I read today in a MacWorld article that Apple has introduced a new iPod shuffle.  To fit this new improved shuffle into it’s product line, it has dropped the price on the original 1GB shuffle from $79 to $49 -- that’s a 38% price drop after the first six months in the market.  They now have a 2GB shuffle for sale at $69.  That’s twice the storage of the original for $10 less than the original.

I’m not impressed at all with Apple’s underhanded marketing tactics.  RAM prices haven’t fallen that much in the past six months.  You can buy a 4GB micro SD card for $20 retail!  Don’t tell me that apple couldn’t have put out a 4GB shuffle six months ago for about the same price. 

The only conclusion I can draw is Apple just pillaged their most loyal fans, again (need I remind you of the iPhone).  These people, some of whom will camp out to have the newest Apple gadget, paid a pretty hefty premium for something that in six months is already yesterday’s junk.  Their only consolation is it was only $30 and not $200.  I haven’t heard of any $30 coupons for music downloads from iTunes, or any other consolation for those who just bought a 1GB model for $79.  At least Apple gave a discount to their iPhone early adopters.

How many of those early adopters will just go out and buy a new, bigger shuffle?  What will they do with their old one?  I’d like to get a photo of a fan-boy’s junk drawer.

It just seems that Apple is taking advantage of their best customers.  What will happen when the fan-boys start reading these pages, wake up and realize how silly they’ve been?