Apple Shipping 100K iPod nanos a Day, Mulls 1GB Model

In a best effort to meet demand for its top-selling iPod nano this holiday, Apple Computer is building and shipping 100,000 of the ultra-slim digital music players each day, reliable sources tell AppleInsider. In recent weeks Apple has made moves to increase its output of iPod nanos, which are the company’s best selling items this holiday season. This included tapping former click-wheel supplier Synaptics to help supply components for click-wheels in the 2GB and 4GB nano.

According to sources, last week members of Apple’s marketing team wrangled over the release of 1GB iPod nano — essentially a 2GB nano sans half the flash memory — which the company recently showed to its business partners and considered for release early next year.

AppleInsider – Apple shipping 100K nanos a day, mulls 1GB model

Certainly, the current 1GB Shuffle has proved popular, with not only Apple’s own online store running out of stock, as reported by numerous websites, but also a number of third-party dealerships finding themselves without 1GB Shuffles to sell, The Register can confirm. The 1GB capacity appears to have hit something of a sweet spot with consumers, though we shouldn’t discount the Shuffle’s neat styling and low price, too. But with the AppleStore pointing to a mid-January re-stock date for the 1GB Shuffle, Apple may want to target that market segment with a lower capacity Nano in the meantime.

The Register – Apple ponders 1GB iPod Nano