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California, U.S.-based Apple(R) has announced that it is moving the worldwide availability of iPod(TM) mini to July 2004 due stronger than expected demand in the U.S., which the company says far exceeds the total planned supply through the end of June 2004. Apple expects to ramp up its manufacturing of the iPod mini to meet worldwide demand in the July 2004 quarter.
"The iPod mini is a huge hit with customers in the U.S. and we're sure it will be the same worldwide once we can ramp up our supply in the July quarter," said Tim Cook, Apple's executive vice president of Worldwide Sales and Operations. "The iPod mini adds further momentum to the iPod, which is already the leading digital music player in the world."
According to Apple, the iPod mini is the world's smallest portable music player to hold up to 1,000 CD-quality songs. Encased in a portable, lightweight anodized aluminum body, the music device in five colors -- silver, gold, pink, blue, and green. The iPod will also work in tandem with Apple's iTunes(R).
According to a Reuters report, the computer maker says the demand problem lies with its supplier. "We're actually consuming just about all the 4 GB, 1-in drives they make. As they make more, we'll get more," said Greg Joswiak, Apple vice president of Hardware Product Marketing, said in the report.
Analysts believe that Hitachi Ltd., which has said it makes nearly all of the cutting-edge 1-in drives in the market, is Apple's supplier. Neither Hitachi nor Apple has confirmed Hitachi makes the iPod drives, the report also stated.
Apple began in February 2004 to ship the smaller version of its iPod music player. The iPod mini was originally slated to begin shipping worldwide in April 2004.
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