Jobs on Motorola iTunes, Video iPod, Bluetooth, And More

[MacRumors]

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MacCentral provides a slightly more detailed report of the discussion session held with Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller at Apple Expo Paris.

Highlights include:

- iTunes software for the Motorola phone was a learning experience. "We see it as something we can learn from."
- Jobs discussed video on handheld devices - such as a Video iPod. He admits that you can download videos from iTunes as well as Video Podcasts, but is uncertain if people will buy a dedicated video playback device. "So far they haven't. No one has been successful with that yet."
- Jobs still insists that the convergence between TV and Computers is not going to happen.
- Regarding new features (such as radio), "We are very careful about what features we add because we can't take them away."
- Feels that Bluetooth isn't a good option. Sound isn't good. Recharging headphones is a pain.

[Mike Teezie]

Good, no video iPod.

[wrxguy]

In SJ's own way he is saying "the ROKR is a piece of ****" lol....i love it ... 'A learning experince'

[feakbeak]

Originally Posted by wrxguy

In SJ's own way he is saying "the ROKR is a piece of ****" lol....i love it ... 'A learning experince'

That's CEO-speak for you. He at least seems more neutral about video these days. People might not want a dedicated video player but since you have a device with a color LCD and a hard drive in it... you might as well add it in. Even if it's not the greatest quality it's just a nice to have for a music video or video podcast. His comments on BT seem sensible. I wonder what's next for the iPod lines. They are becoming rather mature products.

[Stella]

No, it doesn't have to be a dedicated play back device, just let the existing iPods play movies.. on the display or on TV via RCB cables.

When say movies I mean those you've recorded yourself or Video Podcasts etc, and NOT feature films or TV programmes.

This would complete the package, IMO.

"Jobs discussed video on handheld devices - such as a Video iPod. He admits that you can download videos from iTunes as well as Video Podcasts, but is uncertain if people will buy a dedicated video playback device. "So far they haven't. No one has been successfull with that yet."

I guess no bluetooth any time soon.. unless he's got something up his sleeve.


@WrxGuy - LOL - like the interpretation

[mvc]

Originally Posted by wrxguy

In SJ's own way he is saying "the ROKR is a piece of ****" lol....i love it ... 'A learning experince'

Actually, he's implying its a mistake, because you are meant to learn from those.

[Object-X]

A learning experiance = not a great experiance but a learning experiance. That's what you say when things don't go well and you are trying to put a good face on it.

Don't expect another iTunes phone from Moto, I suspect if there is a demand for it Apple will design their own. It's what we all want anyway.

[Dreadnought]

If only they insert the Bluetooth part for car stereo and pauses the ipod when a call is coming in from your bluetooth phone! Or will that have to be the next generation of wireless datatransfer? I WANT IT NOW!!!!

[feakbeak]

Originally Posted by Object-X

A learning experiance = not a great experiance but a learning experiance. That's what you say when things don't go well and you are trying to put a good face on it.

100% agree. Placing your hand on a hot stove is a learning experience. It's also a really dumb idea and probably one you'll never do again.

I think battling the carriers' desire to control all content and their heavy influence on phone features via firmware was just too much hassle for Apple to deal with. Not sure about other regions of the world but the US mobile carriers want to control all content coming into those cell phones. I understand why, selling crap-quality ring tones for $4 sure seems lucrative. However, it really seems to be slowing innovation down compared to what could be done with mobile phones, fast mobile networks and computer sync'ing. It's a shame there's a lot of potential there.

[ccuilla]

Originally Posted by Mike Teezie

Good, no video iPod.

I wouldn't assume that conclusion at all.

He said that no one has been successful with that yet. That could be Jobspeak for no one has done it right...yet.

[SiliconAddict]

Jobs discussed video on handheld devices - such as a Video iPod. He admits that you can download videos from iTunes as well as Video Podcasts, but is uncertain if people will buy a dedicated video playback device. "So far they haven't. No one has been successfull with that yet."

Well that doesn't make any dang sense. Neither was the portable music player market until Apple came along.
If Apple doesn’t want to enter the market fine by me. I’m getting something that will play my DVD rips of my Blockbuster all-you-can-eat films. I’ve found my new best method for watching movies\TV shows is ripping them, dropping them on my iPaq 4700, returning the movie, watch the movies on either my iPaq or my TV, then simply delete it and move on to the next one. I’ve got a que of something like 20 movies\TV shows built up because I go through 8 a week and watch only one or two in a couple day period. It’s the perfect setup. I’d love it in H.264. Too bad Jobs doesn’t want to invigorate any other industries. I’m starting to seriously eye the PSP. Hopefully the next gen will have a built in hard drive so all the TV shows I’m going though can be dumped on that thing.

[volcomjerk]

Wheres my powerbook update >=|

enough about P.O.S. ROKR and Video iPods lets get down to the nitty gritty!

iBook = Video iPod

[JohnHummel]

Originally Posted by Stella

No, it doesn't have to be a dedicated play back device, just let the existing iPods play movies.. on the display or on TV via RCB cables.

When say movies I mean those you've recorded yourself or Video Podcasts etc, and NOT feature films or TV programmes.

This would complete the package, IMO.

I'm with you. While I don't think that a hand-held video device will be as popular as the iPod, I can see where a "RCA/S-video out" device - or, barring that, a base that you can drop the iPod into that plugs into the TV set from there to transmit video - would be popular.

What I'd like to see is some sort of set-top device that plugs into the TV, and talks to the computer via 802.11g. Then you can stream your movies from the computer (probably with a 15 second delay to give it time to cache), order and buy them through a nice "better than Tivo" menu system where they get downloaded to your local computer. From there, you can watch them on the set-top devices, or throw them into the iPod for either portable watching (if you must), or take them to a friend's house to watch.

[zv470]

Yeah it's a trap to keep adding features when they aren't really necessary. Other companies try to compete with Apple by adding features on top of features, but ultimately take away functionality.

I personally don't listen to radio EVER... and I wouldn't watch movies on an iPod. I would probably get sick watching video while on a train or a bus. Also I wouldn't like bluetooth earbuds, easy to loose. Maybe an in-ear surgically implanted bluetooth earphone would be the answer? Anyone?

If you look at the high end of audio equipment... most only have an On/Off and Volume, look at the low end... 1001+ features.

KISS principle = Keep It Simple Stupid.

[raggedjimmi]

I think blending together Computers and TV's is a bad idea (bleh, Windows Media Centre) but a streaming ability is good. i do likes that.

no video Pods good. that would just cheapen Apple. i know a handful of people like to watch videos on the go but fundamentally its flawed.

bluetooth headphones; good idea but no. unless battery life is increased somewhat.

[ieverything]

i got it of a mate while he was searching for something to connect his ipod to his car stereo

[scu]

Interesting. Reading his comments leads one to believe that Apple knows what they are doing. The stock market sure agrees with the way the company is being run.

[Abstract]

(Translation....)


- iTunes software for the Motorola phone was a learning experience. "We see it as something we can learn from."

"Well THAT didn't go as well as we had hoped. Heh.


- Jobs discussed video on handheld devices - such as a Video iPod. He admits that you can download videos from iTunes as well as Video Podcasts, but is uncertain if people will buy a dedicated video playback device. "So far they haven't. No one has been successful with that yet."

Nobody would buy a dedicated video playback device, but that doesn't rule out a product that can both play music and video (music videos and iMovie files) and is the size of a current "big" iPod.


- Jobs still insists that the convergence between TV and Computers is not going to happen.

No Apple TV or multimedia box.

- Regarding new features (such as radio), "We are very careful about what features we add because we can't take them away."

I don't listen to the radio, and I don't care.

- Feels that Bluetooth isn't a good option. Sound isn't good. Recharging headphones is a pain. Wake me up when Bluetooth 3 comes out.

[Doctor Q]

Since when has a "no one has been successful with that yet" argument stopped Apple from innovating?

[feakbeak]

Originally Posted by Abstract

(Translation....)


- iTunes software for the Motorola phone was a learning experience. "We see it as something we can learn from."

"Well THAT didn't go as well as we had hoped. Heh.


- Jobs discussed video on handheld devices - such as a Video iPod. He admits that you can download videos from iTunes as well as Video Podcasts, but is uncertain if people will buy a dedicated video playback device. "So far they haven't. No one has been successful with that yet."

Nobody would buy a dedicated video playback device, but that doesn't rule out a product that can both play music and video (music videos and iMovie files) and is the size of a current "big" iPod.


- Jobs still insists that the convergence between TV and Computers is not going to happen.

No Apple TV or multimedia box.

- Regarding new features (such as radio), "We are very careful about what features we add because we can't take them away."

I don't listen to the radio, and I don't care.

- Feels that Bluetooth isn't a good option. Sound isn't good. Recharging headphones is a pain. Wake me up when Bluetooth 3 comes out.

Nice!

I agree with you on most points. As for the TV/computer point he said he doesn't believe that they will converge that doesn't mean they might not interact a little more in the future. I like the idea of the Airport Express music streaming, but it's limited. I just wish there was a more robust version. A small box that lets you wirelessly send photos, slideshows, music and movies to your entertainment center and can be browsed with an Apple designed remote control. The problem with APX is that you have to still use your computer to control it.

[ScubaDuc]

Originally Posted by raggedjimmi

I think blending together Computers and TV's is a bad idea (bleh, Windows Media Centre) but a streaming ability is good. i do likes that.

I respectfully disagree, I think a mini on a nice LCD TV with DVI input, a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, all hooked up to a good amp and bose 901 speakers is an awsome set up. could wi-fi from the home network movies, store my 9000 photos, hold all of my music, surf the net, etc. I agree in the sense that I would not bother to use it to watch or record TV. A TV DVD recorder with a scart plug for the TV does the trick and is cheaper than eye TV. If the recorder has a firewire, then it is possible to patchburn it and void getting a DVD burner in the mini.

It is the perfect end of life application for a mac mini

[longofest]

Originally Posted by Stella

No, it doesn't have to be a dedicated play back device, just let the existing iPods play movies.. on the display or on TV via RCB cables.

I was about to say the same thing. I would very much note his choice of words. Steve said that he doesn't think a DEDICATED device is going to happen, but he really seems to leave open the possibility of just integrating the functionality into current models...

[hyperpasta]

OK. So we have:

- Jobs admits ROKR phone sucks
- Video iPod cannot be ruled out because Jobs has lied so many times before:
- No 2-button Mouse
- No Intel
- No Flash iPod
- No Sub-$500 Mac

In fact, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer ruled out the Mac mini two months
before it came out.

- TV/Computer Convergence not ever happening (see above)
- Bluetooth (see above, however i agree with him on headphones, though
car integration would be nice.

[aswitcher]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Highlights include:

My translation

- iTunes software for the Motorola phone was a learning experience. "We see it as something we can learn from."

We are really sorry about this but it was allot out of our control and we needed a phone out this year. We wont make the same mistake twice.

- Jobs discussed video on handheld devices - such as a Video iPod. He admits that you can download videos from iTunes as well as Video Podcasts, but is uncertain if people will buy a dedicated video playback device. "So far they haven't. No one has been successful with that yet."

Next iPod will support it and it will be free or bundled for a bit to see if it takes off. But we really know the non-commercial sucess here will be Video Podcasts and .

- Jobs still insists that the convergence between TV and Computers is not going to happen.

We WILL be putting digital SD/HD tuners in future iMacs - we always strongly deny what we do in 6-12 months time so the opposition dont get a jump on us. iLife06 will have a new app just for this using the new H264 codec. DRM is the only hurdle.

- Regarding new features (such as radio), "We are very careful about what features we add because we can't take them away."

We have Podcasting, what do you need radio for? Podcasting is the new radio... wake up people...

- Feels that Bluetooth isn't a good option. Sound isn't good. Recharging headphones is a pain.

We WILL be putting out BT wireless in our next generation of high end iPods - we always strongly deny what we do in 6-12 months time so the opposition dont get a jump on us. We will have a whole new campaign about the positives of wireless - not the negatives as the nano and shuffle wont be unwired for sometime yet

[oskar]

At last we get a brief glimpse of what Apple is planning.

The phone is probably not selling as good as Moto and Cingular probably thought it would, which is not much of a surprise. If Apple made their own phone, who knows if it would sell. I'm guessing the ROKR has had very low demand which is obviously not a good sign and gives litlle indication towards an iPhone.

Apple probably hasn't been able to design a good plan for selling video content. I am hesitant to believe that they haven't already developed at least a prototype iPod that plays video. Saying that no one has been successful yet doesn't make sense. Apple should be the first.

Everybody asking for an iHome type device can all cool down for a while. Or maybe Apple's just waiting for video on the iPod as well, to have both devices work together. (??)

I have never missed radio not being on my iPod as I could imagine most people don't either. I want to listen to the music I want. If I want to listen to radio I would prefer to pick the content, just like with Podcasts.

The only thing I didn't like (besides no updates )was that Jobs apparently has no short term plans for bluetooth in an iPod. BlueTooth 2.0 seems to be useless in my PowerBook. There are no Apple devices that work with it. How about an Apple palm device.