Update coming? - Reading the tea leaves

[wyneken]

Apple has an interesting promotion underway: get a free iPod when you buy a new Mac.

The eye-catching thing is that only two iPod models are included in this offer: the $299 iPod Touch and the $199 Nano.

This seems like a pretty great deal, especially where the Touch is concerned. I can't help wondering if there's a message here.

One obvious inference is that new models are due out shortly for these two iPods, and this promotion is a way of cleaning out inventory without leaving a whole raft of customers who paid full price in the last couple of months before the update.

(I should add that this may apply also to some Mac models, like the MacBook, which haven't been seriously updated for a couple of years and are starting to seem almost overdue.)

Has anybody heard anything?

[gonzobman]

This isn't something new. They've run promotions like this in the past. The educational discount almost always has a free iPod credit for around $200,as well as a $99 printer credit. So don't read too much into this promo. It's how my daughter got a free printer and Nano a year ago when she started college with her MacBook Pro.

[jhollington]

Yes, but the free iPod promos are generally ways for Apple to clear out old stock before September, which is generally when they announce new iPod models.

Traditionally, however, this promo has provided a rebate on any iPod model, equivalent to the price of a mid-range iPod nano. The fact that this one only includes the iPod touch and iPod nano and not the iPod classic actually is somewhat interesting, and may imply that the iPod classic is either not getting an update, or simply that they don't have as much overstock to clear out.