iPod with Color Display and Bluetooth?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

DAPreview.net reports on (http://www.dapreview.net/comment.php?comment.news.1395) what initially seems to be an incidental finding... in which Apple changed the name of the iPod Photo User Guide PDF from "iPod_photoUserGuide" to "iPod_with_color_display_User's_Guide".

This distinction is not a new naming convention and is listed in Apple's "Identifying Different iPod Models" support document (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61688) as an alternative name for the iPod Photo - "also known as iPod with color display".

However, we have indeed heard reports that Apple's iPod line will advance in the future, phasing out the iPod Photo designation by trickling down color displays in the core lineup of iPods. Also reported has been rumors that Bluetooth and Rendezvous (now Bonjour) enabled iPods have been making the testing rounds.

Bluetooth enabled iPods have been hinted at (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2005/02/20050219080124.shtml) for some time now.

[paulypants]

Bring 'em on...after Dual 3Ghz Dual Core G5s with PCI Express and 533Mhz DDR RAM. ;)

[Spock]

How much bulk will bluetooth and a color screen add to the current iPod?? The iPod photo is already huge.

[sobedragonfire]

Lets hope that they'll announce them by the end of the year. I'm just waiting for the 5G iPod before I get my first one.

[DMann]

Time for HD H.264!!

[nsjoker]

Lets hope that they'll announce them by the end of the year. I'm just waiting for the 5G iPod before I get my first one.

wow and i thought everyone had an ipod.

[berkleeboy210]

How much bulk will bluetooth and a color screen add to the current iPod?? The iPod photo is already huge.

not really. the iPod Photo 30gb is pretty slim.

[Brandon Sharitt]

I don't think dropping the "photo" part of the name is that big of a surprise. With the next revisions, I would expect the entire big iPod line to have color screens. The thing I don't see as viable is the Bluetooth. You certainly can't sync your library over BT. The only viable thing I see with BT might be syncing calender, address book and Notes.

[Josh396]

This sounds great as I would love to see a blue tooth enabled iPod but can someone tell me what a Rendezvous enabled iPod would be?

[iPodMechanic]

Couple this with Airport Express and you've got one hell of a system :)

http://www.ipodmechanic.com

[tex210]

It's grown on me.

[clayj]

I'm concerned that, as with many other Bluetooth-enabled devices, iPods equipped with Bluetooth will be susceptible to hacking by folks with Bluetooth-equipped laptops and special software, a la Paris Hilton's, Fred Durst's, and Vida Guerra's cellphones. I'd hate for someone to delete files from, add files to (can you imagine if they transferred embarassing or illegal porn to your iPod?), or even know what's on my iPod.

Don't tell me it can't happen.

[PlaceofDis]

BT? meh, i dont see what advantage this will have really....i would rather see iPods gain some sort of connectivity to the Airport Express base stations

[sobedragonfire]

wow and i thought everyone had an ipod.

Actually, I have an iPod Shuffle. But I need an iPod because of soooo much music I have.

[Marsh451]

No matter how decked out we want our gadgets to be... why fill 'em up with extra features when they are already working great! I'm in no rush to be able to transfer at the blazing speed of bluetooth. Color screens are definitley a plus, they bring new life to an iPod, but I have faith in Apple to keep their products elite in design and functionality and to not pack them full of nerd gear.

[Lacero]

Time to consolidate the lines. There's just too many damn iPod models, it even confuses the hell out of me! http://www3.telus.net/poojja/s/confused.gif

[Stella]

I'm concerned that, as with many other Bluetooth-enabled devices, iPods equipped with Bluetooth will be susceptible to hacking by folks with Bluetooth-equipped laptops and special software, a la Paris Hilton's, Fred Durst's, and Vida Guerra's cellphones. I'd hate for someone to delete files from, add files to (can you imagine if they transferred embarassing or illegal porn to your iPod?), or even know what's on my iPod.

Don't tell me it can't happen.

Simple, you just make your iPod BT invisible and allow only paired connections.

Problem solved.

[WannabeSQ]

Color screens are a natural progression, now that the photo line has come way down in price. Even color iPod Minis wouldn't be too outta line at the next update.

I would love bluetooth for headphones. I use a bluetooth headset for my cell phone, and it is great. Perhaps bluetooth 2.0 will be more useful for high bandwidth stereo audio. iCombi already makes an iPod add on bluetooth adapter with some headphones. I'd love to be able to have wireless headphones, which also interface with my cell phone, muting or pausing my iPod while I take a call. I HATE wires hanging off of my body, they inevitably get tangled, or hooked on something. I know if apple does it, it will be done right.

[Stella]

No matter how decked out we want our gadgets to be... why fill 'em up with extra features when they are already working great! I'm in no rush to be able to transfer at the blazing speed of bluetooth. Color screens are definitley a plus, they bring new life to an iPod, but I have faith in Apple to keep their products elite in design and functionality and to not pack them full of nerd gear.

lol, at the moment BT is quite slow.. you'd only use it for listening to music ( BT is fast enough to stream in stereo ) to your BT headset or speaker ( if in a car for example)

You would NOT use BT to transfer music!

[LaMerVipere]

Interesting. But I think the iPod is fine as is, just drop the iPod 20GB, lower the price of the iPod photo & drop the 'photo' from the name, include an 80GB model, and start including a firewire cord again! :mad:

[clayj]

Problem solved.Sounds like famous last words to me. :)

[crawdad62]

Bring 'em on...after Dual 3Ghz Dual Core G5s with PCI Express and 533Mhz DDR RAM. ;)


Amen brother. I've been waiting about two or three months for Apple to do something with their desktops so I can replace my aging Powermac.

They just keep coming with the iPod which is great and all but come on throw us a fish will ya'?

Lately Apple is an iPod company that sells computers on the side. :(

[840quadra]

Good timing!!

My 15g is almost full, I want color, but I was waiting for a new feature first!

It would be nice if they offer a cupon for an apple Bluetooth module at the same time. I didn't buy Bluetooth with my G5.

[dongmin]

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR can do 3 Mbps which should be good enough for CD-quality audio (http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=7281).

Potential uses for Bluetooth:

1. No more FM transmitters hooray!!! Moto (and others) will release Bluetooth enabled car stereos. I think some cars already have them (like the Acura TL).

2. Wireless headphones.

3. Remote control your Mac (iTunes, DVD player, QT, etc.) with your iPod a la Salling's Clicker. Your ipod will become the ultimate remote control.

4. OK this is a bit more far-fetched, but if Apple or TiVo ever came out with a bluetooth-enabled media box connected to your TV and stereo, you'd be able to stream digital photos to your TV and music to your home stereo, all directly from your iPod. No need to mess with docking stations or cables.

I was thinking that Apple would introduce an dock-connector add-on to bring BT to the iPod but I guess BT is one way to differentiate the more expensive models.

[Bibulous]

I'm concerned that, as with many other Bluetooth-enabled devices, iPods equipped with Bluetooth will be susceptible to hacking by folks with Bluetooth-equipped laptops and special software, a la Paris Hilton's, Fred Durst's, and Vida Guerra's cellphones. I'd hate for someone to delete files from, add files to (can you imagine if they transferred embarassing or illegal porn to your iPod?), or even know what's on my iPod.

Don't tell me it can't happen.

I thought someone guessed Paris Hilton's password (dog's name) and the movie was stolen off of Durst's desktop (by the cable guy), not sure about Guerra. Someone hacking my ipod is not likely, don't think anyone much cares.

I do hope a new bluetooth color ipod screen is larger and includes air tunes support.

[AidenShaw]

Bring 'em on...after Dual 3Ghz Dual Core G5s with PCI Express and 533Mhz DDR RAM. ;)

Once upon a time, the folks in Cupertino made computers named "Macintosh". Guess that no longer matters....

[h00ligan]

I'm concerned that, as with many other Bluetooth-enabled devices, iPods equipped with Bluetooth will be susceptible to hacking by folks with Bluetooth-equipped laptops and special software, a la Paris Hilton's, Fred Durst's, and Vida Guerra's cellphones. I'd hate for someone to delete files from, add files to (can you imagine if they transferred embarassing or illegal porn to your iPod?), or even know what's on my iPod.

Don't tell me it can't happen.


Those weren't hacked through bluetooth homie. Tmobile server problems.

[rspeed]

I'm concerned that, as with many other Bluetooth-enabled devices, iPods equipped with Bluetooth will be susceptible to hacking by folks with Bluetooth-equipped laptops and special software, a la Paris Hilton's, Fred Durst's, and Vida Guerra's cellphones. I'd hate for someone to delete files from, add files to (can you imagine if they transferred embarassing or illegal porn to your iPod?), or even know what's on my iPod.

Don't tell me it can't happen.
Sure it can happen, but it didn't happen to any of them. In the case of Paris Hilton and Fred Durst, they made it easy to find their passwords and the data was pulled off of T-Mobile's servers. In the case of Vida Guerra, wasn't that simply a case of the intended recipient doing some sharing? Stop buying into the FUD, Bluetooth is safe if you lock it down properly.

[rspeed]

Once upon a time, the folks in Cupertino made computers named "Macintosh". Guess that no longer matters....
What? I don't follow.

Is your icon a Maine Coon?

[FattyMembrane]

Interesting. But I think the iPod is fine as is, just drop the iPod 20GB, lower the price of the iPod photo & drop the 'photo' from the name, include an 80GB model, and start including a firewire cord again! :mad:

i'm pretty sure this is what will happen. the drives used in the ipod minis have now hit 20gb and the next iteration of drives for the full-sized ipods should deliver 40-60gb with the form factor of the current 20gb ipod, so the current "music-only, black and white, full-sized" ipod will be dropped.

i'd guess h.264 compatability on the 5g ipods with either wireless usb or 802.11b capability for transfer. bluetooth is way too slow for transfer (usb and 802.11b are pretty damn slow too) but it could work for ical/addressbook sync or a remote control for your mac.

[virus1]

apple should release some nifty bluetooth headphones with this. as for the person who commented on how it would be so thick.. apple is getting better and better at shrinking the size of these things. the 5gb origional was thicker than the current 60gb, so stop bitching.. they will make it just about as thin as the current 30.. my bet is they will add bt to the 30 and 60, lower the price of each by $50 or so.. and drop the 20.. s'all good

[Westside guy]

The thing I don't see as viable is the Bluetooth. You certainly can't sync your library over BT.

I've got to disagree, for the most part. If you're talking about those rare, large-scale syncs then yes I agree with you. But most of the time when I sync my iPod, only a few megs are being moved anyway.

Or let's say you're ripping a CD - BT could easily be syncing fast enough to keep up with that.

[dongmin]

BT? meh, i dont see what advantage this will have really....i would rather see iPods gain some sort of connectivity to the Airport Express base stationsSomeone more technical should fill in here, but it's my understanding that it's much easier getting different devices to talk to each other via BT than wifi. Wifi is more appropriate for higher-bandwidth device-to-PC communications.

[notjustjay]

battery battery battery battery battery battery battery battery battery ...

Bluetooth.. colour... oh boy.
:eek:

[virus1]

i'm pretty sure this is what will happen. the drives used in the ipod minis have now hit 20gb and the next iteration of drives for the full-sized ipods should deliver 40-60gb with the form factor of the current 20gb ipod, so the current "music-only, black and white, full-sized" ipod will be dropped.pretty damn optomistic there. if it will be that major, expect it in the fall of this year.. i always thought they would do it right before summer, but i suppose it will be the time in the fall when all the teens are going back to school and need somthing to show off.

i'd guess h.264 compatability on the 5g ipods with either wireless usb or 802.11b capability for transfer. bluetooth is way too slow for transfer (usb and 802.11b are pretty damn slow too) but it could work for ical/addressbook sync or a remote control for your mac.
forgive me if im wrong, but usb isn't wireless, because there is no way to transmit energy, and usb can generally do that (that's how the shuffle is charged) if they were to do somthing other than bluetooth, i don't see why they would do 802.11b instead of 802.11g. 802.11g is smaller, faster, and to my knowledge, uses less energy.

bt is just too slow for music transfer, if thats what they are thinking, though i don't see why they would want to use it for that, as you would still have to plug it in to recharge, and would certianly not solve the usb vs. firewire problem because bt is such an uncommon interface so far.. it is almost useless to most computers. the only decent use is for apples wireless mouse and keyboard, and in hope for somthing really good will come out for it.

[DPazdanISU]

the ipod originally dominated the music market because it not only was it awsome but also cuz it had itunes and this kind of syncronization was at the forefront of mp3 (it was what people where waiting for). so no i think apple needs to continue its trend of being on the cutting edge of tech and include BT and color screen. It also needs an iPod that can compete w/the portable ps2. I mean that in the sense of movies. Apple's H.264 technology exists for a reason and I bet you its because they will b opening an iTheatre app that you can buy movies, sync to ur "high end ipod" and or burn to watch on ur tv etc... :cool: This all might just be jibberish tho because I have had a few pilsner urchels down by the near irish pub in town :D

[PlaceofDis]

Someone more technical should fill in here, but it's my understanding that it's much easier getting different devices to talk to each other via BT than wifi. Wifi is more appropriate for higher-bandwidth device-to-PC communications.

oh i agree, but then the Express should have a bluetooth module built in so a BT iPod could communicate to it

[CubaTBird]

remember last july? remember when that article on time i think it was came out with steve and the new ipod? same thing is gonna happen this time around.. sometime around mid july or early august.. new ipods.. color screen.. and they will be on the cover of like newsweek or something saying like "revolution redux" or something.. its gonna be great! with tiger!

[tazznb]

:mad: I am sooo sick of friggin iPods!
I guess they'll be dropping their powermac line altogether soon.

[VicMacs]

it would be cool to have a treo like ipod made by apple.... then it would be the coolest gadget ever

[aswitcher]

I really hope they dont keep abadoning older iPods when new ones come out. I would like to see a BT attachment which comes with BT headphones from Apple for my new 60 gig

[doogle]

All I want is to be able to run my Keynote presentations from it! I know, perhaps 10G that feature will arrive....
...oh yeah and the sig of course!

[puckhead193]

bring it on apple, joshy needs new ipod :D

[williamsonrg]

Time to consolidate the lines. There's just too many damn iPod models, it even confuses the hell out of me! http://www3.telus.net/poojja/s/confused.gif

I hope you're being sarcastic...

We should be praising Apple for FINALLY having a complete product line, and you want to consolidate them? Apple now has an iPod at every price point and capacity marker, why would they want to change that? Unless you think that making them all "Photo" iPods would be consolidating...

[ksz]

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR can do 3 Mbps which should be good enough for CD-quality audio (http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=7281).

Potential uses for Bluetooth:

1. No more FM transmitters hooray!!! Moto (and others) will release Bluetooth enabled car stereos. I think some cars already have them (like the Acura TL).

2. Wireless headphones.

3. Remote control your Mac (iTunes, DVD player, QT, etc.) with your iPod a la Salling's Clicker. Your ipod will become the ultimate remote control.

4. OK this is a bit more far-fetched, but if Apple or TiVo ever came out with a bluetooth-enabled media box connected to your TV and stereo, you'd be able to stream digital photos to your TV and music to your home stereo, all directly from your iPod. No need to mess with docking stations or cables.

I was thinking that Apple would introduce an dock-connector add-on to bring BT to the iPod but I guess BT is one way to differentiate the more expensive models.

Don't forget #5:

Bluetooth iPods connected to Bluetooth-enabled automobiles. My Motorola V600 cellphone, for example, connects automatically to my BMW's iDrive, transfers the address book and wirelessly connects to the speakers and microphone of the car. In fact, I can use voice recognition in my car to make calls by name, such as:

"Call John Doe"

Of course, no voice training is needed; just speak clearly and shut the windows!

The iDrive controller and the iPod controller are EXACTLY the same, i.e. they have the same movements:

1. Rotate the controller.
2. Push the controller up, down, left and right.
3. Press down on the controller.

I would like to see Apple work with BMW to develop a Bluetooth extension to iDrive that replicates the iPod user interface and perhaps adds voice-based command and control as a bonus.

Existing Bluetooth 1.1/1.2 with about 768 kbps bandwidth (if I recall correctly) should be more than capable of handling 128 kbps AAC which would need to be decoded by software resident on iDrive (not sure if there's enuf bandwidth to send decompressed stereo over BT 1.1/1.2).

The 2005 Mercedes SLK Convertible already sports a more advanced iPod interface that displays the song name inside the instrument cluster. BMW, with iDrive, has the infrastructure already in place to replicate the whole shebang.

[jmsait19]

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR can do 3 Mbps which should be good enough for CD-quality audio (http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=7281).

Potential uses for Bluetooth:

1. No more FM transmitters hooray!!! Moto (and others) will release Bluetooth enabled car stereos. I think some cars already have them (like the Acura TL).

2. Wireless headphones.

3. Remote control your Mac (iTunes, DVD player, QT, etc.) with your iPod a la Salling's Clicker. Your ipod will become the ultimate remote control.

4. OK this is a bit more far-fetched, but if Apple or TiVo ever came out with a bluetooth-enabled media box connected to your TV and stereo, you'd be able to stream digital photos to your TV and music to your home stereo, all directly from your iPod. No need to mess with docking stations or cables.

I was thinking that Apple would introduce an dock-connector add-on to bring BT to the iPod but I guess BT is one way to differentiate the more expensive models.

if they can make it do those things, im all for it. that would for sure keep it on the cutting edge of technology and once again push it far ahead of the other digital players on the market...

...not that it isn't ahead already.

[mo0805]

How much bulk will bluetooth and a color screen add to the current iPod?? The iPod photo is already huge.

the ipod photo is not really that much bigger. any size difference between the ipod photo and the normal ipod is because of the hd size. i doubt bluetooth will add any bulk at all.

[aegisdesign]

I've got to disagree, for the most part. If you're talking about those rare, large-scale syncs then yes I agree with you. But most of the time when I sync my iPod, only a few megs are being moved anyway.

Or let's say you're ripping a CD - BT could easily be syncing fast enough to keep up with that.

Nope. Only if you've got BT 2.0.

Prior to that you're talking about 20K a second transfer speed so each song would take around 3-4 minutes each or roughly realtime. I've done this a few times on phones and it's just not viable. You end up buying card readers for the phone's SD cards or using USB connections.

The other use for it would be Bluetooth printing of your photos and it's about time they added PictBridge support too.

[mo0805]

No matter how decked out we want our gadgets to be... why fill 'em up with extra features when they are already working great! I'm in no rush to be able to transfer at the blazing speed of bluetooth. Color screens are definitley a plus, they bring new life to an iPod, but I have faith in Apple to keep their products elite in design and functionality and to not pack them full of nerd gear.

Haha, I would hardly consider bluetooth "nerd gear." None of us know what Apple may do with this, but a bluetooth chip would be very useful. Imagine not needing to mount and unmount your iPod when you want to transfer some contacts or some calendar information onto your iPod? You could also control the iTunes music library on your bluetooth-enabled Apple computer, such as a Powerbook. I currently use a bluetooth phone to control my iTunes, and i've not once been called a nerd for using it, haha. I mostly get "Wow, how'd you do that?" and "Can I do that with my phone?"

[plinkoman]

The thing I don't see as viable is the Bluetooth. You certainly can't sync your library over BT. The only viable thing I see with BT might be syncing calender, address book and Notes.

let me ask you a quick question, how many times do you think most people will be syncing their whole library to the iPod?? once?

after that it's just adding a few songs here and there as they come, which over bluetooth 2.0, would in most cases be quite adequete. not to mention the calender, address book and notes which you said, and potentially bluetooth headphones. a bluetooth equipped iPod could be quite useful

[mo0805]

:mad: I am sooo sick of friggin iPods!
I guess they'll be dropping their powermac line altogether soon.

who threw a wrench in your gears? if it wasn't for iPods and the iTunes Music Store, Apple wouldn't be where it is today. Apple uses the revenue it generates from iPod sales to make your powermacs better, so quit your mf bitching.

[joeconvert]

forgive me if im wrong, but usb isn't wireless, because there is no way to transmit energy, and usb can generally do that (that's how the shuffle is charged) if they were to do somthing other than bluetooth, i don't see why they would do 802.11b instead of 802.11g. 802.11g is smaller, faster, and to my knowledge, uses less energy.


Wireless USB is an emerging standard.

http://www.usb.org/wusb/home

Unrelated to WUSB, but it is indeed possible to transmit energy. BUt that is out of scope of this discussion.

[joeconvert]

who threw a wrench in your gears? if it wasn't for iPods and the iTunes Music Store, Apple wouldn't be where it is today. Apple uses the revenue it generates from iPod sales to make your powermacs better, so quit your mf bitching.

Yes, but Apple hasn't made them better in quite some time.

Even if we assume IBM can't get their act together on the G5, there are plenty of ehancements that could have been made in the interim to improve the value proposition.

[R.Youden]

I dont think that Apple will put BlueTooth into iPods, they need high speed Wi-Fi. But if the DO put in BlueTooth I can see on very cool feature here:

You hve your BlueTooth phone (probably the iTunes phone only at first) and you can navigate the iTunes Music Store directly from your iPod as long as you have the phone within 30 feet or what ever the distance is. Or you can download you songs on the iTunes phone and transfer data to the iPod without a computer. BlueTooth is really only useful in phones, it will never be used for major syncing. Just my thoughts.

[mo0805]

Yes, but Apple hasn't made them better in quite some time.

Even if we assume IBM can't get their act together on the G5, there are plenty of ehancements that could have been made in the interim to improve the value proposition.

like what?

[virividox]

Couple this with Airport Express and you've got one hell of a system :)

http://www.ipodmechanic.com

transfering at bluetooth speeds hahaha one hell of a slow system :)

[d.perel]

How does rendevous/bonjour work? would I have to buy extra software for it to work on my mac?

[snueff]

I think it would be great to have java like j2me on the ipod :)

[rockthecasbah]

Im all for phasing out the grayscale iPods and adding features but:

1. battery life must improve (please get up to 20 hours!!!!!)
2. no bulk is added, and some is decreased on 60gb
3. there are no holes in the iPod line from 20gb removal
4. prices do not increase just because of a color screen

If they can work out the kinks, i guess the next gen iPod lines will be kickin'. However, I'd rather have a slim color screen line that a beefier more advanced iPod. All the majority of people would use it for is music and photos, video wouldn't be good on a small screen like that.

[d.perel]

I don't think dropping the "photo" part of the name is that big of a surprise. With the next revisions, I would expect the entire big iPod line to have color screens. The thing I don't see as viable is the Bluetooth. You certainly can't sync your library over BT. The only viable thing I see with BT might be syncing calender, address book and Notes.
I would guess bluetooth localozed messaging between ipods (maybe even voice messages!) like with newer Game Boy Systems

[Goliath]

... bt is such an uncommon interface so far.. it is almost useless to most computers. the only decent use is for apples wireless mouse and keyboard, and in hope for somthing really good will come out for it.


Salling clicker is by far and away the best implementation of a useful bluetooth application- I can control my whole mac with it from the comfort of my sofa. Anyone who hasn't used it is missing out of a great product. Yes B/T mouse and keyboard are great but being able to browse my iTunes library, control dvd player, garageband, eye tv and pretty much everything else is amazing and all for £7

[mpw]

Colour screens I think would be obvious upgrade just to keep things fresh.

I think BT would be a great addition to really move the iPod on. If they go for it they should use BT2.0, adding it to the iPod should be hard if it can be added to a mobile phone and wouldn’t cost much although they could charge a premium for it and it would draw people up to the top of the range more than just 20 extra GB’s.

Feature wise I can see it being used to iSync your calendar etc. You could transfer your music but why would you?

However I can see it being used to download music via any BT2.0 mobile for that one song you simple must have.

I think the killer app. out of the box would be adding a discreet mic. to the earbuds and pairing with your mobile as a headset that cuts the music when you get a call.

Of course the real killer app. would be wireless headphones. Not only v.cool but another must have product Apple can charge for on top of the iPod.

You can bet that if Apple put BT2.0 on the iPod there’ll be a rush of BT enabled hi-fi and A/V gear to pair with.

[Mac]

I think BT would be a great addition to really move the iPod on. If they go for it they should use BT2.0

However I can see it being used to download music via any BT2.0 mobile for that one song you simple must have.

You can bet that if Apple put BT2.0 on the iPod there’ll be a rush of BT enabled hi-fi and A/V gear to pair with.

I fully agree with you. BT 2.0 is the key to get the speed that is necessary for it to work. BT 1.1 is far too slow.

Adding WiFi to it would also be nice. But with both BT and Wifi you have the battery issue.

All of us with BT phones know how looooong they stay up and ready - NOT. I get only 1,5 day with my phone on BT, but 5 without.

Thought provoking.

[wPod]

all color screens is a logical next step for the evolution of the iPod. heck, to keep up with competition such as from creative, apple will have to incorporate color screens in all ipods, including the mini! as for wireless, i still, and will always want wifi, or even a wifi add-on for the iPod so i can connect wirelessly to the airport express. cause lets face it, fm modulators stink and it is a pain hooking directly to the sound system!

[michaeljs]

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR can do 3 Mbps which should be good enough for CD-quality audio (http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=7281).

Potential uses for Bluetooth:

1. No more FM transmitters hooray!!! Moto (and others) will release Bluetooth enabled car stereos. I think some cars already have them (like the Acura TL).

I'd like to see... I get a call on my BT enabled mobile, my BT enabled ipod which I'm listening to, goes into pause mode and routes the call to my iPod headphones (and remote with built in mic). I finish the call and the iPod fades back in!

[1macker1]

WHen did thy change it from rendevous to bonjour? And I never really understood wth rendevous was good for to begin with.
How does rendevous/bonjour work? would I have to buy extra software for it to work on my mac?

[Yvan256]

Interesting. But I think the iPod is fine as is, just drop the iPod 20GB, lower the price of the iPod photo & drop the 'photo' from the name, include an 80GB model, and start including a firewire cord again! :mad:

Not the FireWire comments again...

Listen: 95% of computers are Windows. Only the newest Windows computers have FireWire (and not all new computers, on top of that).

Making 95% of your customers buy an additionnal USB 2 cable is bad business. I know I was mad when I paid top dollars for my iPod and then had to come back to the store and shell out even more money simply to be able to use the damn thing.

Also, all new Macs have USB 2.0, which means you can use your iPod out-of-the-box. Just not as fast.

And maybe the iPod's HD isn't even fast enough to even fill USB 2.0's bandwidth... Ever thought about that?

Making something "FireWire" doesn't mean it can fully use it. Just look at the iPod shuffle... Sure, it's USB 2.0, but the flash memory inside it is way slower then the max bandwidth of USB 2.0. Do a timing with a static 512MB/1GB playlist between a regular iPod (connected via USB 2.0) and the iPod shuffle. The regular iPod is (way) faster even though they're both connected via USB 2.0.

[virus1]

Salling clicker is by far and away the best implementation of a useful bluetooth application- I can control my whole mac with it from the comfort of my sofa. Anyone who hasn't used it is missing out of a great product. Yes B/T mouse and keyboard are great but being able to browse my iTunes library, control dvd player, garageband, eye tv and pretty much everything else is amazing and all for £7ya $20 is pretty cheap for a remote like that. too bad it requires $300+ phones that cost $80 a month to use.. so if i wanted to use that for just a month, aha.. $400. i think i will just get up out of my damn chair thank you very much..

[Yvan256]

i'm pretty sure this is what will happen. the drives used in the ipod minis have now hit 20gb and the next iteration of drives for the full-sized ipods should deliver 40-60gb with the form factor of the current 20gb ipod, so the current "music-only, black and white, full-sized" ipod will be dropped.

I'd guess h.264 compatability on the 5g ipods with either wireless usb or 802.11b capability for transfer. bluetooth is way too slow for transfer (usb and 802.11b are pretty damn slow too) but it could work for ical/addressbook sync or a remote control for your mac.

Wait a minute... iPod mini 20GB? Where did you dream that? Sure, Hitachi announced their "perpendicular" technology, but that's probably months away from commercial production! And if you're talking about that then the next iPods will be more around 120-150GB than 40-60GB! (but with the thickness of the current 20GB)

As for H.264 compatibility, that'd be way cool for music videos and movie trailers! (how many times have I been to the movies only to have friends ask "what's THAT movie?" With a H.264 iPod I could show them the trailers!)

Would also be nice to carry around your home movies. But this iPod would need an S-Video output right on it to actually be useful, no stupid cable (but knowing Apple, it will require a cable for video output). Which means that if you go somewhere, you have to remember your cable or else you're stuck with the tiny iPod display (which is fine for showing a movie trailer on the go, but no good for showing a home movie at someone else's home).

[Yvan256]

All I want is to be able to run my Keynote presentations from it! I know, perhaps 10G that feature will arrive....
...oh yeah and the sig of course!

That'd be nice, too.

But if the new iPod does play H.264, then with Tiger you'll be able to export to H.264 via Keynote. Hopefully the iPod will be able to play QuickTime too (even if only in H.264 format). QuickTime already supports presentation (go ahead, try it now), so that would make it possible to use your 5G iPod for Keynote presentations. Just don't forget your cable to connect it to the video display.

[dan-o-mac]

ya $20 is pretty cheap for a remote like that. too bad it requires $300+ phones that cost $80 a month to use.. so if i wanted to use that for just a month, aha.. $400. i think i will just get up out of my damn chair thank you very much..

:confused: My T610 cost $75, and i pay $45 a month for my plan. I don't get your point. I'm assuming most people buy a cell phone to use as a phone, not a remote. The cost of your phone and plan has nothing to do with using it as a remote, it's just an extra feature thats cool to use if you have the capability.

[dan-o-mac]

Would also be nice to carry around your home movies. But this iPod would need an S-Video output right on it to actually be useful, no stupid cable (but knowing Apple, it will require a cable for video output). Which means that if you go somewhere, you have to remember your cable or else you're stuck with the tiny iPod display (which is fine for showing a movie trailer on the go, but no good for showing a home movie at someone else's home).

(but knowing Apple, it will require a cable for video output)

How many portable video players have built in S-Video output? how silly would a built in S-Video look on an ipod.

[Machead III]

I think after the ultra minor update from 3g to 4g, Apple should be planning a more substantial evolution of the line. Let's hope for color screens, bluetooth (which, considering about 30% of my college has an iPod) could be extremely cool with song swapping or the like, 3gpp and quicktime playback, ability to connect it up to a TV and watch video straight off it (not sure how practical that is though), downloadable games from iTMS and a change appearance (brushed metal to match the iMac G5?).

Now THAT would be an awesome iPod.

Hey, maybe with bluetooth you could have wireless headsets? Maybe more than one person could listen to your track! MAYBE YOU COULD PLAY 2 PLAYER MUSIC QUIZ!!!

[rog]

:mad: I am sooo sick of friggin iPods!
I guess they'll be dropping their powermac line altogether soon.
I thought they already did. Their latest quarter sales seem to indicate that at least.

[Ultimatetone]

Personally speaking (of course) I am hoping for something that would lure Archos / Sony PSP fans.

I just want an entertainment/learning device that I can -

retrieve and send e-mail, address book, calendar functions
listen or view content (on the device or output to larger tv/monitor)
browse the web via wi-fi
...for less than an notebook (otherwise, I'd buy a notebook!)

Perhaps an Apple product with the following attributes -

3.8" screen or larger
bluetooth for keyboard / mouse
A/V in / out (for PVR functionality)
H.264 (MPEG-4) record / playback ability
scaled-down OS X w/Wi-Fi for web browsing

My 'feature list' may be too 'niche,' but I *cannot* bring myself to purchase -

a portable DVD player (that is not MPEG-4 compatible)
a 'notebook-priced,' feature-laden, Archos device
a PDA from HP, Dell, ASUS or whomever (with no harddrive)
a Treo(Palm) or Blackberry cell phone
a Sony PSP (overpriced Memory Sticks, no harddrive)
an Apple iPod (without video playback)

I have located off-shore, harddrive-based, 'portable' media players and they are reasonably priced, too.
Of course, they run on AC power only or a lack their own screen (sigh).

NYKO plans to release a Video screen to adapt to current, full-size iPods
(and possibly add an interface for PVR I/O functions as well)...
thus placing your iPod-based 'video solution' at around $500-600 (incl. the iPod)

Ultimatetone

Oh yeah...

I am still waiting (several years now) for a Nextel / Motorola WiFi-capable iDen cell phone.

[dongmin]

I would guess bluetooth localozed messaging between ipods (maybe even voice messages!) like with newer Game Boy SystemsYou hit upon another possibility: multi-player gaming via BT if the rumors are true about Apple developing games for the iPod.

I'd like to see... I get a call on my BT enabled mobile, my BT enabled ipod which I'm listening to, goes into pause mode and routes the call to my iPod headphones (and remote with built in mic). I finish the call and the iPod fades back in!Many car BT systems already do this to an extent. Check out the Acura TL. (http://www.acura.com/models/model_comfort_handsfree.asp?module=tl) You can already control the stereo with your voice commands. How cool would it be if you can control your ipod with your voice while driving?!

ya $20 is pretty cheap for a remote like that. too bad it requires $300+ phones that cost $80 a month to use.. so if i wanted to use that for just a month, aha.. $400. i think i will just get up out of my damn chair thank you very much..As others have noted, it's an add-on feature. No one would be silly enough to buy a phone just for that. You can get the SE T610 for $100 credit via Amazon. My only gripe is that the screen on the T610 is too small (128x160) to see much. The iPod photo screen (220x176) would work way better.

[ScubaDuc]

Don't forget #5:

Bluetooth iPods connected to Bluetooth-enabled automobiles. My Motorola V600 cellphone, for example, connects automatically to my BMW's iDrive, transfers the address book and wirelessly connects to the speakers and microphone of the car. In fact, I can use voice recognition in my car to make calls by name, such as:

"Call John Doe"

Of course, no voice training is needed; just speak clearly and shut the windows!

The iDrive controller and the iPod controller are EXACTLY the same, i.e. they have the same movements:

1. Rotate the controller.
2. Push the controller up, down, left and right.
3. Press down on the controller.

I would like to see Apple work with BMW to develop a Bluetooth extension to iDrive that replicates the iPod user interface and perhaps adds voice-based command and control as a bonus.

Existing Bluetooth 1.1/1.2 with about 768 kbps bandwidth (if I recall correctly) should be more than capable of handling 128 kbps AAC which would need to be decoded by software resident on iDrive (not sure if there's enuf bandwidth to send decompressed stereo over BT 1.1/1.2).

The 2005 Mercedes SLK Convertible already sports a more advanced iPod interface that displays the song name inside the instrument cluster. BMW, with iDrive, has the infrastructure already in place to replicate the whole shebang.


Dude, if the engine in your beamer sounded like desmo on my Duc, you wouldn't want to listen to music anyway!!!! ;)

[Cue]

Is it so difficult to put a radio on the iPod? :confused: :(

[ksz]

Dude, if the engine in your beamer sounded like desmo on my Duc, you wouldn't want to listen to music anyway!!!! ;)
Fair enough, but unlike your Ducati, I'm unfortunately surrounded by a noise-insulated cabin! You can check out the engine and other pics near the bottom of this link: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=114245&page=5

[Yvan256]

Personally speaking (of course) I am hoping for something that would lure Archos / Sony PSP fans.

I just want an entertainment/learning device that I can -

retrieve and send e-mail, address book, calendar functions
listen or view content (on the device or output to larger tv/monitor)
browse the web via wi-fi
...for less than an notebook (otherwise, I'd buy a notebook!)

Perhaps an Apple product with the following attributes -

3.8" screen or larger
bluetooth for keyboard / mouse
A/V in / out (for PVR functionality)
H.264 (MPEG-4) record / playback ability
scaled-down OS X w/Wi-Fi for web browsing

My 'feature list' may be too 'niche,' but I *cannot* bring myself to purchase -

a portable DVD player (that is not MPEG-4 compatible)
a 'notebook-priced,' feature-laden, Archos device
a PDA from HP, Dell, ASUS or whomever (with no harddrive)
a Treo(Palm) or Blackberry cell phone
a Sony PSP (overpriced Memory Sticks, no harddrive)
an Apple iPod (without video playback)



Wouldn't it be simpler to use a sub-notebook for all that? Instead of re-inventing the wheel, putting together a special lite version of OS X, etc?

Forget limited PDAs, with the iBook mini you'll have the full power of OS X available to you, 24/7! Wouldn't THAT be amazing?

(eh, that almost sounds like what SJ would say when introducing the thing) :cool:

[Ultimatetone]

Wouldn't it be simpler to use a sub-notebook for all that?
Instead of re-inventing the wheel, putting together a special lite version of OS X, etc?

Forget limited PDAs, with the iBook mini you'll have the full power of OS X available to you, 24/7! Wouldn't THAT be amazing?I agree whole-heartedly!

Target price - > $450-550.00 USD


Ultimatetone

[Yvan256]

I agree whole-heartedly!

Target price - > $450-550.00 USD


Ultimatetone

Something about this size would be nice:
http://www.mactouch.com/breve.php?id_breve=0310

But please nothing as small as this:
http://www.danaquarium.com/article.php?story=20050214084416703
(which, btw, are mock-ups based on a GameBoy Advance SP - they didn't even bother to "patch" the cart slot)

[scarz]

Why is everyone's favorite rumored wireless technology for the iPod BT? I understand it's already supported by Mac's and PC's alike... but it's hardly a common standard. Apple has standardized on a USB cable for new iPods. Who's to say they won't come out with an iPod that supports Wireless USB 1.0 (Which is set to be standardized (http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,120386,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp) around May 15th, meaning WUSB products could be out by the end of the year.) Not only will this interface require alot less coding to get it to work (it piggybacks current usb specs), but allows wireless transfer's at 480mbps if your within 3 meters of the host, which blows the doors off BT.

If you are going to dream, dream big. BT 2.0 is worthless and hardly useable when you consider the amount of data people have to transfer to fill up a 60gb iPod.


WUSB iPods coming soon? Well I just hope they come before stupid BT ones... lol.

[JGowan]

Once upon a time, the folks in Cupertino made computers named "Macintosh". Guess that no longer matters....Apple posted a net profit of $290 million or $.35 per diluted share - as compared to profit of $46 million or $.06 per dilluted share for the year-ago quarter (up 500%).

I think this speaks for itself. An extra $244 million in your backpocket is nothing to sneeze about.

Besides, AidenShaw, what are you b!tchin' about...?

1) New speedbumps for The G5 PowerMac, iMacs, iBooks & eMacs are on their way and should be shipping before next Friday (according to ThinkSecret).

2) Airport Express hasn't been out that long and is extremely cool.

3) The new Cinema Display lineup is totally boss and just received a price reduction.

4) iWorks just came out and kicks ass.

5) iLife '05 just came out and kicks ass.

6) The Mac Mini just came out and is the low-cost headless Mac everyone's been cryin' over for years.

7) The PowerBook lineup have just received a boost in power and specs, not to mention a nice reduction in price.

8) A new version of Final Cut Studio just came out and won awards at NAB, including new versions of all the software.

9) Not to mention that Tiger is shipping a month early and looks to be just slathered with goodness.

10) They also are continuing to bring out great and different iPods, lowering prices and adding features all the time.

You reaction gives the impression that Apple has been doing nothing except work on the iPod Line and that is entirely not true.

It is a freakin' great time to be a Mac user!

[rog]

Apple posted a net profit of $290 million or $.35 per diluted share - as compared to profit of $46 million or $.06 per dilluted share for the year-ago quarter (up 500%).

I think this speaks for itself. An extra $244 million in your backpocket is nothing to sneeze about.

Besides, AidenShaw, what are you b!tchin' about...?

1) New speedbumps for The G5 PowerMac, iMacs, iBooks & eMacs are on their way and should be shipping before next Friday (according to ThinkSecret).

2) Airport Express hasn't been out that long and is extremely cool.

3) The new Cinema Display lineup is totally boss and just received a price reduction.

4) iWorks just came out and kicks ass.

5) iLife '05 just came out and kicks ass.

6) The Mac Mini just came out and is the low-cost headless Mac everyone's been cryin' over for years.

7) The PowerBook lineup have just received a boost in power and specs, not to mention a nice reduction in price.

8) A new version of Final Cut Studio just came out and won awards at NAB, including new versions of all the software.

9) Not to mention that Tiger is shipping a month early and looks to be just slathered with goodness.

10) They also are continuing to bring out great and different iPods, lowering prices and adding features all the time.

You reaction gives the impression that Apple has been doing nothing except work on the iPod Line and that is entirely not true.

It is a freakin' great time to be a Mac user!



1) So far they sound underwhelming and are sure to be overpriced.

2) It's been a while. Too expensive, too many restrictions.

3) Still too expensive and the 23" model has major problems. No low cost 17 or 19" model.

4) iWorks is a joke.

5) iLife finally works well after 3 months of bug fixes, unfortunately the price has balooned from $29 a couple years ago to $79.

6) Nobody was clamoring for a headless mac with a slow 3 years ago 1.25GHz G4 and a 4200 RPM, hard to upgrade, smaller than a good iPod sized hard drive.

7) The powerbook update made them almost undetectably faster and they still cost too much. Battery life on the 15" is still a huge problem as is wi-fi reception even 4.5 years after the Ti came out.

8) & 9) agreed!

10) Kind of a stretch.

[doogle]

That'd be nice, too.

But if the new iPod does play H.264, then with Tiger you'll be able to export to H.264 via Keynote. Hopefully the iPod will be able to play QuickTime too (even if only in H.264 format). QuickTime already supports presentation (go ahead, try it now), so that would make it possible to use your 5G iPod for Keynote presentations. Just don't forget your cable to connect it to the video display.


Hadn't thought of that! I guess some playback issues might remain - I do not like the thought of hitting play and pause too much...it couldn't be too hard to have a button (combination perhaps) to step each frame in QuickTime (and I am talking on the ipod here not the mac)...wow maybe my dreams are closer to reality. Thanks Yvan256 :)

[Yvan256]

4) iWorks is a joke.

5) iLife finally works well after 3 months of bug fixes, unfortunately the price has balooned from $29 a couple years ago to $79.

6) Nobody was clamoring for a headless mac with a slow 3 years ago 1.25GHz G4 and a 4200 RPM, hard to upgrade, smaller than a good iPod sized hard drive.

4. Pages might not be what you'd hope (and it's only the first version), but I'm sure happy with Keynote 2. Anyone still using PowerPoint doesn't put any value on his/her presentations, IMO.

5. The price is still excellent for all the great software included in the package! At 29$ they were almost giving it away for free (like you only paid for the CD, manuals, packaging). Find me a complete package like this for the PC at the same price.

6. I was. My brother was. Lots of switchers were asking for something like this. Why do you think it doesn't even come with a keyboard or mouse? In fact, I'm sure a lot of people were asking for this (or else Apple just wouldn't have bothered). Just wait and see the number of Mac mini sold when the numbers will be announced. You'll probably be shocked.

It might not be a G5, but since I bought mine, I haven't used my PC (Athlon XP 2600+, 512MB, 80GB, Radeon 9600XT/128MB, Windows XP). In fact it's for sale and has been unplugged for more than 3 weeks. That's how great the Mac mini is. Sure it sucks for World of Warcraft, but that's mainly because of the GPU/VRAM (I do wish it had 64MB VRAM).

The Mac mini might be "old technology", but it's still good enough even for video editing (something I can't say when looking at a PC, no matter the specs). A computer is the sum of all its parts and that includes software. At the current price it's impossible to beat the Mac mini hardware/software combo.

And if you still think the Mac mini is "3-years old technology", I don't know what you're thinking about the current PowerBooks... Aside from the GPU/VRAM (and HD speed) my Mac mini is only a notch below the current 12" PowerBook... And probably the (almost) same specs as the previous 12" PowerBook!

[Yvan256]

Hadn't thought of that! I guess some playback issues might remain - I do not like the thought of hitting play and pause too much...it couldn't be too hard to have a button (combination perhaps) to step each frame in QuickTime (and I am talking on the ipod here not the mac)...wow maybe my dreams are closer to reality. Thanks Yvan256 :)

No play/pause timing required. Go ahead, export in Quicktime, now!

Then, play it back using QuickTime Player. It waits for a key for each slide, plays it, then pauses automatically, just like Keynote!

Put QuickTime + H.264 playback in the 5G iPod and you have your Keynote-on-the-go ability!

[doogle]

No play/pause timing required. Go ahead, export in Quicktime, now!

Then, play it back using QuickTime Player. It waits for a key for each slide, plays it, then pauses automatically, just like Keynote!

Put QuickTime + H.264 playback in the 5G iPod and you have your Keynote-on-the-go ability!


Wicked! Bring it on Apple! :D

[heisetax]

Once upon a time, the folks in Cupertino made computers named "Macintosh". Guess that no longer matters....


Years ago Apple didn't pay enough attention to their top end computers & the Clones had a great market to sell to. Steve Jobs took over & the top end has ended most of the time. Apple comes out with a new model that appears to be the beginning of something new & great, then they let it languish over time. Like the PowerBook has been great from time to time, but it has languished again & again. The G5 showed a lot of promise, but again Apple has let it languish with only yearly updates. A few years ago I sold computers. At that time the Windows models were updated every 3 months or so. The Mac models were on a six month or so renewal schedule. It now takes nearly a year for this to happen. And as many have mentioned these upgrades are not very big, i.e. 10-11 % on the PowerBook & 8% according to the Rumor Sites for the next PowerMac upgrade. STEVE JOBS, could this possibly be the reason that the PowerBook & PowerMac sales are lower than they would like them to be. Unlike years ago we have no Clones available to take up the slack.

I like my iPod & iPod Shuffle, but they only are for non direct business use. My Mac provides 100% of my income. During income tax season my Mac is on for at least 20 hours a day. At the present time it is powering 4 displays: a 17" widescreen, a Formac 20" & a AL 23" Apple, all dvi connected & a 15" lcd hooked up VGA. I wanted to replace one with a new 30" Apple lcd display. For this at present I can use my 17" PowerBook, but need a new G5 at the PowerMac level. Like many others I do not want to pay a premium price for a 2 year old design. Apple please wake up & listen. Steve Jobs just seems to want to reign on the low end, so we need help from the rest of the company. Most of us are loyal Mac Users & are not threatening to buy a Windows machine, maybe we should. But what we are doing is speaking with our pocketbooks. We are not purchasing the Pro-level Mac for the reasons I have listed & other similar reasons. We want to sync are 80GB iPods with new dual 3GHz dual core G5 PowerMacs with pcExpress, pci-X-2 & other fitting items. We're waiting Apple & Steve Jobs in particular.

Bill the TaxMan

[sunwarrior]

I can't imagine what it will be to transfer MP3s with BT. If you're the type of person who is impatient waiting for lift to come, transferring MP3s with BT will drive you nuts.

[Bendit]

I don't think dropping the "photo" part of the name is that big of a surprise. With the next revisions, I would expect the entire big iPod line to have color screens. The thing I don't see as viable is the Bluetooth. You certainly can't sync your library over BT. The only viable thing I see with BT might be syncing calender, address book and Notes.

No, you might not be able to sync your entire library over BT before you battery dies but you'll surely be able to sync up one or two new albums you just bought over Bluetooth 2.0

[retroneo]

The bluetooth iPod obviously supports A2DP for wireless stereo headphones, but also bluetooth headset support (in reverse - as in the ipod can act as a headset for your phone). There are a few of neat ones out already.

This enables your ipod to act as a bluetooth headset for your mobile phone. When an incoming call is detected on your mobile, your iPod mutes and you can answer the call. The voice tag plays so you know who it is, and your iPod display will display the name of the contact along with their Address Book photo if available from a previous iSync. To answer or reject the call you use your voice recognition. All bluetooth mobiles have voice recognition.

The music continues when you end the call.