MSNBC: Mac mini, iPod shuffle "Revolutionary in Their Own Way"

by , 4:15 PM EST, January 26th, 2005

MSNBC's Gary Krakow called Apple's new iPod shuffle and Mac mini "revolutionary in their own way." In a review, of sorts, for the media outlet, Mr. Krakow praises the price point, design, functionality, and other aspects of both products.

We say a review "of sorts" because Mr. Krakow noted in his article that he doesn't get any cooperation from Apple PR, and hasn't tested the iPod shuffle himself. "Whether it's personal or has something to do with where I'm employed," wrote Mr. Krakow, "Apple stopped sending me products to review years ago."

Accordingly, Mr. Krakow's coverage for MSNBC is based not on performance and usage tests, but on the announcements themselves, along with anecdotal information from audiophiles who have tested the iPod shuffle.

Be that as it may, the article serves to pile up yet more positive mainstream coverage for Apple.

"At first, when I read the specs," wrote Mr. Krakow about Apple's Mac mini, "I thought to myself that Apple was cheaping out by not including a keyboard or mouse.  Over the years, Apple often has provided what appeared to be the absolute bare minimum of memory and hard drives for what they charged. The Mini is different.

"Instead of mouse or keyboard (which you can purchase from Apple for US$58; $99 for wireless models) Apple has included some interesting hardware inside that makes this little box something special."

About the Mac mini, Mr. Krakow wrote that, "Overall, Shuffle's best feature is its price. At $99 for 512MB and $149 for 1GB, Apple has totally neutralized the rest of the flash player industry. The iPod Shuffle is a stone-cold bargain. There is nothing that touches it, for the money, from any other manufacturer. For consumers, that is something to cheer about."

Like the scores of other article that have been written about Apple since Macworld Expo, the MSNBC piece helps deliver the message that Apple is pricing to sell to Windows users used to buying cheap Windows PCs from makers like Dell. For the Mac platform, this is a message that perhaps couldn't be purchased with direct marketing dollars.

There's more in the full article, which we recommend as an interesting read.

MSNBC Article