New iPod In Early August?

[MacRumors]

Think Secret (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/augustipods.html) reports they have a confirmed source regarding smaller, sleeker iPods to be released in the first few weeks of August, prior to Apple's Expo Paris (http://www.apple-expo.com/) beginning August 31. The new models are expected to come in a variety of colors, including purple, orange, and yellow. Design is said to be similar to the iPod Mini (http://www.apple.com/ipodmini), although retaining features only available on the current full-sized iPod (www.apple.com/ipod/).

Pricing is expected to remain somewhat constant with current levels (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=iPod).

[Foxer]

Of course there are new iPod's coming. I just traded up from a 30gb to a 40gb last week. I'm not complaining though, I need bigger than 40gb. (Damn you Apple Lossless!)

I look forward to seeing what they might look like. One that looks aluminum (I'm assuming an actual aluminum iPod is impractical for some reason) thereby matching the G5 and PB's would be be very cool. I'd pick that one up.

[AmigoMac]

Wait for me big silver iPod... blue? green? ... I'd be happy with bigger HD and could stick by white, but colors are welcome if my next iMac, of course G5 ;), matches the iPod, time to look for the credit card... :rolleyes:

[AnewMac]

I am pumped. Maybe I can order one and have it ship within a month of my ordering.

[Soire]

Yea that would make sense, I just bought a 40 gig engraved one two weeks ago after waiting for new ones for 3 months.

:( :mad:

[vpalvarez]

Of course there are new iPod's coming. I just bought a 40gb last week. They sound like they could be cool, though. I look forward to seeing what they might look like.

I've been waiting for a new ipod to come out before I buy one. Sorry About you misfortune. The next time you buy an Apple product post, and then everyone will know that a revision is iminent.

[gwuMACaddict]

hmmm... let the 'i just bought one...' complaining commence ;)

(just teasin'!)

it's about time for a revamp of the iPod. i bought a 15gig from somebody on the forum about two months ago- i love it. excited to see what the new ones will like like! hopefully even smaller/slimmer? :D

[Raveny]

I hope the new "big" ipod has some new features. I don't need a bigger capacity ipod mini!

[belair]

different colors sounds nice.
I want an orange one.
I bought my 20gig about 3 months ago.
I was so frustrated about waiting for the G5 rev b I had to buy something from apple.
I love it, but orange… :rolleyes:

[mrsebastian]

keep it coming apple! i'll be very interested to see if they will also be adding a color screen finally?!

[michaelrjohnson]

I honestly, truly, sincerely, and emphatically hope that they do not eliminate the white model. The white color is what makes the iPod so noticable. They have built a huge campaign on the color contrast (black figures, white iPod). I hope, I hope, I hope.

[realityisterror]

i wish they could keep the smaller size drives for lower prices... like having 10/20/40/60... but i guess that would complicate things...
:(
reality

[condor]

Shoot, I was just getting ready to order a PowerBook and iPod using the Cram and Jam promotion. That offer expires September 25. Now I think I will wait until August to see what comes...

[t300]

Wait...there was no mention about the Video out?

I wish.

We shall see.

[ryanw]

I would like one in black..

[ZildjianKX]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

[t300]

Why do the comments for this topic still show as "1," anyone?

[macguymike]

keep it coming apple! i'll be very interested to see if they will also be adding a color screen finally?!

Nope. This will be just like when Nintendo intro'd the Game Boy Color that had a color casing, but still no color display. :p

[gwuMACaddict]

Wait...there was no mention about the Video out?

I wish.


not me... i hope they keep the iPod mp3 only, and bring back the newton or something if you want all that other jazzy stuff...

[t300]

Nope. This will be just like when Nintendo intro'd the Game Boy Color that had a color casing, but still no color display. :p

...What a tease that Nintendo was...

[JGowan]

Well, you can kiss off getting the COLOR you want AND the SIZE you want -- all together. It won't happen. If they had 3 sizes and 5 colors, that's 15 combinations -- then for everyone to get want they want, a store might have to stock 5 of each kind (45 ipods)... no store BUT APPLE will have that many choices on hand for people to get what they want.

Lucky me,... I'll get stuck with a 10GB PINK -- when I really wanted a 60GB SILVER.

:(

[nagromme]

Sounds like just what I'd hope for. The Mini's controls are a lot better after all.

A white plastic case as an option alongside the metal ones might be nice--I like white. But I'd still buy Al, knowing how amazingly durable my AlBook has been.

Odd thing from ThinkSecret: they say the new iPods will GRADUALLY replace the current models. Weird... so this is like an "iPod Medium"?

Or maybe they're just hearing that old models are expected to be on sale for a while until they're gone. Or... maybe the old iPod is here to stay at a lower price... and only from HP!

[Chip NoVaMac]

Can't believe that it will be intro'd before the Cram and Jam rebates are over.

[t300]

not me... i hope they keep the iPod mp3 only, and bring back the newton or something if you want all that other jazzy stuff...

Initiate CAPS....

CAPS Initiated...

THERE WILL NEVER BE A NEWTON. IT IS DEAD.

CAPS Off.

I hope for video in the iPod someday, but there will be no Newton.

There will be a swiss army knife that pops out of the side of the iPod before there is a Newton.

[nagromme]

i wish they could keep the smaller size drives for lower prices... like having 10/20/40/60...

I think mfrs. tend to just drop the smaller "old" sizes: they hardly cost less than the new larger sizes that keep coming out. If only an older 10 GB drive component cost half of a new 20 GB! But I've heard that's not the case.

[SafariKC]

...What a tease that Nintendo was...

Actually First came the Game Boy "Play it Loud" series. It let you pick other colors insead of the Game Boy's gray case, same large enclosure.

Next came Game Boy Pocket. It was taking the old big bulky Game Boy Case and shrinking it down to a more modern size. It was also offered in color cases.

The Game Boy Color came out after that and did have a color screen :-)

[belair]

Purple would be really weird.

Common apple stop surprising us for a while.
I need to get some work done here!! :)

[clcnyc]

I already feel like a dinosaur with my lovely 2003 17" iMac, now this.....looks like I'll be selling 2 things on ebay come September! What do you think the chances are of someone taking over my apple loan payments for my imac with ADDED memory :D ?

[jeremy.king]

i wish they could keep the smaller size drives for lower prices... like having 10/20/40/60

Not if they drop the price of the minis then have the following price points

$199/$249/$299/$399/$499

A man can wish.

[Bakafish]

1) The announcment is supposed to be next week
2) The controls are changed to be like the iPod Mini
3) There will be only two sizes (I assume 60 / 20.)

Nothing about a color screen (which would be cool, but is really not needed.) I didn't hear about colored cases, although reducing from three to two models would enable that without such a big product matrix. Heard this from a friend of a friend at Apple. Yeah, yeah, I know. This is a rumor site though.

[nagromme]

Can't believe that it will be intro'd before the Cram and Jam rebates are over.

I know. The Cram and Jam deadline dampened my hopes for a new iPod soon. BUT if Apple expects to have lots of the old ones left around, then the $200 promo makes sense--it would only apply to the old models, not the new ones. A promo like that would be better (for us AND Apple) than waiting to release the new iPod if it's ready.

[Maxicek]

I too hope that it will stay white, the iPod is so iconic. Changing the iPod to a range of colours would dilute it's impact. As soon a anyone sees your finger rotating around that shiny white surface, they know you have an iPod. And if they don't know what it is, they usually ask. It's brand awareness must be fantastic.

I understand that Apple has to do something to persuade people to upgrade, hopefully it will be done with features. Longer battery life and FM radio would be great. Just keep the un-cluttered interface.

[t300]

Well, you can kiss off getting the COLOR you want AND the SIZE you want -- all together. It won't happen. If they had 3 sizes and 5 colors, that's 15 combinations -- then for everyone to get want they want, a store might have to stock 5 of each kind (45 ipods)... no store BUT APPLE will have that many choices on hand for people to get what they want.

Lucky me,... I'll get stuck with a 10GB PINK -- when I really wanted a 60GB SILVER.

:(

I just posed this problem in my head. This is EXACTLY right. Possibly the reason Apple didn't introduce a 2gb iPod mini alongside the 4gb one. But seriously this would only like be available online because I can't imagine going to an Apple store and you being so lucky as for them to have the exact one you had in mind. There is NO way unless Apple has some special system planned. Big YMMV when it comes out.




Maybe sell official and aftermarket faceplates for the iPod?

HAHAHA...SICK!

[bar italia]

Wow. Different colors? I can't wait. :rolleyes:

[kenaustus]

I'm fairly simple:

- Larger drive so I can save on the 40 gig.

- Color is fine - if it is on the screen.

- Same dock as l so I can still use my InMotion speakers.

A large selection of colors & sizes will make it difficult to get what you want - unless you order directly form the Apple store, or one of their major distributors. Like the Airport Express, you'll have to be fast when they are announced or wait an extra month.

[dongmin]

Shoot, I was just getting ready to order a PowerBook and iPod using the Cram and Jam promotion. That offer expires September 25. Now I think I will wait until August to see what comes...Seems unlikely that Apple would introduce new models while this promotion is going on. So...

1. The new models won't be announced until Sept. 25th.

2. Apple will stop the promotion when the new models are announced in August.

3. Revise the promotion so that it applies only to the 3G ipods.


The use of the single wheel for navigation (a la the Mini) seems reasonable. As is the offering of colors (I've been pinin for an orange mini) and the increase in the capacity to 60 GB. What else?

-wireless interactivity with AirTunes? (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/06/20040610055946.shtml)
-video out via the dock? (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=454)
-Home on iPod?

[bluebull]

Does this mean that when if I get a new iPod, then it won't match my pretty white iMac? That would be unfortunate. I do hope the color bit is wrong. Other than that, I'm excited though :cool:

[AnewMac]

Will having a color screen have put a drain on the battery?

[agentmouthwash]

I would want a few things:

(1) Improved battery life - has to be over 10 hours.
(2) Ability to download more games from Apple or third party developers.
(3) have a "rock block" option where you can hear 2 songs in a row from the same artist when listening to your playlist in random play shuffle.

and last but not least - my pipe dream:
(4) connect to Airport express wirelessly with the ipod.

[mudflapper]

Of course there are new iPods coming in August...cuz i just bought a 15GB last week. DAMMIT!

It'll probably have EQ or something else I really wanted too. MUTHA PUSS BUCKET!

[AliensAreFuzzy]

I agree that the iPod full should remain it's sleak, sexy white styling. If you want colors, then get a Mini. I know, I know. "But I want colors and a large storage capacity." Well, then I guess you'd be out of luck. But it might be marketing suicide if Apple were to change the all-so-familiar iPod from white to color. That said, I would like to see a color screen and maybe a picture viewer or something simple like that.

[virividox]

i wouldnt mind an anodized alumunum full sized ipod!!! coool

[MattG]

Guess this means Apple and Toshiba kissed and made up after Toshiba revealed their hard drives would be used in the next iPods... :rolleyes:

[caseyD]

Well, my 20 gb iPod was just delievered today. But I'm ok with this, since the only reason I bought the iPod at all was because of the rebate, so looking back I'm alright with this. I guess this means there's no chance at all for any sort of powerbook revision at Expo Paris? That would be good, since I just got a powerbook. This was the big switch for me, so needless to say, my mind is blown.

[cobraverde]

I really hope the new iPods don't stray too much from the current form factor... I prefer a combination of plastic and chrome to colored, brushed steel. And Froot Loop colors? I can't imagine, after Apple's massive advertising campaign in which a white iPod stands out against a color backgroung, that they would suddenly switch out of its iconic austerity. I have a 30GB, and I need something bigger. If the new iPods are gaudy, I will just get a current 40GB and leave it at that.

cv

[MacRumorSkeptic]

I could care less about new colors. BRING US NEW FEATURES!!!

[macguymike]

The Game Boy Color came out after that and did have a color screen :-)

Oops. I never did buy into the color cases so I guess I misremembered. :)

Still, the similarities between the iPod and the Game Boy in terms of color displays remains. One of the reasons Nintendo gave as why they held off on color displays was battery life. And yet, the Game Boy held the course as the most popular portable game system despite the lack of color, even when others were doing it.

[Whigga Spitta]

Seeing as I just bought a refurbbed 40 gig, I DO hope the new iPods have color faceplates, color screen, video out, wifi, and any more features which I would not use. I'm sorry to sound bitter, but I believe the only way the iPod could get better (while still retaining its original purpose) is with perhaps a slightly smaller form, larger capacity, and extended battery life. Other than that, I LOVE MY iPOD.

[macridah]

I'm so going to buy one if that article is true. My 15gb has been good to me; I never had a problem. For me, the ipod mini hardrive is too small. I would love it if the new iPods look just like the ipod mini, but not so mini.

[dornball]

other mp3 player companies are putting out players with 16 or even 24 hours of play time. please, please let apple improve the battery life. double the curent offering would be nice.

creative zen (24 hrs. playback):
http://creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=10274

and i know sony is coming out with one, though i can't seem to find a link right now.

-dornball

[jeffbistrong]

a battery consistant with the 2G ipods would be nice . . anything batter wuth 11+ hours of play time would be nice

[FoxyKaye]

It strikes me that whenever manufacturers (Apple included) want to create "buzz" around a product without actually doing much to change its core features they introduce color. I'd imagine this is Apple's way of responding to competing MP3 players and download services for the summer, and the serious revisions to the iPod (i.e. color screen, video options, etc...) will come next year. It's also a great way of introducing the new higher-capacity Toshiba drives into the product without having to wait for an overall revamp, perhaps in 2005, when the overall capacity of the drives might exceed 100Gig. Plus, competing products are already promoting 60Gig capacity, so Apple can work this in with minimal effort.

All that being said, since I'm the proud owner of a 2G 20Gig iPod, I'll probably wait until a more serious overhaul before I'd consider buying a new one.

And the previous two points being made, my reaction to the latest iPod revision is: "Ohhhhh, purple. Coooooool." :D

[jbembe]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

Not sure that battery life must necessarily be upgraded, since they seem to be sticking with a sleek form factor and it sounds like they will make it smaller. In the end, if you need really excessive battery life you can get an aftermarket iPod battery booster or use a charger during road trips, etc. I rarely need 7-8 hours of battery in a normal day. However, increased battery would be a good thing!

[TWinbrook46636]

"Apple will announce new iPod models in August, reliable sources have confirmed to Think Secret. The new models will be smaller, sleeker, and will come in a variety of colors."

Sounds exactly like the iPod mini... makes me wonder why we need two iPod product lines.

[Sabbath]

I don't think they could get away with having a new iPod without increasing the battery life, it seems to be the number one request people have. If they want to go the color screen route there must be some new use for it, I prefer black and white for simple text. So I guess colour would mean album art and photo previews, not really worth it in my opinion.

I can't really think how the iPod could look better than white on chrome but I'm sure they will manage it as always. At least it would be more durable than the current scratch magnet.

[neon]

ooh, exciting

i got a 20gb a few months ago but if a new range were significantly different i'd 'invest' in a mate for it :p :D

(and then a baby for them!)

[Sabbath]

Not sure that battery life must necessarily be upgraded, since they seem to be sticking with a sleek form factor and it sounds like they will make it smaller. In the end, if you need really excessive battery life you can get an aftermarket iPod battery booster or use a charger during road trips, etc. I rarely need 7-8 hours of battery in a normal day. However, increased battery would be a good thing!

I'm just thinking on this battery issue maybe they could make the ipod smaller and improve the battery life if they can find away to make it more efficient. I wonder if there would be a way of decreasing the power usage without improvements to the disk, maybe a lower power chip or less hard drive spinning up etc. I though hard disks get more efficient as the density increases also.

[iBert]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

Like this says, I bought a MiniDisc Player 2 years ago, while working i Japan. One of the best features with one AA 56 hours of continuous play or 20 hours with the sony rechargeable battery. Apple give me something similar to the 20 hours and I'm getting one. More space is nice and colors are cool. But nothing will beat my desire for more battery life.

Again, more battery life or not more battery life. That is the question, to see me spending more $$$$$$


iBert

PS: Just turned to Macs this past Xmas. And the phreaking Rule!!!! :D

[phreakout13]

maybe they'll give you a variety of backlight colors. That would be pretty cool.

[mowogg]

Of course there are new iPod's coming. I just traded up from a 30gb to a 40gb last week. I'm not complaining though, I need bigger than 40gb. (Damn you Apple Lossless!)


The great thing about the iPod is that even when a new model comes out, there is still so much demand that you can get a good price for your current iPod on ebay.
Of course, that being said, if they come out with a video/audio iPod with 2 terrabytes of holographic storage in a credit-card form factor and a full-width TFT flexible screen, we'll all be pretty screwed trying to unload our current models.

[pkradd]

Unfortunately, I doubt the battery life would be improved with a smaller iPod... just the opposite. But I find nothing wrong with "up to 8 hours". Other manufacturers claim longer battery life. Does anyone know EXACTLY how long the Dell DJ battery really lasts on one charge?

There will also be a BLUE model... but that's being offered by HP. :rolleyes:

[Chip NoVaMac]

Does this mean that when if I get a new iPod, then it won't match my pretty white iMac? That would be unfortunate. I do hope the color bit is wrong. Other than that, I'm excited though :cool:

That is it! The new iMac's are delayed because of colors! :D

[Bear]

Not sure that battery life must necessarily be upgraded, since they seem to be sticking with a sleek form factor and it sounds like they will make it smaller. In the end, if you need really excessive battery life you can get an aftermarket iPod battery booster or use a charger during road trips, etc. I rarely need 7-8 hours of battery in a normal day. However, increased battery would be a good thing!I use the iPod when flying. Having the 10+ hours helps between waiting in the airport for your flight and then being on the plane all day. Having to deal with a booster would be a bit sucky as the iPod currently fits in my shirt pocket, and the booster would make it not fit.

[discstickers]

other mp3 player companies are putting out players with 16 or even 24 hours of play time. please, please let apple improve the battery life. double the curent offering would be nice.

creative zen (24 hrs. playback):
http://creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=10274

and i know sony is coming out with one, though i can't seem to find a link right now.

-dornball

I'm sure that's playing back 64kbps WMA files. They'll sound really good. :rolleyes:

At least Apple quotes figures using real-life possibilities, aka 128kbps AAC files.

[Stella]

If Apple don't put a colour screen capable of playing video soon-ish, they'll miss the boat.

Hopefully, it'll be available worldwide immediately....

The battery life of the current iPods isn't long enough.. apple really need to improve things.

[jbembe]

I use the iPod when flying. Having the 10+ hours helps between waiting in the airport for your flight and then being on the plane all day. Having to deal with a booster would be a bit sucky as the iPod currently fits in my shirt pocket, and the booster would make it not fit.

Good point. I normally keep on high alert in airports for open electric plugs to give my iPod more juice before stepping on the plane so I can squeeze every moment of life out of it. Some airports are very accessible, others are not. I wouldn't mind not having to worry about this so much anymore!

[gwuMACaddict]

Initiate CAPS....

CAPS Initiated...

THERE WILL NEVER BE A NEWTON. IT IS DEAD.

CAPS Off.

I hope for video in the iPod someday, but there will be no Newton.

There will be a swiss army knife that pops out of the side of the iPod before there is a Newton.

easy big fella, somebody's got a case of the mondays ;)

i wouldn't go as far to say the swiss army knife bit, but i dont want apple to lose site of what the iPod is. an mp3 player. its *not* a do it all thingamajiger. i wasn't so much saying that there was *going* to be a newton around the corner, just that i hope apple keeps their gadgets seperated. i dont wanna have to pay for all the extra crap if i just want to play music

(and i still don't see why apple won't get in to the handheld business one day...) :D

[Stella]

On a few recent occasions, SJ has said he wanted to make the iPod 0 to 15% cheaper than current pricing. I wonder if that wish will take affect in this iteration?

Interesting that Apple are returning to multicoloureddevices again.. Wonder what is in store for new iMacs... are all Apple consumer level products returning to multicolours?

[jholzner]

Of course there are new iPod's coming. I just traded up from a 30gb to a 40gb last week. I'm not complaining though, I need bigger than 40gb. (Damn you Apple Lossless!)

I look forward to seeing what they might look like. One that looks aluminum (I'm assuming an actual aluminum iPod is impractical for some reason) thereby matching the G5 and PB's would be be very cool. I'd pick that one up.

I think the minis are made out of aluminum so it's not impractical.

[Windowlicker]

There's only a couple of things I wish and they're pretty much software based as far as I'm concerned:

1. Ability to choose the On-The-Go Playlist for the Alarm Clock playlist.
2. Ability to choose a different volume when using Sleep Timer (so that you get louder --or quieter if you prefer-- music when you need to wake up).
3. A fix for notifications on Calendar.. now if I have a notification there it shows up about every day. anyone else have this problem? it's annouying.
4. Home on iPod.

5. A new peripheral: earbuds that have about 30cm shorter cord ...the current model has a far too long cord when used with the remote. It get's on my way.

Also, if they end up adding a color screen it would be nice if you could have the pictures of the people on your contact list shown on the ipod screen when checking a contact (of course this option should be made so that you can choose if you wanna use it or not).

That's pretty much everything I can think of right now.

edit: make it a bit cheaper? would get those whining bastards buying them too. say 10% off the price. dunno if it's possible though..

[jholzner]

If Apple don't put a colour screen capable of playing video soon-ish, they'll miss the boat.

Hopefully, it'll be available worldwide immediately....

The battery life of the current iPods isn't long enough.. apple really need to improve things.

What boat will they miss? The one where those type of devices are a misserable failure? No one wants to watch video on a tiny screen...and besides...what video would you watch? Tiny quicktime movies? A movie ripped from dvd would fill the ipod up in no time.

[sorryiwasdreami]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

I agree with more battery life, however, for me that wouldn't be the only important feature. I need a microphone in jack. I'm pretty sure the iPod is already equipped with the ability to record, but there's no way to attach a high quality mic.

Being a drummer/musician, this would prove to be very handy, especially if the the iPod converted the signal to aac lossless, kbs - 160, 128, 112, or mp3 etc. (your choice) right on the fly. It would mean massive storage and hours of recording.

[denm316]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

That is by far one of the best posts I have read on this topic, and I agree 100%

[smurphur]

To the people worried about waiting on the Cram and Jam special, i believe that there is already wording in the special that limits it to specific models of notebooks and ipods. So, if a new ipod were to be announced prior to the Cram and Jam special being complete, the new ipods would not be an option for it, just like the ipod minis are not in the rebate. I agree with a lot of people on here, if Apple wants to release a new ipod... they need to step it up a bit and provide more features (mainly battery life) instead of just some color casing and a bigger capacity. Does anyone know if Apple uses lithium-polymer batteries in the ipods or just lithium-ion? I was trying to figure out why things like the iRiver get a lot more battery life, and they have lithium-polymer batteries which supposedly have a much lower profile than the ion ones.

[ZildjianKX]

I agree with more battery life, however, for me that wouldn't be the only important feature. I need a microphone in jack. I'm pretty sure the iPod is already equipped with the ability to record, but there's no way to attach a high quality mic.

Being a drummer/musician, this would prove to be very handy, especially if the the iPod converted the signal to aac lossless, kbs - 160, 128, 112, or mp3 etc. (your choice) right on the fly. It would mean massive storage and hours of recording.

Well, I meant most important feature. If it doesn't have better battery life, then nothing else matters to me after that.

[narco]

I hate when people complain about buying an iPod, then complain about the new one coming out. Is your current iPod broken? Does it totally suck and is nothing like it said it was going to be? Probably not.

Next time wait 5 years for the 10th generation iPods.

.narco

[applekid]

I want to see:

- a removable battery.
- no color screen.
- no movie support.
- non-tacky colors. ColowarePC does a nice paint job, but it looks tacky. As long as Apple stays away from that style.
- up to 80 GB.
- more scratch resistant.
- AirTunes support.

I'll still stick with my 3G 15 GB iPod though.

[Chip NoVaMac]

To the people worried about waiting on the Cram and Jam special, i believe that there is already wording in the special that limits it to specific models of notebooks and ipods. So, if a new ipod were to be announced prior to the Cram and Jam special being complete, the new ipods would not be an option for it, just like the ipod minis are not in the rebate. I agree with a lot of people on here, if Apple wants to release a new ipod... they need to step it up a bit and provide more features (mainly battery life) instead of just some color casing and a bigger capacity. Does anyone know if Apple uses lithium-polymer batteries in the ipods or just lithium-ion? I was trying to figure out why things like the iRiver get a lot more battery life, and they have lithium-polymer batteries which supposedly have a much lower profile than the ion ones.

The big thing on the Cram and Jam is that they do have a statement about product availability. So when Apple runs out of a model that is it for that iPod. And only the current iPods are listed as being available for rebates. What is surprising is that Powerbooks do not have restrictions. So a new could come out before 9/25/04 and qualify for the joint rebate.

[dizastor]

I want a new iPod!
And one of those nifty H/K "On Stage" Speaker docks that they intro'd at Macworld.

I think they should have metallic clearcoat automotive paint... i'll take mine in dark navy... or forest green.

[fabsgwu]

I think the new ipods will have a passive color screen, or OLED (to save batteries), and it will display album art as a screen saver. The picture files are already embedded in the iTMS downloaded songs...

Something like bluetooth could be interesting as well...

[Garry]

A thought...

iMac G3s were famed for their multi-colours. Apple have released the mini in multiple colours, the new iPods are now rumoured to be multi-coloured so why do you think the chances are that Apple are reintroducing the multi-coloured schemes into their new product ranges such as the next-gen iMac and possible the next major revision of iBook?

[machinehien]

This is sweet, I just sold my 8 month 40 GB iPod for close to what I paid last week (I threw in 8000 songs to sweeten the deal). That money + change should land me a shiny new 60 GB aluminum iPod. I got my wife the mini a few months ago and fell in love with the new interface versus the horizontal row of touch buttons

[The Red Wolf]

It's been stated. The Newton is dead in all it's forms. It's also been stated "Home Directories on the iPod now!". Then there are the $199 for an faceplate switching, aluminum, mini interface, millions of colours video playing, 60 gig iPod (surely the $249 version for he big HD), alien home world taking over (not really), Hmmm what does an iPod do? Oh yes: Portable Music playing device with 11-20 hours of non stop unlimited never dying in any universe or alternate dimension where lithium ions don't wear down battery...

Anything else? How about a jog wheel true OS-X interface away with bluetooth headgear HUD (so you can actually run OS-X) and integrated WirelessFirewire for all your connection needs -including wireless power transfer for the HUDheadset and ear buds)? What does an iPod do again? Oh yea, play music!

Do you want an iPod or do you want a Newton Reborn extension of the OS in a portable device that syncs with any computer? And none of the above mentioned made up ideas save for maybe new iPod colours, aluminum and mini-style interface will ever fit into a $199 price tag.

Lastly home directories on the iPod. So you iSync your home folder to your iPod from whatever OS-X machine you use. Then you wonder over to some other OS-X machine. Is it running Panther? What if it's on 10.1? Will home syncing be included in a Panther update or not until Tiger? If you have to wait until Tiger isn't out what is the use of a home synced iPod in August or even shipped in September? What if it is ready and the machine you sit down at isn't set up to sync home folders? Is it iSync or is their protocol for login like LDAP configurations? The standard would have to be plug and play and perhaps you would have to be a user on a list for the target machine. Or anyone with a Super Newton 500 hours of battery life iPod (yes, made up) could walk up to any OS-X station, log in, run terminal take over the machine as root and copy all it's data to it's 500GB HD (kidding again), then log off (absolutely real). Considering that... Opening the floodgates of plug and play iPod home directories would be a security nightmare... Or should iPods have several Terabyte HDs for wholesale sponging of any OS-X machine they encounter?

What does an iPod do...? Never mind.

[shidoshi]

What boat will they miss? The one where those type of devices are a misserable failure? No one wants to watch video on a tiny screen...and besides...what video would you watch? Tiny quicktime movies? A movie ripped from dvd would fill the ipod up in no time.

No one wants to watch video on a tiny screen. No one. You're pretty confident in saying that. So not one single portable video player has ever been sold then, because nobody wants one, right?

My friend has an Archos, that has a screen at least 1/3 smaller than the iPod's screen, and you could still enjoy watching video on the thing. Not the best video viewing device in the entire world, but if I'm on a trane, or a plane, or riding in a car, and I want to watch something, it's much better than nothing. The iPod's screen size is big enough that you could have a decent time watching video on it.

I think battery life certainly needs fixing. When I was still living in Japan, I could easily have gone through 7-8 hours of music while riding the trains and walking around doing whatnot.

If it can be implemented without having a negative effect on performance in any other way, so the "I don't want that feature!" people don't sit around bitching, add in the ability to play video through the dock off of the iPod's hard drive. Only problem is, it would then need a remote to really be useful.

The wild idea I'd love to see is to build in wi-fi ability, and then voila- you have your remote control for iTunes when playing music via AirPort Extreme. Browse your entire music iTunes music library from your iPod, pause, next track, previous track, track scrub, volume control, it's all there. You'd be using short bursts of wi-fi, and wouldn't be touching the hard drive at all, so it wouldn't be a huge battery hog.

Is the iPod first and foremost a music playing device? Of course. But some of you are just ridiculous in your "that's all it should do for God's sake!!" whining. If Apple can integrate new features into the iPod without taking anything away from what it already is, why not add new stuff? If you want to be such purists, and proclaim that the iPod should only be a music player, guess what? Toss out the ability to use it as an external hard drive. Toss out the contacts. Toss out the games. Toss out the ability to read text files. Toss out the alarm clock. Toss out the calendar. After all, none of those things have anything to do with playing your MP3s!

Steve Jobs himself has said that the iPod is basically Apple's new handheld computer. If new features come, and the ruin the iPod's ability to play music, THEN start bitching. Otherwise, quiet down, and let those of us who want our iPods to do more ask for more.

[g4cubed]

A thought...

iMac G3s were famed for their multi-colours. Apple have released the mini in multiple colours, the new iPods are now rumoured to be multi-coloured so why do you think the chances are that Apple are reintroducing the multi-coloured schemes into their new product ranges such as the next-gen iMac and possible the next major revision of iBook?
My thoughts are because white has become to plain jane, but should keep the white also for those who prefer it. I also think they will bring back color for the new imac

[MontgomeryBurns]

A thought...

iMac G3s were famed for their multi-colours. Apple have released the mini in multiple colours, the new iPods are now rumoured to be multi-coloured so why do you think the chances are that Apple are reintroducing the multi-coloured schemes into their new product ranges such as the next-gen iMac and possible the next major revision of iBook?
Holy crap that would be lame. I'm all for NO color top-end ipods at all. Unfinished aluminum only maybe. iMacs were originally famed for their multi colors but once people realized how bad they looked, the colors were first cut back to three more tasteful shades then discontinued altogether in favor of white (consumer) and metal (pro).
The ipod mini only differs from the current color scheme because being a 'mini' anything immediately endears you to the same sort of people who prefer cuteness to real design.

[usa4jer]

New iPods are coming out next Tuesday. Mark my words.

[Stewie]

Will having a color screen have put a drain on the battery?

It depends on the type of color screen. I hear there are some new color technologies that draw less power, but overall color is not going to help the battery life.

[wPod]

i havent heard people mention much wi-fi capabilities!!! i want 802.11g interface with the new airport express. then youcould just play from your iPod to your stereo system w/o wires!!! would make for the coolest on-the-go playlist at a party. and it would have a much better range than small FM modulators. i still have a 1st gen 10gb ipod and it works great! and it has more than 8 hours of battery life!!!! (it used to have 10, but i think it only goes about 9 these days) so until a new iPod can outdo the battery life of my 1st gen iPod AND can hook up to an airport express, i think ill stick with my 1st gen iPod. but if the new iPods are 802 compatible then you better watch out cause ill be fighting for the first one availible!!!

[The Red Wolf]

I hate when people complain about buying an iPod, then complain about the new one coming out. Is your current iPod broken? Does it totally suck and is nothing like it said it was going to be? Probably not.

Next time wait 5 years for the 10th generation iPods.

.narco

So... Gen1 and Gen2 iPods, they boot OS-X and Linix. I love this feature, mainly for booting a sad machine and diagnosing it's troubles. As I don't have a Gen3 iPod... Is it a fully functional bootable FireWire HD? Doesn't have an actual FireWire port on it. Anyone know? If it can't. Good thing I stuck with my Gen2, isn't it? It's engraved, I love it, I can use any FireWire cable I find laying around at home work or a friend's house. But I don't have 40 GB for my music! I haven't even filled the current 20 GB of the drive I have now, not to mention all my diagnostic tools and a copy of 10.3.4. So, do I cry that I don't have the bleeding edge iPod with the profane 40GB which may not boot a machine or the proverbial Gen4 coming out? Nope. Good point above Narco.

Classic VW bug with the split back oval... Or New Beetle from 1998? It's new isn't it? Hey why not the upcoming 2005 New Beetle? Just doesn't have the charm of the split back oval classic bug... Maybe iPods are like that.

[Duff-Man]

This is sweet, I just sold my 8 month 40 GB iPod for close to what I paid last week (I threw in 8000 songs to sweeten the deal). That money + change should land me a shiny new 60 GB aluminum iPod. I got my wife the mini a few months ago and fell in love with the new interface versus the horizontal row of touch buttonsDuff-Man says... I am sure the copyright holders, record companies and artists for those 8000 songs would not think your deal was very sweet....oh yeah!

[gwuMACaddict]

hahahahaha... i think duffman might be right ;) :p

[Bear]

This is sweet, I just sold my 8 month 40 GB iPod for close to what I paid last week (I threw in 8000 songs to sweeten the deal). That money + change should land me a shiny new 60 GB aluminum iPod. I got my wife the mini a few months ago and fell in love with the new interface versus the horizontal row of touch buttonsI agree with da Duff-Man.

Also, as someone who makes some money from copyrighted items, I wouldn't mind seeing the RIAA coming down on you full bore.

NOTE: I do disagree with the RIAA lawsuits and the way they're targeting the people downloading. They should be going after the "uploaders". You count as an uploader.

[rueyeet]

While it's true that the white iPod has become such an icon that introducing colors could dilute the brand, consider the success of the mini. It seems people know enough about what an iPod is that this could be just the time to get away from plain vanilla white. Or the "more colors" rumor could really just be about the iPod minis only.

Whatever the colors turn out to be, the introduction of the Click Wheel to the high-capacity iPods will be great. I never did like the row of buttons--not enough tactile feedback to operate the thing without looking, or while leaving it in your pocket (nice when you travel through neighborhoods where you definitely DON'T want people knowing you've got an iPod).

I'd like to see more battery life, too. My old 2nd gen 10 GB iPod still gets a good consistent 10-ish hours, putting the mini's battery life to shame. And almost every other device on the market boasts more battery life than the iPod. Most of them are bricks, but Sony's new Walkman isn't, so it's looking like it's possible to add battery life to a small form factor now. That alone would be worth an upgrade!

I think the portable video and color screen hype are just that--hype. Like Tablet PCs. It's a neat idea with lots of gagdet-y cool-factor, and some people will want it, but it's not going to really ever take off. Not like the basic music player did...there just aren't enough places to utilize portable video, while music is ubiquitous.

I'm not one for turning the iPod into a convergence device or PDA substitute, but I'll admit I wouldn't mind Home on iPod. Probably because I haven't plunked down the dough for a backup drive yet, and would find it just too convenient to get my backup drive and music player in one package. :o

And if I'm wrong about the colors being mini-only.....save me a purple 40 GB! :D

[Trekkie]

NO COLORS!!! That's what has made the iPod stand out so much! WHITE! the black sillouettes with the white iPod are great ads.

At least don't get rid of the white, though personally I'd like a aluminum one. That way if I decide to sell my kidney here shortly for a aluminimum G5, Monitor, the iPod the next month would be great.

[SWC]

1) The announcment is supposed to be next week
2) The controls are changed to be like the iPod Mini
3) There will be only two sizes (I assume 60 / 20.)


Highly doubt this one, 20 is nowhere near big enough for some people and 60 is too much for other, the way they have it now is perfect with 3 sizes it adds a nice contract to the overall lineup

[Macmaniac]

I'm sorry but a yellow and purple iPod would be ugly, orange might work but yellow just will look nasty, Apple has never made a yellow Mac and I think it would look to much like pee. Gold works but not yellow.

[Doctor Q]

I am sure the copyright holders, record companies and artists for those 8000 songs would not think your deal was very sweetNot to mention that a collection of 8000 songs is worth a lot more than the iPod they live on.

[sinisterdesign]

if i could get a 60GB orange iPod w/ better battery life and (maybe) a color screen...i would be as giddy as a little girl.

[Xenious]

(3) have a "rock block" option where you can hear 2 songs in a row from the same artist when listening to your playlist in random play shuffle.

Haha my shuffle seems to do that anyway...drives me nuts, but I guess random is random.
-jim

[howard]

hmm, like the ipod mini, i bet they are going to put the buttons in the scroll well (i like that design a lot better) then that would leave room for a bigger screen! hopefully a better resolution, I've always wanted it to list more than just the 6 artists that it does now.

[Dahl]

NO COLORS!!! That's what has made the iPod stand out so much! WHITE! the black sillouettes with the white iPod are great ads.

At least don't get rid of the white, though personally I'd like a aluminum one. That way if I decide to sell my kidney here shortly for a aluminimum G5, Monitor, the iPod the next month would be great.
They probably won't get rid of the white, I think it's a bit too early and I see no reason why they would.
The original iPod (and the original blue iMac) are now down in design history, so don't worry. The iconic status of the products will be remembered for years too come.

But Apple have to start thinking about the iPod as a regular "walkman" type product, not just for the elite. They will probably try to make it even more popular with different colors and hopefully try to lower the price some more.

[Stella]

What boat will they miss? The one where those type of devices are a misserable failure? No one wants to watch video on a tiny screen...and besides...what video would you watch? Tiny quicktime movies? A movie ripped from dvd would fill the ipod up in no time.

I think it would be good to be able to copy and view iPhoto pics on your iPod.. that being, iPod would have to have a colour display of course.

Also, a portal player.. even if it didn't have a colour screen - have a video out port so you can play films to your TV...

A movie ripped from DVD doesn't take up much space.. even for a 20gig iPod.

[sockeatingdryer]

Well, it's about damn time!
I have waited so long for this... (salivates)
I hope it's going to be white (aluminum, grey, or black OK), colour but no video, and bigger hard drive. And FM Radio. And recording. And Bluetooth & WiFi. And...

[appleface]

Can't believe that it will be intro'd before the Cram and Jam rebates are over.

i was thinking the same thing. hmmm.

[whooleytoo]

Well, since everyone else is publishing a wishlist...

1) Colour screen.
2) iPod SDK - Developers can write games/utilities for the new iPods, distribute them through iTMS, install them via iTunes.
3) Better battery life.
4) iRip - DRM'ed DVD ripper, rips and compresses the film to the size of the new iPod's screen. You should easily be able to compress to ~1GB given the low res of the screen without any noticeable artifacts. That's about 60 films per new iPod!
5) iShow - A small, portable projector (requires external power) that the iPod plugs into to show movies/pictures or just visualizers while music's playing. Just point it at any area of bare wall.

(I did say it's a WISHlist!)

[appleface]

A thought...

iMac G3s were famed for their multi-colours. Apple have released the mini in multiple colours, the new iPods are now rumoured to be multi-coloured so why do you think the chances are that Apple are reintroducing the multi-coloured schemes into their new product ranges such as the next-gen iMac and possible the next major revision of iBook?

when is the rainbow apple coming back? i think it's about time. it now qualifies as rad retro.

[debo]

I am sure the copyright holders, record companies and artists for those 8000 songs would not think your deal was very sweet

Actually, he now has the right to sell those songs, if they were bought off of iTunes. Just like you could sell a cd.

[solafide]

My top wish for the iPod is a User-replaceable Battery with longer life. Smaller and sleeker are always welcome. I hope the colors are not like the old iMacs. The iPod mini hues are nice.

[JohnGalt]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

How about a battery pack you could replace / carry a spare for those multi-day backpacking jaunts and the like.....?

[jeremy.king]

Actually, he now has the right to sell those songs, if they were bought off of iTunes. Just like you could sell a cd.

Assuming he didn't keep a copy for himself after selling. Didn't a guy try this on eBay and was shut down by Apple/eBay because of DRM?

[debo]

I thought they decided he could.

[JoePike]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

This 4G iPod will be like the remote control everybody is asking for to run their AirTunes. Built-in 802.11g....won't help your battery life situation.

-Joe

[vpalvarez]

On a few recent occasions, SJ has said he wanted to make the iPod 0 to 15% cheaper than current pricing. I wonder if that wish will take affect in this iteration?

Interesting that Apple are returning to multicoloureddevices again.. Wonder what is in store for new iMacs... are all Apple consumer level products returning to multicolours?

Chances are they probably lower the prices by 50$.

Also a feature that would be awesome would be automatic syncing w/ Airport Express. You move from room to room and your ipod keeps playing on your various speakers (that are setup to Airport EXpress of course.)

Also I could care less for a color screen, just longer battery life, please...also abandoning the white ipod wouldn't be as bad as people are saying. It would be apple representing a shift in the level of personality that the ipod has (GOOD THING). The colors would be cool especially if the backlights matched the body color. coooool

[ifudge]

I like to hike and bike. More than 8 hours? Sometimes. A rechargeable and replaceable battery would do it for me, just like I have with my digital (and film) cameras and my iBook. If the iPod didn't integrate so well with my Mac, and if competing devices were not aimed primarily at Windows users, I'd consider one of the other players that offers longer battery life.

[Safeguy]

I want Blue Dalmation.

[sinisterdesign]

I want Blue Dalmation.

i want pizzabox B E I G E

[G4-power]

1G and 2G iPods had 1200 mAh batteries, but the new ones have only 630 mAh. Increasing the power capacity to even 1000 mAh would help, I don't think it would increase size or weight too much. A bigger "RAM" (cache, buffer) would help battery life too, so it wouldn't access the HD so often.
Someone asked if the batteries were Li-ion or lithium polymer. The answer is: 1G and 2G iPod batteries were lithium polymer, but the new ones are lithium ion.
Replaceable batteries would be a plus. If they could make battery life 10 hours, and give you the chance of getting a second battry, that would make 20 hours. Or if you're battery has ended it's life, you wouldn't have to void the warranty by doing the changing itself, or taking it to iPodResQ.
New colors, like in iPod mini would be okay, though I wouldn't mind if the iPod would look more like the original one, the "pro" one. Click-Wheel is absolutely welcome. Though, if the iPod has colors, and a Click-Wheel, it's no more an iPod, it's just a bigger mini. Or maybe it's meant to be like that. Only Steve & Co. knows.
Color screen, not bad, video playback and picture viewing would be nice, if it wouldn't exhaust the battery too quick...

[Nykwil]

I think the iPod would do fine with new features, but new features would mean s*it to me if the battery life did not improve. I mean look at minidiscs they have a constantly spinning disc in them and the sony ones use a stick battery that is nimh and getting 30hrs out of it. (http://minidisco.com/mz-n920d.html) NIMH for crying out loud!!! Now I understand HDD's are different from optical readers, but up to 30hrs from one single bubble gum stick sized battery? Thats what apple needs to implement. I say make it smaller, make it drain less power, make it have a bigger buffer size (128mb+) so it doesnt stress the HDD as much. OLED screens will help even if it's just monochrome ie black screen with white lit text. New features mean nothing unless we can get a better battery life and better battery life management.

*edit
BTW I can't believe people are losing their loads over colored ipods. We have the minis we know what a colored ipod will look like. I personally like the white. If there are going to be colors then that will be inevitable, but I highly doubt apple will go far from what they have in the mini line.

[ThomasJefferson]

I would expect the colors to include white, to match the consumer iBook and eMac.

I would also assume that there will be a new color that will match the Alu-Powerbook and the "new" Alu-iMac.

Just thought I would lob the idea out there...

[må¥å]

Wow the bitching nevere stops, people want:

1) larger screens
2) larger HD's
3) WiFi
4) Input device
5) blah blah blah

Apple already has an iPod like that its called iMac to GO ;)

Get a life people, can you imagine playing a portable game and walking down the street and then crashing into a pole or getting killed by a car. Same with video no one watches a screen and walk around, people listen to music. And for those who blah blah blah about taking long trips on trains get a life read a book or something if music doesn't fulfill your requirements. Better yet buy an iBook and can the bitching about a Video iPod. I want a solar rechargable battery on the back or something that I can charge on the GO if the Battery happens to DIE on me longer battery life is always welcomed. FM radio is a nice feature not that important.

[CmdrLaForge]

Thats great,

if ThinkSecret reports that its confirmed. On the other hand - its about time.

I think if they have now a iPod division they could make much cooler iPods, like one that is waterproof, or one with radio, ensure you can run with it.

Anyway . Never bought an iPod before and if they bring out these new ones I pick one in San Francisco from the store.

[iMeowbot]

Will having a color screen have put a drain on the battery?
Color LCDs themselves don't really use much more power than the monochrome ones. The killer is the backlighting, you need it on more often than not and it needs to be a brighter light than a mono display requires. Yes, this saps battery life.

The new OLED displays get people all ga-ga because they illuminate themselves and use little power, but the color ones still have longevity issues.

[CmdrLaForge]

Well, it's about damn time!
I have waited so long for this... (salivates)
I hope it's going to be white (aluminum, grey, or black OK), colour but no video, and bigger hard drive. And FM Radio. And recording. And Bluetooth & WiFi. And...

For me it would be fine if the battery last longer then 18 month or I can replace it myself.

Hope thats not to much to ask for ?!

[CmdrLaForge]

blabla

Get a life people, can you imagine playing a portable game and walking down the street and then crashing into a pole or getting killed by a car.

Hehe - funny. You made my day.

[bucky]

Color iPods may not be that bad. Apple has yet to produce a bad iPod that i know of (correct me if I am wrong). It may look like a larger mini but it will definitely be more than that as it will have more features than the mini and larger capacities. I think we won't see color screen in this generation of Ipods but we very well might see radio incorporated into it as well as better battery life to go along with the smaller size. Video and Photo capabilities would be intriguing but I just don't think that is going to happen yet.

[thediesel]

The biggest revision that this ipod has to have is better battery life. That's the only aspect of the original that was a serious negative. As long as apple has listened to anyone, they will work to fix it.

As for the rest, it is just icing on the cake. Not too many of us really need some of the glitzy features, but they sure would be cool.

I am most intrigued by the video out. Apple could really make this an amazing feature. Imagine if they develop some special type of mp4 format that compresses movies into a small, manageable file size. Then they start offering these compressed movies on the itunes store as a download. They could charge a few bucks for a file that would work for a week or so before it's security feature makes it inaccessible. The movies could be viewed on your computer, or you could put them on your ipod and watch them anywhere via TV out. This way Apple starts helping the video industry combat pirating as well.

This may be a little far off, I doubt it will happen in this generation, but they need to start moving in that direction and pioneer the market. Color screens could be great for album covers, contacts, and especially pictures. I hope they would try and blow out the competition by using OLEDs which seem to be the best choice by far.

I really don't care what color these things are. I thought they would go with the Aluminum look, because that's where everything else in their company has gone.

I just hope their technology is on par with some of our expectations. Some surprises would be nice as well. I have been waiting half of a year for this revision, and I will be purchasing one as soon as it comes out. I really want this one to be a winner.

[iPC]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.
I have to agree with you. I use mine while on the motorcycle on long trips (weekend) and it is annoying to have to bring a charger with me (lack of space on a CBR600RR for extra stuff).

http://www.yzedf.com/pics/bikes/trips/PA_2004/ <--- last trip

[MacG]

Hmm, I wonder if Apple will name these things after music. Much like the original iMacs were named after fruit.

Purple Haze, Orange Crush... Bring on the Black Betty!

[tex210]

what I was thinking.


Maybe sell official and aftermarket faceplates for the iPod?

[MarcelV]

I am just curious whether or not all the new iPod info relates to the release of the HP iPod.... Any thoughts?

[bucky]

Maybe sell official and aftermarket faceplates for the iPod?


In my opinion faceplates would really cheapen the look and construction quality of the ipod as well as destroy the unique look that apple products tend to have. If you want faceplates buy a nokia cellphone and show that off.

[tex210]

Wow the bitching nevere stops, people want:

I want a solar rechargable battery on the back or something that I can charge on the GO if the Battery happens to DIE on me longer battery life is always welcomed. FM radio is a nice feature not that important.

http://www.scottevest.com/htmlemail/icp_release/


yeah it's coming, and solar panels will become more like oleds.... very flexible. Now that you mention it.... I remember a solar panel charger for the newton.... wow.

Some day, microsof is going to collect on it's vague patents of using the human body for energy transmission. Bill must really like the matrix flix.(there's a video out there) way off topic... sorry.

oh yeah... lot's of people use mass transit. video screens are not a problem/distraction unless you're behind a wheel (I still want a rather useful gps unit in my car tho).

[Jopling]

I hate when people complain about buying an iPod, then complain about the new one coming out. Is your current iPod broken? Does it totally suck and is nothing like it said it was going to be? Probably not.

Next time wait 5 years for the 10th generation iPods.

.narco

Yeah, my iPod broke one day before the Warranty Expired (Saturday) and I waited until that Monday to call. It was a 2nd Gen 20 gig and the welding was crap on the inside and the headphone jack came completely loose. I really need the new iPods to come out.

[jeremy.king]

Purple Haze, Orange Crush... Bring on the Black Betty!

Already done by Jaguar (http://www.thextype.com/?m=X-News) contest.

[iBert]

All this reading about the new still unreleased specs of the new iPods. Have made me want one so bad now! :o Don't know, but for a Mp3 player/external HD. I think no colors nor video. It would be just a battery hog. You want a device that the battery lasts abput 30 minutes, I sure don't. But to each his own. Great ideas ppl, lets just hope Apple is reading this so they can actually listen or read what ppl want in their product.


iBert

ps. New to this posting thing, did you guys create a file with the specs or ownership of Mac products?

[Gherkin]

Purple Haze is a very potent type of marijuana...

[whooleytoo]

Get a life people, can you imagine playing a portable game and walking down the street and then crashing into a pole or getting killed by a car.


No.. but if you find a video of that happening, I'd love to watch it on my video iPod!! ;)


Same with video no one watches a screen and walk around, people listen to music. And for those who blah blah blah about taking long trips on trains get a life read a book or something if music doesn't fulfill your requirements. Better yet buy an iBook and can the bitching about a Video iPod. I want a solar rechargable battery on the back or something that I can charge on the GO if the Battery happens to DIE on me longer battery life is always welcomed. FM radio is a nice feature not that important.

"Not important to you" you mean. Different people have different requirements, that's why Apple needs to offer more choice.

[t300]

In my opinion faceplates would really cheapen the look and construction quality of the ipod as well as destroy the unique look that apple products tend to have. If you want faceplates buy a nokia cellphone and show that off.

I was TOTALLY joking. I agree with you entirely.

It would be so cheap, I would die.

And then you would see stupid cheap faceplates being sold in flea markets and Mexico with Betty Boop or NASCAR themes...Uhhh....SICK!

[afields]

I don't ask for much. All I want is better battery life and a line in for mic input. I would be ecstatic if I was able to use this to record gigs I play/practice sessions and such. Then I would have absolutely no reason to keep my minidisc. Hey, if sony can do it, then certainly apple can. :)

[SiliconAddict]

Common apple stop surprising us for a while.
I need to get some work done here!! :)

Heh. What surprise. Apple hasn't don't squat to surprise anyone since...er...at least last year. Unless you call a liquid cooled CPU a surprise and that’s not a good surprise IMHO. Personally Apple gotten boring on all fronts.

[machinehien]

Well, is there anything out there requiring me to delete all the contents of an iPod when it's time to sell it? I assume apple anticipated a thriving resale market of used iPods and would have put something in writing considering these things can hold thousands of tracks.

The presumption out there in the mainstream market is that Apple's solution contains no easy way to grab the songs off an iPod, since the iPod's music library is hidden from the desktop. In all likelyhood the music will be overwritten when he syncs it to his desktop.



I agree with da Duff-Man.

Also, as someone who makes some money from copyrighted items, I wouldn't mind seeing the RIAA coming down on you full bore.

NOTE: I do disagree with the RIAA lawsuits and the way they're targeting the people downloading. They should be going after the "uploaders". You count as an uploader.

[spaceballl]

Sweet. I'm ready to sell my 30gb model and upgrade to a 60gb model. I'd do it simply for the increased storage, but if they want to make it sleeker, smaller, lighter, etc... i'll take that too ;)
-Kev

[SiliconAddict]

"Not important to you" you mean. Different people have different requirements, that's why Apple needs to offer more choice.

Ahh but you forget a large majority of Mac users don't give a crap about everyone else. Or think beyond their nose. It’s about what I want. etc...etc. :rolleyes:

[t300]

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/images/ipod_august.jpg

[Stella]

Yep.

Been proven time and time again.

Us Mac users are a load of selfish bastards.

:p
Ahh but you forget a large majority of Mac users don't give a crap about everyone else. Or think beyond their nose. It’s about what I want. etc...etc. :rolleyes:

[SiliconAddict]

[Insert the pretty picture of the new iPods here]

I'm really hoping they keep the old classic white iPod around.
The thing is not everyone likes purple, orange, or yellow. White is a very generic color. That or silver. IMHO I think they need bookend colors. White and black.

[Loge]

Great timing :) . My 15GB 3G, bought the week they came out, is nearly full. 60GB should do nicely for a while. I just hope they can ship internationally without too much delay.

[audiohhh]

will top out at 20 minutes

[ccuilla]

Why not snap-on face plates like the mobile phones?

This seems like the most sensible thing to do. Create a whole sub-industry (like with the mobile phones). Solid colors. Patterns. Sports team logos. Etc.

[rdowns]

Purple Haze is a very potent type of marijuana...

That works. Purple Haze, Panama Red, Acapulco Gold...

Anyone interested in a 3G 15GB with 16 months of AppleCare remaining?

[t300]

Why not snap-on face plates like the mobile phones?

This seems like the most sensible thing to do. Create a whole sub-industry (like with the mobile phones). Solid colors. Patterns. Sports team logos. Etc.

Do yourself a favor and read every page...It's been brought up...And no...That would put the iPod to the Walmart level.

[peepers]

So you think it would be time to replace my original 5GB iPod? I bought it during the week it was released back in Nov 2001?

Purple looks nice, but black would go well with my new VAIO U70.

[bar italia]

Get a life people, can you imagine playing a portable game and walking down the street and then crashing into a pole or getting killed by a car.

Yes. Good point. Because all you hear about on the news are kids with Gameboys being run over by cars.

[hob]

Ok, I just read the first 2 pages and skipped to the end so sorry if this has already been said (but in the words of OS 9 (i just switched back!) SOSUMI!)

I've been a bit of a closet conservationalist for a good few years now but this is really getting me down - WHY do we need new iPods?! Personally, I love my iPod it does EVERYTHING I could ever need it to do, which is PLAY MY MUSIC ALL DAY! OK, so some competitors have longer battery lives but I can count on 1 hand the amount of times I've cursed my iPod for running out on me and half of those times it's my own fault for forgetting to switch it off or something.

Oh look, Apple's releasing an Orange iPod...! Whilst I think (to some of your dismay) that and Orange iPod would look really cool, I won't be rushing out and buying one until my current iPod falls in half from the abuse I've been giving it over the last year...!

Seriously guys, do you REALLY need a new iPod - i mean it's pretty cool if you're buying a first one or (i guess) if you're on the old one ('cos it is pretty bulky i'll admit) but we don't need a new iPod, do we?

Anybody agree?

Hob

[hob]

I am most intrigued by the video out. Apple could really make this an amazing feature. Imagine if they develop some special type of mp4 format that compresses movies into a small, manageable file size. Then they start offering these compressed movies on the itunes store as a download. They could charge a few bucks for a file that would work for a week or so before it's security feature makes it inaccessible. The movies could be viewed on your computer, or you could put them on your ipod and watch them anywhere via TV out. This way Apple starts helping the video industry combat pirating as well.

It sounds really cool mate, and I've had similar thoughts myself but all have been crushed by Jobs who has repeatedly said he would never do such a thing... then again, the man did say the Macintosh was a bad idea... ;)

[whooleytoo]

It sounds really cool mate, and I've had similar thoughts myself but all have been crushed by Jobs who has repeatedly said he would never do such a thing... then again, the man did say the Macintosh was a bad idea... ;)

Jobs' denials mean little - he doesn't tout a feature/product unless/until Apple have one ready to be launched.

[gopher]

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.
The iPod has plenty of battery life. If yours does not, then it is defective and should be sent to Apple for repair.

http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com/ will help you get the most battery life out of your iPod.

[SiliconAddict]

The iPod has plenty of battery life.

Sorry but I don't define 8 hours as plenty of battery life and 8 hours is BEST case. The fact of the matter is some of us have PDA's with Microdrives that get better battery life then the iPod and those things have features on them that eat at the battery way heavier then anything that is on the iPod.
IMHO I personally think 10 hours should be minimum for any MP3 player and that’s with all the bells and whistles turned on. Don’t tell me it isn’t doable. Dell’s jukebox does it at being only .3 of an inch thicker.
Apple needs to stop dicking around and give the iPod a replaceable battery. This would solve multiple problems. For those who are complaining about battery life this cures the problem. For those who are bitching about how the battery dies after 18 months this should shut them up. IMHO a replicable battery on the iPod is more important then any dang new color scheme they can roll out and takes second place to larger drives which I’m dieing for since my collection doesn’t fit on 37.8 or whatever GB the 40GB iPod maxes out at.

[gensor]

http://www.engadget.com/entry/7447878454588645/

[xtbfx]

Ok, I agree with everyone that the iPod needs longer battery life for sure.

I would love to see over 12 hours of battery life.

If the 60GB is true, I will sell my 30GB in a heartbeat.

Now Apple, give us the Home on the iPod feature dang it!!! I think this feature (if advertised right) could cause a bunch of people to switch to OS X. 60GB is about the right size of any laptop today (for the most part), and it would be VERY cool to take that and plug it into a desktop and logging in as yourself.

[SeaFox]

Smaller eh? Well, I guess everyone can kiss an hour or so of battery life good-bye.

Edit: Oooh, wait. Someone has already summed up my opinion nicely:

The only important feature they can add to the iPod is better battery life. I don't care how cool the new model is... if it doesn't have better battery life (like double), I really don't care.

[mikeabnooy]

Think Secret (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/augustipods.html) August 31 iPod (www.apple.com/ipod/).

Pricing is expected to remain somewhat constant with current levels (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=iPod). :rolleyes:

cram and jam promo....they conflict... can't be true? but just in case... holding off buying anything now.... darn...

cram and jam promo (http://www.apple.com/education/cramandjam)

[JFreak]

And FM Radio. And recording.

not going to happen. ipod stands for all-digital, and neither of those are such.

And Bluetooth & WiFi. And...

bluetooth would be useful for wireless remote, so it is a possibility. wifi would be useful with airtunes, so that too. only problem is making the wireless circuitry fit on such a small size, plus the ipod would also need an antenna for it. i'd be really pleased if this came true, if not in this generation but the next one then.

[JustinEvil]

I just ordered an iPod mini last week. It isn't supposed to arrive for four weeks. I wonder if I should cancel my order and get one of these new iPods instead??

[JFreak]

I just ordered an iPod mini last week. It isn't supposed to arrive for four weeks. I wonder if I should cancel my order and get one of these new iPods instead??

me too. it's supposed to ship 26.Jul

i've waited three months for this international avilability and i am one of the very first to get a mini ipod to finland - and now that they are beginning to sell those mini ipods to europe, i feel betrayed if a month later they put in something greater.

IF the ipod line is getting an update so soon apple should have delayed the international release, but that's just my opinion. it would have been easy to reason if the international mini ipod availability would have been announced at the same time as the new ipods.

now i just wonder if apple just tries to suck every euro out of me that they possibly can. i mean... IF the mini ipods become cheaper after one month of international availability, then i'm going to be pissed. that would be just so wrong.

oh well, hard decision to make. to wait a little longer, or to accept the fact that new ipod lineup will be coming a month after i receive my mini ipod. there are though a lot of IFs in this post...

--

the real bummer... IF the new ipods look like mini ipods having only slightly larger case and a lot larger storage, that's what i would have ordered in the first place. currently, it was a no-brainer because the current regular ipods look UGLY having the four buttons between the wheel and the display. mini ipod looks so cute. if only they would make such an ipod that looks like "the little sister" and has the storage of a "big brother". rumors are indicating such a device. that's why i wonder if i should cancel my order. actually, i could NOT justify putting in 100 euros more to have for example 20GB storage instead of 4GB. with 200 euros i could have a super fast 250GB firewire storage should i need the space. come to think of it, i would only use the ipod as a music player, so maybe i just don't have to cancel :) two weeks waiting is long enough...

[JustinEvil]

If the new iPods come out before my mini arrives, and they have longer battery life, and are closer in size to a mini, I think I'll cancel my order and get one of the new one's instead.

[zakee00]

The biggest revision that this ipod has to have is better battery life. That's the only aspect of the original that was a serious negative. As long as apple has listened to anyone, they will work to fix it.

As for the rest, it is just icing on the cake. Not too many of us really need some of the glitzy features, but they sure would be cool.

I am most intrigued by the video out. Apple could really make this an amazing feature. Imagine if they develop some special type of mp4 format that compresses movies into a small, manageable file size. Then they start offering these compressed movies on the itunes store as a download. They could charge a few bucks for a file that would work for a week or so before it's security feature makes it inaccessible. The movies could be viewed on your computer, or you could put them on your ipod and watch them anywhere via TV out. This way Apple starts helping the video industry combat pirating as well.
i just put 2 and 2 together: h.264 is the awnser!!!! i doubt they just CAME up with this codec for tiger, they will probably use it to compress stuff for the ipod! :rolleyes: maybe, doubtfull though. heres what would tickle my pickle:
1.better battery
2.wifi/airtunes
3.color screen/pvr capabilities
4.radio
5.home on ipod
6.iphoto sync, like itunes sync
7.ipod developer's kit :D
that would be AESOME if apple came up with something like this in a small form factor. not to mention a good price :eek:
whatever happens, ive been waiting to buy an ipod....im confident i'll be suprised and happy, like always with apple.

EDIT: WTF, "not going to happen. ipod stands for all-digital, and neither of those are such"..is there an iPod RULE BOOK or something!?!?!?!? all of you are making retarded rules, like you are SJ or something. the name "iPod" works with anything, it is just a pod...imagine a portable video/photo/music "pod", that ingagrates with the "i"Life suite. aka, video/photo/music syncing via ilife. that would be sweet, and there isnt any LAW on what apple can do with the ipod. Good Day.

[aswitcher]

i just put 2 and 2 together: h.264 is the awnser!!!! i doubt they just CAME up with this codec for tiger, they will probably use it to compress stuff for the ipod! :rolleyes: maybe, doubtfull though. heres what would tickle my pickle:
1.better battery
2.wifi/airtunes
3.color screen/pvr capabilities
4.radio
5.home on ipod
6.iphoto sync, like itunes sync
7.ipod developer's kit :D
that would be AESOME if apple came up with something like this in a small form factor. not to mention a good price :eek:
whatever happens, ive been waiting to buy an ipod....im confident i'll be suprised and happy, like always with apple.
.

All these features look good. I think apart from coloured shells and bigger harddisks we wont see too much else, not this year that is.

[largejar]

I agree that "It's the battery, stupid" should be the prime focus from Apple on iPod development. It is certainly the Achilles heel of one of the best designed devices I've ever had the pleasure to own. Personally, I could care less about colors, but I do think Apple has spent quite a bit in developing advertising to create mind share and branding based on the white form factor. Being a designer, I'm wondering about the challenge of capitalizing on the existing branding, while bringing these new elements into the mix. I find it interesting that the possible new rumored colors are purples and oranges, colors not yet represented in the anodized minis, yet ever present in the award winning silhouette advertising backgrounds. I certainly could see the new ads feature stark white backgrounds with black silhouettes holding purple, orange, etc iPods.

the new color branding was there all the time.

[largejar]

oh, xtbfx. I couldn't help but notice your anti-Kerry/MM links, which seem to have no place here, but I just can't resist:

maybe this will change your tune.... (http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040719/teamup/3.html)

[maddav]

i just put 2 and 2 together: h.264 is the awnser!!!! i doubt they just CAME up with this codec for tiger,

Damn, you beat me to it! :D

[Diatribe]

I wonder if the new ones are already going to have wireless firewire. The thing is that you couldn't actually use it yet but who knows they might have it in the new imacs.
Or am I seriously mistaken and wireless fw devices are still well away?
I for one would like to have one less cable to plug into my laptop.

[rdowns]

i just put 2 and 2 together: h.264 is the awnser!!!! i doubt they just CAME up with this codec for tiger, they will probably use it to compress stuff for the ipod! :rolleyes: maybe, doubtfull though. heres what would tickle my pickle:
1.better battery
2.wifi/airtunes
3.color screen/pvr capabilities
4.radio
5.home on ipod
6.iphoto sync, like itunes sync
7.ipod developer's kit :D
that would be AESOME if apple came up with something like this in a small form factor. not to mention a good price :eek:
whatever happens, ive been waiting to buy an ipod....im confident i'll be suprised and happy, like always with apple.

EDIT: WTF, "not going to happen. ipod stands for all-digital, and neither of those are such"..is there an iPod RULE BOOK or something!?!?!?!? all of you are making retarded rules, like you are SJ or something. the name "iPod" works with anything, it is just a pod...imagine a portable video/photo/music "pod", that ingagrates with the "i"Life suite. aka, video/photo/music syncing via ilife. that would be sweet, and there isnt any LAW on what apple can do with the ipod. Good Day.

Home on iPod, I can see. Integrated with iLife, not going to happen. iPod is a device used primarily by Windows users. Apple will not put in a bunch of features that their users can't access.

[hkriffraff]

I finally decided on ordering a mini after waiting all year to place an order as an international customer. Now this damn news of an iPod revision is giving me pause!

Do you think there will be another supply issue with these new iPods (eg, international customers having to wait 6 months)? Does the apple online store let you cancel/change orders?

[whooleytoo]

Ahh but you forget a large majority of Mac users don't give a crap about everyone else. Or think beyond their nose. It’s about what I want. etc...etc. :rolleyes:

Yeah.. yeah... who cares what you think.. :p

All these upcoming-new-product threads are full of lots of "Apple will NEVER add Bluetooth (etc..) to the iPod" vs "It better have Bluetooth or I won't buy it" conflicts..

[child810]

Won't this "new" ipod probably just be the HP version? Why would Apple release another version to compete with HP right off the bat? This has probably already been brought up but, any-hooo.

[bucky]

Won't this "new" ipod probably just be the HP version? Why would Apple release another version to compete with HP right off the bat? This has probably already been brought up but, any-hooo.

From what i have read HPs version is going to be pretty much a blue version of the current ipod, yet the new ipod from apple will be designed more like the mini but with more features and a larger body. Why they would do this i am not sure.

[Chip NoVaMac]

From what i have read HPs version is going to be pretty much a blue version of the current ipod, yet the new ipod from apple will be designed more like the mini but with more features and a larger body. Why they would do this i am not sure.

Well, it does separate the market. HP has their own "brand" and Apple theirs. There will be those that will go with the Apple because of the "look" or the Apple "brand". Same will go for HP.

If HP is able to sell enough of the older generations, then Apple benefits in lower development costs and doesn't cannibalize their own sales.

[dongmin]

Personally, I could care less about colors, but I do think Apple has spent quite a bit in developing advertising to create mind share and branding based on the white form factor. Being a designer, I'm wondering about the challenge of capitalizing on the existing branding, while bringing these new elements into the mix. I find it interesting that the possible new rumored colors are purples and oranges, colors not yet represented in the anodized minis, yet ever present in the award winning silhouette advertising backgrounds. I certainly could see the new ads feature stark white backgrounds with black silhouettes holding purple, orange, etc iPods.

the new color branding was there all the time.According to the Apple Q3 conference call, the demand for ipod minis is "staggering." The mini has become a fashion accessory as much as anything else. With such, people want to customize, e.g. add color. And the minis are anything but dilluting the 'brand.' Hardly. They are as distintive, eye-catching, and recognizable as the original (especially now with the unified click wheel), except now, you can express yourself a bit more. Who would've thought but PINK is the second most popular color.


1.better battery
2.wifi/airtunes
3.color screen/pvr capabilities
4.radio
5.home on ipod
6.iphoto sync, like itunes sync
7.ipod developer's kit :D
1. We all hope Apple's working on this.
2. Apple has admitted that they're moving more into this arena. What exactly they're doing, no one knows yet. It'd be nice if some sort of built-in wireless would let you control the home stereo AND stream music to your car stereo. The BMW solution is just too clumsy for Apple, imo. Cordless connectivity is what's all about.
3. Steve has said time and time again that people don't want to watch video on a tiny portable screen. Usually when he's that emphatic, he means it (e.g. PDA). You WILL NOT be able to watch video or see photos on the iPod screen, never. HOWEVER, you may be able to run photo slide shows out of the iPod via the firewire cable (to another Mac or cinema display) or the dock (to a TV).
4. Why? You have 1000-10,000 songs in your pocket, plus the possibility for audio books. Do you really want to be listening to lo-fi, commercial-laden programming on top of all this. It's a feature people ask for but I doubt most people would actually use that much. An add-on option at best.
5. In the works, according to rumors. This would create a major incentive to buy the larger-capacity iPods which I'm sure has killer margins.
6. See above (number three).
7. Cool idea, but I doubt it'll happen. Apple seems obsessed with controlling the entire user experience.

[itsumo]

Who would've thought but PINK is the second most popular color.
I was going to get a pink one. It just looks nice!

[sockeatingdryer]

JFreak
I was being half-sarcastic. And I think that Apple isn't about "all-digital" in that sense. Radio & recording capability is a very useful and in many cases desirable trait. I know many people want that (that's really what sold the last all-music Archos player; the one I've got), and I'm going to miss that when I get the iPod (if it doesn't have that). What would really be cool is if it can do recording off the radio like the Archos.

[rogo]

Apple did not invent H.264.

It's a video codec that is essentially an MPEG-4 variant.

While there may be some Quicktime-related IP that worked its way into the standard, that's about it.

[ErikGrim]

Home on iPod, I can see. Integrated with iLife, not going to happen. iPod is a device used primarily by Windows users. Apple will not put in a bunch of features that their users can't access.Calendar and contacts anyone?

[wPod]

Get a life people, can you imagine playing a portable game and walking down the street and then crashing into a pole or getting killed by a car.

. . . NOPE!!! it will have a built in GPS that will direct me down the street. . . a camera directed in front of me that will show the pole on the screen before i run into it. . . and one of those electric two wheeled devices so i dont even have to walk for myself!!!

oh wait. . . i see your point. . . the iPod built success on size, simplic and economy. i can store my entire music collection on one device, navigate it easily and it has the battery power to last all day. simple, elegant and gets the job done, what more can you improve on? (add wi-fi to connect to airport express!!! sorry)

[webmatthijs]

i sure hope so!!! :rolleyes:

[MacMan913]

New Ipods probaly not real but there cool

http://gallery.ipodlounge.com/ipod/displayimage.php?album=4&pos=57

[Gherkin]

For the people talking about the HPpods above, I think it's fairly obvious.

They HPpod has been delayed again and again, so what they are doing now is just releasing it when the 4G iPods come out. The HPpods will look like the 4Gs, not 3Gs.

I mean in the conference call, they said the HPpods are coming out late summer. And there are rumors that the 4Gs are coming out late summer. Put one and one together, and I think it's pretty obvious.

[bucky]

For the people talking about the HPpods above, I think it's fairly obvious.

They HPpod has been delayed again and again, so what they are doing now is just releasing it when the 4G iPods come out. The HPpods will look like the 4Gs, not 3Gs.

I mean in the conference call, they said the HPpods are coming out late summer. And there are rumors that the 4Gs are coming out late summer. Put one and one together, and I think it's pretty obvious.

That would make sense as the HP Blue color that the HPpods are supposed to be would look much better on an ipod with a "mini-like" design then the gen 3 ipods.

[furrina]

I assume everyone here saw this mockup/whatever on Gizmodo? I'm not a big fan of the mini but these look kind of tasty to me. More "designer" colors rather than ordinary primary-ish ones. I think they're kinda cool.
http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/is-this-the-next-ipod-017665.php

[bucky]

I assume everyone here saw this mockup/whatever on Gizmodo? I'm not a big fan of the mini but these look kind of tasty to me. More "designer" colors rather than ordinary primary-ish ones. I think they're kinda cool.
http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/is-this-the-next-ipod-017665.php

I think the new ipods will look similar to this but i think apple will do something to differentiate them from the mini's a little more.

[spaceballl]

I don't think the new iPod will be that much "smaller" because Apple won't want it to undercut iPod mini sales.
-Kev

[Les McQueen]

The ability to turn the screen off completely would be a nice feature to save a few minutes of battery life. Maybe current models have this already, I don't know. I don't own a Pod but something tells me I will by years end.

i kinda like the idea of a grey/metal colour. Does anyone own a mini ? Can the colour be paint stripped off to the bare metal ? Or is the colour somehow mixed into the metal, like with coloured house keys.

[Coca-Cola]

I got these spoilers off of sypmac. Sorry.

[rariasjr]

I'd be pretty disappointed if they merely had a capacity bump or color choice. This is the 4th generation! How about built in wi-fi? would this not be a natural fit with airport express? The name "iPod" doesn't attach itself strictly to music and I have to think Apple was thinking ahead when they decided on this name. The next evolutionary step seems to point to digital photos. How? I'll leave it up to the Apple geniuses to think of something I never could.

[The Bartender]

For the people talking about the HPpods above, I think it's fairly obvious.

They HPpod has been delayed again and again, so what they are doing now is just releasing it when the 4G iPods come out. The HPpods will look like the 4Gs, not 3Gs.

I mean in the conference call, they said the HPpods are coming out late summer. And there are rumors that the 4Gs are coming out late summer. Put one and one together, and I think it's pretty obvious.

You must be kidding... why on earth would Apple want and HP branded iPod that looks even nearly as nice as theirs? My first thoughts are... if Apple will release new iPods, the hPods will keep the 3G form factor. That may be a reason why the hPods will be cheaper than Apple iPods...

[aussie_geek]

I got a 20 Gb one yesterday. I am impressed with it. Who cares if there is a new one- this one does the job nicely.

aussie_geek

[iMeowbot]

The ability to turn the screen off completely would be a nice feature to save a few minutes of battery life. Maybe current models have this already, I don't know. I don't own a Pod but something tells me I will by years end.
I don't think that would do much for you, mono LCDs are very efficient. Consider how long graphing calculators with comparable displays can run on a set of batteries.

i kinda like the idea of a grey/metal colour. Does anyone own a mini ? Can the colour be paint stripped off to the bare metal ? Or is the colour somehow mixed into the metal, like with coloured house keys.
Yes, it's exactly the same way house keys are done. You would need to use an acid bath to remove the oxide layer because the dyes aren't coming out otherwise, and you would then want to re-anodize the body (but not re-dye of course). Not worth the trouble or risk of destroying the case, IMHO. They offer an undyed mini now, and it would mean and rotten for them not to do the same with larger models.

[zac4mac]

Not really a big deal. I took my first mini(silver) apart and had the case stripped and re-anodized black. The top and bottom covers dyed well using a Sharpie marker. The scroll wheel has given me some trouble taking dye, but I have a new wheel ass'y to put in it if I can't find a way to make the wheel look nice. It reaaly looks cool "all black".

Z

[debo]

That spoiler pic doesn't work for me, and I want to see it!

[bucky]

That spoiler pic doesn't work for me, and I want to see it!

doesn't work for me either

[iMook]

I currently have a 30GB iPod in good condition with an iSkin case, and I would like to upgrade to a Click-Wheel-equipped, more-scratch-resistant version.

But, I don't really like the currrent rumors of confirmed colors being orange, purple, and yellow. I really like the classy colors of the 3G iPod and the silver and green Minis. I know that ThinkSecret is rather reliable in their rumor accuracy, but do you people think some classier colors will be available?

I'm looking to eBay my 3G iPod before the official announcement of the new iPod, to outrun the price drop.

So, classier colors? Opinions?

[Coca-Cola]

[Coca-Cola]

Sorry for the low image quality. I have an original that has an awesome resolution. I got the photo off of another website and it looks legitimate. I can send you the original compressed if you message me.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I currently have a 30GB iPod in good condition with an iSkin case, and I would like to upgrade to a Click-Wheel-equipped, more-scratch-resistant version.

But, I don't really like the currrent rumors of confirmed colors being orange, purple, and yellow. I really like the classy colors of the 3G iPod and the silver and green Minis. I know that ThinkSecret is rather reliable in their rumor accuracy, but do you people think some classier colors will be available?

I'm looking to eBay my 3G iPod before the official announcement of the new iPod, to outrun the price drop.

So, classier colors? Opinions?

Well the phrase was:

[quoteSources report the new models will be available in a variety of new colors, expected to include purple, orange, and yellow[/quote]

So it would seem to me that other colors maybe available as well. I would hope black or silver (maybe both?).

[superstring]

I guess I am going to be one of those people that points out a nit detail in the posted "spoiler pic". If you look at the reflection on the first two iPods, the color reflection from the one behind the front one bleeds into the foreground of the first (which it would not if these were sitting on a white reflective surface - the look used by Apple graphic designers). This seems like someone did a fairly good mock up, but that surface detail is something I would not expect from Apple's graphic design team.

Of course I could be wrong, just my observation.

[Coca-Cola]

I have looked at the full resolution pic and it looks good. This small image is very low quality in order to fit on this site. Message me and I will email you with original full size resolution image.

[iMook]

Oh man, I REALLY hope the new iPods don't look like that, just judging from the low-res picture, of course. No Click Wheel? (of course, Apple could be doing this to differentiate the two product lines) For the time being, I really don't like the all-one-color style. And is it just me, or does it look a bit too tall and narrow to be able to fit a 1.8" HDD and still be smaller than the current iPod?

[Coca-Cola]

There does indeed seem to be some problems. One problem is the bottom overlapping, and the narrowness of the units.

[superstring]

After examining the hi res image provided by coca-cola (thank you), I am even more convinced that this is just a mock-up and not real. For one, the color has white edges near the screen in exactly the same place on all of them. And that is because each one is using the exact same image and has just been hue shifted to produce the different colors. Not sure if the image I am going to try and post here will work (very new to Macrumors), but you can see that the buttons and text are exactly the same on each of the images. That combined with the reflection error I mentioned earlier leads me to believe this is a decent, but fake mock-up.

[superstring]

Might as well point this out while I am thinking about it. The way the Apple logo is just barely peeking out on the back 2 iPods seems careless. I would think they would either take that off or position it such that you could see a bit of the logo on all of them. There is a symetry lacking there that I would think an experienced Apple grpahic designer would not let slip by.

[The Exile]

I've been reading here at the forum for quite some time and now I fell it is time for me to join into the mix for this reason. The new iPod will not have video but the new iPod will be wireless. And I mean will. Maybe being a newbie to the forums might make you want to not believe me, but it is true.

[debo]

Maybe been a newbie to the forums might make you want to not believe me, but it is true.

The use of "been" instead of "being" makes me want to not believe you. I hope you are right though.

[The Bartender]

I currently have a 30GB iPod in good condition with an iSkin case, and I would like to upgrade to a Click-Wheel-equipped, more-scratch-resistant version.

But, I don't really like the currrent rumors of confirmed colors being orange, purple, and yellow. I really like the classy colors of the 3G iPod and the silver and green Minis. I know that ThinkSecret is rather reliable in their rumor accuracy, but do you people think some classier colors will be available?

I'm looking to eBay my 3G iPod before the official announcement of the new iPod, to outrun the price drop.

So, classier colors? Opinions?

I've beat you to the punch on the eBay thing... these rumors better be true dammit!

[The Bartender]

I look foward to white, black, and orange. The white should be like an ivory color. mmmmm... dreams.

[iMook]

Yes... ivory.

Pearlescent white.

I wouldn't mind the mini's cool green or a metallic blue-grey, either.

Still, I really debating whether or not I should put my iPod up on eBay.
What if Coca-Cola's image have some legitimate basis? (The image itself isn't legit, just look at the reflection below the first (orange) iPod. The silver one's reflection can be seen.)

Then again, I doubt Apple's style department would make something that any Apple fan would find loathsome.

Hmmm... maybe I'll sell mine after all.


Anyone interested? Or anyone know anyone who's interested? :p


P.S. - Bartender, how much did yours go for? And what do you suggest as an opening bid price?

[mms]

Silver aluminum with 15-20GB would be nice. And battery life, nothing else fancy. I've been waiting for an update to get my first iPod.

[mlw1235]

How is it that I was planning on buying an iPod on Tuesday when I go to the Mall of America, and then I read this....HELP!! Do I still buy one, or do I wait? :confused:

[JonMaker]

The one feature iPods are missing is some way to enter text. This would make finding songs by title easier, and would allow for taking notes in text format on the iPod. CAN YOU HEAR ME, CUPERTINO!?!?
Come on! what edge does a PDA have on an iPod? Make me an iPod that could kick the asses of the other media players, AND kick Palm's ass too.
Remember, we are talking about Apple, here.

[daddy-mojo]

Initiate CAPS....

CAPS Initiated...

THERE WILL NEVER BE A NEWTON. IT IS DEAD.

CAPS Off.

I hope for video in the iPod someday, but there will be no Newton.

There will be a swiss army knife that pops out of the side of the iPod before there is a Newton.

swiss army has a usb pocket knife now. getting closer. kinda cool.

http://swissarmy.com/webstore/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=4068&category=39

[t300]

swiss army has a usb pocket knife now. getting closer. kinda cool.

http://swissarmy.com/webstore/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=4068&category=39


A-freaking-mazing.

That is pretty cool...it should at least be 128mb, though.

Bring on the new iPods...

I just sold 2 iPod Mini's and my 15gb 3rd gen for this upcoming 60gb BEEEEEAAAAAASSSSST!

[nagromme]

I'll vote with the fake camp. Not even an Apple mockup-in-progress.

* Mini clickwheel is too good. They wouldn't imitate the Mini in other ways and omit that.

* A little TOO convenient that the mockup shows exactly the Mini colors + the 3 colors from the rumor (minus the redundant gold).

* I'm skeptical about the controls matching the metal case. My PowerBook's trackpad comes PRETTY close, so that's not impossible. Just unlikely to me. Why complicate manufacturing so much and increase cost, when white and easily-spotted wheel are well-known "trademarks" of the iPod and Mini?

[OziMac]

What is surprising is that Powerbooks do not have restrictions. So a new could come out before 9/25/04 and qualify for the joint rebate.

Which is exactly why a new Powerbook won't come out before then :)

[Chip NoVaMac]

Which is exactly why a new Powerbook won't come out before then :)

Based on the buyers guide here that would be the right time frame for a new Powerbook, though better money would say October.

Just surprising that Apple would not restrict Powerbooks and iBooks to what currently is available. Maybe with the iMac delay, they want to keep options open.

[ArmouredGuitar]

Everyone knows Master Chief off of Halo, right? His armour is that wierd green. Wouldn't that look cool for an iPod? Yes?

[croooow]

http://members.cox.net/cousinken/ipod4thgen.jpg

I don't understand why anyone would think this is real? If you look at the last ipod, it appears to be quite a bit wider than the others (since the menu button seems to be cut off at the same spot) Plus you know Apple will add a new design to the 4th generation, not just take elements of the current ipod and ipod mini and mix them together. I do hope they do offer some "non colored" ipods (white, black, silver etc) along with the colored choices.

[Damien]

How is it that I was planning on buying an iPod on Tuesday when I go to the Mall of America, and then I read this....HELP!! Do I still buy one, or do I wait? :confused:

WAIT!

If this is untrue you only have to wait a few more weeks but it is looking like it is true and this is the 4TH Generation. I would wait even if the only diffrance is that it is smaller and slimmer that would still be cool. Wait and get the new form factor and the new features

[Damien]

http://members.cox.net/cousinken/ipod4thgen.jpg

I don't understand why anyone would think this is real? If you look at the last ipod, it appears to be quite a bit wider than the others (since the menu button seems to be cut off at the same spot) Plus you know Apple will add a new design to the 4th generation, not just take elements of the current ipod and ipod mini and mix them together. I do hope they do offer some "non colored" ipods (white, black, silver etc) along with the colored choices.

Also the text on the buttons does not contrast at all. It is not a apple style design

[Lancetx]

Think Secret now says they're coming this Monday. So I guess if that's true the suspense will be over soon.

[Freg3000]

Think Secret now says they're coming this Monday. So I guess if that's true the suspense will be over soon.

So now they say about the same size and still white, thinner, new scroll wheel of a different color and design, and most of all lower prices!

Didn't see that coming.

Edited for clarity.

[Superdrive]

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/images/ipod_august.jpg

Consider that one in the middle, 40GB, SOLD to me. My Visa is ready.

-Superdrive

[the future]

So now they say, about the same size, thinner, new scroll wheel, different color and design, and most of all lower prices!

Actually, Think Secret now says the new regular iPods will still be white, but the scroll wheel will be of different colour and design.

[uv23]

The obvious/safest conclusion to draw is that the new iPods coming in August are in fact new iPod minis - most likely with different storage specs as well as colors. And the standard iPods are receiving a basic size upgrade (20/40/60) but not much else.

[Freg3000]

Actually, Think Secret now says the new regular iPods will still be white, but the scroll wheel will be of different colour and design.

Yes, when I read that it seemed contradictory, but I misinterpreted it. The body is still white, but the click wheel is a different color and design (presumably clickwheel).

I've edit my post. Thanks.

[Superdrive]

White iPods with colored scroll wheel??? Sounds kind of gross to me. Hopefully they will not be that bad, if this is the case.

I would also be disappointed if the fancy colors (orange) were offered only on the mini, presumably G2. Somehow, August seems a little too soon for a G2 mini. Especially considering that most orders have not even been fulfilled yet.

-Superdrive

[carbonmotion]

Can't believe that it will be intro'd before the Cram and Jam rebates are over. it will not, anyone who has studied economics and understand basic laws of demand and supply will see that the cram and jam sale is an effort to get rid of the current models of ipods to pave way for new ones.

[carbonmotion]

Think Secret now says they're coming this Monday. So I guess if that's true the suspense will be over soon. smells like bs to me

[Trekkie]

WAIT!

If this is untrue you only have to wait a few more weeks but it is looking like it is true and this is the 4TH Generation. I would wait even if the only diffrance is that it is smaller and slimmer that would still be cool. Wait and get the new form factor and the new features

Stop the Madness!!

Telling someone to wait will only prolong things to wait forever. There will always be something bigger, better, and faster 'around the corner' thanks to Moore's Law.

40GB iPod holds 10,000 or so songs. That is plenty and no reason to keep waiting. If you like the current iPods design, feature, form and function there is no need to see what else is coming. It's just silly.

Now if next week were 'new Power Macs' or the new iMac, then yeah, I'd say wait because there are a lot of new performance enhancing features in them.

But to wait for an iPod update is just silly. The iPod that is out in the market now is an awesome device.

[poopyhead]

see movie at the begenning of this thread
new ipod at the end of the movie
notice lack of buttons

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80125

[Nykwil]

see movie at the begenning of this thread
new ipod at the end of the movie
notice lack of buttons

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80125


:rolleyes:
it's not new
it's the 2nd gen ipod

[poopyhead]

ah well
sorry

[Trekkie]

Funny movie though, looks just like the iPod on my desk though :)

[Les McQueen]

So is it true ? No 60gig model ? Just some silly feature where you can play your songs slower or faster, (depending on what drugs you've taken). Bugger I need at least 60gigs. Or are they still in the works. Or do I have to wait till next year.

[bucky]

The ipod is out and i do have to say i am dissapointed. It is good that they changed it by adding the click wheel but i think they kinda look weird now. Well, that is just my opinion but i don't think there are any new features here that merit an upgrade from a previous ipod.

[louden]

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-5384553.html

I wonder if they'll let Apple use it?