Apple's iPod costs likely went up--in a flash

TalkBack 4 of 5:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

Hard Drive vs. Flash

Hi, dsipp.

I agree with you that hard drives have more things that can go wrong (because of more moving parts), but flash drives are also susceptible to problems. Even solid state players need buttons and displays, both of which can fail and/or break.

For me, the weight factor is outweighed by the price/quantity quotient. A 4 GB Nano goes for what, $249? I just bought an Archos XS 202 for the same price, that holds 20GB. (It was a close call between Creative and Archos, but Archos makes solid products, and the price was better.)

Let's compare iPods to iPods, though: If you go with a 20GB iPod instead of the Nano, you pay 17% more for 500% more memory. Looked at another way, you pay $62.50/GB for a Nano, but $15/GB for a hard drive-based iPod. I like lightweight gear as much as the next guy, but paying over $45/GB more for a lightweight player doesn't make sense to me. Admittedly, I don't run (or even walk, actually) but I can't imagine the slight heft of a modern hard drive-based player would be a major issue (although I could see an iPod or Karma being awkward on an armband).

When flash capacities can rival hard drive capacities, flash players might get more attractive, providing they can get price parity with the hard drives.

Posted by: bhartman36   Posted on: 09/22/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Five Steps to Determine When to Virtualize YourServers VMware Server virtualization isn't just for big companies. Entry-level ... Download Now
• Virtualization: Architectural Considerations And Other Evaluation Criteria VMware Of the many approaches to x86 systems virtualization available in the ... Download Now
• Key Strategies for Federal Agencies - Safe and Cost Effective Migration for Legacy Hardware GovConnection The federal government has mandated that federal agencies reduce energy ... Download Now