AppleInsider posts a rumor that the iPod may see a "proprietary headphone jack" to slim down the profile even further. A standard jack would be included on the remote.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Proprietary iPod Headphone Jacks?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
i truly hope not. adding more wires just to be able to plug in decent headphones (headphone cable + remote cable) would just suck.
second, third, forth and so on... APPLE DO NOT MAKE A PROPRIETARY HEADPHONE JACK... well, if you did, i just wouldnt update my 30gig til you realized how stupid an idea it was... the ipods form factor is fine... stop tweaking it... i dont need apple headphones my sony studio phones are great...
this is sooo stupid.
this is so stupid, a proprietary headphone jack would either require low-end users to buy a remote in order to use the ipod, or else they would have to include an other peice of hardware, making it more expensive for a few millimeters of slimming... Bad idea, who ever came up with it.
this is so stupid, a proprietary headphone jack would either require low-end users to buy a remote in order to use the ipod, or else they would have to include an other peice of hardware, making it more expensive for a few millimeters of slimming... Bad idea, who ever came up with it.
i concur that its a bad idea. i think if they were to do that, people wuld get pissed. its small enough! all you need and can add it bigger HDs and newer features to keep the people happy.
yeesh
yeesh
I concur - this would be a terrible idea. The headphone socket doesn't seem to limit the thickness of the ipod anyway - surely that must be the size of the hard drive?
Plus - what happens when the remote breaks (mine is already fraying)? Buy a new one insead of just popping the headphones in?
Anyway - this can't happen - Apple is all about open standards, and silly headphone jacks is contrary to that philosophy.
Rob
Plus - what happens when the remote breaks (mine is already fraying)? Buy a new one insead of just popping the headphones in?
Anyway - this can't happen - Apple is all about open standards, and silly headphone jacks is contrary to that philosophy.
Rob
Doubtful
I would think Apple would not do this:
1. The iPod would have to be very slim indeed to not fit a standard 1/8 inch jack.
2. It would most likely add to the production cost (less profit).
3. A lot of people would be angry.
I would think Apple would not do this:
1. The iPod would have to be very slim indeed to not fit a standard 1/8 inch jack.
2. It would most likely add to the production cost (less profit).
3. A lot of people would be angry.
I really wouldn't have a problem with this were it as easy to buy short corded headphones in the US as it is in Japan.
One good side effect is Apple would be required to include remotes with all iPods then. Unless they decide to include special headphones with the new plug with the low end iPod. That would suck.
One good side effect is Apple would be required to include remotes with all iPods then. Unless they decide to include special headphones with the new plug with the low end iPod. That would suck.
this probably won't happen, the headphone jack is used for things other than just headphones, I use it to hook my iPod up to both my home stereo and to my car stereo, would I have to pay for an expensive proprietary aux cable as well?
Well actually that is a possibility, Apple could just release other proprietary extra's like said cable, so maybe it will happen.....I guess in the end, for me at least, it comes down to how much smaller will this actually make the ipod, if a proprietary jack partnered with some new HD they have ready will result in a 80gig thin as a credit card iPod then I'm all for it, wouldn't you be?
edit: of course I know the above is not going to be the case....
Well actually that is a possibility, Apple could just release other proprietary extra's like said cable, so maybe it will happen.....I guess in the end, for me at least, it comes down to how much smaller will this actually make the ipod, if a proprietary jack partnered with some new HD they have ready will result in a 80gig thin as a credit card iPod then I'm all for it, wouldn't you be?
edit: of course I know the above is not going to be the case....
that would be the thing.
i just got an idea. how about apple releases a set of retractable iPod earbuds?
i could be very useful for me because it seems weather they're in my pocket for 5 minutes, or 5 hours, it's just as tangled.
Apple should be investing in Bluetooth headphones and integrating a Bluetooth chip in the iPod for syncing contacts, transfering files, etc. I hate it when my iPod headphone wires snag on a chair or railing. The earphones rip right out of my ears.
Surely Bluetooth, being a digital connection, could provide a high fidelity signal regardless of the slow-ish transfer rate. Any thoughts?
Surely Bluetooth, being a digital connection, could provide a high fidelity signal regardless of the slow-ish transfer rate. Any thoughts?
I got a 30 GB iPod, and have connected it smartly into the interior of my car. (For those looking for a good place to mount a dock in their car, a removable ashtray makes a great location. Basically, I carefully sawed apart and painted my dock, mounted it on shock insulating rubber, and put it into the ashtray hole. For the power and signal, I used the Belkin car adaptor and a PIE cd-changer interface.
You know what I'd really like on an iPod?
1. An on/off switch. It isn't obvious at all that pressing and holding play/pause should turn the unit off. At the very least, put a label on top of the play/pause button to indicate the dual functionality.
2. A random button. It irks me no end that control of the random function is buried so deeply into a rarely used menu structure.
(3. A published protocol so that when my car stereo turns off, my iPod automatically pauses and turns off. But that may be a tall task....)
You know what I'd really like on an iPod?
1. An on/off switch. It isn't obvious at all that pressing and holding play/pause should turn the unit off. At the very least, put a label on top of the play/pause button to indicate the dual functionality.
2. A random button. It irks me no end that control of the random function is buried so deeply into a rarely used menu structure.
(3. A published protocol so that when my car stereo turns off, my iPod automatically pauses and turns off. But that may be a tall task....)
Really bad idea... I'm not sure where you'll find a hard drive less than an eighth inch thick anyway...
I guess if Apple goes this way, there's always the new Dell DJ...
I guess if Apple goes this way, there's always the new Dell DJ...
Yuck. I agree with many here. A proprietary jack is a BAD idea. I never listen to earbuds since they never give me enough audio. They call those earbuds fancy, and maybe they are for earbuds, but they constantly fall out of my ears.
Originally posted by ELYXR
Apple should be investing in Bluetooth headphones and integrating a Bluetooth chip in the iPod for syncing contacts, transfering files, etc. I hate it when my iPod headphone wires snag on a chair or railing. The earphones rip right out of my ears.
Surely Bluetooth, being a digital connection, could provide a high fidelity signal regardless of the slow-ish transfer rate. Any thoughts?
Bluetooth would neither support stereo sound (it has half the bandwidth needed for stereo) nor fast enough file transfer to even make it worth the engineering and extra cost.
Re: iPod jack
I agree. Who would want the iPod slimmer anyways. The battery life was bad when it first came out. The new ones are just pitiful.
I don't see headphone jack thickness being any sort of real issue when it comes to making the iPod slimmer. It's just a great excuse to force people to buy Apple headphones.
What the iPod needs is a line-in and full recording capability more than anything.
I agree. Who would want the iPod slimmer anyways. The battery life was bad when it first came out. The new ones are just pitiful.
I don't see headphone jack thickness being any sort of real issue when it comes to making the iPod slimmer. It's just a great excuse to force people to buy Apple headphones.
What the iPod needs is a line-in and full recording capability more than anything.
Kinda reminds you of the UI logic flaw of going to the 'Start' button to turn off a Windows PC, eh?
Just in case any Apple people are reading this, I am putting in my two cents about proprietary headphone jacks.... BAD idea. One of the GREAT things I love about my iPod is how functional it is with other speakers. This has allowed me to use many different headphones, hook it up to my home stereo, plus use my old PC altec lansing speakers (circa 1996) with a decent bass/speaker system. All this via the current headphone jack. A proprietary jack would take all this away or require an adapter. If most people end up buying an adapter to fit their favorite headphones that would make the reduction in size null and void.
Apple is about using open standards to their benefit. That does not imply support of open standards. (think about the clone wars)