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DeathMan · Oct 18, 2004, 07:12 PM

new iPod? seems too soon. Maybe the 60 gig. Fash based? iTunes 5? more stores (canada, oz, japan, belgium hah! ) And wtf does U2 have to do with it?

ManOfSteal · Oct 18, 2004, 07:13 PM

New U2 "themed" iPod.

ironknee · Oct 18, 2004, 07:21 PM

uPods?

is it going to be streamed?

the_glassman · Oct 18, 2004, 07:24 PM

They're going to announce that we've been bought out by Microsoft and iTunes will be replaced with Microsoft's music store. Steve and Bill are also joining U2 and going on a plight to make Saddam the next US president! G5 iPods maybe?

ManOfSteal · Oct 18, 2004, 07:26 PM

Originally posted by the_glassman:
G5 iPods maybe?

Yeah, the G4 is old...they need to be upgraded to the G5 for sure!

storer · Oct 18, 2004, 07:32 PM

New iBooks is obvious soon, because its been in that form factor since late G3. The same thing may happen.

nbnz · Oct 18, 2004, 07:52 PM

Didn't Bono buy Steve's house in New York a while back? Maybe Bono is a Steve Fanboy. Wonder if the U2Pod will include a calendar of U2s as yet unannounced tour.

DeathMan · Oct 18, 2004, 08:19 PM

It would be sweet if the U2 back catalogue was preloaded, but I seriously doubt Island would be down with that. Or does U2 own its own electronic distro. rights like TMBG?

ironknee · Oct 18, 2004, 08:34 PM

Originally posted by nbnz:
Didn't Bono buy Steve's house in New York a while back? Maybe Bono is a Steve Fanboy. Wonder if the U2Pod will include a calendar of U2s as yet unannounced tour.

oh yeah bono did buy the house/apartment

ironknee · Oct 18, 2004, 09:23 PM

Apple is teaming up with U2 to sell a special edition iPod promoting the band's forthcoming album, according to a Forbes report. "Sources close to the group say the U2 edition of the popular digital music player will come preloaded with the band's new album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, along with portions of the Irish supergroup's 25-year catalog. The iPods will be black and will be made available the same week as the band's 11th studio album, which is slated to be released in the U.S. by Universal Music Group's Interscope Records on November 23. The deal is expected to be announced officially next week in San Jose, Calif. at a conference held by singer Bono, guitarist The Edge and Apple founder Steve Jobs."

http://www.forbes.com/personaltech/2..._1018aapl.html

a black ipod...coool!

ManOfSteal · Oct 18, 2004, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by ironknee:
a black ipod...coool!

Damn, I wish it was a black iPod mini instead!

brapper · Oct 18, 2004, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by ironknee:
a black ipod...coool!

back in the day i thought for a minute or two that there existed a black version of the iPod and wanted one. It was because of the iPod packaging highlighting the backlit buttons and screen.
Ever since the image has been with me and I crave.

ManOfSteal · Oct 18, 2004, 10:23 PM

Originally posted by brapper:
back in the day i thought for a minute or two that there existed a black version of the iPod and wanted one. It was because of the iPod packaging highlighting the backlit buttons and screen.
Ever since the image has been with me and I crave.

Randman · Oct 19, 2004, 03:10 AM

Buttons? That's so 2003! Scroll wheel, mos, scroll.

Hmmm, if it were a Mini...

nath · 05:27 AM

Originally posted by DeathMan:
It would be sweet if the U2 back catalogue was preloaded, but I seriously doubt Island would be down with that. Or does U2 own its own electronic distro. rights like TMBG?

U2 renegotiated with Island in the late 80s. What appears to have happened was that Island nearly went bust, and to avoid this rather naughtily used the massive revenue from the Joshua Tree to prop up the rest of their roster, which was in real trouble at the time. Then U2 came to collect their money...and found that there was nothing left.

As a result they were basically able to hold Island over a barrel when re-negotiating their contract and ended up with a dream deal that is reputed to be unparalleled in the music industry, before or since. As I understand it this means that whenever a new form of music distribution comes up, the band negotiate a brand new deal specific to that form. Therefore the band themselves could feasibly stand to make a lot more from iTunes downloads than they do from CD sales.

A while ago I wrote to Andrew Orlowski at the Register, after he wrote a piece regretting the power that the major labels had managed to maintain via the iTunes DRM model. My point (then and now) was that this will change, but slowly, and from the top down. Bands like U2 or The Beatles have the power to turn to their record labels at this point in their careers and say 'what exactly is your input here?' with regards on-line sales. It's not as if they need a huge advertising push to sell their latest album, and promo stuff like the Upod could easily be handled by U2's own organisation.

Randman · Oct 19, 2004, 06:05 AM

uPod, catchy. iPod, uPod, we all 'Pod.