Comments on: Really? iPod owners want FM tuners?

By: Cajun

Cajun — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:12:33 +0000

An AM tuner is better for me…the FM stations here only play Country, 70/80′s….better selections on AM

By: Frank M

Frank M — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:15:44 +0000

I feel the iPod is over priced to begin with. Add to that the iTunes limitations and the lack of FM tuner, a Samaung player is a far better choice for me. Equal build quality, useable/useful features, including a great FM receiver make it my first choice at less than half the cost of the iPod.

By: Mischievous

Mischievous — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:20:21 +0000

I would like a FM tuner. The gym I use brodcast’s television sound on FM channels. Yes, I could get a cheap something. But, which one am I going to use today? sometimes I feel like music, sometimes TV, soemtimes books, and sometimes podcasts. Seems counter productive. Just more stuff…..

By: tuneno

tuneno — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:00:45 +0000

As many of the contributors suggest why not an fm tuner to provide benefits many could make use of ? Do 43% of users/owners make use of other features ? If not let’s bin those features as others have suggested. I will not buy an iPod until it has this basic feature that just about every other similar product on the market has as standard. Just another case of Mr Jobs believing his own pr and that my friends is why Apple, despite some great products and innovations, will always be second in the big picture !

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:49:21 +0000

I held off for three years buying an iPod because it didn’t come with an AM/FM tuner. Finally broke down this xmas and purchased 80 GB and also the FM tuner which really only gives me 2/3 of what I want in a product.

Primarily I need the tuner to listen to NPR (I am not even a baby boomer). I suppose the tuner doesn’t need to be incorporated in the iPod, but there’s a market for tuners either as an attached product or other. The technology has been around for a long time. What does it take?

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:42:17 +0000

I guess none of you listen to the news on NPR (National Public Radio), huh? Some of us baby boomers follow what’s going on in the world. As such, I’d definitely like an integrated FM tuner, as the FM tuner accessory is very inconvenient, with way too much wire connecting it to the iPod. I think this simply comes down to Apple selling music, and if you can get radio on the iPod, their bean counters have figured out that they’ll sell 5% (or whatever) fewer tunes. Even one percent would be a lot of money for them.

By: Ankit

Ankit — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:30:50 +0000

i think you all are correct. ipods are not only meant for music or videos or photos or other things but also as a radio.

By: Markus

Markus — Sun, 06 May 2007 15:33:36 +0000

The price shouldn’t be the problem here.

Just yesterday, I bought the Philips SA3115, 1 GB Flash Player, with a quite big color display, MP3, WMA, Movie capapilities, FM Tuner, Voice Recorder, all with a nice navigation menu (does look a bit like on the iPod). The device can be mounted as a regular USB drive, no compulsory use of iTunes needed. All that for EUR 69,00.

I will now sell my iPod Video 80 GB on eBay, maybe I will buy again, when Apple comes out with multitouch widescreen iPods. ;-)

By: Ken

Ken — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:01:13 +0000

The iPod started as a music device. I don’t understand why some people are so hostile against those who want FM radio in the iPod. It’s cheap (an internal FM tuner chip wouldn’t justify a price increase of $49) it’s tiny and it gives you access to sports, news, tons of ads and some music you may haven’t come across.

We’ve swallowed features that were more costly than an FM tuner; the colour screen that drained more battery than the monochrome one, the video playback in this tiny screen, games…

I would appreciate everything that doesn’t add up to the price, and allows me to have less things dangling from my iPod. If that included a cork opener (and it didn’t harm my iPod’s design, of course!), would be more than ok with it.

By: EDub

EDub — Tue, 01 May 2007 15:00:50 +0000

Now, if only Apple would do just the opposite and release an iPod with an FM modulator…

By: GJD

GJD — Tue, 01 May 2007 09:04:47 +0000

So 43% of iPod owners want FM Radio? Then they can buy the bleedin’ remote control. The rest of us who have no interest in generic, playlist-centric commercial radio can save US$50 on the price of our iPods.

By: ipod owner

ipod owner — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:49:44 +0000

I understand your head hurting, but I think the “keep ahead of the competition” reference (in relation to adding FM radio which other players already have) suggests that keep ahead but not allowing a gap to develop in other areas of functionality. That is, if you have better functionality and someone comes along with a not quite so good player that has functionality you don’t, you can maintain the status quo (i.e., your positional leadership) by adding the same functionality.
I’d welcome an FM radio. There are just times when I’d like to. I understand most of has limited appeal but, for the sake of a $5 IC, they could add it to the iPod and we’d at least have the choice.

By: Steven Zerby

Steven Zerby — Tue, 01 May 2007 01:24:20 +0000

I want an FM tuner in my ipod, but not for music. I listen thru speakers at work (I’m in construction) and want to switch to NPR for Fresh Air at 4:00 and all things considered at 5:00. after listen to music on the ipod for 8 hours or so, I’m ready for a little news and information.

By: Sebhelyesfarku

Sebhelyesfarku — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:23:34 +0000

Funny thread. Murphy’s law: for every missing feature there’s a brand whore apologist.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:58:09 +0000

FM? Feh. XM would be better, but the sound quality still sucks. I use an iPod because I want my music, not stuff that somebody else wants me to listen to.

By: Christian

Christian — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:48:04 +0000

Putting an FM tuner into the iPod would make the iPod more expensive in Germany since there’s a licence fee for radio receivers (or rather devices that can receive radio programmes) of ~5 Euros per month. That’s another 60 Euros per year for as long as you own the iPod.