Apple axes iPod Hi-Fi

One of Apple’s first, and most controversial forays into the consumer electronics arena has been eighty-sixed. The iPod Hi-Fi, that hulking mass of white plastic and black speaker grille, is no longer available from any of Apple’s retail channels. Are we sad? Not really. We will be the first to admit that the iPod Hi-Fi had an incredible set of speakers on it. It reproduced sound in an elegant and accurate way. The problem, however, was that it was as ugly as sin. Not since the the pre-Jobs era has Apple produced such a hulkingly unattractive product, and it’s presence served to disrupt an aesthetically mature and cultured product line. Add that to a $349 price tag, and you have the recipe for poor sales and consumer backlash. In short, its departure came not a moment too soon. Bye, iPod Hi-Fi, but it’s hard to get too upset when the iPod Touch is oh-so-close.

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