I mean, yeah, you, I and half the world was expecting it to be gone soon, but still. The $349 niche sound system (which did sound good to Apple’s credit) is no longer available on Apple’s online store. Though not the most popular iPod-related product, it still was a bold move for Apple to release its own audio docking system. I’m sure if you scour your local Apple store, you can find them marked down for a much lower price than $349. Or not.
I also heard it sounded very nice and was built like a tank. Had they been a bit more reasonable on the pricing, it probably would have sold very well. $350 is a buttload of cash for an amplifier and a few speakers. Note that this is not an Apple-specific issue — I don’t (and won’t) own a Bose or any other $300+ iPod dock.
For $199, I would have bought the HiFi without thinking. IMO, $50 for “cheap” dock, $100 for mid-quality and $200 for high quality is the divisions I expect. $300+ is absurd.
Strange that they removed it from the store, yet it still appears under the “iPod + iTunes” tab, and they even updated this page: http://www.apple.com/ipodhifi/ipodintegration.html
with an image of the new iPod. Maybe its not quite dead…(I’m getting better!)
Actually having one, its been enjoyed by everyone and everything. My kids left it out in the garage, and the mice like it so much they filled it up with bird seed! It still sounds great and makes its own sound as you shake it in time to the beat!