Agent 18 mini shield review

Until recently I used to own a third generation 15 GB iPod. The iPod was nice, but with the case that came with the unit, it was too large for my tastes and I could not view the screen or access the buttons when the unit was inside. I could have bought a new case, but I eventually made the decision to buy the 6 GB mini when it came out, since I didn't really need all that storage space. Four GB was enough for me in terms of music, since with my encoding rates of 192-256 kbps, I can fit over 500 songs into 4 GB. However, I need about 2 GB for data backup, so the existing 4 GB iPod mini was a little anemic for my purposes. A 6 GB unit would be perfect. Knowing the 6 GB 1" hard drives would be out soon, at the end of 2004 I sold my 15 GB iPod and waited for the 6 GB iPod mini. It was finally released in late February.

Two of the best features about the iPod mini are its clip-on belt clip (included) and its clip-on arm band (optional accessory). No case is required at all to strap the unit onto your belt or arm. However, this leaves the front of the iPod mini exposed to the elements. Fortunately, there are several cases now available that offer compatibility with Apple's belt clip and armband, such as the Agent 18 mini shield (CAD$25, US$20) and mini shock (CAD$35, US$25). These hard cases protect the iPod mini's screen and finish, yet still leave the click wheel accessible. I wasn't sure which of the two to get, so I ordered both.

The first to arrive was the mini shock. It's a nice looking case composed of a two-piece white case with a transparent front window. It also has rubberized portions on the top and bottom and inside to help protect the mini from, as you guessed it, shock. However, because of the extra protection, the case itself adds a fair amount of bulk to the iPod mini, making it nearly as large as a regular iPod. Since overall size was an issue for me, back it went. However, it would be an excellent case for other people.

The second to arrive was the mini shield. This case is simply a transparent... well... shield, which is composed of two pieces of plastic approximately 2 mm thick. The back portion can be removed when the iPod mini is to be used with the belt clip or arm band.




The above picture is the naked back of my iPod mini. The Agent 18 mini shield has not yet been attached.




This is the back of the iPod mini with the mini shield attached. (Apple's white belt clip is sitting beside it.) As you can see, the engraving* is still quite visible with the back shield installed.




While most of the case has a frosted appearance, the window over the iPod mini's screen is completely clear. There is also a cut-out for the click wheel. The white belt clip is again there for comparison, this time propping up the iPod mini, demonstrating the delineation between the front and back shields. You can also easily see why the belt clip is compatible with the front shield (once the back shield is removed).




One key point about the shield is that it is about the same thickness on the sides as the belt clip. This means there is no increase in the width of the unit beyond what the belt clip adds. However, there is a slight lip at the top and bottom of the case. You can see the top lip in the middle opposite the belt clip if you look closely at the picture. These plastic lips are only a little over 1 mm in height, and do leave most of the top and bottom open for easy access for other iPod mini accessories. However, the lips would pose problems for accessories such as the Griffin iTrip mini, so the mini shield case would have to be removed to fit the iTrip mini on the iPod mini properly. The same would be true for use of the iPod mini dock. I do not use either the iTrip mini or the dock, but for those who do, fortunately the front shield can be relatively easily removed, even though it provides a nice solid and snug fit when installed.




As you can see from this picture, the belt clip fits perfectly with the front shield attached. Note the white edges of the belt clip on either side of the iPod mini. (The removed back shield is at the top left.)

By the way, at the top right of this picture is my Firewire Brando Workshop Retractable SyncCharger Cable (US$17). The iPod mini now only comes with a USB 2 cable, and my Macs do not support USB 2. I got my Brando Workshop cable from the US, but in Canada it is available from large retailers under the Cicero brand (CAD$10). The oversized clickwheel in this picture and the iPod mini logo in the first picture are from my iPod mini T-shirt. :)


Conclusion: The Agent 18 mini shield is an excellent inexpensive case that is compatible with Apple's clip-on accessories.

Pros:
Inexpensive
Compatible with Apple belt-clip and Apple armband
Looks great
Does not increase size of iPod mini significantly

Cons:
Case has to be removed to before using the iPod mini with a dock and some other accessories.

Overall rating: 4.5 / 5


* - In case you're wondering, the engraving is part of a famous (albeit somewhat odd) medical quote:

"Failure to examine the throat is a glaring sin of omission, especially in children. One finger in the throat and one in the rectum makes a good diagnostician." - Sir William Osler

Article at IBM mentions the G5 970GX

We have discussed in previous articles the unconfirmed IBM 970GX chip, which is rumoured to be a faster-clocked version of the G5 with double the L2 cache.

On the IBM developerWorks site there is now also mention of this chip in an introduction article about Altivec:

The only processors currently supporting AltiVec are the G4 and G5. The G4 (including model numbers 7400 and 7410) and G4+ (7450 and 7455) processors are made by Motorola. (There are more models than just the ones listed here, but these are the most widely discussed.) The G5 chips include the IBM 970, 970FX, and 970GX; these are essentially POWER4™ cores with an AltiVec unit bolted on. So far, only PowerPC® processors have had AltiVec support, not the POWER™ line. If you want to buy "a computer with AltiVec," Apple's Mac line is your most likely option. For evaluation boards and custom designs, however, you can go with any of the many vendors who do development kits based on either the G4 or G5.

Since this article is written by an independent freelance author and not by IBM itself, we cannot assume all the content in the article is completely accurate. However, we should remember than IBM has already confirmed a new chip is coming soon. It is not clear this is the same thing as the 970GX, but we do know it is a next generation chip to arrive in 2005. IBM's VP Karl Freund states that the new chip is "pretty late in the design cycle now" and that Apple will be using it.

To make a long story short, we can be pretty sure a new chip for Apple this year is a done deal. I would expect a new generation G5 in the Power Macs soon, and hopefully these will have the 3 GHz 970GX and would be announced by early June at the latest (at WWDC). Hopefully we will see an announcement of a G5 PowerBook around that time too, possibly also sporting a 970GX, at 1.8 GHz.

[Update 2005/05/08]

The reference to the 970GX has been quietly removed from the article.

Apple iPod photo camera adapter coming

My previous complaints about the iPod photo were that it was far too expensive and that it couldn't view downloaded photos through the $100 adapter. However, Apple has now addressed both of those complaints.

First, Apple drastically reduced the cost of the 60 GB iPod photo, and added a lower priced 30 GB unit. Neither ship with docks or Firewire cables, but the much lower price more than makes up for it.

Second, Apple is introducing a new Apple-branded adapter for $29. Furthermore, downloaded photos will be immediately viewable on screen, according to Apple VP Greg Joswiak. This feature will also work on the older iPod photos. The photos cannot be displayed on a TV screen via the video output, but for image tank purposes, this thumbnail support on the iPod photo's screen is sufficient. A picture of the adapter was first posted at AppleInsider:



One also wonders if this adapter will allow synchronization and charging of the iPod photo through a USB 2 cable that has male type A connectors at both ends.

IDC: The iPod shuffle has decent margins

Macworld has published an article detailing IDC's comments about the costs of the iPod shuffle. It states:

The iPod shuffle's flash memory, which was supplied by South Korea's Samsung Electronics in the model examined by IDC, is estimated to be the most expensive component used in the player by far, said IdaRose Sylvester, a senior semiconductor research analyst at IDC.

She estimated the 512MB of flash in the cheaper of Apple's two iPod shuffle models costs the company around $37.50 for each player. That's about two thirds of the estimated total $59 that Apple spends on materials needed to make each 512MB iPod shuffle. The product retails for $99 giving the company a profit of about $40, or roughly 40 per cent.

Although the above numbers do not include assembly and other costs, the iPod shuffle does seem like a fairly simple device overall and thus such costs are likely low. Consequently, margins on the iPod shuffles are likely reasonably high. Specifically, despite the very low prices of the shuffle, this screenless iPod is not a loss leader. Apple is making decent profit off of each and every iPod shuffle sold, while still undercutting prices of competitors' flash-based players.

[Update 2005-01-27]

Apple's CFO Peter Oppenheimer contradicts the IDC claims. He states that the average 2004 margin on the iPods was 20 percent, and that the shuffle's margin is lower. While this does not mean the shuffle is a loss leader, perhaps the margins on the shuffle would be better described as mediocre by Apple's standards. However, it will still be a significant profit generator for Apple, given the shuffle's high volumes.

6 GB iPod mini released

As expected, a new 6 GB iPod mini was released yesterday, in 4 colours (with gold no longer available). Colour screens, although widely rumoured, are not a feature of the new iPod minis. More importantly, however, is the massive increase in the battery life. The mini is now rated for 18 hours. The 6 GB unit is priced at $249, which is the same price as the old 4 GB, although it no longer includes a power adapter or a Firewire cable. The 4 GB is also offered now in the same four colours, but has dropped to $199 (sans accessories).

Many people never use the power adapter, so it makes sense to offer it only as an add-on accessory. What was a little bit surprising however was the choice to stop including the Firewire cable. From a business perspective it does make sense, since at this price point, even with the $20 Firewire cable the 4 GB iPod unit is cheaper than it used to be, and most people with newer computers can simply use USB 2.0.

However, many older Macs do not have USB 2.0 support, and those with older laptops or all-in-one machines like the iMac, cannot add USB 2.0 at all, so Firewire becomes a necessity. Furthermore Firewire is a technology invented by Apple. Yet despite all of this, Apple has made the financial decision to make Firewire an added cost option only. It is wise from the business perspective, but it signals the end of an era for Firewire. Firewire has truly become niche only, and Apple is capitulating to the dominance of USB 2.0. Fortunately, Apple continues to sell the Firewire cable, and a plethora of cheaper third party cables are available, including retractable ones.

Not surprisingly, Hitachi and Seagate both have announced 6 GB 1" hard drives. It is not entirely clear who provides the drives in the 6 GB mini however. Ironically, the bare 6 GB drive costs $299, which is $50 more than the 6 GB iPod mini, and the 4 GB drive costs $199, the same as the 4 GB iPod mini.

In addition to the new iPod minis, the iPod photo line has been revamped. The 40 GB iPod photo no longer exists, but there is now the much cheaper and thinner new 30 GB iPod photo, dropping $150 from the previous $499 price to $349. The 60 GB iPod photo stays the same, but also drops $150, from $599 to $449. Again, much of the price drop is due to the removal of accessories, but overall, the price drops are still substantial.

Because it is so new, the iPod shuffle line remains unchanged. One point of note however is the new iPod shuffle ads no longer specify that the units are PC and Mac compatible. Only an Apple logo is displayed. It seems that in the short lifetime of the iPod on Windows, Apple has already established enough mind share so that just the Apple logo suffices.

Toshiba struggling with iPod shuffle demand

Toshiba, a supplier of flash memory to Apple for the iPod shuffle, is increasing production capacity of flash memory chips to meet demand. Demand for the iPod shuffle is so high that Corporate Vice President Masashi Muromachi has this to say about the iPod shuffle: "Demand created by this new machine is so vast that our current capacity can in no way meet their needs."

Currently, wait times at the Apple Store are several weeks for shipment of the iPod shuffle.