Apple Opening the iPod - Slighty

[MacRumors]

CNet article (http://rss.com.com/2100-1041_3-5095625.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news) reports on Apple's recent participation with 3rd party companies to boost the number of add-ons for the iPod.

Examples of recent add-ons include the Altec Lansing inMotion Speakers (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031001103839.shtml) and the Belkin Microphone and Media Reader (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031016150917.shtml).

Apple, however, remains secretive, not sharing the final design of the 3rd Gen iPod with Belkin until late in the development process.

Apple didn't let Belkin see the new iPods. Instead, the company got just enough electrical information to understand the connector. When it came time to test the products, they usually gave the products to Apple, which tested them and then gave Belkin feedback.

Strange as it may be, this is reportedly an improvement in pre-release access. In the past, companies would have to wait until product release. Belkin appears to be taking the new responsibility seriously and "has been particularly careful not to spill any of Apple's secrets" according to the article.

[Bozola]

Funny.. I always read that as a 3Gb Ipod and think what the heck? a 3 Gb Ipod???

[sethypoo]

I wonder what the 4th generation iPod will look like.....wi-fi anyone?

[damieng]

The iPod 2.1 firmware already has traces of a system called Small Language (http://www.compuphase.com/small.htm) as I reported to them earlier this month.

Bearing in mind the iPod has limited CPU power, embedding another language like this inside the iPod would make little sense unless you wanted to provide third partys with a sandbox style programming system.

[)amien

[poultryfarm]

i don't understand. i am fully aware that apple likes to keep things secret... but what's the point with the ipod? why not encourage other companies to make accessories for it (in a non-secretive way)? what's the problem there? surely there is a way to create some open standard that developers can utilize without giving away the look/details of the next gen. ipod. perhaps the one fault of the ipods design is that it doesn't have any attachment points (they could be discrete). this would enable apple a way to give developers a standard method of attaching accessories to the ipod without giving away more details about the design of the next gen. ipod... and the peripheral would be stable with the ipod rather than dangling umbilical cord style (like the new belkin card reader).

The o.g. game boy. people have hacked and use it for all sorts of things besides games. it's a cheap little useful item and there are all sorts of accessories for it.

wouldn't that just increase the demand for the ipod? me personally, i am waiting for a true line in and good recording features for the ipod. that's the one thing stopping me from getting one. it seems to me that the more accessories the better - competition means better and cheaper peripherals.

[Phil Of Mac]

Sounds like this is just prerelease stuff, which would indicate that the rumors sites have pushed Apple into greater and greater secrecy. It's an arms race!

[Datazoid]

Dont mean to be picky, but the title of this article says "slighty", not slightly....

[toughboy]

well... this is a marketing strategy of a firm, Apple chooses to be "closed", which makes the market penetration of its products harder (but apple doesnt have a problem in entering the market, does it?! :)) on the other hand, being closed makes the general consumer satisfaction take longer, so the product life cycle gets longer and Resarch and Development costs drops..

on the other hand, I'm not expecting any 4G iPods soon, Apple should not risk the profits coming from 3G iPods.

[themadchemist]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
Sounds like this is just prerelease stuff, which would indicate that the rumors sites have pushed Apple into greater and greater secrecy. It's an arms race!

Yes. We can't let the enemy get ahold of our crucial weapon. You will see, when the nuclear iPod is released, all will become clear!!! The the world will descend into eternal darkness, led only by the beacon that is the backlit buttons of the iPod!!!!

MWUHUHAHAHA!

(themadchemist goes into the corner and weeps, because he has made another one of his foolish jokes that aren't particularly funny.)