SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Computer Inc. announced today that it would begin selling the new iPod Shuffle music player from Friday November 3. The company had previously showcased the matchbook-sized Shuffle in September.
The iPod Shuffle has a capacity of 1 gigabyte and can hold up to 240 songs. It will retail for $79 down from the previous model's selling price of $140. The year-ending holiday season is very important for Apple as the sales volumes shoot up during these last months.
Additionally the earnings will determine the company's year-end financial results. Last year Apple had sold 14 million iPods during the fourth quarter. The iPod has become iconic ever since its introduction five years ago. Apple has sold almost 70 million iPods since October 2001 when the music player was introduced.
David Card, the lead analyst on the JupiterResearch report said the new iPod Shuffle represented a positive upgrade over the original version, "It's not just a cheap iPod. This is the other device you'll have. Surveys show a lot of multi-device ownership among iPod owners," he added.
Shares of Apple are currently trading on the Nasdaq at 80.44.
