Apple Posts Signature iPods From Tony Hawk, Beck, & Madonna

by , 9:00 AM EST, December 11th, 2002

Would you pay extra to have Beck's name on your iPod? How about Madonna? Tony Hawk? Thanks to some eagle-eyed members of the TMO forums, that question has relevance today. On Apple's iPod promo site, the company has listed three new signature iPods, from Beck, Madonna, and Tony Hawk. Those Web pages:

Click on the images to see larger versions

Beck's Limited Edition iPod page
Madonna's Limited Edition iPod page


Tony Hawk's Limited Edition iPod page

As of this writing, there is no official word from Apple on the new iPods, but we expect an announcement from the company in due order. Pricing for the limited edition units is US$49 more for each size. The 5 GB model is priced at US$348, the 10 GB unit at US$448, and the 20 GB iPod at US$548.

There aren't currently any links to the pages from the Apple Store or the main Apple Promo page, but you can find the pages at the following links: Beck's iPod, Madonna's iPod, and Tony Hawk's iPod.

The Mac Observer Spin:

We find this to be very interesting. Super Special Edition Limited Run Signature versions of other products have been quite successful in the market place. From limited run books to Eddie Bauer Edition cars, this has been a lucrative field for many a company. It remains to be seen if Apple can replicate that kind of success with these iPods, but we aren't betting against it.

That said, we think that this sort of product will appeal most strongly to young people, but the price point may well be above the means of many members of that demographic. As such, it will be interesting to see how Apple unfolds this, and how they push it in the market place. It's certainly not too late, for instance, for a last minute holiday run.

With most of the costs of the US$49 being collected for each unit being limited to licensing fees, this could add a surprisingly tidy sum to Apple's bottom line.

Lastly, we are delighted to see big name music people aligning themselves with Apple, especially with the iPod. With the RIAA's assault on our Fair Use rights, it's great to have some star power lend some support to the li'l-MP3-player-that-could.