It's happened all too often. You save up for the current hot Apple product, wait it out until about several months later into its launch for that price dip, and then pounce on your goodie. You feel happy that at long last, you purchased that darned gadget, and it was a good one at that. And then you brag about it to your friend, only to be told, "That's nice. But it would have been better if you just waited a couple more months. They're releasing the updated version soon, you know."

Well, apparently, you did not know. And even if you did know and wait out for it, there's a slightly big probability that that scenario will still happen anyway. So, when is it exactly a good time to buy that Apple product? iLounge's editors seem to have gone through this all too much, that they thought of coming up with a "ten-step guide to happy purchases of new Apple products".

The list basically tells you to expect a whole lot of constant improvements and upgrades on their products. Particularly, for the iPod, the changes would most likely be on the storage and enclosure. Also, not all changes come with a bang. Sometimes, you'd just find yourself holding an Apple product that's got newer stuff (brighter LCD screens in Cinema Displays, iMacs or iPods, probably), or exhibit fewer failures/problems, "which Apple will almost never publicize (MacBook/MacBook Pro logic boards), or will play down (replacement of iPod 3G/4G screens or nano 1GB screens with less bright versions).

Other than that, the list also warns you against staggered launches. According to them, it happens most often that the company will stagger new product launches at different times throughout the year, making it possible that a new model could arrive at any time, and on short notice. The witty thing about this tactic is that it does not necessarily aim to confuse consumers-it's done to keep competitors on their toes-but it does both.

And the list goes on. But basically, at the end of the day, as to the question of whether or not you buy now or wait, the answer is simple. If the existing product already has the features that you need, go ahead. Buy it and enjoy it. If not, then obviously, you'd want to wait it out. Then again, if you buy something that Apple replaces soon thereafter, you can probably return the item to the store where you purchased it for a complete or partial refund. Just make sure that you do it within the allowable time to do so.