Waiting: iPod 5G?

[StarbucksSam]

Hey guys, I just got lucky and was able to give a good deal to a really nice girl on my iPod 3G. I am now looking to replace my iPod. I am going to buy the regular iPod at the bottom of the line, so right now I'm looking at the 4G/20.

Question for you: Last time, when i bought my 3G, the 4G came out all of two months later. Do you forsee a 5G coming out in January? If yes, what information do you have regarding this. I'm trying to decide if I should just order my 4G or wait for the 5G - but I'd prefer to have something sooner as I'm going on a trip in late December, plus Apple has a free shipping deal right now.

Thoughts, please?

[rendezvouscp]

The 3G's were introduced in April of 2003, then the 4G's in July 2004. They will not be introducing a 5g iPod in January of 2005, that's way too short of a time. Expect the 5G's in late 2005.
-Chase

[StarbucksSam]

I just want to make sure I don't get outdated in two months. I must not have been paying attention, because I thought the 3G was fairly new when I bought it in May 2004 - guess not. Okay, well that's cool I guess - I'll buy the 4G. Thanks a LOT for your help there... I didn't think about that clearly. :)

[Kwyjibo]

its not like your ipod stops working because theres a new version out ... theres always a chance for a new product or price change at MWSF ... not likely but this is in that range where you'd be pissed, if you want it pull the trigger otherwise you'll be waiting all year.

[StarbucksSam]

Thanks for the advice guys, I bought the 4G 20 today. :)

[dav]

Thanks for the advice guys, I bought the 4G 20 today. :)

Good call, you will love it :cool:

[StarbucksSam]

I sure hope I'll love it. Apple shipped it today somehow.. and it's supposedly going to be here Monday but I don't know how that is possible when FedEx doesn't do anything on Saturday and it won't go out until Monday....

HMmmm.

[mcarnes]

Apple had overnighted things to me before, with just the regular free shipping. BTW, they have always had free shipping with orders over $50.

[StarbucksSam]

Always? We bought my Mom's iMac through Apple directly and that wasn't free shipping and that was somewhere over $1200. Did we get screwed?

[Santaduck]

definitely i would wait... not so much to have the 'newest', but because a lot of people, myself (and macworld's review) included, dislike the 4G's styling... it's a step backward from the 3G.

The clickwheel might be neat, but the all-white glassy interface of the 3G is just classic art, while in contrast the rubbery center button of the 4G is just... midfi ordinary.

Let's see what the design team does with the 5G.

[StarbucksSam]

Santa,

I'm going to have to contradict you on that - after having had the 3G, which does not have the click wheel, and testing out the click wheel iPod, I must say that I like the new one better. The iPod needed more color anyway, and the gray is not the best choice but I still think the iPod is a gorgeous machine.

[Nermal]

Why does everyone refer to iPods as 3G, 4G, 5G etc, yet refer to Macs as G3, G4, G5? Let's hear it for consistency! :rolleyes:

[Whigga Spitta]

While I believe the pure white gloss-tastic 3G's are awesome (I owned a 15Gb, now a 40Gb), the click wheel interface, in combination with improved battery life is a huge plus. It would be awesome if they made the gray wheel a glossy white (envision the texture of the wheel on the U2 iPod). I think I will buy a 5G if it is as stunning as I hope it will be.

[tech4all]

Why does everyone refer to iPods as 3G, 4G, 5G etc, yet refer to Macs as G3, G4, G5? Let's hear it for consistency! :rolleyes:

Yea that does get sorta confusing sometimes. I guess we refer to Macs as G3, G4, and G5. Whereas with the iPod we say the 4th generation iPod or the 2nd generation iPod; not the Generation 4 iPod. And Apple has always marketed the Macs as "Gx". So in long sense, Macs would be like, the 5th Generation Mac. And not, the 5G Mac....

Not sure if any of that made any sense :confused: :cool: :o


> But kinda like the gray click wheel, color doesn't bother me at all. But color aside, the click wheel is easier to navigave in contrast to the 3G iPod button layout, IMO.

[JeffTL]

Well, "G5 iPod" or even worse "iPod G5" would to the Mac-minded individual imply a PowerPC 9xx in the next iPod by analogy to iMac G5, Xserve G5, or Power Mac G5, which is frankly rather unlikely, considering as it's not even in the PowerBook yet...and considering as the PortalPlayer chipset seems to work just fine.

"5G iPod" on the other hand more clearly reads as "Fifth-generation iPod," rather than implying a PowerPC processor, though obviously Apple would like you to get a G4 after you like your 4G.

[tdhurst]

Why does everyone refer to iPods as 3G, 4G, 5G etc, yet refer to Macs as G3, G4, G5? Let's hear it for consistency! :rolleyes:

To make it much easier. Like other posts, hearing G4 INSTANTLY tells me that it's a computer. 4G, iPod. I can't tell the many times (while i worked at the apple store) that someone told me they had a G4 iPod, when they were mistaking it for an imac. For some reason the G4 and 4G seem easier to remember.

[Santaduck]

To make it much easier. Like other posts, hearing G4 INSTANTLY tells me that it's a computer. 4G, iPod.

I didn't know there were any 4 Gig iPods...
and AFAIK all of the 5Gig ipods are all 1G, but cost 0.25G.
And what's this G6 I keep hearing about?

=x

[StarbucksSam]

No we do have a problem with all of these G's.

We have G for the processor.
We have G for the generation of iPod.
We have G for GB for gigabytes.

I think we should do the following with iPod model names:

When referring to a specific model like the 4th Generation 20 gigabyte.

The iPod 4/20

When referring to a generation line - the iPod 4/G
So when you're doing a generation, you instead put G to make sure someone know it's the whole Generation that is being referred to.

Then for processors, we can use:

G3 G4 G5 because those are official names.

And for gigabytes, we need to be more careful to remember to put the B on GB.

[Mainyehc]

Yep, StarbucksSam has summed it all up nicely. It would be easier for me to refer to my iPod as a 3/20... ;) (oh, I bought it on March... I guess that the fact that March is the 3rd month would add up to the confusion. :rolleyes: )

And as far as aesthetics are concerned... Now that I have an iMac G5 (which is *obviously* inspired after the 1st generation iPod), I'm beggining to think that perhaps the 1G and 2G iPods looked better than the 3G and 4G. Just think about it: most people think that the eMac looks "fugly", yet, the iMac G5 is praised as the sexiest computer avaliable today... Hmmm... The older iPods look a lot like the iMac G5, yet, the most recent iPods look a lot like the eMac, therefore, the older iPods should be considered preetier than the newer ones. I know, it's a bit stupid comparing the two... the 3G and 4G iPods also look a lot like the iBook (especially the G3). My point is, those sharp, clear edges of the iMac G5 and the 1G and 2G iPods sure look absolutely great, but because they are sharp, they might be easier to damage... And the iPod is a portable device, so...

Does anyone here has an old iPod, and if so, how fragile is its casing compared with the new iPods? If it's not all that fragile, I think Apple should revert to the older look, and make the clickwheel of white plastic, just like in the original iPod. I've seen some photos of the 1G (on the iPodlounge wallpapers), and it looks so damn better than even my 3G, IMHO... I never cared much about those red LED's anyway... :rolleyes:

[rendezvouscp]

The original iPods were sturdy, but not like today. The buttons could be broken or taken off, and the unit was a little hard on the hands (with the "sharp" edges). I think that the later designs of iPod look better, especially after watching the new iMac video with the Black Eyed Peas. The iPod and iMac look so sexy in that video!
-Chase

[jared_kipe]

The original iPods were sturdy, but not like today. The buttons could be broken or taken off, and the unit was a little hard on the hands (with the "sharp" edges). I think that the later designs of iPod look better, especially after watching the new iMac video with the Black Eyed Peas. The iPod and iMac look so sexy in that video!
-Chase

Exactly when was the last time you saw the click wheel "break" off?

[rendezvouscp]

I've never seen the click wheel broken or taken off, but I've seen iPods that have taken a fall and their buttons have broken off (not an ordinary fall though).
-Chase

[Mechcozmo]

When referring to a specific model like the 4th Generation 20 gigabyte.

The iPod 4/20.

Remember this?

The SE/30 (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/stats/mac_se30.html)?
It was called this because if Apple had continued with their traditional naming style, (Apple IIfx for example) it would have been called the "SEx" for Second Edition, and with the "x" denoting an upgrade to it.

I'm pretty sure I got that story right, but you get the idea.

[StarbucksSam]

Right, but this is a number in front, and that's just one exception. Very good point though. "Oh yeah, I have the Apple SEx."

[wide]

iPod 420. :D

the 3G's design was introduced in early '03...it took nearly a year and a half for them to change it. i think the wait will be nearly as long, or probably longer, for the 5G ipod. also remember: they are due to release a new mini soon, and they shouldn't released more than one new ipod at a time because people would be confused about what to buy. additionally, the ipod photo (i.e. brand new product) bears the same physical appearance as the 4g ipod released in july. it seems logical that apple would revamp the 4G design at the same time they revamp the ipod photo design (so the ipod line stays relatively symettrical). because the ipod photo is so new, we might not be seeing a 5G until very late '05 or MWSF '06.

to me, the third generation ipod looks barbaric in comparison to the fourth generation ipod. has anyone else experienced this? when the 4G was originally released i thought it was ugly, but now i cringe at the sight of a 3G (exaggeration)

[Mechcozmo]

Does anyone here has an old iPod, and if so, how fragile is its casing compared with the new iPods? If it's not all that fragile, I think Apple should revert to the older look, and make the clickwheel of white plastic, just like in the original iPod.

Mine has survived a 3 foot fall onto concrete while playing... it is the most durable iPod because Apple didn't know how padded to make them. But the new ones are nicer to hold, much less "sharp."

[rendezvouscp]

Eh, about the design, I really like my 3G. While I think the 4G's look slicker, especially the iPod photo, I really don't like the ClickWheel. The 3G's are pretty cool to me, especially with the red backlight for the buttons. Ah, they're just wonderful. I know that if I used a 4G more than I do right now, I'd get to like the ClickWheel, but it's just such a departure from the 3G! And now I'm just talking...
-Chase

[rendezvouscp]

I really hope that the next design is somewhat waterproof. The 3G's are practically waterproof, and now the 4G's have a small opening in front. It'd be very cool if the buttons were somewhat embedded into the front of the iPod. I'd also like to see the return of the backlight on the buttons.
-Chase

[StarbucksSam]

I think a white click wheel would look nicer than the gray one does, but I'm sure Apple thought of that and had some reason for deciding on gray. I mean they had to say "let's make this gray" and think about it, right?

[tech4all]

I'd also like to see the return of the backlight on the buttons.

True, the backlights on the buttons is a nice feature, but that takes a toll on battary life. As well as the touch sensetative buttons.

I actually had a 3G iPod but exchanged it for the 4G since it came out a week later and I was still in the return policies 30 day thing. The backlight buttons aren't really needed on the click wheel since the layout is pretty obvious in contrast to the 3G iPod where they weren't as easy to differ by touch alone. Course it is possible to get used to them, as I started to. But either way, iPod is cool no matter what G it is, IMO :p