – you know what, we should make a vertical all in one and release it in the next few months’.
apple are one of the most guarded companies in terms of product line releases and direction – right up to final release, but ALL companies are just as guarded, the only difference is they will let ‘the public’ know whats coming a few months in advance to stave off fluctuations in stock price.
mdn word: ‘ask’ – as in, ‘ASK yourself, will a company live so on the edge that they dont have a technology / product road map at least stretching forward for the next ten years?’…