Flash iPod: 'Life is Random'?

[alywa]

Yeah... Rev B better be dual core...

Wow! only $59 for a tortilla chip, that's great. But I am gonna wait til rev.b to get one.

Apple needs to figure out that only die-hards are going to buy a tortilla chip without salsa for $59. Now, if it was a dual core tortilla chip, I'd definately buy.

Seriously, reading this thread makes my head hurt. I know the fun of the rumor board is to give opinions, and to speculate. The gloom and doom over a product that hasn't even been anounced yet is ridiculous, however.

If it has a screen, neat. If it doesn't, neat. I'm sure it will be a cool product, infinately usable, and will meet a need that people don't fully realize they have.

I, for one, welcome our new screenless flash-based overlord.

-alywa

 

[k2k koos]

to screen or not to screen

Well, an iPod with no screen...

It has been suggested by others though and among those there might be other options, here is what I feel could happen:

A; Perhaps a screen in the headset cord?
or B; Upload preconfigured playlists only?
C: Maybe the housing IS the screen?
D: Voice activation and feedback?
E: Screen on the docking station perhaps?

Nonetheless, I don't quite understand how it would appeal to the general public if any of the above is not included, and this iPod only plays random songs, because 'Life is Random' .......

On the positive side, imagine the battery life......

 

[Photorun]

Wow! only $59 for a tortilla chip, that's great. But I am gonna wait til rev.b to get one.

I'm more into the $49 corn chip myself.

HOORAY FOR SCREENLESS iPOD SHUFFLE!!!!

HOORAY!!! You're one of only about a dozen people who would actually buy a worthless, screenless device that you have no immediate control of, HOORAY!!!

 

[johngordon]

...from an Apple, and Software/Designer Point of view:

What are the "problems" Apple has identified for/with Flash players, time and time again in public statments? If people learn to *listen and read closely* you'll see the Apple/Jobs has been "telegraphing" this all along...watch and learn. It will give you some insight into Apple thinking and marketing, as well


Flash Player "problems"

1. Low capacity

At the time this first came up, and *repeatedly since then* the Party Line has been that "Flash players don't hold enough music"...the numbers thrown out have always, *consistenly* been "like 256MB or 512MB"..."they get tossed in a drawer..." you know the routine.

I know folks will now recall this... "Yeah...thats right..."

They seem to be announcing a 1GB player, solving the "not quite enough room" *ehem* problem...but watch this, 'cus Apple is good at marketing:

They will not be stressing the "giggage" so much with this product...it will be about "hours and hours" of music. Go on, open iTunes, make a smart playlist, random, My Rating 3+ stars, maximum 1GB...and look at the status at the bottom of the iTunes screen. You'll come in around 235ish tunes...but lookie there...*20 hours*.

"20 hours of music...giving you 4 hours to sleep "...or something like this.

The appeal will be "can YOU listen to more than 20 hours of music in a day"...this is the angle I'm thinking they will persue. "20" is bigger than "1".

Get it?

Ok, on to Apple identified "problem" number 2:

"Flash players, while small and light, have terrible UI's/Navigation"

Yep. Apple will explain that even *they* couldn't solve THAT problem...(hahahaha)....so they decided instead of having a cramped and crappy interface to "forgo it altogether"...and instead "use the best interface from the best music jukebox on the planet instead: iTunes."

Mention of how "people told us they loved party shuffle..."

You see where this is going?

"Ooooohhhhhhh...." says the crowd. "Now I see it."

It will be SO OBVIOUS then its not funny, as its been obvious to me personally for awhile, and it fits the Apple style of "simplicity"...or...

"Sunshine Pumping" if you will. Then they get Ive on a video doing the "elegant minimalism thing"...Schiller by hyped about "the software hardware integration"...some pop star going "its better than radio...blah blah"...tie in some tune the kidz love...

So there ya go. You've been sold.

Watch

spot on i reckon.

i think most of the people here not seeing the point of it is to miss the point entirely - its not aimed us (assuming most of us have iPods already?), its aimed at those who don't already. its another section of the market. one which either doesn't want or need thousands or tracks with them.

the gym is a great example. simply let this device randomly pick you 240 tracks at a time and away you go.

it may also end up appealing as a second player to people. i love my iPod, but sometimes i can never decide what to listen to. but if this was small enough, tough enough (no screen?) and at the right price, it could potentially appeal as a device that i can trust to pick me enough music for something like the gym in seconds.

in relation to the average time spent at somewhere like the gym, 240 songs is a lot of music.

i don't know. i'm rambling. but the point is, i think it could have a lot of appeal. admittedly a lot of it in the marketing / design. so whats new?

Iain

 

[Kal-EL]

HOORAY!!! You're one of only about a dozen people who would actually buy a worthless, screenless device that you have no immediate control of, HOORAY!!!

Perhaps you didn't read the absolutely brilliant post in which sleevesend posted all of the like comments prior to the original iPod's release...
I for one think that more than "a dozen" people will buy this thing. If it's at the right price point, I could see it being the fastest selling iPod ever. I for one don't care if it has a screen. I go to the gym regularly to work out and would consider buying one for this purpose. I cannot afford a regular iPod at the moment, but depending on this new one's price, I might be able to justify a purchase.
As I mentioned about the screen, if I am working out, I won't ever need one. As for shuffle, at home on my Mac, I use the shuffle feature on iTunes all of the time and love the randomness of it. I also believe the new iPod will be able to play in order as well.
One of the things that gets me the most is the extreme negativity of the posts in this thread. I started reading this Monday morning and have followed it right along (yes I've read every post in the thread). One thing I realize is that everyone has the right to their opinion, and I respect this. I also understand that everything I say is opinion and I respect everyones right to disagree with me. What kills me though is that a lot of these negative posts are from people wondering,
"Why would Apple do this? I'd never buy something like this." This brings us back to the post I've quoted above. Too many people here want Apple to design products especially for them, forget freedom of choice and or pleasing those who aren't in their demographic. They incorrectly assume if they think a product sucks, then it truly must suck and no one would buy it. "I wouldn't buy a screenless iPod that only shuffles." translates to: "No one would buy a screenless iPod that only shuffles." for some of the negative masses. Sorry but that's not the case. For example, if the world only catered to me, there'd be no country music. Nothing personal, it's just not my cup of tea. But there most certainly is a market for country music out there, just like there will be a market for this new iPod.
Why should Apple make the new iPod a specific way just to please you (the negative masses)? Why not reach out to another group of people that might not be in your particular demographic? If it's not a product you like, don't buy it. Or are you upset because Apple might finally be releasing a sub $150. iPod and it's not to your liking. "I want to buy the new iPod and I want Apple to make it the way I say so I'll like it so I can buy it."
The old adage you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time is so true.
For those that want the new iPod to be a mini flash based version of the iPod mini, you know the Windows world is full of cookie cutter products, you should check them out.
Ever hear the slogan Think Different? Well contrary to some beliefs, it's not a grammatical error that should read Think Differently. At it's core premise it tells you that when you think about your life, and your life as it pertains to the computing world, think "diffrent". This is not your mainstream cookie cutter company. Different products for diffrent people. A little something for everybody, and if you don't like it, don't buy it. No one's forcing you to love every product that comes out of Cupertino, just don't assume everyone else feels the same as you do. And I can see the argument now: "Well it's not just me, all my friends feel the same way." Not surprising as we as people generally make friends with those of similar interests.
I also know that this thread is based on pure speculation, but at this late stage of the game, is seems more and more likely that the speculation will prove true.
Keep in mind though, as I mentioned before, that this post is only my opinion and feel free to disagree with anything or everything I've said.
-Steve-

 

[Kal-EL]

OK guys, when this rumor fails to come to fruition, I'm going to come back on here and call all you guys morons and its ok because if I'm proved wrong (which I wont be ) I expect you to do the same to me


jay

Well Jay, it looks like the rumors were "More-On" the money than off. So what does that make you...?
I'll leave that for you to decide...

 

[weldon]

Could "Life is Random" have anything to do with "iLife" rather than "iPod" or music?

The tagline would make more sense in this context, unless the whole premise of the iPod Shuffle really is "random shuffle" play, which seems sort of weak (at least until Steve explains it to me ).

OK. Obviously the whole random thing has to do with the iPod Shuffle. Seeing the switch on the back, I feel like they carried through the whole concept of shuffle and random far enough that it makes sense. If there wasn't a "random play" switch or button on the screenless iPod, it wouldn't have made sense.