80 GB iPod?

[MacRumors]

Toshiba, maker of the 1.8" hard drives currently used in iPods, has announced (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/toshiba_80gb_1-8in_hdd/) that it is planning to ship an 80 GB in the 3rd quarter of 2005. The annoucement of the drive comes a year after it announced the 60 GB version currently found in the iPod photo.

Unlike the 60 GB announcement, Toshiba has chosen to not name names (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/06/20040602093211.shtml) of who might order this upcoming 80 GB drive, but given that the sizing of the device is relatively the same as the 60 GB counterpart, it isn't unreasonable to have it incorporated into the next generation iPod.

Additionally, Toshiba announced a revision to the 40 GB model slated to ship in the 2nd quarter of 2005. This revision is thinner and lighter than the current 40 GB model, which could lead to a thinner mid-range iPod.

[Bozola]

Hopefully. the price will drop..........

[wordmunger]

If they can make an 80 gig 1.8 incher, how much capacity will we be seeing in a laptop hard drive?

[tny]

Maybe I should wait until next Christmas to get the iPod Photo. Or will this be used for an iPod Video?

[howard]

If they can make an 80 gig 1.8 incher, how much capacity will we be seeing in a laptop hard drive?

thats exactly what i was thinking

why don't we have bigger laptop drives!!!

[timnosenzo]

Uh oh, more iPod news... Here come the haters. :rolleyes:

Personally, I think an 80GB iPod would rule! :D

[~Shard~]

This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise - welcome to the world of technology! I'm sure by Q3 05 this will be relative and almost expected, so this announcement isn't a real big shock. Regardless, this paves the way nicely for video iPods! :cool:

[wdlove]

Fantastic an 80 GB iPod. Wonder if they can keep the price around $499?

[~Shard~]

Maybe I should wait until next Christmas to get the iPod Photo. Or will this be used for an iPod Video?

Good luck trying to forecast what will happen a year from now - no one knows - once again, welcome to the world of technology! If you play the waiting game, you'll always be waiting for the next best thing. Just get what you need, when you need it, and you'll never be disappointed.

As for the video iPod specifically, it will depend if Apple and the industry as a whole is ready for some sort of iTMS for movies - that still might be a bit premature. Until something like this is more feasible, there is really limited legal situations in which an iPod video would be able to be used. Market timing is everything, and that's why Apple released the iPod photo first, and not the iPod video.

[ntg]

If Apple do (and I'm sure they will) use the new form-factor drives, then I reckon they will put a bigger battery into the increased space available to extend play-time, rather than make it any thinner.

Nig

[yoman]

If they can make an 80 gig 1.8 incher, how much capacity will we be seeing in a laptop hard drive?

I wonder about the RPMs of this little drive, if it is low you couldn't run a computer off of it with desirable speeds. If it is high enough then bring on bigger laptop drives. :)

[ASP272]

If they can make an 80 gig 1.8 incher, how much capacity will we be seeing in a laptop hard drive?

That's an excellent question! Why haven't laptop HDs increased dramatically in size like the desktops. If you can make a 500gb hard drive at 3.5" and an 80gb at 1.8", why in the world couldn't you produce at least a 250gb at 2.5"? :confused:

[hayesk]

I wonder about the RPMs of this little drive, if it is low you couldn't run a computer off of it with desirable speeds. If it is high enough then bring on bigger laptop drives. :)

Good point. Not only that, laptop drives are spinning almost all of the time, I don't think the iPod drives are built for constant usage.

[wPod]

If Apple do (and I'm sure they will) use the new form-factor drives, then I reckon they will put a bigger battery into the increased space available to extend play-time, rather than make it any thinner.

Nig

they will make the 40GB the same size as the 20GB. then have a 60Gb as the larger size.

i just hope this brings prices down. . . or maybe the smaller drive will alow for wifi capabilities too hook up to AirPort Express!!!! (i can still dream cant i?)

[macridah]

thats exactly what i was thinking

why don't we have bigger laptop drives!!!

I too was thinking the samething. I bought a iMac G5 with a 160GB hardrive cuz the powerbook only went up to 80 (i do movies and rip all my CD's, and my friends :D ). Soon, we'll see powerbooks with >100 GB hardrives.

[AmigoMac]

it's not really a surprise here, it's not a "Big" rumor, but gives room for hope, I just got my iPod photo 40 GB and i can see the space for 80 GB with photos and backups... nice move from Toshiba, I think we will see those babies by MWSF 06 ... but some firmware update is still needed... hello steve?

[jxyama]

Hopefully. the price will drop..........

apple hasn't dropped the price levels of the iPod in quite some time. the capacity has gotten larger, but the prices have remained the same, $300, $400, etc.

it's highly unlikely to happen. iPod isn't supposed to be a "commodity" and using a smaller capacity HD does not reduce the cost that much anyway.

i wouldn't hold your breath for a 10 GB $200 iPod, if i were you... if you want an iPod for less than ~$300, you need to either get it used, use edu discounts, if you qualify, or get a mini. (or flash, if it comes out)

[~Shard~]

Hopefully. the price will drop..........

I doubt it. I would expect the price to stay the same as the 60 GB, just that you'll be getting 20 more GB for the same price, and who knows what other improved functionality. I think this is still a pretty good deal.

But who knows, maybe costs will be a lot less by the time this things rolls around and Apple will eb in a position to afford a $50 price drop or something. Probably not likely though...

[Chomolungma]

If they can make an 80 gig 1.8 incher, how much capacity will we be seeing in a laptop hard drive?

I think we'll see 100 GB+ laptop HD this coming year, however, I still prefer speed to power comsumption (ratio) over capacity in a laptop. 7200 rpm, I believe should be standard fairly soon for the PBs and hopefully in the near future for iBooks. It would be nice if they can design a HD with faster access time (~9000 rpm) in the future, and that it consumes as much as a 5400 rpm drive today. Off course to do this requires an engineering break through, and I think you may be on the right track here. What about a 1.8" HD that spin much faster than the one in the iPods? Afterall, smaller HD that spin faster won't use more power than a bigger drive with the same speed.

just a thought,
-Chomo

[pimentoLoaf]

I'm waiting for the sub-$150 250gb model with widescreen video capability.

[toughboy]

What I'm more interested in is the 40gb thinner harddrive which will replace the 20gb iPods we have now.. my entire archive has reaced upto 30gb, I need something bigger now.. 20 is of course more then enough but still
:rolleyes: :)

[cantrdr]

Maybe I should wait until next Christmas to get the iPod Photo. Or will this be used for an iPod Video?


If you look in the prospectus for the PortalPlayer IPO, it shows that there long term growth goals include making a chip with Video capabilities by 2006. Since Apple is a 85% customer of Portalplayer, my guess would be a video iPod of some form factor is not such a myth after all. But who knows Apple may ditch portalplayer in a a years time as well (that comment isn't based on any specific info, so its not even a rumour)!
Jobs said he wouldn't make the iPod a Video player, he didn't say anything about not innovating beyond iPod!!

[MattG]

Mmmm 80gb color WiFiPod....

[xtbfx]

Hmmm, this would be excellent for the "Home on the iPod" feature that is virtually nonexistent.

I hope they shove this feature in Tiger before it's release. Dang it Apple, PUT IT IN YOUR NEXT OS!!!

[Bad Beaver]

Ay, 80GB iPod would be nice, since it could keep at about half of my music library, should be sufficient. Or a cheaper 60GB without photo functionality. Not to speak of a 80GB "music only" one.
No need for color, just capacity :cool:

[limi]

I wonder about the RPMs of this little drive, if it is low you couldn't run a computer off of it with desirable speeds. If it is high enough then bring on bigger laptop drives. :)

It's 4200rpm, the same as the normal PowerBook drives are at the moment. Not that rpm is the only determining factor, but they are probably fast enough to run a laptop off. I believe the thinnest Sony laptop, the X505, uses one. Have a look: http://www.dynamism.com/x505/

[Ted13]

I can't wait -- my 40gb iPod is full, and I have less than 1/2 of my CD collection in iTunes. The trouble is, I doubt that they would use the 80gb for a regular iPod, instead they'll want extra cash for features I won't want.

I'm an avid digital photographer, but the iPod photo is totally useless unless you can off-load your camera directly to it. Until and unless they add feature, you have to buy an attachment, which works just as well with the non "photo" iPod...

Ted

[mechamac]

An 80 gig iPod will never, ever happen. This announcement means nothing.

I mean, golly, why not run an article noting that Apple has not shut down their R&D group....are new products from Apple a possibility in 2005????

(love this site, but especially after the 60 GB announcement a while back I couldn't resist)

[Mord]

this is a obvious good thing but it may take a long while to get 80GB ipods, maybe in september

[shamino]

Fantastic an 80 GB iPod. Wonder if they can keep the price around $499?
Probably. The way the hard drive industry seems to work, the latest and greatest drives always occupy the same price point. So as new/larger models come out, the prices of everything else goes down, and the smallest models are discontinued.

WRT iPods, Apple has kept with this tradition. $500 for the high-end one, $400 for the mid-range and $300 for the low-end.

The iPod Photo added $100 to this, but that is easily explained by the color screen and video-out. It is logical to assume that a (currently hypothetical) non-photo 60G iPod would sell for $500 right now.

I don't know of Apple will put an 80G drive in a straight iPod, but they probably will put it in the iPod Photo. When they do, I think we can expect the 80G model to sell at the current high-end price ($600), with the 60G reduced to $500 and the 40G reduced to $400.

Maybe with corresponding price reductions in the non-photo line (reduce the non-photo 40G to $300 and drop the 20G model to make room for larger minis.)

All this is speculation, of course, but it fits with recent trends, so we're likely to see something similar. Of course, Toshiba won't be shipping the 80G drive for a year and they will re-issue the 40G drive in a thinner form-factor before that, so Apple may decide to do a round of iPod updates before moving to the larger capacities.

[SiliconAddict]

Thanks but no. I'm perfectly happy with my 60GB iPod. Short of Apple releasing a iPod Video, at least for me, there is no reason. I have about 9GB of free space left on my baby. That should last me a couple more years. :)

[shamino]

If Apple do (and I'm sure they will) use the new form-factor drives, then I reckon they will put a bigger battery into the increased space available to extend play-time, rather than make it any thinner.
And I would disagree with this assertion.

The 20G iPod is in a thinner case from the 40G. I think Apple would love the opportunity to start selling 40's using the same case as the 20. Smaller is a selling point, and there's an advantage to being able to use one size case for both the 20 and 40.

We'll see what happens in a few months, when the thinner 40G drive ships...

[Diatribe]

thats exactly what i was thinking

why don't we have bigger laptop drives!!!

100GB HDs are already out. 120GBs will be available beginning of next year. By the end of the year we'll be up to 160-180GB.
The next PBs will have a 100GB option, you'll see.

[Savage Henry]

I see this as little more than support for the iPod Photo line ... no video, no WiFi, no waffle-grill panel, just plain ole photos.

But I do agree with those hoping the price of the other range will come down. I can't see the consumers supporting the range at higher prices than they are right now.

[macridah]

Mmmm 80gb color WiFiPod....

dude, i would be in utopia ... how about it also would have a quicktime?

[wordmunger]

I think we'll see 100 GB+ laptop HD this coming year

Yeah, I've heard those rumors as well. However, since a 2.5-inch drive platter has 190 percent of the surface area compared to a 1.8-inch drive, we should be seeing 150 GB laptop HDs. That's what I'm asking: why the holdup?

[shamino]

I too was thinking the samething. I bought a iMac G5 with a 160GB hardrive cuz the powerbook only went up to 80 (i do movies and rip all my CD's, and my friends :D ). Soon, we'll see powerbooks with >100 GB hardrives.
The largest 2.5" hard drives currently shipping at 100G. (A quick browse of Seagate's web site shows two models. One at 4200 RPM (http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/discsales/marketing/detail/0,1081,634,00.html) and one at 5400 RPM (http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/discsales/marketing/detail/0,1081,635,00.html).

Why Apple doesn't offer either of these as BTO options in their Powerbooks/iBooks is unknown to me.

[ifjake]

i wish Apple would just let the iPod be a music player. what is it now $300 for 20Gb, $400 for 40Gb, $500 for 40Gb photo, and $600 for 60Gb photo. anyone who wants more space is going to have to shell out more money for extra stuff. i'm all for Apple making a PDA of some sort (again) but i'm not liking this "let's see how much extra features we can shove into the iPod because people will buy it." i'm still very disappointed that they put in color screens and photo junk into the iPod before quality stereo recording capabilities (not mono voice memo iMic nonsense). screw pictures and video, i just want Apple to maximize the audio possibilities of this thing. no iPod for me yet.

[Raid]

Although I really doubt that Apple will reduce the prices on the iPods, at least we keep getting more 'bang for our buck'. For those of us that need the higher GB apple keeps increasing the capacity of the drives, but keeping the cost flat. We just have to decide when the best time to upgrade is (now I'm thinking 60GB iPod photo for Christmas 2005). If cost is more of a factor, it looks like Apple is trying to branch across to those people with the rumored flash based iPods (at least I hope they price them significantly lower than the mini!).

[Diatribe]

Yeah, I've heard those rumors as well. However, since a 2.5-inch drive platter has 190 percent of the surface area compared to a 1.8-inch drive, we should be seeing 150 GB laptop HDs. That's what I'm asking: why the holdup?

You will in 2005.

[Diatribe]

Why Apple doesn't offer either of these as BTO options in their Powerbooks/iBooks is unknown to me.

Because Apple never changes the specs between upgrades. That's why.

[The Red Wolf]

If I were to get a Gen5 (Theoretical) 80 GB iPod. I would want an 80 gig iPod not a gimmick stricken media gadget. Give me a Monochrome screen. Simplicity, power, Bluetooth or AirPort Extreme for wireless syncing and ear buds. That would be an iPod. $499. $399 w/o wireless 60 GB. I firmly believe in the iPod being the centerpiece of digital music. I don't want a iPod: Phone, TV, Beta, VHS, Hi8, WMA, QuickTime, THX Home Theater, dishwashing, pet walking, Replecant that Dreams of Electric Sheep.

[virividox]

Hmmm, this would be excellent for the "Home on the iPod" feature that is virtually nonexistent.

I hope they shove this feature in Tiger before it's release. Dang it Apple, PUT IT IN YOUR NEXT OS!!!

yeah i cant fit my home dir on my ipod!!! i want to tho but then by the time an ipod can fit my home dir, id probably upgrade my hd and then id need a new ipod to fit it...the vicious cycle

[dejo]

i'm still very disappointed that they put in color screens and photo junk into the iPod before quality stereo recording capabilities (not mono voice memo iMic nonsense). screw pictures and video, i just want Apple to maximize the audio possibilities of this thing. no iPod for me yet.

What would you do with quality stereo recording capabilities in an iPod?

[littlecorgi]

Hmmm, I'm not enthusiastic about the increase in disk space. I just want an FM tuner & recorder built into the ipod. Is this too much to ask of apple :confused: :confused: :confused:

[sushi]

Just get what you need, when you need it, and you'll never be disappointed.
Wise words indeed.

It is impossible to stay up with all technology. The key is to determine what you need, then get it and enjoy using it.

Heck, as much as I would like to get a new 40GB iPod, I could not justify the cost considering that my G1 10GB iPod still works great.

Of course if my 10GB goes South, I would replace it in a heartbeat. But until then, still happy with it.

Sushi

[johnpaul191]

I wonder about the RPMs of this little drive, if it is low you couldn't run a computer off of it with desirable speeds. If it is high enough then bring on bigger laptop drives. :)

they are 4200RPM according to the article. the drives seek time is supposedly not really fast enough to use in a laptop as the main drive (for AV for example).
supposedly there is a question about the drive's durability too. the iPod loads a lot of the music in cache. if the drive could not handle being a full Hd, that may be a reason home on ipod never showed up in 10.3?

[shamino]

I think we'll see 100 GB+ laptop HD this coming year
100G drives already exist. All Apple has to do is start offering them as options.

If you have a 15" or 17" PowerBook, you can buy a 100G drive and install it yourself. I wouldn't recommend a HD upgrade on an iBook or 12" PowerBook. The procedure is not easy on those models.

[shamino]

i wish Apple would just let the iPod be a music player. what is it now $300 for 20Gb, $400 for 40Gb, $500 for 40Gb photo, and $600 for 60Gb photo. anyone who wants more space is going to have to shell out more money for extra stuff.
Agreed. I would really rather spend $500 on a 60G iPod without the photo nonsense. A color screen is nice, but it's not worth $100.

[KrysBaz]

I'm still have my G1 5gb Ipod.
I love it to bits, but will be upgrading soon (probably the U2 one)
At the moment I don't need photo, video etc in my Ipod, as i have no need for this functionality, I don't even have enough Music to fill 60GB let alone 80.

When I upgrade I'll be happy until the next time my'pod becomes either
1) To Old
2) To Small
3) Broken

I'm all for staying at the leading edge with the biggest most powerful units, but I can't see many people getting an 80gb Ipod as a first foray in to the Mac music world, but then again we all have to start somewhere

[SiliconAddict]

Agreed. I would really rather spend $500 on a 60G iPod without the photo nonsense. A color screen is nice, but it's not worth $100.


Hehe. Have you played with an iPod photo? Oh yes it is. :D

[Object-X]

thats exactly what i was thinking

why don't we have bigger laptop drives!!!

Because these drives will be in the new G5 Powerbook. They need the room for extra fans. :rolleyes:

[Xtremehkr]

A few years from now the iPod could be a digital suitcase for all sorts of information.

[2A Batterie]

Does this have any link to the position Apple was searching to fill in June/July (they were looking for someone to work in the iPod division that had Wi-Fi skillz)?
Regardless, I'm excited about this rumor. I have yet to buy an iPod, but would certainly purchase an 80gb one. I prefer higher quality encoding and I have a medium sized library. With 4305 songs ripped in Apple Lossless I have a little over 81gb, so the 80gb iPod would be perfect for me and others who prefer higher quality encoding.
What would make the iPod a must-have for all musicians would be 44.1/48khz stereo recording capabilities. This would make the iPod a great tool for recording rehearsals and gigs and then being able to review your performance by listening to a quality recording. The iMic can't do this; it is good for voice memos and recording a meeting, but blows for audio.

[maya]

This is great news indeed think about it this way the line up will be as such:

iPod

20 (slimmer) -----> 40 (same size extended battery life) ------> 60 (no colour screen or photo just music).


iPod Photo

40 -----------> 60 --------------> 80


Well that is how its going to play with Apple placing orders for more and more of these drives they can now offer a 60GB HDD for music only since Apple loves the 3 model level look at they iMac G5 as well same deal, iBooks same, PowerBooks seem to have a few extra models as well as the PMG5 line however that is more options for the pro line i guess.

Why are you people complaining for those like myself who don't want colour or photos on my iPod I will finally have the option to have a 60GB music only iPod. :)

[JGowan]

If you look in the prospectus for the PortalPlayer IPO, it shows that there long term growth goals include making a chip with Video capabilities by 2006. Since Apple is a 85% customer of Portalplayer, my guess would be a video iPod of some form factor is not such a myth after all.SJ claims that the main problem with a Video Player is not enough content... What Apple needs to do is to create a Livingroom Media Digital Video Recorder.

What it should do...

1) TRANSFER VIDEO files from unit to computer.
2) Include software to easily EDIT out commercials.
3) Easy-to-burn DVDs with built-in templates for cool MENUs.
4) Allow for streaming iTunes Music and Photos to the TV.

Right now, all this is possible, but it takes lots of different software/hardware and time -- and you have to know what you're doing. Apple could make it easy.

Personally, I can transfer MPEG files wirelessly off my ReplayTV to either my tower or PowerBook and can watch those prerecorded movies or TV shows either on my 23" HD monitor or on the go with the PBook. I don't edit commercials because it's a long and laborous process, although EyeTV does it with its MPEG files.

TiVo allows for DVD burning with certain units and also streams music and pictures from the computer.

Also, it would be great to show up Microsoft who came out with "UltimateTV", which I don't think was the big hit it hoped it'd be.

No video content? Problem solved.

[toughboy]

Hehe. Have you played with an iPod photo? Oh yes it is. :D

I played with it, no its not.. :(

I didnt care about color cell phones, I dont care about color-iPods. I wished form would follow functionality.. nowadays form follows fanciness...
:mad: :confused:

[maya]

Because these drives will be in the new G5 Powerbook. They need the room for extra fans. :rolleyes:

If I am not mistaken I had read that the iPod 1.8" HDD have a a life span of 20,000 hours a 2.5 and 3.5 HDD have far more than that 75,000+ hours. Drive can fail no matter what those are just considered as bad drives. :)

[MacanMosh]

darn no G5 iPod with 2000 hour battery life, c'mon apple, if you can fit a G5 in an iMac you can get one in an iPod, i expected better from you.

[Le Big Mac]

That's an excellent question! Why haven't laptop HDs increased dramatically in size like the desktops. If you can make a 500gb hard drive at 3.5" and an 80gb at 1.8", why in the world couldn't you produce at least a 250gb at 2.5"? :confused:

Presumably they can, but it's a question of demand at a given price. Many notebook makers likely don't see a demand for drives that large, at least not at a premium price. If apple did it, everyone would b!tch about how expensive the BTO option is.

[slu]

SJ claims that the main problem with a Video Player is not enough content... What Apple needs to do is to create a Livingroom Media Digital Video Recorder.

What it should do...

1) TRANSFER VIDEO files from unit to computer.
2) Include software to easily EDIT out commercials.
3) Easy-to-burn DVDs with built-in templates for cool MENUs.
4) Allow for streaming iTunes Music and Photos to the TV.

Right now, all this is possible, but it takes lots of different software/hardware and time -- and you have to know what you're doing. Apple could make it easy.

Personally, I can transfer MPEG files wirelessly off my ReplayTV to either my tower or PowerBook and can watch those prerecorded movies or TV shows either on my 23" HD monitor or on the go with the PBook. I don't edit commercials because it's a long and laborous process, although EyeTV does it with its MPEG files.

TiVo allows for DVD burning with certain units and also streams music and pictures from the computer.

Also, it would be great to show up Microsoft who came out with "UltimateTV", which I don't think was the big hit it hoped it'd be.

No video content? Problem solved.

No legal video content.

[jared_kipe]

Ok, so I can see 20 and 40GB, maybe even 60 once you get some photos. But who in their right mind has 80GB of music and photos?? What would the play time be like, my 13GB would play for almost 7 days, and thats with my CDs ripped at 256Kpbs. So 80GB would be like a moth and a half or something.

[~Shard~]

I'm waiting for the sub-$150 250gb model with widescreen video capability.

Hope you're a patient man... Maybe you can ask your grandchildren for it as a birthday gift... :p :cool:

[Doctor Q]

As drive technology marches on, it would be great if we could upgrade our iPods, rather than buying new larger ones as complete replacements. There are only two tiny problems:

1. iPods aren't designed to be field-upgraded. That would take a different design and require more R&D and perhaps a larger size, none of which would benefit one-time buyers.

2. Apple has no reason to make iPods with replaceable drives, since they are quite happy to sell you a new, larger one instead.

[~Shard~]

Wise words indeed.

It is impossible to stay up with all technology. The key is to determine what you need, then get it and enjoy using it.

Heck, as much as I would like to get a new 40GB iPod, I could not justify the cost considering that my G1 10GB iPod still works great.

Of course if my 10GB goes South, I would replace it in a heartbeat. But until then, still happy with it.

Sushi

Exactly. My 20 GB 3G iPod and 1.25 GHz G4 17" iMac will last me quite a while and accomplish everything I need to do for a long time to come. Would a G5 be nice? Sure. Would a 80 GB iPod photo be nice? Sure. But do I need to spend money on those items? Absolutely not. I'd rather save my money for when the time comes that I need a new system/iPod/digital camera/whatever, then I can afford to buy a really quality system. I've never really understood people who always rush out and buy the latest and greatest thing. It's a never-ending battle that's impossible to win - there will always be new advances and they will always cost a lot comapred to what they will cost 6 months down the road. But hey, chacun son gout.... :cool:

[~Shard~]

As drive technology marches on, it would be great if we could upgrade our iPods, rather than buying new larger ones as complete replacements. There are only two tiny problems:

1. iPods aren't designed to be field-upgraded. That would take a different design and require more R&D and perhaps a larger size, none of which would benefit one-time buyers.

2. Apple has no reason to make iPods with replaceable drives, since they are quite happy to sell you a new, larger one instead.

...And further to 2), it appears that the general public is quite happy to buy brand new ones regardless as well, thus creating a mutually beneficial relationship for both Apple and the consumer... ;) :cool:

[JGowan]

No legal video content.What's wrong having the video that's on the DVRs? Tivo makes a DVD burner that you can make your own custom DVDs... what's illegal about that? What's illegal about transferring that show to an video ipod? You recorded it. You can use it. I'm not advocating the trading of those MPEGs but there's nothing wrong with taping a show and rewatching it on another device.

[~Shard~]

Ok, so I can see 20 and 40GB, maybe even 60 once you get some photos. But who in their right mind has 80GB of music and photos?? What would the play time be like, my 13GB would play for almost 7 days, and thats with my CDs ripped at 256Kpbs. So 80GB would be like a moth and a half or something.

I remember a couple years ago when people were saying, "Who in their right mind needs an 80 GB Hard Drive?!?"... :p :cool:

[Laurent]

80 GB of music and photos? Yeahhhhhhhhh riiiiiight...

[toughboy]

What's wrong having the video that's on the DVRs? Tivo makes a DVD burner that you can make your own custom DVDs... what's illegal about that? What's illegal about transferring that show to an video ipod? You recorded it. You can use it. I'm not advocating the trading of those MPEGs but there's nothing wrong with taping a show and rewatching it on another device.

Plus, dont we have the right to copy a cd or a dvd once.. to protect the original from any damage..

and plus, lets be honest, what portion of mp3s or yours are legal..

the point is not legality.. the point is to fit a processor which is able to run the codec and play the file.. plus there must be a more advanced operating system, so that as time passes you should be updating new and more advanced codecs..

[FelixDerKater]

I'm perfectly happy with my 20GB iPod. I assume there aren't many people who would use 80GB of space for music.

[Doctor Q]

I remember a couple years ago when people were saying, "Who in their right mind needs an 80 GB Hard Drive?!?"I was once happy with an 80MB hard drive on a desktop system. These days, I have 240GB and use quite a bit of it. So I know never to say "that's too big", even for an iPod.

[Noiseboy]

100G drives already exist. All Apple has to do is start offering them as options.

If you have a 15" or 17" PowerBook, you can buy a 100G drive and install it yourself. I wouldn't recommend a HD upgrade on an iBook or 12" PowerBook. The procedure is not easy on those models.

If this ran at 7200 rpm I'd have one in a heartbeat in my 17" PB but it seems the fastest 2.5" drive is only 60 GBs. Bring on the speed :D

[swissmann]

I wouldn't be interested in it to hold more music. My 20 GB already holds all my music with about 8 GB to spare. I would be interested in it so that I could hold all my music in an Apple Lossless format instead of AAC.

[SiliconAddict]

I played with it, no its not.. :(

I didnt care about color cell phones, I dont care about color-iPods. I wished form would follow functionality.. nowadays form follows fanciness...
:mad: :confused:

So you are telling us that you would be happy with a B&W screen for your computer? A B&W TV. Movies at the theatre should be in B&W. I'm sorry but I don't live in a black and white world. The iPod since day one screamed for color in the device. Pictures are just icing on the cake.

For me the 60GB drive, color high res screen is what makes the iPod photo worth the extra $100.

[easymac800g4]

if you think about it, an ipod is a really small external hard drive that happens to play music. i have a 20g 4g ipod that holds not only my music but a lot of my files that i have to transfer from school to home. also if the demand is not there now, it will be later. and it would be really cool to have owned an 80g ipod for a few years, have all the space you will ever need and not have to worry about needing more for years to come.

[Stella]

Takes me back to when colour screens where introduced to PDAs in around 1999/2000ish.

"Why on earth would you want a colour screen?"
"The colour screens would suck battery life" ( which was true compared to BW)


So you are telling us that you would be happy with a B&W screen for your computer? A B&W TV. Movies at the theatre should be in B&W. I'm sorry but I don't live in a black and white world. The iPod since day one screamed for color in the device. Pictures are just icing on the cake.

For me the 60GB drive, color high res screen is what makes the iPod photo worth the extra $100.

[mr Flibble]

Oh yes, it seems like there will be harddrives even in the next version of iPod which we thought would be flash memory based. My co-worker (who knows almost nothing about iPods and he didn't ask..) was speaking today with technician from Hitachi who told him that his company is producing 1" microdrives with 4GB capacity (6GB ready) for "iPod micro" ;). It can stand 1000G when reading/writing and 2000G when idle. Of course it could be just disinformation based on misunderstanding, but I asked him several times if he's been really speaking about micro or mini..

[dcslacker]

i'd love to get an 80 gig (video) ipod, which will be double the size of my ibook's hard drive. maybe that'll compel me to get a new ibook by then, or the ipod might outperform my ibook. hah. :D

[Mainyehc]

Exactly. My 20 GB 3G iPod and 1.25 GHz G4 17" iMac will last me quite a while and accomplish everything I need to do for a long time to come. Would a G5 be nice? Sure. [...] I've never really understood people who always rush out and buy the latest and greatest thing. It's a never-ending battle that's impossible to win ...

Hum... Curiuosly, I had the exact same system and iPod as you ;)

Both are great items, really... I kept my 20GB 3G iPod, because I don't think those 4 extra hours of battery life and the clickwheel aren't enough to make it worth to buy a 4G one. However, I bought an iMac G5... Why did I do that then??...

I don't know how much RAM you have on your iMac, but I suppose it's not the stock 256 MB. And I never added RAM to my old iMac G4 during the 8 months I had it, so I have no idea if an iMac G4 1.25GHz with 1.25GB of RAM is faster than an equivalent iMac G5 1.8GHz. Anyway, my 20'' iMac G5 1.8, now that it has 1.25GB of RAM, is SO damn fast! Obviously much MUCH faster than my old iMac with the stock RAM.

[Sure, I was an idiot, because with the money I've spent on this new system plus the money I've lost when selling the iMac G4, I could have bought a PM G5 Dual 1.8 and a 20'' Apple Cinema Display... I should think this way: I shouldn't have bought my iMac G4, I should have waited for this one to be introduced (because maybe I don't really need a G5 Dual 1.8 yet).]

I must agree with you: to save money is a *very* wise move... But sometimes, it may just be worth to take that crazy step of updating recently bought hardware. In my personal case, I feel like "two wrongs" actually turned out to make a "right", because now I can actually work much much faster. I still suffer a considerable resentment because of that huge waste of cash, but life must go on (meaning I'll have to try and get myself a part-time job on the next holidays to compensate :eek: :cool: )

[sushi]

So you are telling us that you would be happy with a B&W screen for your computer? A B&W TV. Movies at the theatre should be in B&W. I'm sorry but I don't live in a black and white world. The iPod since day one screamed for color in the device. Pictures are just icing on the cake.

For me the 60GB drive, color high res screen is what makes the iPod photo worth the extra $100.
I don't believe that is his point.

While the iPod photo is very very cool for those who need/want the function, for a simple music player, a color screen is the last thing that I want.

I would much prefer a mini iPod form factor with an 80GB or larger drive with a battery life of 20+ hours long before I want a color screen.

Sushi

[Mainyehc]

...And further to 2), it appears that the general public is quite happy to buy brand new ones regardless as well, thus creating a mutually beneficial relationship for both Apple and the consumer... ;) :cool:

Of course, this is obvious... iPods seem to last SO much (especially if you get a new battery at some point in time), that when they finally break, the iPods avaliably by then are oh-so-much-cooler and featured than those older iPods... Just compare the 1G with the 4G or the iPod Photo: aesthetical considerations aside (I personally think that the 1G looked cooler, or at least, an iPod with those sharp iMac G5-like edges combined with a WHITE red-backlit clickwheel would look AWESOME! :D), the 4G is very slim and has an ever-increasing number of 3rd party accessories. How cool is that? ;)

Just another thought: It seems that as far as durability is concerned, iPods really are to their competition what Macintoshes are to x86 hardware. However, given Apple's huge marketshare in the digital music player market (we should be calling it "iPod market" by now :D), iPods represent a huge business, and aren't viewed by people as some sort of "endangered species" like the Mac (I'm not considering some [yet] stupid "iPod death knells" from PMC and "Works-for-sure-players" lovers). Oh, come on, Apple, pull yourself together and start making some smart moves to boost Mac marketshare... It seems that making insanely great computers and OSs just ISN'T enough, something's missing (maybe MARKETING? [duh]) :cool:

[wedge antilies]

Ok, so I can see 20 and 40GB, maybe even 60 once you get some photos. But who in their right mind has 80GB of music and photos?? What would the play time be like, my 13GB would play for almost 7 days, and thats with my CDs ripped at 256Kpbs. So 80GB would be like a moth and a half or something.

Ok, I'll show my age , but I remember back when i had a 286 computer and all my friend were amazed with a 20MB HDD (I made the switch over a decade ago)
As for 80GB, I need one today, my G4 HD has about 45GB of music (all owned) and that would be half of what I own. Some people (like me) buy at least one CD a week, and have done for over a decade.
I have too many to count now, but I'll tell you I sold 500+ CDs to help pay for an American holiday a few months ago, and I wouldn't ba able to tell you one CD I sold.

Also, if the PC market has taught able anything, its that some people only want the biggest spec. product they can get.
One of the most important things apple is doing with the colour screen and the bigger drives, iPod photo etc., is making it harder for another player to come into the market and differentiate their product from the market leader.
It's all about the marketing wars from now on....

[~Shard~]

I was once happy with an 80MB hard drive on a desktop system. These days, I have 240GB and use quite a bit of it. So I know never to say "that's too big", even for an iPod.

I hear ya Doctor Q, I remember when a 1 GB HD was overkill! Not to mention the Apple //e my brother had with a whopping 64k of RAM and 32k of ROM. That 1 MHz processor screamed! :cool:

[AidenShaw]

my G4 HD has about 45GB of music (all owned) and that would be half of what I own...

I have too many to count now, but I'll tell you I sold 500+ CDs to help pay for an American holiday a few months ago.


Well, you would have cleaned up quite a bit of disk space when you deleted any MP3s ripped from the 500 CDs that you sold, right? Because, of course, if you sell the physical CD you no longer "own" the MP3!

[~Shard~]

Hum... Curiuosly, I had the exact same system and iPod as you ;)

Well, they do say that great minds think alike! Hmm, I think there's another part of that saying, now how does that go... ;)

I don't know how much RAM you have on your iMac, but I suppose it's not the stock 256 MB. And I never added RAM to my old iMac G4 during the 8 months I had it, so I have no idea if an iMac G4 1.25GHz with 1.25GB of RAM is faster than an equivalent iMac G5 1.8GHz. Anyway, my 20'' iMac G5 1.8, now that it has 1.25GB of RAM, is SO damn fast! Obviously much MUCH faster than my old iMac with the stock RAM.

No question your G5 iMac is faster, you must love it. My iMac is maxxed for RAM, btw, I installed new RAM in it pretty much the second I bought the machine actually. :cool:

[Sure, I was an idiot, because with the money I've spent on this new system plus the money I've lost when selling the iMac G4, I could have bought a PM G5 Dual 1.8 and a 20'' Apple Cinema Display... I should think this way: I shouldn't have bought my iMac G4, I should have waited for this one to be introduced (because maybe I don't really need a G5 Dual 1.8 yet).]

You're not an idiot - you bought a system that you wanted when you wanted it - if you would have waited around for "the next best thing", well, as I said above, you'd always be waiting!

I must agree with you: to save money is a *very* wise move... But sometimes, it may just be worth to take that crazy step of updating recently bought hardware. In my personal case, I feel like "two wrongs" actually turned out to make a "right", because now I can actually work much much faster. I still suffer a considerable resentment because of that huge waste of cash, but life must go on (meaning I'll have to try and get myself a part-time job on the next holidays to compensate :eek: :cool: )

I absolutely agree with you - it's turned about to be a wise move for you, and I am by no means criticizing that. I was referring to people who do that ALL the time. Even people who have owned 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G iPods (throw a mini in there too for good measure!), I shake my head at - why?

My general philosophy on things like this is everything in moderation. Of course it's fine to treat yourself, buy something new, splurge, and all that - hey, we all deserve it. But for some people who have to own everything under the sun, all the latest gadgets, etc., I just think that's rather excessive.

Enjoy your G5 iMac, and don't regret the purchase - you have an excellent machine. :cool:

[Goliath]

Hehe. Have you played with an iPod photo? Oh yes it is. :D


Have to agree with you! Actually saw iPod Photo at Apple store today and played about with it- that colour screen is beautiful and the picture search is amazingly quick- like iPhoto on steroids. Even flicking through pics at hi speed they remained beautifully crisp!

[Phat_Pat]

Have to agree with you! Actually saw iPod Photo at Apple store today and played about with it- that colour screen is beautiful and the picture search is amazingly quick- like iPhoto on steroids. Even flicking through pics at hi speed they remained beautifully crisp!
yeah iPod Photo is nice..... although too thick for my liking

[~Shard~]

yeah iPod Photo is nice..... although too thick for my liking

Yah, those things are so damn thick and heavy - what a pain... :rolleyes: :p

[chanoc]

I want an 80GB iPod! But with video playback. :cool:

[CaptainCaveMann]

An 80 gig ipod??? You have got to be kidding me 80 gigs!!!!!!! Jeez man i cant believe how much music some people have i have like 3000 songs on my computer and two big games wc3 and ut2004 and videos and other big programs like studio mx and all kinds of other apps and progs and right now im using 33 gigs out of my 120 gig hard drive pretty unbelievable that someone would need an 80 gig hard drive just for music ...amazing :rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

I want an 80GB iPod! But with video playback. :cool:

And exactly what legally-acquired video content will you be using on your iPod video? :p ;)

[~Shard~]

An 80 gig ipod??? You have got to be kidding me 80 gigs!!!!!!! Jeez man i cant believe how much music some people have i have like 3000 songs on my computer and two big games wc3 and ut2004 and videos and other big programs like studio mx and all kinds of other apps and progs and right now im using 33 gigs out of my 120 gig hard drive pretty unbelievable that someone would need an 80 gig hard drive just for music ...amazing :rolleyes:

I technically have over 200 GB of music, compressed, but would never want it all on an iPod - and yes, 80 GB of music on an iPod would be too much as well, I get by just fine with my 20 Gigger, thanks! :cool:

[maya]

I want an 80GB iPod! But with video playback. :cool:

And I want Santa Clause to bring me one for christmas. ;) :)

[KrysBaz]

And exactly what legally-acquired video content will you be using on your iPod video? :p ;)

Home movies compiled on iMovie?
Take the 'pod around to the grandparents and instead of boring them with pictures have 10 hours of holiday movie to sit through.

[maya]

Home movies compiled on iMovie?
Take the 'pod around to the grandparents and instead of boring them with pictures have 10 hours of holiday movie to sit through.

Great not another boring vacation movie for the last time you are not a hollywood director. ;) :)

[sushi]

Well, you would have cleaned up quite a bit of disk space when you deleted any MP3s ripped from the 500 CDs that you sold, right? Because, of course, if you sell the physical CD you no longer "own" the MP3!
He He!

AidenShaw you be bad! :eek: :D

...and 100% correct. All those wonderful MP3's ripped from CDs that he sold should be deleted.

Sushi

[~Shard~]

Home movies compiled on iMovie?
Take the 'pod around to the grandparents and instead of boring them with pictures have 10 hours of holiday movie to sit through.

I know, I know, just having some fun... ;)

Honestly though, when you think about it, there would be far less legal content out there to put on an iPod video than the normal iPods (purchased CDs, iTMS downloads, etc.) or the iPod photo (all personal digital photos). Movies from iMovie? Sure, I guess. But otherwise, it's illegal to download movies, TV shows, etc. from the Internet, and the other thing lots of people are not aware of is that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act states that you cannot make a copy of a purchased DVD and put that copy on your Mac's Hard Drive - as a result, even legally purchased DVDs could not be copied in this manner.

Things need to change before the iPod video comes out. But when they do, I know Apple will be leading the charge. :cool:

[shompa]

I Have 250 gig of ACC 128kbit musik, and I stopped add music to my library one year ago.

80 gig istn that big. :)

What about FatPod? 2 80 gigs on each other? 160gig, still small.

I also hope for a Itunes movie library. I want to be able to bring my ripped DVDs to my friends in my Ipod. Ripped in Apple looseless codec and be able to connect my Ipod to the TV. The ultimate portable machine

[trrosen]

But otherwise, it's illegal to download movies, TV shows, etc. from the Internet, and the other thing lots of people are not aware of is that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act states that you cannot make a copy of a purchased DVD and put that copy on your Mac's Hard Drive

This is absoluly not true. DMCA makes it Illegal to sell the technology to do it. but First sale doctrine gives you the right to do what ever you want with your copy of whatever you buy. Creating a legal catch-22. Its legal to make a copy for personal use but Illegal to create a way to do it.

also recording off air, DSS or even pay per view and copying to hard drive for your viewing are 100% legal... its sharing them that violates copyrights

[~Shard~]

This is absoluly not true. DMCA makes it Illegal to sell the technology to do it. but First sale doctrine gives you the right to do what ever you want with your copy of whatever you buy. Creating a legal catch-22. Its legal to make a copy for personal use but Illegal to create a way to do it.

also recording off air, DSS or even pay per view and copying to hard drive for your viewing are 100% legal... its sharing them that violates copyrights

Very true, I should have worded my post differently. When I said, "you cannot make a copy of a purchased DVD and put that copy on your Mac's Hard Drive" I was meaning the whole act of doing that, ultimately resulting in making a copy on your HD, not just that it was "illegal to make a copy of a purchased DVD" on its own.

You can make a back-up copy of a legally purchased DVD, however it is illegal to transfer that copy to your HD or iPod, for instance. As you say, a catch-22 of sorts. All I was trying to point out was that many people assume that since they know they can make one legal back-up of their DVDs, that they can then do whatever they want with it - not true.

Thanks for catching that, glad to clarify. :cool:

[AidenShaw]

I want to be able to bring my ripped DVDs to my friends in my Ipod. Ripped in Apple looseless codec and be able to connect my Ipod to the TV. The ultimate portable machine

One problem here - the 8GB to 9GB on a video DVD is already compressed with a rather lossy codec.

A "lossless" recompression would not save much (if any) space for the video (although some DVDs seem to have uncompressed linear PCM soundtracks).

You could save space by reducing the frame size to 352x240 and re-encoding in DivX or some other MPEG-4 variant - but that would definitely reduce the quality (to "VHS-quality" at best).

[shamino]

Ok, so I can see 20 and 40GB, maybe even 60 once you get some photos. But who in their right mind has 80GB of music and photos?? What would the play time be like, my 13GB would play for almost 7 days, and thats with my CDs ripped at 256Kpbs. So 80GB would be like a moth and a half or something.
And 640K will be enough memory for everybody....

Right now, I own over 500 CDs (bought over the past 15 years.) They're all ripped at 128K AAC and the tracks consume over 35G. Had I ripped the tracks at 256K, they would easily fill an 80G drive. With Apple Lossless, they would consume nearly 200G.

And my collection is growing. I still buy CDs - typically about 10-20 (about 1-2G) per year.

Maybe you will never be able to fill an 80G drive. Not all customers are like you.

[shamino]

I technically have over 200 GB of music, compressed, but would never want it all on an iPod - and yes, 80 GB of music on an iPod would be too much as well, I get by just fine with my 20 Gigger, thanks! :cool:
You and I obviously have different expectations. I would want my entire collection on the iPod. I like being able to shuffle-play everything I own (which is what I do when I'm working on the Mac.)

I don't want to have to decide, in advance, what songs I will or will not want to hear when I'm traveling. I don't want to be 500 miles from home and realize "Rats! I didn't transfer the song I want to hear!". It's far simpler to have a device that can hold it all.

[ifjake]

my thing with the color screen is, the iPod as a music player should primarily be about listening to music. browsing your music really only requires text and and a good way to get around in it, which the iPod has already mastered. the color screen is superfluous. really, the thing would just be in my pocket playing most of the time. i can see why a color screen would work on a PDA, because those things are meant to be looked at. the iPod is meant to be listened to.

[shamino]

I don't have a problem with a color screen per se. I think it's pretty nifty. But given a limited budget (and who doesn't have a limited budget?) I'd rather spend that extra $100 on a larger hard drive than a color screen.

I've got no problem with the existance of the iPod Photo. But I would also like to see a non-Photo iPod with a 60G drive selling at the $500 price point.

I would love to see the sales numbers after introducing such a model. Right now, it's impossible to say how many 60G owners want the color+photo capabilities and how many are buying it simply because it's the only way to get a 60G drive in an iPod.

[conceptuweasel]

I think an 80GB iPod is perfectly feasible and perfectly sellable. I would want one if I didn't have certain constraints preventing me from getting one/using it fully. I have a lot of music (granted not all legal, but I always tell myself that once I get a job that actually pays money I will go out and buy it for real), but it takes up slightly less than 10GB. I put most of my music on my computer several years ago before I had good speakers, good ears, or lots of hard drive space. I had my Sawtooth's HD maxed out for about a year waiting to get a G5. Now that I have a 160GB I want to fill it up with music. Unfortunately all those CD's I encoded with VBR at ~135 kbps I have lost and can't reencode. So I am stuck with lots of crappy quality music.

I've loved my 15GB for the past year and a half and still love it now, but unfortunately it's HD is not cooperating anymore after a stupid fit of clumsiness involving it being dropped. Now I am stuck trying to decide whether I want to buy a replacement hard drive, ask for a 4G for Christmas, or ask for whatever may or may not come out at MWSF for my birthday (January).

Now personally I would never spend $100 for a color screen and photo capabilities. I guess I can understand other people wanting those abilities, but I LOVE the iPod for what it was created to do, play music! Large capacity music only iPods would definitely sell but I can understand how it may not be the best profit plan for apple. I think they should keep the music only iPods and 'gadget' iPods separate. An iPod that has a color screen, can display photos, and out put photos AND movies to a TV with a simple high quality video out would be freaking awesome. But it shouldn't kick out an equally awesome really high capacity music only iPod.

I could easily see my dad needing said music iPod. He is a 50+ year old stereophile who is technologically active and so he has LOTS of very good high quality music that could probably fill an 80GB iPod. The only thing keeping him from filling his 20GB right now is a lack of time to encode all the CD's and technical difficulties of encoding records.

One last thing. Does anyone happen to know a way to fix an iPod that only shows a exclamation mark folder icon? Everything else works fine when tested through the hidden debug mode, but when I try to actually use it, it only gives the dreaded exclamation mark folder icon. I've been running the debug HDD scan for the past half hour with no response yet. I would really like to be able to fix it other than going out and buying a new hard drive or iPod although I am willing to replace the HD myself. I think I'm going to go put it in the freezer for half an hour now (apparently this may help according to MacAddict... :confused: :rolleyes: )

Justin

[Loge]

Well I am a satisfied purchaser of the 60GB. I haven't got around to putting photos on it yet, though I expect I will eventually.

The important things were -

60GB instead of 40GB
15 hour battery instead of 12
Color screen

For me the color screen enhances the music capabilities in two ways -

Use of a proportional spaced font allows for longer lines of text on screen; in particular album titles are not so often truncated. (OK, they could add this to a b/w screen too). Also, I think you get an extra line on the vertical.

Album art is a useful visual reminder of the source of a song.

[~Shard~]

You and I obviously have different expectations. I would want my entire collection on the iPod. I like being able to shuffle-play everything I own (which is what I do when I'm working on the Mac.)

I don't want to have to decide, in advance, what songs I will or will not want to hear when I'm traveling. I don't want to be 500 miles from home and realize "Rats! I didn't transfer the song I want to hear!". It's far simpler to have a device that can hold it all.

I can appreciate that. In my case however, I record the BBC Radio One Essential Mixes every week, which is a 2-hour live broadcast (sometimes longer!) showcasing the best DJ talent in the world. I record each broadcast and have every single show since 1993, with the exception of about 6. So, at ~170-180 MB per 2-hour show x 52 weeks in a year x 11 years, add on all the extended shows and special shows, you're looking at about 120 GB right there. This doesn't include my weekly Digweed KISS FM sets, nor my actual music collection, which is over 100 GB on it's own between MP3s and audio CDs.

So in my case, I don't need all my music with me, because with my Essential Mixes, although I do like listening to many of my favorites on a regular basis, I am for the most part collecting them and do not require every single one on my iPod - after all, with almost 600 shows, equalling probably 1500+ hours of music, that would take me a while to listen through! ;) I am mostly concerned with having my actual music collection on my iPod, and even then, as I said, 20 GB is good enough for me - I don't need everything, just my favorites (which adds up to a lot of music as it is!) :cool:

[zwilliams07]

Right now, to me it seems Apple isn't taking its competition seriously enough. One of the major reasons, imho, that the iPod started off so well was the fact that it had more features and worked better than anything else out there. But now the competitors are catching up, and Apple doesn't seem too bothered about it. Sure the iPod has brand recognition, but is it enough to deter people from buying something else that has more features? Will it last?

As I type this there are three competitive products that are starting to get attention. First one being Rio's Carbon 5GB player, Creative's new Zen, and the iRiver. And I can see why people are starting to consider other options.

I hope Apple will wise up a little to realize there are people out there interested in watching video on the go. I hope the 5G iPods at least have OGG, and FLAC support. As well as a better battery, the recent upgrade in battery life was nice, but its still getting trounced. I'd also like to see a band equalizer available to users, or possibly a removeable, rechargeable and swappable batter, now that would be great. Also possibly a FM tuner and a little bit more promoting of iPod's other functions. When you ask anyone about the iPod the first thing they'll think of is music. A lot of people don't know the iPod is also a removeable harddrive, a contact holder, a calendar, a video game player (not Doom 3 or anything but Solitaire and stuff), and a note holder.

Also a media card reader would be awesome for iPod Photo.

My only other complaint is, I don't have an iPod. :(

:: wanders back to Apple Store to bother employees and play with iPods ::

[AidenShaw]

Current Status: Dreaming of having a dual 2.5GHz G5.

Current status: Have a dual 3.6GHz with 8GiB, Dreaming of a 160X CD reader so that I could keep the CPUs busy while ripping....

[shamino]

Right now, to me it seems Apple isn't taking its competition seriously enough. One of the major reasons, imho, that the iPod started off so well was the fact that it had more features and worked better than anything else out there. But now the competitors are catching up, and Apple doesn't seem too bothered about it. Sure the iPod has brand recognition, but is it enough to deter people from buying something else that has more features? Will it last?
If you're just comparing features, Apple has never had a clear advantage of anybody else. When they started out, they played MP3s, just like all the rest. They added AAC support with the introduction of iTMS, when others added WMA support. Their prices have never been particularly low - they charge about the same as the rest for a similar-size hard-drive player.

IMO, the iPod's success is almost entirely due to the user interface. The integration with iTunes and the click-wheel device.

Look at discussions that take place here and elsewhere whenever someone compares a third-party player to an iPod. The third-party supporters all say things like "it supports {insert favorite file-format}" and the iPod supporters say "everybody else's UI sucks".

Unless someone violates Apple's patent and releases their own click-wheel device, with seamless integration to a well-written desktop-based media player, I don't think the iPod is going to be displaced.
As I type this there are three competitive products that are starting to get attention. First one being Rio's Carbon 5GB player, Creative's new Zen, and the iRiver. And I can see why people are starting to consider other options.
Same argument as before. These companies are always releasing new models. And every time one comes out, a flock of people say "Apple is doomed if they don't do what I say". And when the dust settles, the third-party player falls by the wayside and the iPod market share is even larger.
I hope Apple will wise up a little to realize there are people out there interested in watching video on the go.
Who? Besides you? Apple sees the same numbers as everybody else. There are several portable video players on the market. Nobody is buying them.

If you want to go posting a wish-list of new features, go for it. But I think you're being silly if you think that they are stupid if they decide to not give you what you're wishing for.

Every new feature has a cost - development costs, manufacturing costs and support costs. If the feature doesn't serve to increase sales enough to cover those costs, then implementing the feature is a bad idea.

You may want to watch feature films on a 2" screen. Most people don't want to - which is why nobody has been successful selling portable video players. And porting the QuickTime stack (including all of its media protocols) to the iPod's architecture is not going to be a free or cheap proposition.

Ditto for alternative file formats. OGG and FLAC might be great and wonderful, but what's the advantage over AAC and Apple Lossless? There are a lot of drawbacks (including development/support costs), but very few benefits, because the formats are not and have never been very popular. The fact that you personally want them doesn't mean much unless there are thousands of others that agree with you.

[zwilliams07]

If you're just comparing features, Apple has never had a clear advantage of anybody else. When they started out, they played MP3s, just like all the rest. They added AAC support with the introduction of iTMS, when others added WMA support. Their prices have never been particularly low - they charge about the same as the rest for a similar-size hard-drive player.

So iTunes connectivity, removable harddrive, iSync capabilities, the now defunct iPod Home features were not an advantage? Mind pointing me to other players that did this all at about the same time as the iPod did?

IMO, the iPod's success is almost entirely due to the user interface. The integration with iTunes and the click-wheel device.

Sure it made a large impact, but to say almost all is rather out there. Apple had two things going for it when it was the first generation. Three if you count the Mac crowd. First would be brand recognition, Apple is known all over as been stylish, well crafted, and cool. The second was the competition was bungling itself. The third was the Mac users, it was a great way to get the word out, I remember the first time people saw them. They thought they were awesome compared to the competition.

Look at discussions that take place here and elsewhere whenever someone compares a third-party player to an iPod. The third-party supporters all say things like "it supports {insert favorite file-format}" and the iPod supporters say "everybody else's UI sucks".

Unless someone violates Apple's patent and releases their own click-wheel device, with seamless integration to a well-written desktop-based media player, I don't think the iPod is going to be displaced.
Same argument as before. These companies are always releasing new models. And every time one comes out, a flock of people say "Apple is doomed if they don't do what I say". And when the dust settles, the third-party player falls by the wayside and the iPod market share is even larger.
Who? Besides you? Apple sees the same numbers as everybody else. There are several portable video players on the market. Nobody is buying them.

A bit arrogant to act as if you can see into the definite future. Microsoft and other people haven't just been sitting there watching Apple. In case you haven't noticed, the latest batch of portable players have been making bigger strides to catch up and improve. And, again, its rather arrogant to say they'll fall like the rest and not even consider them competition.

As to the no one is buying the video players, thats not very accurate as well. Have you tried to go out and buy one of thos e "VideoNow"s or an iRiver lately? They are harder to come by. Recently during Thanksgiving, while I was on the plane a lot of people had video players and were watching those things over the inflight movie. The GBA video players are also seeming to grow in popularity as well.

Have you walked around and asked people which they'd prefer to view while on the go or away from home? Ask them which they'd prefer, photos or movies.

If you want to go posting a wish-list of new features, go for it. But I think you're being silly if you think that they are stupid if they decide to not give you what you're wishing for.

I wouldn't call them stupid, I'd call them a bit foolish for ignoring the competitons advances.

Every new feature has a cost - development costs, manufacturing costs and support costs. If the feature doesn't serve to increase sales enough to cover those costs, then implementing the feature is a bad idea.

Thats totally agreeable. But a lot of it would make the iPod more appealing. Nowadays, people want more things in less devices. Case in point, SmartPhones. SmartPhones have taken a huge chunk out of the PDA business. If someone lists a products functions; one player plays music and photos. The other player plays music (more formats), video, photos, plays FM radio, and etc. Which sounds better to the average consumer?

You may want to watch feature films on a 2" screen. Most people don't want to - which is why nobody has been successful selling portable video players. And porting the QuickTime stack (including all of its media protocols) to the iPod's architecture is not going to be a free or cheap proposition.

So is there much difference in looking at photos in 2" and watching video? Apple seems to think so. But then again the dock could be utilized and have the video played through the TV. Personally I find that would be cool to take movies with me and not have to hook it up to a computer. I doubt Apple would have much trouble supporting MPEG-4 as a format.

Ditto for alternative file formats. OGG and FLAC might be great and wonderful, but what's the advantage over AAC and Apple Lossless? There are a lot of drawbacks (including development/support costs), but very few benefits, because the formats are not and have never been very popular. The fact that you personally want them doesn't mean much unless there are thousands of others that agree with you.

People like options, people like things that are free and unrestricted. OGG and FLAC are growing in popularity because they are free, easy to implement, open, and have a lot of support. If you don't think so, I think you should see some of the discussions on Slashdot.org over the iPod. I don't know where you came up with the idea that they are not popular or ever going to be. I see plenty of benefits of increased reason to buy iPods outside of ease of use and coolness factor.

[shamino]

A bit arrogant to act as if you can see into the definite future.
No. I can see into the past. Third parties aren't doing anything new. They are rehashing the same designs that have repeatedly failed. Marketing departments saying "lets paint it blue this time" aren't going to make people buy a failure.
So is there much difference in looking at photos in 2" and watching video?
I don't think photos in an iPod is a good idea either. And recent reports (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=790) show that the public agrees. At a time when non-photo iPods can't be made fast enough to keep up with demand, there are plenty of photo units to go around.
People like options, people like things that are free and unrestricted. OGG and FLAC are growing in popularity because they are free, easy to implement, open, and have a lot of support. If you don't think so, I think you should see some of the discussions on Slashdot.org over the iPod. I don't know where you came up with the idea that they are not popular or ever going to be. I see plenty of benefits of increased reason to buy iPods outside of ease of use and coolness factor.
Ask someone who is not a SlashDot reader what OGG and FLAC even are and you'll be met with blank stares.

Software written by geeks for themselves is not the definition of a standard you're going to spend millions of dollar on R&D for. You don't increase sales by offering features that your customer base hasn't even heard of.

The fact that a manufacturer doesn't have to pay a license for the software means nothing to people who don't spend their lives glued to the internet.

[zwilliams07]

No. I can see into the past. Third parties aren't doing anything new. They are rehashing the same designs that have repeatedly failed. Marketing departments saying "lets paint it blue this time" aren't going to make people buy a failure.

Well then you need to get your eyesight checked. Other companies are doing things different outside of appearance. Otherwise they wouldn't have FM transmitters, removeable battery packs, and unrestricted media formats.

I don't think photos in an iPod is a good idea either. And recent reports (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=790) show that the public agrees. At a time when non-photo iPods can't be made fast enough to keep up with demand, there are plenty of photo units to go around.

Well my point still stands; Apple thought it was a brilliant idea.

Ask someone who is not a SlashDot reader what OGG and FLAC even are and you'll be met with blank stares.

Ask any audiophile, any DJ, any power user, anyone who works in the music indrustry, anyone who uses Linux or Unix, or programs and you won't be met with a blank stare. Even magazines such as MaximumPC are pushing OGG and FLAC as great alternatives.

Software written by geeks for themselves is not the definition of a standard you're going to spend millions of dollar on R&D for. You don't increase sales by offering features that your customer base hasn't even heard of.

Well by that logic, W3C is a joke, anything that started up from geeks is a joke. That would mean Apple itself, and Microsoft would be jokes. I seriously doubt Apple would have to spend millions of dollars on a freely available, open source project. You can already play OGG and FLAC with iTunes with an easy tweak. As to the unheard of features, go back a few years ago and ask anyone if they knew what AAC was. Only reason people know it know is its being pushed by Apple.

MP3 is synonymous with music nowadays. Wanna take a guess how that started? Thats right by a group of geeks. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3 ]

The fact that a manufacturer doesn't have to pay a license for the software means nothing to people who don't spend their lives glued to the internet.

Thats a lame attack. Again, ask anyone in the music industry or who loves music and they will know what OGG and FLAC are.

[Benj]

Ask any audiophile, any DJ, any power user, anyone who works in the music indrustry, anyone who uses Linux or Unix, or programs and you won't be met with a blank stare. Even magazines such as MaximumPC are pushing OGG and FLAC as great alternatives.

Still a tiny, tiny proportion of iPod buyers. Not worth the money. "Audiophiles" think all portable players are rubbish. Most iPod buyers are content or want:
1) Cheaper
2) More memory
3) Smaller case
4) Better battery
(in no particular order)

[Kreamy]

If they can make an 80 gig 1.8 incher, how much capacity will we be seeing in a laptop hard drive?


Seagate already makes 0.5TB laptop drives how much more do u need.

[Kreamy]

Still a tiny, tiny proportion of iPod buyers. Not worth the money. "Audiophiles" think all portable players are rubbish. Most iPod buyers are content or want:
1) Cheaper
2) More memory
3) Smaller case
4) Better battery
(in no particular order)


AAMOF, every audiophile knows that changing MP3s to OGG is a bad choice, but the option of having them is certainly good. Thats why my next player is going to be either an Archos or an iRiver (which i prefer) because of the widely open source OS and support - also with a range of great features, accessories and BATTERY LIFE! Try to pull 3 hours of photo surfing on a 60gb iPod photo!

[Diatribe]

Seagate already makes 0.5TB laptop drives how much more do u need.

Yeah right. We're talking about laptop drives not huge ones... The biggest laptop drive is a 100GB atm.

[Blue Velvet]

Again, ask anyone in the music industry or who loves music and they will know what OGG and FLAC are.

Rubbish.

All of my friends, family & colleagues love music. Not one of them knows -- or more importantly -- cares what OGG & FLAC are...

Look beyond the geek-horizon.

[BWhaler]

I have a mini now, and am waiting for the 80 gig to get a new iPod.

It's not really the size of the drive--although that is a piece of it since I have a ton of music--but rather these new drives are reportedly smaller.

I want an iPod to carry around all of my music and pictures, but without all of the bulk.

Will I buy a new mini at the next rev? I'll probably wait until the 10 gig too. The next rev is tempting because the mini will finally have a decent battery life, but I can live with my current model for a year.

All very practical and boring, I know. Time will tell if I can stick to the plan. Apple has a way of separating me from my money against my will. :)

[Platform]

Current status: Have a dual 3.6GHz with 8GiB, Dreaming of a 160X CD reader so that I could keep the CPUs busy while ripping....
Sweet dreams :D

[3Memos]

Rubbish.

All of my friends, family & colleagues love music. Not one of them knows -- or more importantly -- cares what OGG & FLAC are...

Look beyond the geek-horizon.

You just have to visit Slashdot to hear all the whining about lack of FLAC or OGG support. Yet, 99% of the population have no idea what it is. Even I don't know what it is fully, and I'm quite the techno-nerd.

[wnameth]

This sounds amazing, i could really see this affecting the price of the other ones. i still think the mini is way overpriced!!! :eek:

[toughboy]

I know, I know, just having some fun... ;)

Honestly though, when you think about it, there would be far less legal content out there to put on an iPod video than the normal iPods (purchased CDs, iTMS downloads, etc.) or the iPod photo (all personal digital photos). Movies from iMovie? Sure, I guess. But otherwise, it's illegal to download movies, TV shows, etc. from the Internet, and the other thing lots of people are not aware of is that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act states that you cannot make a copy of a purchased DVD and put that copy on your Mac's Hard Drive - as a result, even legally purchased DVDs could not be copied in this manner.

Things need to change before the iPod video comes out. But when they do, I know Apple will be leading the charge. :cool:

Well.. I don't think that Apple "really" cares about if something is legal or not.. And they should not, thats not their business.. Their business is making good profit and making shareholders and stakeholders as happy as possible..

Back to topic, I will not buy an iPod with color screen until it runs my illegal divxes.. I dont want to carry my "home-made" iMovie files, I want to watch the last divx films I downloaded when I travel long distance..

[3Memos]

I only see music videos and 5-minute cartoons as the only viable content for video-enabled ipods.

[yukon8170]

Until I can copy all my dvds to my computer and use a program similar to iTunes to organize them. A Video iPod would not be necessary. I suspect that one day, we will be able to organized all of our movies (legal and illegal) in one program with the same functions as iTunes. I honestly could not care less if it was legal or not, I just want to be able to watch my dvds on my iPod (or something new from apple) when I am bored.

[kbonnel]

Those sets are awesome. I used to listen to them everyonce in a while. I used to have a link where I could download them. I have about 4 of those sets that I really like on my IPOD.

Kimo

I can appreciate that. In my case however, I record the BBC Radio One Essential Mixes every week, which is a 2-hour live broadcast (sometimes longer!) showcasing the best DJ talent in the world. I record each broadcast and have every single show since 1993, with the exception of about 6. So, at ~170-180 MB per 2-hour show x 52 weeks in a year x 11 years, add on all the extended shows and special shows, you're looking at about 120 GB right there. This doesn't include my weekly Digweed KISS FM sets, nor my actual music collection, which is over 100 GB on it's own between MP3s and audio CDs.

So in my case, I don't need all my music with me, because with my Essential Mixes, although I do like listening to many of my favorites on a regular basis, I am for the most part collecting them and do not require every single one on my iPod - after all, with almost 600 shows, equalling probably 1500+ hours of music, that would take me a while to listen through! ;) I am mostly concerned with having my actual music collection on my iPod, and even then, as I said, 20 GB is good enough for me - I don't need everything, just my favorites (which adds up to a lot of music as it is!) :cool:

[dollystereo]

I wanna a 40 Gb ipod, as the old one, but with 40 hours playback!!!!
come on apple, makes us a good battery!!!!

[shompa]

I wanna a 40 Gb ipod, as the old one, but with 40 hours playback!!!!
come on apple, makes us a good battery!!!!

Apple should increase the memory in the Ipods.

When they invented the Ipod they had 128 meg.
3 Years ago 128 meg was quite a lot.
If they bumped it to 512 I think we could see at least 40% longer battery times.

My first gen Ipod has over 18H batterytime when I use 32kbit AACs. That is beacuse the HD doesnt spin up. (i am listening to talk radio program, no need for 128kbit AAC)

[madmaxmedia]

The current video players are even more niche than Ogg or FLAC...

Back when the Tivo Apple rumors were flying, I thought it would make perfect sense to incorporate a video iPod with Tivo compatibility. On say a 60 or 80GB video iPod, all your Tivo content would be automatically stored on your video iPod as well.

Right now about the only content available to Joe Customer who buys one of these video players at Best Buy is ripping their DVD's (and illegally at that, I guess.) But what's the point, really? (other than just because it can be done.)

But typical Tivo content might work better- TV shows, news, last night's SportsCenter, etc...these are better for a few minutes during break, on the train, waiting in line, etc. And you wouldn't have to manually create/encode content and transfer it to your iPod, it would automatically sync over.

But Apple didn't buy Tivo, and they still don't have a video iPod- ;)

[madmaxmedia]

Apple should increase the memory in the Ipods.

When they invented the Ipod they had 128 meg.
3 Years ago 128 meg was quite a lot.
If they bumped it to 512 I think we could see at least 40% longer battery times.

My first gen Ipod has over 18H batterytime when I use 32kbit AACs. That is beacuse the HD doesnt spin up. (i am listening to talk radio program, no need for 128kbit AAC)

It had far less than that (don't know where they're at now)-

Original iPod specs:
Specifications:
CPU/DSP: Portalplayer (Dual ARM7 SMP)
Display: 160x128 b/w lcd
Disk: 5 GByte, 1.8"
Ram: 32 MByte
Size: 102x62x20 mm, 184 gram
Interface: Firewire

[Chappers]

I got an iPod mini that I can fill up but don't have the time to listen to. My wife needs to nag me, so a 80GB iPod wouldn't let her do her duty.

[JFreak]

I was once happy with an 80MB hard drive on a desktop system. These days, I have 240GB and use quite a bit of it. So I know never to say "that's too big", even for an iPod.

sir, that was one hell of a huge storage you had :) i was once happy with a single 720kb floppy drive, at the time when i used my trusty toshiba T1000 laptop on a daily basis... (see http://biphome.spray.se/baxtrom/t1000/)

[Diatribe]

It had far less than that (don't know where they're at now)-

Original iPod specs:
Specifications:
CPU/DSP: Portalplayer (Dual ARM7 SMP)
Display: 160x128 b/w lcd
Disk: 5 GByte, 1.8"
Ram: 32 MByte
Size: 102x62x20 mm, 184 gram
Interface: Firewire

And it still has 32MB... 128 would be really appreciated. Especially with Lossless.