why people want a video iPod

I have often wondered the same thing. I think it's one of the stupidest moves Apple could make. They have worked so hard to build the iPod as the top of the line MP3 player. If they add video features, they would have to take on a completely different marketing strategry. Not to mention the price! A video iPod would probably start at $600 to $700. Battery life would be horrible and viewing on that little screen would be next to impossible (The eyeglasses industry would surely benefit from all of the vision problems people would encounter). I don't see a video iPod happening anytime in the future. If those portable DVD players with viewing screens had been hugely successful, then I would consider this a good idea. But, for now, it's just another stupid idea.

I don't understand it either. Mainly, because who knows how much money it would cost for a video iPod.

Originally posted by RBMaraman
Not to mention the price! A video iPod would probably start at $600 to $700. Battery life would be horrible and viewing on that little screen would be next to impossible (The eyeglasses industry would surely benefit from all of the vision problems people would encounter).

Click to expand...

http://www.archos.com/lang=en//products/prw_500375.html

More like $400 for a 20 GB model...and it'd be near top end too.

I see the video iPod as an option for those who want to buy it...keep the original iPods. Just an addition to the line...it'll sell IMO.

what I'd like to see is something like an iPod with a larger color screen with some way to play gameboy advance games on it or something. Maybe MAME and other emulators could be ported to it and you could have a huge games library stored on the hard drive.

Note that I don't really think apple should do this. I just think it would be pretty cool.

Duhh...

Watch porno anywhere.

the archos is nice because you can plug it into the tv

portability...

but then again...why not just make a dvd?

instead of a video iPod, why not make a cell phone as well?

Originally posted by Over Achiever
I see the video iPod as an option for those who want to buy it...keep the original iPods. Just an addition to the line...it'll sell IMO.

Click to expand...

Yes, that would be a good idea. But do you think that a video iPod would sell as good as the regular iPod?

the next best thing

iPod and iTunes mean that I don't have to lug around a big case of CDs everywhere I go if I want music. In fact my entire CD collection lives in a cardboard box somewhere at the bottom of my closet.
The VideoPod (not a replacement for the iPod - that would be a silly business move) might mean death for my DVD collection which currently takes up shelves of space...besides, I could watch DVDs or movie trailers in economy class on the plane, on the subway, or wherever. I could take my DVD collection overseas or to a friend's house and hook it up to their TV! I could show off my short films or photos to anyone at anytime.
30 seconds in an elevator with Steven Spielberg? Hello, Videopod!
Besides, it will probably support iCal and I would have my colorful schedule (and alarm feature) wherever I go!
A VideoPod could spawn a host of new services - e.g. downloadable music videos to go! Download the morning news for the commute! The uses are endless. The product would not be stupid or a waste of time, rather it would truly revolutionize the way we do things on the go.
A VideoPod would be the best thing since the original iPod...or better.

Re: Duhh...

Originally posted by peter2002
Watch porno anywhere.

Click to expand...

har har, but with such a small screen your eyes are gonna need to be so close
|| = Screen
o = eye
||o

I would like to see one because apple would make it a killer peice of hardware.

The only thing I can think of is . . .

Leave the iPod as is but increase the hard drive capacity as larger 1.8" drives become available. Modify the output port to allow the connection of video goggles. Don't worry about the screen showing the video; let the goggles handle it. The ones on the market today can simulate a large screen. Check this out:

http://www.courier-journal.com/gizweb/cols/01/0109b.htm

Unfortunately, these things are way expensive. Maybe the prices are coming down.

Warmest regards from the frozen state of Maine,

David

I hope it comes out

Just so the prices on the normal ipods come down. Untill I will just have to stick with my mp3 discman

The screen on my e310 (Toshiba PDA) is 4" diagonal (the iPod's is 2") and I don't think I could stand watching video for an extended period of time (like the length of a movie) on a sceen any smaller than my e310's.

Not to mention the fact that yer DVD movie you want to put onto the video iPod is probably in widescreen. So what, yer goona watch a movie that's like 1" tall?

Video on an iPod would be a nice party trick, but I don't think it would be a much used feature 1 month after you bought it.


Lethal

I got a little carried away to say the least...

I'm torn. This may or may not work.

I think the video iPod [EyePod?...hmm, note to self: tradekmark quickly] could be a welcome addition to the Apple DLD family as a high end, multi-tasking unit.

More than an iPod but not as powerful or flexible as a laptop. Around the $549 range [half the price of the lowest end iBook] would entice me.

Of course the current iPods would have to see a price drop of $100-150.00, with the lowest prices being $149[5gig], $249[10gig], $349[20gig].

I could see myself managing [iSync] my contact [Address Book] and calendar [iCal] information as well as downloading and viewing, or presenting my stored e-mails [Mail], mp3's [iTunes], mpeg4's [Quicktime], photos [iPhoto], slideshows [Keynote] and using Rendezvous to play the stored materials on your other Rendezvous enabled devices from 3rd party manufacturers like Philips or any of the other boatload of hardware manufacturers that have committed to adopting rendezvous.

To compliment the above [crossed fingers:] Apple iLife Hub [or whatever] with built in Rendezvous, Airport Extreme, a/v line in's to connect your EyePod or any capable Mac, HDTV decoder, of course to compliment Apple's new 30"+ HD television/monitor.

OK, so I got a little carried away. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE.....

ooohh...Brainstorm! Or fart, whichever you choose to describe the following: What if the EyePod was marketed not only to consumers, but to business folk as well, by including a VGA out port to connect to a projector?

If the design remained small enough to be utilized by one hand such as the current iPod, then the EyePod could double as a pointing device for business presentations by using the current controls to navigate through the slide shows.

Add a microphone like the ones on the flat panel iMacs, and now you've got a memo/dictation device as well.

3.5" Color LCD, 30+ gig hard drive, built-in bluetooth...etc.

Optional accessories would inevitably be made by 3rd party manufacturers if not Apple itself. For example, an add-on mini-keyboard, camera/webcam attachment for still photo and video conferencing.

I know this is a TOTAL wishlist, but if you think about it, at least in terms of the EyePod, most of this is already do-able, we're not talking about re-inventing anything, just implementing existing technologies and seamlessly integrating them, just like Apple did with iLife.

Suddenly I'm not so torn as I stated at first.

I think this could work. A carefully balanced hybrid of the iPod, PDA, digital camera, mini-video player, etc., etc.

Hey if anyone could do it, it's Apple.

Mr. Jobs, may I call you Steve? Let's Do Lunch...

instead of a video iPod, I envision something larger due to screen size, and more functionality than simply a media player. What I envision is somewhat of a tablet PDA type thing, with an OSX like palm OS. Not a shrunken OSX, but a streamlined OS that looks and feels like OSX. It would use 2.5" hard drives, up to 60 gb have airport extreme built in, sync to iCal, iTunes, address book, quicktime, basically everything, and have basic PDA features. I think it should be about the size of a palm but perhaps bigger. Kinda like the OQO thing that never really happened.

or, make an ultra lite laptop without an optical drive, non fullzize keyboard, and a swiveling screen, but still run the full OSX, and be dockable so at work and home it is a fully functioning PC.

Why not bundle the iPod with a 40" widescreen TV?

videoPod would be a waste.

40GB iPod with FireWire 800 is perfect, assuming transfers can utilize the extra bandwidth.

Apple should make an iPod with a compact flash card adapter,
so that you can download all your images from your digital camera to the iPod,
and then view it on the screen.

The only problem that i could foresee is that
there are way too many types of flash storage
out their, and there is really no way for the iPod
to handle them all.

I, for one, would like something similar to a video iPod. However, I think it should be a seperate device, and they should leave the iPod as is. The current screen size is just to small for video, photos, or pictures.

I'm thinking of a device, larger than the iPod, with options for a 40GB harddrive, you could store your presentations from keynote, movies from iMovie, and photos from iPhoto, and then be able to connect to a TV to display them. It would also be cool to connect such a thing to a projector, for use in a slideshow. The iTunes visuals would look pretty cool on a TV.

I like the idea of downloading the news to something like this.

I think this would make DVD's used for storage, as opposed to the only way to get movies and photos onto a TV. I would rather store my videos on this and use it to show them, and then when I have enough to fill a DVD, I create a DVD. No point in wasting a $5...er...$3 DVD for one short video.

Maybe Steve will have something like this made for him, and then share it with us.

Maybe he already has it......

Of course, I'm also still hoping for a set-top device for you home entertainment system that would store movies, photos, and music that you could play over your TV or stereo. It would, of course, be Airport capable.

-Natron

i think that they should keep the iPod as is, but make things to fit it's FireWire port to expand its capabilities. I'm 13, and i love my iPod, but it just doesn't do enough as is

I think the iPod does what is was designed to do very well. I'm not sure if Apple is going to expand it to do more or not.

With software, Apple seems to be shooting for single apps that do one thing very well (Mail, Address Book, and iCal, instead of a big Entourage-like app).

I'm not sure if Apple is applying the same philosophy with hardware, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

I'm assuming a video iPod would be more expensive than the current iPods, so I expect the current iPods to stay around.

-Natron