Apple CEO Jobs Sees Deal For Beatles Music Within 6 Months -CNBC
Dow Jones
September 05, 2007: 05:00 PM EST

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Steve Jobs said Wednesday that a deal to make Beatles music available on the iTunes online music service is possible within six months.

“It is up to Apple Corps; we are working closely with them,” Jobs said in a CNBC interview. “I certainly hope in the next six months, but we will see.”

Jobs added that the iPhone will launch in Europe next quarter, and would probably be available in Asia in 2008.

Earlier Wednesday, Apple announced that it is cutting the price of its iPhone, trimming the price of the 8-gigabyte model to $399 from $599.

The company also launched iPod Touch, which shares the same touch-screen technology that was the trademark of the iPhone. The device also features the ability to connect to Wi-Fi Internet hotspots and a full Internet browser. The gadget will sell for $299 for the 8 gigabyte version, and $399 for a 16-gigabyte version.

I’m thrilled with the announcements today ... I have been waiting for the iPod touch for a long, long time ... and will be ordering several in the next week.

Can’t wait until they arrive in October

Ars is hyping the potential for hacks to upgrade the iPod Touch into a mini computer.

You guys are buying in more too? You all agree it won’t drop more than this 136 ?

I’m using this to lower the average purchage price of my Turbo’s…

[quote author=“jimlongo”]What did he (Paul) say, anyway?

That he was going to have a DJ spot on the radio. Whoop-di-doo.

Paul, kindly pull your finger out and get that catalogue on iTunes. :x

The FUD is flying like crazy :

“I gave up on the Iphone shortly after experiencing numerous problems. It’s now clear that I couldn’t have been the only one since you don’t cut prices by 33% only two months after the product is released if it’s really flying off the shelves, now matter how hard AppleLoading… tries to spin it.”

Finally came back a few hours ago to my screen after a “well-timed” day and-a-half of absence…
in the end, no regrets, instead of following the event, I had an “invigorating” hike starting at 4:30am on a glacier with 70km/h (40mph) wind

Wall Street’s reaction to the event is (as usual) pure schyzophrenia and I have no idea what medication can heal their insanity

If we were left in the dark about how well the iPhone sold the past months, I would be worried by the price-cut, but reading the research paper by Gene Munster/PJ and articles about the iPhone being the number 1 selling smartphone the only possible and sane conclusion is:
I have to buy AAPL hand over fist, but I’ve already used all my dry powder around $122 and $135

However, I have to say that I’m disappointed by the lack of diplomacy accompanying the 30% price cut on the iPhone.
everyone had foretold a rather quick price-drop, but I had expected to see it wrapped in silk to make it acceptable to both first adopters and Wall Street monkeys.
The move has SJ written all over it, and in the end, this sudden price-drop will prove to be a blessing to shareholders, but pouring oil over the bear’s campfire wasn’t necessary

But in the end, the 100$ store credit stunt shows IMO that the “agressive move” may have been too agressive, even for his Steveness…

as always, thanks to everyone for all the input during and after the event and throughout the trading day, plowing through intraday archives and breaking news has made my evening into a lifesized-thriller

Well my wife already wants me to use the 100 credit in buying her an iPHone.

Steve is a genius.

I told her that we could get the iPod touch, but she wants the phone feature.

Steve is about to make me spend an additional $30 a month on a new phone line and also $300 on a new phone.

That $200 reduction is for the birds.

[quote author=“omacvi”]Well my wife already wants me to use the 100 credit in buying her an iPHone.

Steve is a genius.

I told her that we could get the iPod touch, but she wants the phone feature.

Steve is about to make me spend an additional $30 a month on a new phone line and also $300 on a new phone.

That $200 reduction is for the birds.

Stare into the gold pocket watch… close your eyes… you will now buy total strangers an iPhone as well…

HAB

OK, so I just finished watching the iPod event. After a few days of iPhone price-drop FUD I wanted to look at the event through fresh eyes.

Frankly, I was blown away. This is such an amazing and impressive line of iPods. They are going to sell like freshly baked Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

A lot has been said already about the iPods classic, nano and touch, so I won’t focus on that. What I will focus on is the iTunes WiFi music store…

...and Starbucks.

This is an absolute stroke of incredible genius. It works on so many levels. What Apple and Starbucks are doing here is replacing the physical record store with an enjoyable alternative.

With the advent of digital downloads and 32% of music released in 2006 being digital only, there is now no need to go to a record store. However, people enjoyed the experience of browsing through records and possibly meeting friends or new people while they were there. You can’t do that with digital downloads… until the Apple/Starbucks partnership. This partnership has given digital downloads a ‘place’ to buy music. Now you can hang out with your buddies in Starbucks, listen to music and buy it if you want. You’re not tethered to your computer to buy music.

When sat in front of your computer you are not likely to impulse buy, but out at Starbucks by yourself or with your buddies you are way more likely to impulse buy a track you heard as opposed to waiting until you get home and have thought twice about it.

The other very interesting thing I noted with regards to Starbucks was how they are diversifying into the production of music and by the looks of it, other content. The Starbucks guy mentioned they had won 8 Grammys. Could we be seeing an interesting development in which companies that weren’t traditionally music or media companies are moving onto the record companies’ turf and producing their own content? Content that could end up on iTunes.

These companies can afford to take a few more risks in this area as their sole income stream is not content. They would be only too glad to partner with Apple as they can easily and cheaply distribute that product via iTunes.

One final thing that I noticed was the continued Beatles references in the keynote. Both Lennon and McCartney’s albums were featured and KT Tunstall wore a “Love, Love, Love” T-shirt (coincidence?). I’m still of the opinion that these references were hinting at some kind of Beatles announcement. We’ll have to wait and see.

Oh, and as for that price drop, the audience thought it fantastic. That was the rabbit out of the hat moment. It’s amazing how that was turned into some sort of fiasco by the financial tabloid journos. Boy, how they are going to be proved so very wrong.

[quote author=“wheeles”]
The other very interesting thing I noted with regards to Starbucks was how they are diversifying into the production of music and by the looks of it, other content. The Starbucks guy mentioned they had won 8 Grammys. Could we be seeing an interesting development in which companies that weren’t traditionally music or media companies are moving onto the record companies’ turf and producing their own content? Content that could end up on iTunes.

The new Joni Mitchell CD Shine is being released by Starbucks this month. And their artists series, in which performers pick songs that influenced them, is very popular.