So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
It's no secret that the apple stuff usually gets released in waves, like the BRAND NEW stuff that is hitting/will hit stores very soon is the 'A' release......then after a period of time comes a 'B' release where hopefully a lot of the bugs and kinks are worked out/improved, and then eventually a C release..... please correct me if I have been misled?
Anyway... approx. how long goes between these releases? I want a 160 very badly but I dont want to be a chump and get it ASAP, without letting the reviews pour in and having that first "A generation" get bought up.... so if anyone has any more info of this, or how to find out more, please add here...
thanks friends
[713 byte] By [
se7enbelow] at [2007-11-11 20:21:19]
# 1 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
That's not entirely true that there are separate "releases" in that sense of the word.
It is not uncommon for Apple to "refresh" iPod product lineups after the first 9-12 months, sometimes adding a bit of capacity, or slightly increasing the specs in other ways (ie, better battery life), but that's not really a "bug-fix" thing.
To put it in the terms you've described, the "B" release will be a firmware update for the models that are shipping today to fix all of the problems. It will not be a new product. It may take two or three iterations of the firmware to get it just right, but it will be for the existing hardware.
Then, next spring/summer, assuming Apple has not decided that it's time for a completely new generation in the fall, there could possibly be a small "product refresh" similar to what was done with the "5.5G" iPod last year (and the 4G iPods back in March 2005).
# 2 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
Are you sure? when the new macbooks were coming out about a year ago, i remember learning about the whole A,B,C generations when there was a lot of concern about the thermal paste overflow that a lot of people were finding in their laptops.... (if youre unfamiliar...a lot of the first macbooks overheated...it was later found that there was way too much thermal paste slabbed between the CPU and heat sink..... it was allegedly fixed in the 'B' generations)
# 3 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
Also, I mean these releases go "under the radar".....but there is evidence in the serial numbers and firmware versions, etc.
# 4 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
any evidence of this with prior ipod releases? Usually what causes a "B" generation within a given model is a significant defect in the original. It's not that they plan a "B" generation but that one results if there's a serious defect.
# 5 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
hmm alright, i suppose that makes sense..... i just dont want to get chumped out for buying it immidiately (just look at what hapened to those who did that with the iphone)
so hows this for my "free engraving":
NOT FOR RESALE
PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY
i thikn thats pretty funny
# 6 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
That is just not the way that Apple operates with iPods. They do that with their notebook/desktop computers but not with their iPods. Apple releases new generation iPods about once every 2 years and releases updates to those generations about once every two years as well. Sometimes it is less, sometimes it is more. Here is a time line to give you an idea of what Apple does with their iPods (anytime a date is listed, that means that the iPod came out in fall of that year unless said otherwise):
2001 - 1G iPod
2002 - 2G iPod
2003 - 3G iPod
2004 - 4G iPod
Mid-2005 - 4G iPod photo
2005 - 5G iPod
2006 - 5.5G iPod
2007 - iPod classic
So, as you can see, Apple releases a new generation iPod about once every year but recent trends make it look like they release a new generation iPod about once every two years. So we won't see any hardware updates to the current line of iPods until this time next year.
# 7 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
Are you sure? when the new macbooks were coming out about a year ago, i remember learning about the whole A,B,C generations when there was a lot of concern about the thermal paste overflow that a lot of people were finding in their laptops.... (if youre unfamiliar...a lot of the first macbooks overheated...it was later found that there was way too much thermal paste slabbed between the CPU and heat sink..... it was allegedly fixed in the 'B' generations)
With the MacBooks in this particular case, the 'B' generation certainly was to fix a hardware defect, which happens from time to time when you get a product out onto the streets -- unanticipated problems reveal themselves.
However, it's not like they plan a B version, as somebody else says... They merely need to provide an update if a lot of people are having serious issues with the original one.
A full computer system, especially a notebook computer, is far more complicated than an iPod, and there are more hardware-level problems that can creep in (most of which seem to have been related to heating in recent years).
While the new iPod models almost always have a lot of little bugs, they're software rather than hardware and therefore fixed with a firmware update. I'm not aware of any iPod model that's even had a serious deficiency, although there were complaints about the durability of the 1G iPod nano screen two years ago, when the dust settled that seemed to be related to a specific bad batch, rather than a product design flaw.
So I wouldn't expect a new hardware release before next spring at the earliest, and this would likely just be a "refresh" if anything. New firmware will probably be out by Christmas, although it's just going to be bug-fixes (and there are already a few that have been discovered).
# 8 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
:)
Remember "screen scream" lol!!!!!
# 9 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
The classic can't get a capacity bump until Samsung or Hitachi release a 1.8" hard disc bigger than 160 GB.
I think the next big product will be an iPod touch with a hard disc. I was hoping for it last week, but now I am hoping for it in January at Apple WWDC.
# 10 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
It's not always a capacity bump, mind you. Apple did take the 5.5G to 80GB on the larger model, but the lower-end model stayed at 30GB and just got an improved screen.
As for an HD-based touch, time will tell, but I get the distinct impression that Apple is trying to avoid putting a hard drive in the touch (or they probably would have done it already). They're probably hoping that the additional benefits that the touch provides are enough to entice people to buy one despite the more limited capacity (and they're not entirely wrong in that assumption :) ).
# 11 Re: So when does the 2nd wave come of the new Classics? (A>B>C releases?)
As for an HD-based touch, time will tell, but I get the distinct impression that Apple is trying to avoid putting a hard drive in the touch (or they probably would have done it already). They're probably hoping that the additional benefits that the touch provides are enough to entice people to buy one despite the more limited capacity (and they're not entirely wrong in that assumption :) ).
I think they will do a 160 GB HD based touch, but it will be their premium product that will cost $100 - $150 more than the flash based models, but would cost about the same to produce. The ability to keep costs down, but sell for a premium price means more profit, so to me that makes it a no brainer.
