Apple has the iPod, but does SONY have the new "powerPod"?

[Demon]

hey check out this link on the new iPod buster from Sony, looks impressive.
it even has the looks of a "power" version of iPod.
it can play music, video, display photos and connect directly to a digicam.
the touch control scroll wheel is insane, there's a nice video about it.

i'm a diehard mac fan, so i'm hoping the new iPod will redefine the iPod.
perhaps a true "powerPod" would kick!

http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/VGF-AP1/
peace!

[Ozi]

yeah it would be great, if the page wasn't ENTIRELY in Japanese.

find a page in english please.

[MacAficionado]

I don't know, it looks cool, but maybe a little too big as they appear big in those hands holding it.

[quagmire]

Originally Posted by Demon

hey check out this link on the new iPod buster from Sony, looks impressive.
it even has the looks of a "power" version of iPod.
it can play music, video, display photos and connect directly to a digicam.
the touch control scroll wheel is insane, there's a nice video about it.

i'm a diehard mac fan, so i'm hoping the new iPod will redefine the iPod.
perhaps a true "powerPod" would kick!

http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/VGF-AP1/
peace!

That thing his huge. You call like 24 buttons a scroll wheel? Sony needs all of those buttons to be able to do all the 4th gen ipod is going to support with the mini's scroll wheel. Sony beat apple to the bunch of releasing a clor screen but, apple will perfect it and beat it.

[JonGraves]

There was a funny quote from CNET columnist Brian Cooley the other day in an article comparing Apple and Sony's digital music strategies:

"When it comes to industrial design, Sony had better get used to the view ahead being Steve Jobs's ass".

()()

[Demon]

sorry Ozi, but it's not released in the western world yet and no english page can be found. but there's a blurb about it in Macbyte.com.
you guys should check out the video on the "scroll wheel" it's not 24 buttons, it's just a virtual touch pad where you slide fingers along that pad. it can be just as functional without the buttonlike pattern.
unfortunately, it's all in japanese, but if you can just click on the photos, it's nearly self explanatory.

i do hope that the new iPod will reign superior, although for a non Mac company, SONY does have it's good side.

[Abstract]

Why apologize to Ozi for not finding an English page when he was being such a ****?

Anyway, it looks like a redesigned Clie. They even give you similar features. All they did was take out the Calender/Datebook feature and include only things important to media, although I'll admit it looks very cool. The 24-button touchpad seems pretty stupid, though.

[Ozi]

yeah no probs demon... sorry if I was a bit abrupt!

Good work finding the page, if there aren't any sites in English!

And abstract, to you.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I pointed out in another thread that i would love to see a Maxi iPod. Something bigger (along the lines of a Pocket PC) that had a larger HDD, color input screen, and PDA capabilities. Not to forget the ability to play videos.

[Ozi]

like an apple newton, but with music capabilities? I used to have a newton... they were cool.

I dont know if apple can compete as PDAs, as Palm pretty much has the market covered.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Originally Posted by Ozi

like an apple newton, but with music capabilities? I used to have a newton... they were cool.

I dont know if apple can compete as PDAs, as Palm pretty much has the market covered.

But Palm seems to have given up on the Mac market. There are those of us that would welcome a convergence product. I know it is much to ask for phone features, but iTunes, Firewire storage, video capabilities, Mail, Address Book, iCal, and iSync support would find a happy home for many users.

[Ozi]

sure, but even then it will only appeal to make users who a) are yet to buy an iPod (as most iPod owners couldn't justify owning a specced-up ipod/PDA as well) or owners of Apple Desktops.

Any pBook or iBook owners don't need said PDA, as they already have the portability. So it would be a pretty narrow market to try and sell to.

On the other hand, such a product would be mighty cool: its just whether it could be profitable for apple.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Originally Posted by Ozi

sure, but even then it will only appeal to make users who a) are yet to buy an iPod (as most iPod owners couldn't justify owning a specced-up ipod/PDA as well) or owners of Apple Desktops.

Any pBook or iBook owners don't need said PDA, as they already have the portability. So it would be a pretty narrow market to try and sell to.

On the other hand, such a product would be mighty cool: its just whether it could be profitable for apple.

I am not so sure. After a couple years or so people will want to upgrade. It would require Apple to port over the apps to the Windoze side; maybe with a dock (forget Longhorn for the moment).

There are iBook and PB owners like myself would like to take something even smaller with us.

This would not be a product that sells like the current iPods. It would be decent selling niche product in my mind.

[ifjake]

nah i have a powerbook and i definitely would go for an apple PDA. but you're right about the profitability of the thing. it would basically only sell to people who have Macs, instead of just about everyone like the iPod has.

[Jo-Kun]

If you want the 40h batterycapacity of the Sony on you iPod:

http://www.batterytech.com/ipod_info/iPod_info.htm

ok it looks silly..., but it can do the trick ;-)

I don't need a color screen or videoplayback from an iPod I use it as music player, external harddrive (sometimes) and for transeferring the images from my Dslr camera when I'm on location

J

[Chip NoVaMac]

Originally Posted by Jo-Kun

If you want the 40h batterycapacity of the Sony on you iPod:

http://www.batterytech.com/ipod_info/iPod_info.htm

ok it looks silly..., but it can do the trick ;-)

I don't need a color screen or videoplayback from an iPod I use it as music player, external harddrive (sometimes) and for transeferring the images from my Dslr camera when I'm on location

J

Not so silly IMO. There are those that would want to go coast to coast, or overseas and have juice to spare....

[1rottenapple]

If they wanna beat the ipod, it has to be about simplicity, long battery life, hd size, and small size; and prize too!

[Penman]

Originally Posted by jsupetran

If they wanna beat the ipod, it has to be about simplicity, long battery life, hd size, and small size; and prize too!

Actually - if they want to outsell the iPod the easiest thing to do is appeal with an excellent product to a different consumer. For Apple people, simplicity is more important than it is with many other computer users, who want more flexible, gadget-like products.

Sony aren't dumb. Looks to me as if they're identifying the consumers who want a convergence device (like the PSP) over the 'music player' many here want Apple to focus on.

Apple could 'own' music players for a while and Sony may discover equivalent, or larger, markets for multimedia devices.

I'd love a broader strategy from Apple. Until I can be fully portable and uncompressed I'm still not competing quality wise with my decade old CD Walkman. I also want album art, photos and video. I'm not alone in this. Question is how many.

[Demon]

well, i would buy that Sony "pod" right up if it had APPLE written on it. despite being a bit chunky, the design looks all right.
the thing i really like is the fact that you can bring most of your computer with you and also use it as a hard drive for your photos. i know that the iPod has the Belkin plug in, but that's a bit clumsy in my mind. i want to see the photos right after i download it into my iPod...

anyway, i hope that APPLE can maintain their dominance in the MP3 player arena. looks as though they will have stiff competition. in the USA, they dominate, but world wide.... the stats are nowhere near as good looking. Korean, Japanese and even Chinese MP3 players have most of the market, by far. in fact, i don't even know where APPLE pulls the stats from. perhaps it's just in the US. but in ASIA, the iPod is a rarity...

[rosalindavenue]

That thing looks as bad as the Nokia N-Gage. No ipod killer there.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Originally Posted by rosalindavenue

That thing looks as bad as the Nokia N-Gage. No ipod killer there.

You know Apple would do it right....

[FuzzyBallz]

20 hours playtime... Man, I wonder how long it'll take the geniuses at Apple to come up w/ that number.

[Nybombers142]

Wow! That things cool!! I cant wait to buy one for $500. Then replace the 4 AA batterys every two hours. Intill I drop it and crack the screen in 5 peices. Of cource I'll have the buy a backpack to carry it in since it wont fit in my pants. And im most excited about spending HOURS tring to figure out how the use this wreatched piece of horse crap!!!

When will companys stop trying to cram every possible feature into a over sized, complacated box: "Hey the iPod sold millions, I'm sure something the exact oppisite in everyway will too!!"

[Savage Henry]

Originally Posted by FuzzyBallz

20 hours playtime... Man, I wonder how long it'll take the geniuses at Apple to come up w/ that number.

Why would you want to constantly listen to 20 hours of music?

[Abstract]

And why would you want to recharge every 6 to 8 hours? Hmmm.....that's a toughie...

I wouldn't buy an iPod anyway (a small flash drive player for me), but if I did it would need to have 20 hours of battery life. If you're truly a mobile person, you may not be near a power source on any day. I'd rather use something that takes AA batteries anyway, since you can ALWAYS get those anywhere in the world.