Apple iPod TV Commercial?

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider claims (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=439) that Apple has filmed an iPod TV commercial in New York.

MacRumors has received the same report, but the information can not be verified.

Essentially the report simply stated that there would be a new feature set but no further details.

[ITR 81]

Well it seems likely that some new iPod commerical is coming since Apple Stores took down current Ads and I haven't seen a iPod Ad on tv for past 2 months.

[ingenious]

Appleinsider claims (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=439) that Apple has filmed an iPod TV commercial in New York.

MacRumors has received the same report, but the information can not be verified.

Essentially the report simply stated that there would be a new feature set but no further details.

all i can say is that i love the iPods, but i'd rather have a 12" PB G5.

[dukemeiser]

These could be commercials for 4th gen iPods. iPods haven't been updated forever.

[morkintosh]

These could be commercials for 4th gen iPods. iPods haven't been updated forever.

updated forever?? I'd say the iPod needs to get in line behind the power mac. The pods just got the mini ... I want my dual 3.0.

[mkaake]

upded forever?? I'd say the iPod needs to get in line behind the power mac. The pods just got the mini ... I want my dual 3.0.

because it *is* technically impossible for apple to work on any two projects at the same time... :rolleyes:

matt

[michaelrjohnson]

rev 4 of the ipods will make things very interesting. apple is trying to stay ahead of the game, and I think that the new ipod can help (whenever it comes).

[ITR 81]

upded forever?? I'd say the iPod needs to get in line behind the power mac. The pods just got the mini ... I want my dual 3.0.

I believe the next PM update will come in either May or June.
I remember when folks talked about the 3Ghz saying it probably won't be here until July or Aug.

[SlowX]

maybe they can have a "buy and iPod, look at the back and see if you've won a FREE PEPSI!"

WOOOOHOOO!

[wrldwzrd89]

These could be commercials for 4th gen iPods. iPods haven't been updated forever.
Have you looked at the MacRumors buyers' guide? The indication there is that iPods aren't due for an update anytime soon (the recommendation is Neutral) - that's why I bought one last week.

[Loa]

Hello,

Here's my take on the iPods. Apple has to do something, and do it very soon as it is already far behind in the mp3 player race in terms of features. Look at those players:

iRiver iHP-120: 20Gigs, USB2, plays all formats save AAC, Digital line in and line out, Analog line in and line out, voice recorder (direct-to-MP3), volume controlled microphone (direct-to-MP3), FM radio and a 16 Hours Battery. (Very basic mac compatibility, can serve as a hard drive.)
349$

DMC Xclef 500: 40Gigs, same thing as the iRiver except that it has a 20 hours battery, uses an ordinary (i.e. user upgradable) drive, is fully mac compatible and can serve as an external hard drive as well.
Again, 349$.

To get 20Gigs in an iPod, you have to pay 50$ more and you still don't get any line-ins, digital or otherwise, no internal microphone, no radio. You only get AAC compatibility. And you're still far from the Xclef's 40Gigs.

As for user interface, they're probably not as easy to use as the iPod, but we're not children and it's not rocket science anyway... And what if they're not as pretty as the iPods? It's not as if I'll be putting them on display at a museum! Most likely they'll spend most of their time in my pockets...

I really want to buy an iPod to go with my Macs, but these days it's getting harder and harder. I'm not a teeny-gadget type freak, so the boring Mini doesn't do a thing for me. I want a full featured mp3 player / hard-drive / recorder and Apple is lagging far, very far behind.

Man! 40Gigs, 20 hours battery, digital and analog ins and outs, recording features, fully mac compatible and still 50$ cheaper than an iPod with half the HD!!! :eek: That 4th gen iPod is already very late and its looking older by the minute! Apple needs to get that featured-upgraded iPod out now!

Loa

[wrldwzrd89]

Hello,

Here's my take on the iPods. Apple has to do something, and do it very soon as it is already far behind in the mp3 player race in terms of features. Look at those players:

iRiver iHP-120: 20Gigs, USB2, plays all formats save AAC, Digital line in and line out, Analog line in and line out, voice recorder (direct-to-MP3), volume controlled microphone (direct-to-MP3), FM radio and a 16 Hours Battery. (Very basic mac compatibility, can serve as a hard drive.)
349$

DMC Xclef 500: 40Gigs, same thing as the iRiver except that it has a 20 hours battery, uses an ordinary (i.e. user upgradable) drive, is fully mac compatible and can serve as an external hard drive as well.
Again, 349$.

To get 20Gigs in an iPod, you have to pay 50$ more and you still don't get any line-ins, digital or otherwise, no internal microphone, no radio. You only get AAC compatibility. And you're still far from the Xclef's 40Gigs.

As for user interface, they're probably not as easy to use as the iPod, but we're not children and it's not rocket science anyway... And what if they're not as pretty as the iPods? It's not as if I'll be putting them on display at a museum! Most likely they'll spend most of their time in my pockets...

I really want to buy an iPod to go with my Macs, but these days it's getting harder and harder. I'm not a teeny-gadget type freak, so the boring Mini doesn't do a thing for me. I want a full featured mp3 player / hard-drive / recorder and Apple is lagging far, very far behind.

Man! 40Gigs, 20 hours battery, digital and analog ins and outs, recording features, fully mac compatible and still 50$ cheaper than an iPod with half the HD!!! :eek: That 4th gen iPod is already very late and its looking older by the minute! Apple needs to get that featured-upgraded iPod out now!

Loa
Apple uses smaller (miniature) hard drives that are not user-upgradable in the iPods to keep their size as small as it is. I'd be willing to bet that the other players you mentioned aren't as small as the iPod, and they're cheaper because they use cheaper hard drives. I've heard that the ones with user-upgradable hard drives are using ordinary notebook drives - that is why they are so cheap, yet don't come close in terms of size to the iPod and iPod mini. You are right about the features - the iPod could certainly use more. I don't think the price will change significantly because the hard drives Apple chooses to use aren't cheap either - simple as that.

[d_jk]

Have you looked at the MacRumors buyers' guide? The indication there is that iPods aren't due for an update anytime soon (the recommendation is Neutral) - that's why I bought one last week.

The last iPod update was simply a hard drive capacity increase in the bottom of the range model (along with the iPod mini release). It's been over a year since the iPod was redesigned. I expect an iPod redesign, to some extent, before the end of 2004. I'm hoping it will include line in recording.

[Nykwil]

Have you looked at the MacRumors buyers' guide? The indication there is that iPods aren't due for an update anytime soon (the recommendation is Neutral) - that's why I bought one last week.


uhm do you know math? Avg days since update =161. 115 days since an update
that's like 46 more days... a little over a month...just in time for WWDC IMO :rolleyes:

sucks you couldnt wait 46 days or at least till WWDC before you decided to buy an ipod :D

[wrldwzrd89]

uhm do you know math? Avg days since update =161. 115 days since an update
that's like 46 more days... a little over a month...just in time for WWDC IMO :rolleyes:

sucks you couldnt wait 46 days or at least till WWDC before you decided to buy an ipod :D
Who is expecting iPod updates at WWDC? As far as I know, nobody is. I'm certainly not, at least not until rumors of iPod updates are posted. Besides 46 days is more like 1.5 months, and for me it would actually have been 54 days till the end of an average update cycle (I bought mine on Wednesday, April 21, 2004).

[Nykwil]

Who is expecting iPod updates at WWDC? As far as I know, nobody is. I'm certainly not, at least not until rumors of iPod updates are posted. Besides 46 days is more like 1.5 months, and for me it would actually have been 54 days till the end of an average update cycle (I bought mine on Wednesday, April 21, 2004).


even if it was 54 days WWDC is coming up...you can't put aside that there is a possibility of an ipod update, even if there aren't any rumors going around...waiting couldnt hurt.

Even if there wasn't an update to the ipod you cant put aside that the possibility is there especially when WWDC is so close now

[wrldwzrd89]

even if it was 54 days WWDC is coming up...you can't put aside that there is a possibility of an ipod update, even if there aren't any rumors going around...waiting couldnt hurt.

Even if there wasn't an update to the ipod you cant put aside that the possibility is there especially when WWDC is so close now
I didn't really care anyway - I was determined to get an iPod, update in the next two months or not. As long as the MacRumors Buyers' Guide says "Neutral" or better, I'd gladly buy an Apple product.

[quagmire]

Have you looked at the MacRumors buyers' guide? The indication there is that iPods aren't due for an update anytime soon (the recommendation is Neutral) - that's why I bought one last week.

Let see, when the emacs were updated, the buyers guide also said neutral. Apple is so unperdictable. Apple may be updating the pods to take away the attention of the powermac updates.

[Loa]

Apple uses smaller (miniature) hard drives that are not user-upgradable in the iPods to keep their size as small as it is. I'd be willing to bet that the other players you mentioned aren't as small as the iPod, and they're cheaper because they use cheaper hard drives. I've heard that the ones with user-upgradable hard drives are using ordinary notebook drives - that is why they are so cheap, yet don't come close in terms of size to the iPod and iPod mini. You are right about the features - the iPod could certainly use more. I don't think the price will change significantly because the hard drives Apple chooses to use aren't cheap either - simple as that.

The iRiver is exactly the same size: I've held one in my hands. The Xclef is one inch longer and half an inch wider. Big deal. It stills fits in one's pocket...

But the drive isn't everything that's wrong with Apple. The iRiver has twice the battery life and the Xclef even more than that. For 50$ less! Regardless of all the other advantages, I'd still go for the Xclef anyday!

Right now I'm waiting for the 4th Gen iPod, but I won't be holding me breath for too long... The buying guide is wrong: a minor change like that shouldn't count as a product update! Just add the current and previous bar: the iPod is WAY overdue!!!

Loa

[rdowns]

updated forever?? I'd say the iPod needs to get in line behind the power mac. .

Which should be in line behind the iMac.

[ebunton]

On the battery issue:
Mmm, I wonder if adding a longer-lasting battery in the iPod will significantly reduce Apple's profit margin (assuming that the price of the iPod remains the same.)

If it doesn't, then it would be easy to believe that Apple decided to use the cheaper battery option to maximise profit.

They probably conducted a study which concluded that the majority of people would get an iPod anyway over other digital music devices, regardless of the low battery life, because the other features (such as excellent user interface, design etc) were considered more important.

Clearly, Apple needs to balance the features/specs of their products to satisfy customers as well as investors.

Off topic: It seems to be the case with their PowerBooks and iBooks. Their G4 processors are lagging behind in terms of speed to those from other companies, namely Intel. I'm certain that Apple can source faster processors, if they believed that that is a feature that would significantly boost profits.

[the_mole1314]

I know that many 3rd parties have higher capacity batteries out now that can last for 10 hours in the current 3rd gen iPods. I think that Apple NEEDS to get bigger batterylife, that's one of the main points used against the iPod by their competitors.

[g30ffr3y]

uhm do you know math? Avg days since update =161. 115 days since an update
that's like 46 more days... a little over a month...just in time for WWDC IMO :rolleyes:

sucks you couldnt wait 46 days or at least till WWDC before you decided to buy an ipod :D


what do you mean "sucks"... even if apple delivered new ipods tomorrow... he still got an ipod!!! ipods rule... not everyone is super concerned with having the latest and greatest... becauses really the latest and greatest is only that for one day... theres always anticipation towards whats next...

congrats on your ipod!!!!!!!

*note* i am someone who is concerned about the latest and greatest just to clarify... i just got my 30gig replaced with a 40 three days ago from best buy... after they had my 30 in their super secret best buy lab trying to fix it for two friggin weeks... i hope apple doesnt make it obsolete for at least a month or two... id rather have that dual 3gig powermac...

[Nykwil]

what do you mean "sucks"... even if apple delivered new ipods tomorrow... he still got an ipod!!! ipods rule... not everyone is super concerned with having the latest and greatest... becauses really the latest and greatest is only that for one day... theres always anticipation towards whats next...

congrats on your ipod!!!!!!!

*note* i am someone who is concerned about the latest and greatest just to clarify... i just got my 30gig replaced with a 40 three days ago from best buy... after they had my 30 in their super secret best buy lab trying to fix it for two friggin weeks... i hope apple doesnt make it obsolete for at least a month or two... id rather have that dual 3gig powermac...


latest and greatest > 1 day old and busted.. ;) :D

of course all the ipods RULE~!!!!

[Flowbee]

But the drive isn't everything that's wrong with Apple. The iRiver has twice the battery life and the Xclef even more than that. For 50$ less!

I guess that's why you see so many people walking around with iRivers and Xclefs. :rolleyes:

[afields]

This commercial could easily be regarding the ipod mini, not a 4th gen. iPod. The mini hasn't been advertised on tv that I've seen. Thats my guess.

[slightly]

If they are shooting an iPod commercial, I'm not surprised that it's in NYC. Every time I get on a train here, there are at least three people in my carriage with those damn white earphones (you can tell I don't have an iPod yet, can't you? ;) ).

They did need to stop with those irritating petit mal-inducing silhouette commercials, too. Let's show real people - not silhouettes, not Hollywood directors, not Moby - using an Apple product for once, shall we? I, for one, volunteer. :)

[ebunton]

I'm praying it's the new iPods though...
I wanna get one already...!!
Gimme 4G now now now!
Gimme reliable rumours.. I want confirmation that there'll be one released in the next few months... then I can sleep soundly :)

[Nykwil]

personally i wish the ipod had more of a "cult" following
we are elitist when it comes to portable mp3 image, but something about being unique and only the very few owning an ipod feels so good.

I see so many people with ipods now and some of em it's obvious and clear that they don't use their ipod at its fullest potential..

Once I got my ipod i took such great care to re-organize all my music collection with better id3 tags and cleaner encodings.

Some people just dont deserve an ipod if they cant do whats neccesary to REALLY enjoy the "experience" IMO :p it's an image thing for them :rolleyes:

but I'm glad apple is getting SOME mainstream respect...the ipod is a beautiful example of attention to details and apple innovation.

4th gen ipods hurry up dammit so I can distinguish myself from all the "hip" ipod bandwagon crowd :D

[jettredmont]

Hello,

Here's my take on the iPods. Apple has to do something, and do it very soon as it is already far behind in the mp3 player race in terms of features. Look at those players:

iRiver iHP-120: 20Gigs, USB2, plays all formats save AAC, Digital line in and line out, Analog line in and line out, voice recorder (direct-to-MP3), volume controlled microphone (direct-to-MP3), FM radio and a 16 Hours Battery. (Very basic mac compatibility, can serve as a hard drive.)
349$

DMC Xclef 500: 40Gigs, same thing as the iRiver except that it has a 20 hours battery, uses an ordinary (i.e. user upgradable) drive, is fully mac compatible and can serve as an external hard drive as well.
Again, 349$.

To get 20Gigs in an iPod, you have to pay 50$ more and you still don't get any line-ins, digital or otherwise, no internal microphone, no radio. You only get AAC compatibility. And you're still far from the Xclef's 40Gigs.


Hmmm... Seems like the iPod, last I checked, supports much more than just AAC. Oddly, "all formats save AAC" apparently means (at least according to the DMC specs page), "MP3 and WMA Music Playback". That's not exactly "all formats". Heck, in sheer format count the iPod has it beat (iPod also plays quicktime lossless and aiff formats). Neither player gets anywhere near "all formats", if for no other reason than that neither supports OGG or FLAC or APE or MP3Plus, etc. In other words, if your beef is that the iPod just won't support your Buy.com WMA library, say that. Don't disguise your partisanship as a general "doesn't support enough formats" complaint.


As for user interface, they're probably not as easy to use as the iPod, but we're not children and it's not rocket science anyway...


Well, that's kind of funny. I generally don't regard myself as an imbicile either, but I had massive ongoing troubles trying to get my wife's RCA Lyra to connect up to our Windows PC (to pull from our MP3 collection). The software was flaky, the connection was tempermental (and if it failed at the wrong spots you'd lose everything on the device and have to start from scratch. Great user design, there.) Moreover, the device itself had a crappy interface and the device itself crashed routinely.

Now, of course, that's not the iRiver or DMC models you're promoting above, but it's silly to implicate that the rest of the industry has come anywhere near catching up to Apple in interface or stability, not even to the "good enough" cash cow market Bill Gates is so good at weaseling into.


And what if they're not as pretty as the iPods? It's not as if I'll be putting them on display at a museum! Most likely they'll spend most of their time in my pockets...


Yeah, if you can fit them! Those suckers are HUGE!

An iPod, on the other hand, fits nicely into my pockets and into my hand, doesn't take any thought at all to control, and, yes, looks nice. Very nice.


I really want to buy an iPod to go with my Macs, but these days it's getting harder and harder. I'm not a teeny-gadget type freak, so the boring Mini doesn't do a thing for me. I want a full featured mp3 player / hard-drive / recorder and Apple is lagging far, very far behind.


Apple sells one of those full-featured devices. It even plays movies. It's called an "iBook". If size is not a problem for you (which is obvious given your approval of the iRiver/DMC bricks), then why not just get a notebook to lug around with you?

[Edit: Here's a site trying to sell the DMC, which apparently unwittingly posted a feature-by-feature comparison to the iPod :) . I don't think that the DMC comes out ahead, but that's just my opinion. Of course this doesn't even begin to address ease of use, style, and such, but it's revealing nonetheless. I am little concerned at the recharge time required by the DMC, personally, given it's apparently low-voltage DC line in, but that's also not addressed here; it could require a high current which might make up for the low voltage. The site is:

http://www.digmind.com/store/index.html#Comparison

]

[Nykwil]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Omg look at the upcoming iriver H300 to be released in northern europe between may-june

http://www.irivernordic.com/products.php?pid=35&PHPSESSID=1ee74daf5f79b0ca9f5fc87754aa3eb7

omg if iriver is gonna incorporate a 2" color lcd with their players then I'm sure apple will be on top of that!!!!
the h300 also supports jpeg and bmp files meaning its probably only used for image display

of course apple will do it 50% smaller and WAY cooler :D

*edit upon further analysis the iriver h300 is just a bit bigger than the 3rd gen ipods but not by much

20 gig ipod = 4.1 x 2.4 x .52 @ 5.6 oz
20 gig iriver H300 = 4.1 x 2.45 x .9 @ 6.53 oz


:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

up to 16hrs playback on the iriver h300...apple needs to do just as good even if they have to make the 4th gen a little bit bigger

[SiliconAddict]

personally i wish the ipod had more of a "cult" following
we are elitist when it comes to portable mp3 image, but something about being unique and only the very few owning an ipod feels so good.

I see so many people with ipods now and some of em it's obvious and clear that they don't use their ipod at its fullest potential..



So basically you are looking to be a snob. Beautiful. :rolleyes:

[Loa]

Hello Jettredmond,

I'm no partisan, and I have nothing but mp3s and AACs in my collection. As for the other music formats you listed, I've never used a single one of them... Right now mp3 and wma (and a handful of AAC for us Mac people: most PC-users don't even know what AAcs are!) are all that really matter.

User interface: I've used the iRiver iHP-120 myself. If you can't figure it out, there's something wrong with you. How complicated can they possibly make those machines anyway? That's what I always wonder when people praise the iPod's ease of use. My microwave is harder to use than the iHP-120...

Size: "Those suckers are HUGE!" you said. The iRiver is exactly the same size as the iPod. EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE! The XClef is one inch longer and half an inch wider. You call that HUGE? If you can manage a walkman, the Xclef will be a piece of cake... Also, the difference between an iPod and a Xcelf, in weight, is about 10 nickels. Oh dear, what a brick!

As for the recharge time, if you take into account that the Xclef lasts for 2.5 times as long as the iPod, you really shouldn't talk about any kind of off-time.

It all comes down to style (which is quite subjective and more or less relevant). And Price (the iPod has a lot more of that, of course). And Features (the iPod shines once more by its amazing lack of it). And by Battery life (1/2 or even 2/5! of the others).

The choice is quite obvious...

Loa

P.S. As for the iBook, a reality check: the Xclef has more HD space than the base iBook model... Isn't that cute!

[aswitcher]

I'm praying it's the new iPods though...
I wanna get one already...!!
Gimme 4G now now now!
Gimme reliable rumours.. I want confirmation that there'll be one released in the next few months... then I can sleep soundly :)


Yeah, I am looking at buying an ipod in May...I hope if they are doing a 4thG they get it out soon.

[Macmaniac]

Heck if Apple could find a way to use a battery that had 12 hours of battery life while still retaining the same size or smaller I would be so happy! Maybe drop the price by $50 would be nice, Apple should try and add support digital audio, however I see a lot of people who brag about having it on their MP3 player, but they never use it.

[Penman]

Hello Jettredmond,

I'm no partisan, and I have nothing but mp3s and AACs in my collection. As for the other music formats you listed, I've never used a single one of them... Right now mp3 and wma (and a handful of AAC for us Mac people: most PC-users don't even know what AAcs are!) are all that really matter.

User interface: I've used the iRiver iHP-120 myself. If you can't figure it out, there's something wrong with you. How complicated can they possibly make those machines anyway? That's what I always wonder when people praise the iPod's ease of use. My microwave is harder to use than the iHP-120...

Size: "Those suckers are HUGE!" you said. The iRiver is exactly the same size as the iPod. EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE! The XClef is one inch longer and half an inch wider. You call that HUGE? If you can manage a walkman, the Xclef will be a piece of cake... Also, the difference between an iPod and a Xcelf, in weight, is about 10 nickels. Oh dear, what a brick!

As for the recharge time, if you take into account that the Xclef lasts for 2.5 times as long as the iPod, you really shouldn't talk about any kind of off-time.

It all comes down to style (which is quite subjective and more or less relevant). And Price (the iPod has a lot more of that, of course). And Features (the iPod shines once more by its amazing lack of it). And by Battery life (1/2 or even 2/5! of the others).

The choice is quite obvious...

Loa

P.S. As for the iBook, a reality check: the Xclef has more HD space than the base iBook model... Isn't that cute!

I'm not quite as 'foaming at the mouth' as the above but it's interesting to see that the Apple hardcore (meaning those who use the word Job's like the religious use the word Jesus) seem to think that Apple's lead in the portables market makes them unaasailable.

A lot of the reason people have bought iPods is because that's the only MP3 player many are aware of.

It's like the car industry circa 1910. People back then associated the word 'car' with 'Model T' and that's what they bought. As the market grew competition increased and people realized that the Model T was 'a' car and not 'the' car.

Apple has two product offerings. The iPod - expensive, sleek and simple, and the mini...er... expensive, sleek and simple.

This is great for people who want expensive, sleek and simple. However others will rise (and are) to make products for those who want cheap, tough, chunky, feature laden, multi-media devices.

Apple can take it's lead and do one of two things:

1) Diversify the line (a $99 player on one end and a multi-media machine on the other) and grow.
2) Stay with the expensive, sleek simple niche and fight increasingly hard against companies who want a chunk of every secotr (look at how many portable music devices (CD and Tape included) Panasonic and Sony make - that's how you dominate a market).

I hope Apple open up before the iPod becomes the Mac of the music world and Apple have no more leverage, share or respect than they do today. I sold my 30 Gig because it crashed at least once a week, didn't hold my entire collection and had a sub 4 hour battery life after 9 months of use. I want to buy another iPod but it has to be bigger, badder and improved in some way. I'm not 100% sure Apple are going to offer me something though.

[Blue Moon]

all i can say is that i love the iPods, but i'd rather have a 12" PB G5.

Amen. :)

[Blue Moon]

...if its an update to an 8 GB iPod mini I'd dig into my wallet for that.

[hmg]

Yest there are better players out there, the iPod does lack certain features (recording being it, really, but is available from Belkin I think?).

BUT (biiiiiiig but), most people who buy a music player buy them as an accessory that plays music, it has to look really good (remember those great looking Sony Walkmans in the 80s that were slightly larger than the cassette that cost a fortune??? That's why Sony was it with cassette players).

If a really good music player was released that was ugly as sin, nonoe would buy it. if a crappy music player was releaseed and looked lie the latest greatest fashion accessory, well, what do you think?

The other players I've seen have all been ugly. I don't want an ugly accessory, I went and got myself a pretty iPod.

[njmac]

How long does it usually take to air a commercial after it is filmed? I don't really know anything about producing commercials but I would guess by the time Apple approved the commercial it could be at minimum 6 weeks.

[aswitcher]

How long does it usually take to air a commercial after it is filmed? I don't really know anything about producing commercials but I would guess by the time Apple approved the commercial it could be at minimum 6 weeks.


I wonder if there are any big TV events happening anytime soon they might use to launch it???

WWDC/July 4th has to be the latest. Anything Earlier?

[coattaker]

You could be right, but then again I don't think Apple would need to be advertising the mini at a time when demand is already way outstripping supply in the U.S., let alone the rest of the world!

Couple with the job that Apple recently had on their website for an engineer with video codec experience to work on a new generation iPod, and the new features of iTunes 4.5, I think we could be seeing a 4th Gen iPod very soon, and probably before WWDC.

PS - First post! :)


This commercial could easily be regarding the ipod mini, not a 4th gen. iPod. The mini hasn't been advertised on tv that I've seen. Thats my guess.

[Blue Moon]

You could be right, but then again I don't think Apple would need to be advertising the mini at a time when demand is already way outstripping supply in the U.S., let alone the rest of the world!

Couple with the job that Apple recently had on their website for an engineer with video codec experience to work on a new generation iPod, and the new features of iTunes 4.5, I think we could be seeing a 4th Gen iPod very soon, and probably before WWDC.

PS - First post! :)

Welcome to the forum coattaker! I wouldn't be surprised if you were right either.

[tristan]

Remember that rumor? :-) I put off buying an iPod so I could buy one of those dirt-cheap minis that were supposed to come out at $200 or even less. Then the mini was released... at $249. Ouch! But i bought a 10 gig refurb for $236 a week later and am really happy with it.

Well, to stay on-topic, my guess is that it'll have an FM Tuner. there were rumors of that a while back. And maybe a battery that's easier to replace. (There's no reason Apple couldn't make something that just slides in.)

[~Shard~]

because it *is* technically impossible for apple to work on any two projects at the same time... :rolleyes:

matt

Two projects at the same time? No, not impossible. But how about working on iPod updates, PowerMac revisions, Aluminum displays, new form-factor G5 iMacs, and a new OS (10.4), coupled with what they have obviously been working on as of late - FCP HD, Shake 3.5, DVD Studio Pro, Motion, PowerBook updates, iBook updates and eMac updates. Yah, Apple's not busy at all - what are they doing with all their time and idle resources? :rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

Who is expecting iPod updates at WWDC? As far as I know, nobody is. I'm certainly not, at least not until rumors of iPod updates are posted. Besides 46 days is more like 1.5 months, and for me it would actually have been 54 days till the end of an average update cycle (I bought mine on Wednesday, April 21, 2004).

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the Buyer's Guide and time between updates - if you play the waiting game, you'll never be satisfied. Buy the system (or whatever) that you want, when you want it, and you'll never be disappointed. If you try and do calculations and rely on previous trends, you'll just keep on waiting instead of enjoying your new purchase. I think you're smart to have just gone out and bought yours, wrldwzrd89 - enjoy!

[TorbX]

The last iPod update was simply a hard drive capacity increase in the bottom of the range model (along with the iPod mini release). It's been over a year since the iPod was redesigned. I expect an iPod redesign, to some extent, before the end of 2004. I'm hoping it will include line in recording.

Why doesn't Griffin make some iRecord-device? Theyve got the microfone recording thingy. Whish they could make a iLine-in.

[uv23]

I would like to see Apple move to digital audio outs on all of their products, especially with them going off so much lately about how music-oriented they are -- how about being sound quality oriented too? The G5s already have it (finally). The Powerbooks should definitely have it. And I have committed myself to waiting until the iPod gets an optical out until I buy one. Asking me to listen to my entire music collection through a mini-plug to RCA adapter into an analog-in on my receiver is preposterous. Just my $0.02CDN.

[wdlove]

I wonder if there are any big TV events happening anytime soon they might use to launch it???

WWDC/July 4th has to be the latest. Anything Earlier?

On many occasions Steve has debuted new commercials during his Keynote. Which would mean WWDC.

[MoparShaha]

On many occasions Steve has debuted new commercials during his Keynote. Which would mean WWDC.That's very true. I could see WWDC being pretty big this year. New PowerMacs are a given (if not sooner), possibly these new iPods, and we're all hoping for new iMacs.

[boobers]

Couple with the job that Apple recently had on their website for an engineer with video codec experience to work on a new generation iPod, and the new features of iTunes 4.5, I think we could be seeing a 4th Gen iPod very soon, and probably before WWDC.

PS - First post! :)

Now plug an isight into a colour screen ipod and what have you?
:D

[~Shard~]

That's very true. I could see WWDC being pretty big this year. New PowerMacs are a given (if not sooner), possibly these new iPods, and we're all hoping for new iMacs.

If we have to go an entire year with upgrades to the PowerMac line (save the DP 1.8), then Apple pretty much NEEDS to release the 3 GHz @ WWDC to make up for it. Otherwise, they should release upgrades right now (2.2, 2.4, 2.6, whatever), then wait unilt early fall for the 3 GHz. It's all a question of timing though, as shipping times come into play as well - when updated PowerMacs ARE announced, what will be the shipping delay on them? :confused:

But yes, PowerMac updates, possibly iPod updates (not sure about that one though), new iMacs (new form factor, with a G5 or possibly these new 2 Ghz G4s they're talking about recently), possibly updated displays, and maybe a sneak peak of 10.4. Should be a good WWDC this year! (Some updates in the meantime though would sure be appreciated!) :cool:

[~Shard~]

Now plug an isight into a colour screen ipod and what have you?
:D

I can record a music video of myself as I listen to my iPod? ;) :p

[aswitcher]

On many occasions Steve has debuted new commercials during his Keynote. Which would mean WWDC.


Are there no big events between now and WWDC? Major public holidays? Exhibitions? etc?

[rdowns]

Are there no big events between now and WWDC? Major public holidays? Exhibitions? etc?


TV ads are scheduled around "TV events". Wouldn't surprise me to see Apple debut and run the ad a few times during the final episode of Friends. It will probably draw over 50 million viewers.

If Steve needs to hold back a TV ad for his keynote at WWDC, Apple users are in dire straits. He better have lots of new hardware and software to debut.

[IrishGold]

So what date does Friends end?


This thursday at 7pm cst

[Nykwil]

Doubftul that apple will release a new ipod commercial during friends. Just take for example the superbowl...they don't really cater to such events. The pepsi ad doesnt count since it's pepsi, not apple...and we all saw how WELL that ad helped :rolleyes:

I see apple displaying their ads on a regular day after showing it at WWDC like last year. See the channels that are affiliated with apple like ABC, ESPN (all a part of Disney) and MTV of course to show the new apple commercial 1st

[Gibson424]

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the Buyer's Guide and time between updates - if you play the waiting game, you'll never be satisfied. Buy the system (or whatever) that you want, when you want it, and you'll never be disappointed. If you try and do calculations and rely on previous trends, you'll just keep on waiting instead of enjoying your new purchase. I think you're smart to have just gone out and bought yours, wrldwzrd89 - enjoy!

Yeah but what if the product I want is an 8g iPod Mini?? I'm not too worried though. I just bought a 10g for the same price as the mini..though I'm thinking of giving to my girlfriend as a birthday gift. I really really really hope that if a 4th gen iPod is released, they fatten up the mini as well. That'd be sweeeeet.

[jtquick2001]

I have watched apple do videos that had Ian Robinson demonstrating apple products. The ipod is a great product that would call for a video demo of it. As for the compitition? Ha they wish they were an ipod! Viva la apple baby! :D

[Porchland]

I keep expecting any Tuesday now to find out that the Beatles or Dave Matthews Band have been added to iTMS. In particular, I could see iTMS doing some sort of limited releases of various DMB concerts.

I can't think of two bigger acts that aren't on iTMS right now, and I've got to think Apple's working on it.

[~Shard~]

Yeah but what if the product I want is an 8g iPod Mini?? I'm not too worried though. I just bought a 10g for the same price as the mini..though I'm thinking of giving to my girlfriend as a birthday gift. I really really really hope that if a 4th gen iPod is released, they fatten up the mini as well. That'd be sweeeeet.

Oh for sure, if you know from the outset that you WANT an 8 GB iPod mini, specifically, then by all means. I was more referring to people who could easily buy the latest version of a machine which could easily do everything they need (and more) yet hesistate to buy and always want to wait for the next big thing. I'll use myself as an example - I bought a 17" 1.25 GHz G4 iMac in December. At the times, there were rumors of the G5 iMac being announced at WWDC, but for me and what I need a system for, the current iMac was more than enough. Even when the G5 iMac is released, my machine will still be as fast as it is now and do everything I need it to. And if I would have played the waiting game, well, I'd still be waiting for my G5 iMac! :cool:

[IrishGold]

Friends is a good show, hehe.

Funny stuff :D

[SiliconAddict]

I pray this is a 4G iPod commercial. I WANT MY 4G iPOD DANG IT!!!

[IrishGold]

**shrug**

Some people just aren't into humor. You are a minority though(considering its one of the most popular shows on currently)

Anyways, I think this would be perfect(though its not going to happen)

Hell, I don't even think a new iPod will be coming out anytime soon, but thats just my feeling.

[IrishGold]

By the way, Hewlett-Packard are airing a commerical. I wonder what new product they will be advertising?


Maybe their computers bundled with iPods?

[ebunton]

Oops Sorry, that was offtopic. I am new to this. Well regarding the iPod commercials then, we can only hope...! haha let's see what the Apple marketing team has in store for us.

Coloured backdrops with silhouettes again?

[IrishGold]

I think you are absolutely wrong to say that "some people just aren't into humor".




What's wrong with being in the monority though? I'm in the vast minority since I use a Mac, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :cool:


Some people aren't into humor. Not everyone likes da funny. ;)

And there isn't anything wrong with being the minority.

[Rower_CPU]

Per the forum rules, off-topic posts (especially in the news/rumor forums) are not allowed. Such posts have been and will continue to be deleted.

Let's try to stay more on topic, folks. Thanks. :)

[Gibson424]

Oh for sure, if you know from the outset that you WANT an 8 GB iPod mini, specifically, then by all means. I was more referring to people who could easily buy the latest version of a machine which could easily do everything they need (and more) yet hesistate to buy and always want to wait for the next big thing. I'll use myself as an example - I bought a 17" 1.25 GHz G4 iMac in December. At the times, there were rumors of the G5 iMac being announced at WWDC, but for me and what I need a system for, the current iMac was more than enough. Even when the G5 iMac is released, my machine will still be as fast as it is now and do everything I need it to. And if I would have played the waiting game, well, I'd still be waiting for my G5 iMac! :cool:

I completely agree. That's why, even with all the rumors floating around about upgraded PowerBooks earlier this year, I still went out and got my 1.25 ghz 15". Sure, there's a slight feeling of regret now that the newer models are out, but since I got this thing, I've used it on countless occassions in situations where I really needed it. Plus it's pretty much the pinacle of this technology. There's not much out there that can match it in terms of features and power (besides the upgraded models of course). That's also why I got my 10g iPod instead of holding out for these rumored 4th gens. Although if a larger capacity mini comes out, I'll be first in line. I just like the form-factor of the mini better.

[pjkelnhofer]

I guess that's why you see so many people walking around with iRivers and Xclefs. :rolleyes:

Remember though that the iPod is the only thing that Apple really markets heavily. When was the last time you saw an OS X ad on TV, or got onto the subway a were faced with a wall of PowerMac billboards? Lately, it seems like 99% of Apple's advertising budget is going towards the iPod. Maybe the sales have something to do with that.

A seperate question:
When do the HP iPod's come out?

[MacFan25]

I'm sure that whenever the ads start to show we will all be pleased. Apple has a great history of excellent advertising, and I'm sure this one won't be a let down.

If they just filmed the ad, then I wonder when we can expect to start seeing it air? A month? A couple months? I'm not really sure, but I think it would be pretty cool if Apple introduced iTunes Europe, 4th Generation iPods, and the new commercials all in the same day (possibly at a keynote, like when iTunes Windows was introduced). :)

[jeffgarden]

i just saw it and i ripped it with EYETV

here:

http://homepage.mac.com/jeffgarden/ipodad.mpg

[joeswinehart]

i just saw it and i ripped it with EYETV

here:

http://homepage.mac.com/jeffgarden/ipodad.mpg


Nice ad, wish it mentioned a G4 iPod...was this on broadcast TV or did you get a sneak preview?

[jeffgarden]

it was on comedy central. like 4 times during mad tv

[Nykwil]

damn after seeing that commercial I kinda dont see a reason for apple to release a 4th gen ipod now :confused:
Because it doesnt really make sense to release a new ipod when you're releasing commercials displaying your current ipod

in the beginning of that ad the ipod looked kind of squarish

but no...just the good ole 3rd gen ipod

[Hattig]

The iRiver is exactly the same size: I've held one in my hands. The Xclef is one inch longer and half an inch wider. Big deal. It stills fits in one's pocket...

xClef HD-500 (20GB 2.5") looks reasonable. Its volume is 230cm^3 (129 * 81 * 22mm)
iPod's 40GB volume is 118cm^3 (4.1 by 2.4 by 0.73 inches)

xClef is nearly twice the size of the iPod. More if you use the slightly smaller iPod 20GB (100cm^3).

xClef HD-500 weighs 255g, iPod weighs 175g (158g).

and for an Apple user, the lack of AAC support is a bit of a hassle. xClef only has 12MB of buffer memory, the iPod has 32MB, which allows for faster smoother transistions between songs.

Yes, Apple could make a slightly larger iPod with a bigger battery, and hence longer battery life. Maybe the new iPod will use a lower power hard drive and electronics, thus providing longer battery life? (the competitors are based on a newer design which must help them)

The HD-800 uses 1.8" hard drives, but I can't find full specs on the manufacturers website, suggesting that it is really new. The OGG support looks useful though.

[Brian Haworth]

In reply to some stuff earlier:
I don't deny that some of these mp3 players by iRiver and the like look pretty slick. I don't deny that they don't weigh all that much more and aren't that much bigger. I admit that they have a lot of neat features that the iPod doesn't have. But Apple has a couple big things going for them: name recognition and market share.
I see a lot of people around my school and town with mp3 players. A good amount of people still have CD players, but of the mp3 players, I've noticed that about 50% are the small, cheap, low capacity ones that the iPod mini was designed to compete with, and the other 50% are iPods. I have not seen a single iRiver or Xclef.

[Brian Haworth]

I keep expecting any Tuesday now to find out that the Beatles or Dave Matthews Band have been added to iTMS. In particular, I could see iTMS doing some sort of limited releases of various DMB concerts.

I can't think of two bigger acts that aren't on iTMS right now, and I've got to think Apple's working on it.

They do have one Beatles album: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=136998

[~Shard~]

In reply to some stuff earlier:
I don't deny that some of these mp3 players by iRiver and the like look pretty slick. I don't deny that they don't weigh all that much more and aren't that much bigger. I admit that they have a lot of neat features that the iPod doesn't have. But Apple has a couple big things going for them: name recognition and market share.
I see a lot of people around my school and town with mp3 players. A good amount of people still have CD players, but of the mp3 players, I've noticed that about 50% are the small, cheap, low capacity ones that the iPod mini was designed to compete with, and the other 50% are iPods. I have not seen a single iRiver or Xclef.

And that's what it ultimately comes down to, doesn't it? I see a multitude of people on the street, in mass trnsportation, etc. all with either iPods or those cheap little $50 MP3 players that hold 128 MB (or whatever it is). I have only seen perhaps 1 iRiver in my life and not one Xclef. I'm not saying people still don't buy them, but the consumer is always right, and all you need to do is look at what the majority of comsumers out there are using, and it's the iPod - not the iRiver or Xclef - and the consumer public has the final say, don't they? It doesn't matter who has better features, who has better value, yadda yadda ad nauseum - all it comes down to at the end of the day is, what do people ultimately buy? The answer - for the vast majority - iPods. :cool:

[AdamZ]

Notice when previous comercials were to come up on your television, you may have not beeen paying attension but as soon as you heard the music you looked up from whatever your doing. Same thing happened last night, but it wasn't untill the actor paused his ipod did I look up and notice the commercial.

[Porchland]

With the huge backlog on iPod minis right now, I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple hold any major ad campaign for the mini until mid- to late-summer at the earliest. Sure, brand it while it's hot, but I just see them holding off until they can better serve the orders.

[aswitcher]

With the huge backlog on iPod minis right now, I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple hold any major ad campaign for the mini until mid- to late-summer at the earliest. Sure, brand it while it's hot, but I just see them holding off until they can better serve the orders.


I still think they will release a revised range of normal ipods to try and give the market an alternatibe. 15-20 gigs in coloured shells with the ipod mini scroll wheel would probably grab a fair few buyers.

[Brian Haworth]

I still think they will release a revised range of normal ipods to try and give the market an alternatibe. 15-20 gigs in coloured shells with the ipod mini scroll wheel would probably grab a fair few buyers.

While I do prefer the original iPod's button layout, and thus the way the mini does it, the reason for having the clickwheel in the mini was because of minimal available space for seperate buttons. I don't think they'll be putting the clickwheel on the iPod, because they wouldn't be able to make the claim that it has no moving parts in the button interface anymore.

[Nobs]

Don't know if anyone mentioned in this thread, but the new iPod commercial is now on Adcritic.com.

[cubist]

Hey, it's a nice ad... makes a nod to the original silhouette ads, but looks much better, a real-life-looking guy using his iPod.

[DAP Don]

And that's what it ultimately comes down to, doesn't it? I see a multitude of people on the street, in mass trnsportation, etc. all with either iPods or those cheap little $50 MP3 players that hold 128 MB (or whatever it is). I have only seen perhaps 1 iRiver in my life and not one Xclef. I'm not saying people still don't buy them, but the consumer is always right, and all you need to do is look at what the majority of comsumers out there are using, and it's the iPod - not the iRiver or Xclef - and the consumer public has the final say, don't they? It doesn't matter who has better features, who has better value, yadda yadda ad nauseum - all it comes down to at the end of the day is, what do people ultimately buy? The answer - for the vast majority - iPods. :cool:


Interesting take, but not quite seeing into the whole picture really. As was mentioned before, Apple has put in a lot of money towards advertising, more money for one of its specific products than any other. Good move on their part really. However, this does not mean that all the other players are left in the dust, or are not recognized as being worthy competitors...Matter of fact, the iPod, while still being a decent player in general, has truly lost any real standing ground so to speak when you look at it from a feature set point of view, and also from a sound quality point of view. Take these two players: The Rio Karma and the Iriver H series.

Most people wind up with iPods these days because of the fact that they're too lazy to do any research, and always have the iPod in mind because they're constantly being bombarded with iPod and iTunes adds. When the iPod first came out, it was pretty much THE Mp3 player with NO competition. Most of todays' competing Mp3 players honestly don't need to advertise their players the way Apple does the iPod, though it would help increase stock prices and sales...no doubt.

I've done my very fair share of DAP reviews and music listening with the iPod, and the Iriver which I own, and to be honest, I had very legit reasons to go with the IHP (as did MaNY people over at Mistic River (http://www.misticriver.net/) over the iPod and even the Karma, even though the latter would be my second choice BY FAR. I can list MANY reasons why...but I'll only list a few as to not seem like a troll. I do actually appreciate the iPod for what it does, and for what it was in its day. It is sexy looking...and it does have an exceptional GUI/UI (though there's still room for improvement such as looping in the menues and artist searches etc...and a more precise, less jumpy scroll wheel...it's easy to overshoot your target)

The things that Apple needs to be on the ball with if they claim they care about the MUSIC and NOT JUST the prettiness (come on guys...having a pretty player is nice, but the novilty wears thin...besides, there's another HUGE reason as to why this shouldn't matter so much to iPodders, but does, and I'll save that for last.) is:

1)Gapless playback (Iriver and Rio have acknowledged this)

2)Digital line in or outs ON the unit for use with a portable amp. (only the Iriver has them ON the unit)

3)A real EQ section...because the current one is truly terrible. (Karma has a 5 band parametric EQ which does not cause distortion at any frequency unlike the iPod's)

4) Battery life. People say that their iPods get like 8 hours...Riiiight. More like 6 IF you're lucky. Sorry, I travel a lot and don't have the opportunity to be near an outlet all the time. No go there. Karma and IHP get 16 hours with target bitrate files. I honestly get around 14 hours using nothing under 192 KBps VBR Mp3's or Q6 Ogg's.

5) Now, I know that iPod owners are always saying that the iPod offers the most 3rd party stuff, but the truth is that the IHP either already has the features ON the player which you have to pay more for in order to get, OR, the extras are also sold on the Iriver site. Cases, battery packs, (not even needed), car adapters, soon to have cradles with new series....

6) Yes, the iPod is seen as an external HD on PC's and you can use it to transfer back and forth BUT...and a big BUT...you NEED extra software in order to build a data base if you want to actually play music files which have been transferred from the PC to the iPod. That means that the target PC needs to have iTunes installed on it OR you have to carry around either iTUnes, or one of the third party programs and execute them FROM the iPod on what may not even be your PC....Not necessary with the IHP. Unfortunately the Karma offers neither said offering.....

7) The iPod is simply way more expensive from the get go, and even more expensive if you buy extras, and has less battery life ? Weird to me.

8) Oh lessie, did I forget something ? Yeah..I did...Remote control ! The iPods remote is USELESS. It was one of the things that kept me from actually buying it. I live in NYC, and I'll be damned if I'm going to hold a small and easy to drop or have stolen $500 music player in my hands if I can help it. To be honest people...if you guys had an LCD remote control, like the one the IHP has, you'd never NEED to carry the iPod in your hands ! Chances are, you don't see people carrying other DAP's aside from iPods, because other DAP users are either not as vain as your typical iPod user, or because they have remote controls clipped on to their jeans and don't want to hold their players !

I could have given a bunch of other reasons as to why the other said DAP's are a better choice, but I don't know how well received such a long list would be here. Anyway, like I've said, I've spent long periods of time with an iPod 2nd gen...and it's a fine player, I actually like the sound of it, and it's pretty for sure, and playlist support on it is nice, but other players are doing this bigger, and better now...And will continue to do so, regardless of how many shares of Apple stock seem to be selling. What amazes me though, is how people with a certain mind set fear trying new things as if they're out there to hurt them. It's all good people...do what you will. Oh, and I think that my black IHP is one sexy b***h ! Good ol' Darth.

D.D.

[johnnyjibbs]

Just watched the ad on Apple.com. I guess it's now airing in the US. I like it. Nice, because it fits in well with the silhouette campaign but is something fresh and different (I was starting to tire of seeing those ads). Thumbs up.

[Open-Your-Eyes]

On the subject of ipods....

mine has quite a peculiar screen, looks as though it has leaked...

Am i imaging it?
Are they meant to be like that?

or...

should i take advantage of my insurance and replace it?

Help!

[~Shard~]

On the subject of ipods....

mine has quite a peculiar screen, looks as though it has leaked...

Am i imaging it?
Are they meant to be like that?

or...

should i take advantage of my insurance and replace it?

Help!

That doesn't sound right to me - I'd get that looked into... :confused:

[nemesisdome]

I read in other forums.....:

...macosx.com reports the next generation iPod will have a color screen for sure.
"Our sources have confirmed the next generation iPod will have a color screen. The new iPod will not be much different in form and function from the current models, but the primary difference is the color screen. Other details about the iPod are scetchy on our end but the fact it will be color is not up for debate. We are sorry we don't have more information to provide or details concerning the screen itself, but when it does come out or other rumors abound of it, just remember you heard it here first."........

mmmm in next expo?????? mmmmmmmm true o false?

:rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

I read in other forums.....:

...macosx.com reports the next generation iPod will have a color screen for sure.
"Our sources have confirmed the next generation iPod will have a color screen. The new iPod will not be much different in form and function from the current models, but the primary difference is the color screen. Other details about the iPod are scetchy on our end but the fact it will be color is not up for debate. We are sorry we don't have more information to provide or details concerning the screen itself, but when it does come out or other rumors abound of it, just remember you heard it here first."........

mmmm in next expo?????? mmmmmmmm true o false?

:rolleyes:

I guess we'll find out in a week at WWDC! I sure hope Jobs has some large non-iPod announcements too, though, if this is indeed the case - it seems like the iPod has been stealing the show lately, with Mac hardware updates almost taking a backstage to them. I love to see the iPod updates, as I know it's an excellent source of revenue, etc., for Apple, and is a product line Apple needs to keep advancing in order to remain competitive, but I hope that if there are big iPod announcements @ WWDC along these lines, then there will be at least big non-iPod announcements too, whether it be in the form of updated displays (bring on the 30"!) or G5 iMacs. Guess we'll see!

[Savage Henry]

The advert still left me wanting a little more. I think they could have spun out one maybe two more shadow-on-colour dancing commercials, and then zapped us with something more rewarding than posters induced into predictive animated frenzy.

Thumb still balanced on the horizontal, struggling against the forces of gravity.
:(

[macnews]

I read in other forums.....:

...macosx.com reports the next generation iPod will have a color screen for sure.

Too bad macosx.com has lost points on be right over the past few years. They used to be pretty good and correct. Given their many recent misses, some out right wayyyyy off base, I would not put much in this rumor. I just don't see it happening this soon. A year maybe. Right now they have their hands full just meeting demand on the current lineups. I would expect to see a no frills announcement of larger HD in them but that is about all.

[Jackal05]

I don't know if you guys have seen this before: http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=393