4th Generation iPods?

[vpalvarez]

I am waiting to buy an ipod until the 4Gs came out, i almost bought a mini but considering that it only carried less than 1/3 of my collection and I am the type that will listen to the most random songs I have it wasn't for me. So now by the time that I buy my ipod (summer) there will be three choices HP ipod, the 4G ipod (hope its out by than), and the mini (if they increase the storage by summer I might consider.

Things couldn't be better for anyone that is considering buying an ipod...
Now we just have to wait for the powerbook and display updates

 

[vpalvarez]

I'm troubled. I mean - wow! A new gadget from Apple, always an exciting time, but I'm still troubled. I don't really think there's much of a market for this device (though I guess this was said of the iPod at the time). This is no longer an iPod - the iPod is a MUSIC player (which some of us use as hard drives as well) but I think it's revolutionised the music listening experience as much as anyone wants it to, and I don't think being able to look at your photos on a 2-inch colour screen is going to be all that great... And I doubt the battery life will be too hot either - if they're using the same batteries, then a colour screen would drain it pretty quick methinks, especially as some of you are already mentioning using it to play movies... that's just full on - backlight, screen usage, and hd usage all the time...

Sorry, that's just my thoughts!

Some used the ipod for just music. But others used it for music, contacts, notes, calendar, games, and (as you mentioned) harddrive.

The point is that whether you take advantage of it or not the ipod is so much more than an MP3 player, which is one of the biggest selling points. And because it is just a matter of software the possibilities are endless.

 

[pmcaleer]

Video Out = Portable Presentations

Here is the thing.

Video out isn't too exciting to me, in and of itself. But what if, instead of pictures, you can put Keynote presentations on the iPod - AND broadcast them using video out? That, I think, would make the iPod more than what it is now. You do the presentation on your Mac, sync it with the iPod, and you have a portable presentation that requires no laptop nor projector. The business world would drool over this (and of course, it'd spark Mac and Keynote sales.)

Plus, weren't rumors of a projector going around a while ago?

This would make more sense to me. Even the most expensive iPod is cheaper than a projector.

 

[richland]

Cheaper>features

 

[Bengt77]

I personally won't ever buy another iPod. It's an MP3 player, why do I need another?

My thoughts exactly; I'm with you on that one...

 

[Bunzi2k4]

I don't think i'll buy another ipod unless
1. there is a new music format that every1 uses and the 3g ipods don't support it (won't happen for a long time)
2. i can get an ipod for $10 or less

 

[nagromme]

Hope it's true

Three things I for one do QUITE often:

1. Show friends photos on my business-card-sized camera's tiny 1.5" screen

2. Show friends photo slideshows on TV from my camera's video jack

3. Wish I had photos on my camera to show, but my camera's empty

So yes, I would use a photo iPod if this turned out to be true. Time will tell.

 

[micvog]

Obviously someone here can't see over the hill. I can give you one answer right away. You store all your photos on your iPod, then you go on a family vacation to meet relatives. You plug your iPod into a TV then everyone in the family can view your pictures on a big screen large enough even for your visually impaired 90 year old grandmother to see... couple that with iPhoto sideshow technology and you have a monster of a feature.

I've done that a few times with my digital camera and it's not the simplest thing to get rolling. I'm sure Apple can make this a cinch and give it the expected ooohs and ahhhhs as well.

Hmm... Fast User Switching's cube-rotation effect transitioning from picture to picture on Aunt Mary's big screen TV?

 

[blybug]

iDea?

But what if, instead of pictures, you can put Keynote presentations on the iPod - AND broadcast them using video out?
...
This would make more sense to me. Even the most expensive iPod is cheaper than a projector.

That is the innovative kind of thinking I like, and hope (often with hopes fulfilled) that Apple is working on this kind of functionality.

Many people seem to feel that the iPodAV either does not have a use/market or is impossible technologically, mostly because of battery issues. I think even the few dozen messages on this thread demonstrate that people can see the market and use, and I doubt anybody here really knows for sure how technologically possible it would be.

The post about Keynote gave me an idea, though. Maybe the "video" aspect would be truly "video out," not video on screen. Sure, album cover art and optimized picture slide shows could probably be displayed on a small color screen as sort of a digital wallet without too much of a drain on the battery due to the hard drive use and color screen. But I do have my doubts about whether you'd get much battery life out of a device that is grinding away at the hard drive for 2 hours while you watch a movie. And again, who'd really WANT to watch a movie on a 2" screen?

So let's assume that if you are to watch video with an iPodAV that your video display is external, powered, and big. Plug your iPodAV into a power source while your at it since you're sitting there for 2 hours anyhow. TV is an obvious choice. An LCD projector is another, especially if Keynote shows can be played from the iPod (that's a REALLY good idea). But what about the super-device-geek (or frequent commuter) who really wants to go into his own little world and watch a video?

Apple introduces the iGlasses. Sleek looking battery powered (rechargeable) virtual-reality type glasses that plug into the video out of the iPodAV while its own display is dark. Standard iPod earbuds snap into place where the iGlasses curve around the back of your ear. Videos, iTunes visualizers (take your Dramamine), and iPhoto libraries are projected on what appears to be a huge iMax screen before your eyes. Would be typically Apple-overpriced-but-I've-got-to-have-them cool.

Why not? Remember, this is the company that actually sold an iPod ski jacket with control embedded in the sleeve. And who'd have predicted the legions of so-called iPod Zombies roaming the streets? Maybe in a couple years there will be planes, subways, and study halls full of iPodAV video Zombies.

 

[jsw]

iGlasses

Too cool! Truly an excellent use of the iXxxx naming convention...

 

[ZildjianKX]

Too cool! Truly an excellent use of the iXxxx naming convention...

Ummm... the name I-glasses has been used for at least the past 6 years...

 

[noel4r]

all i gots to say is: i believe it when i see it...

 

[blybug]

Ummm... the name I-glasses has been used for at least the past 6 years...

So...Apple sues this company for use of the letter "i" claiming that it has become so inexorably linked to Apple's products that the public would become confused into believing that these oversized black behomeths were somehow associated with Apple Computer, Inc.

Then Apple makes its own iGlasses that are much whiter, thinner, and sleeker looking, look great on silhouettes dancing in front of brightly colored backdrops, and still cost $699 for the base model.

 

[ITR 81]

This rumor does sound alot like I thought the 4th gen would be about 6 months ago except for the iPod mini layout.

If it comes out I'll buy the 50GB...as I want to see my digitally stored photo's and seeing things in colour would help my eye sight compared to my 40GB now.

 

[AirUncleP]

iSlate Rocks!

Did I miss it, did I miss it. Did I miss the page long iSlate post?

 

[JGowan]

OLED TECHNOLOGY

I had read somewhere a long while back that Apple was considering using OLED technology by Kodak for their 4G IPOD color screens...

JGowan

PS. I didn't read all 8 pages of this thread so If I'm not the first to say this, keep your stones, crosses and spikes in your pouch for the next guy.

OLED TECHNOLOGY
What is it
An Overview

OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology, pioneered and patented by Kodak, enables full-color, full-motion flat-panel displays with a level of brightness and sharpness not possible with other technologies.

Unlike traditional liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), OLEDs are self-luminous and do not require backlighting. This eliminates the need for bulky and environmentally undesirable mercury lamps and yields a thinner, more compact display.

Unlike other flat panel displays, OLEDs have a wide viewing angle (up to 160 degrees), even in bright light.

Their low power consumption (only 2 to 10 volts) provides for maximum efficiency, and helps minimize heat and electric interference in electronic devices.

Because of this combination of features, OLED displays communicate more information in a more engaging way while adding less weight and taking up less space. Their application in numerous devices is not only a future possibility, but a current reality.

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/display/overview.jhtml

 

[singletrack]

Pro photographers that usually take 10MB+ sized digital pictures are screaming out for a hard drive they can just plug in to their Canons and Nikons and dump a load of images too. There's a few expensive solutions available already that an iPod with just a simple software change could do.

It's just mad that you have to take the card out of the camera, stick it in a Belkin reader and read it off of the card. It's a middle step that isn't needed.

With todays 5+ megapixel consumer cameras as well, I can see normal consumers lapping it up also.

I don't see why older iPods couldn't do it also given a software change. They've done it already for the Belkin card reader, why not for USB also.

Video out to show them would be cool also. Showing them on the inbuilt screen is ok too - the digicameras have small screens too and people crowd around the back of your camera looking at shots.

Why do people think it's such a controversial idea?

 

[nagromme]

Re cameras--attaching a cable is another step too! I'd much rather the step of moving the flash card over than have to carry a cable. That's why my AlBook has a flash reader in the PC Card slot.

In any case, the iPod's NOT likely to get features for pro photographers. Direct camera transfer sounds like too small a market for Apple to put the development effort into. Folks can add a Belkin reader--I suspect that's the best you can hope for.

Personally, I just went for a bigger flash chip But then I'm a consumer not a professional photographer.

What I see from photo support is all computer-based: synch some/all photos with iPhoto, or manually load anything from Keynote slides (to TV!!) to driving maps. I'd use basic image display all the time! I hope it's true.

PS... Do not expect Quartz Extreme transitions or iTunes Visualizer from an iPod (SOME kind of visualizer would be fun.)

 

[jnasato]

A color screen will definitely help with the feel of "new". After the color screen, HD upgrade, and form changes, there isn't much that Apple can do to effectively update its iPod, without adding on loads of other functionality-- which is what it sounds like they are trying to do.

iPod the music player->iPod the music and video playing/recording PDA cell phone/modem GPS tracker digital camera

Good thing Apple chose "Pod" instead of a more specific, music related term.

 

[PBGPowerbook]

Videos, iTunes visualizers (take your Dramamine), and iPhoto libraries are projected on what appears to be a huge iMax screen before your eyes.

I'd take something besides Dramamine...

 

[sprescott1974]

more info

this was posted in the Appleinsider thread, it is a press release for PortalPlayer's new multimedia chip:

http://www.portalplayer.com/news-and-events/photo_jukebox.htm

highlights:

"Copy, view, store, catalog, and modify images without a PC.

Print directly to HP and Canon® printers without a PC using the PictBridge® standard.

Transfer images from a digital camera directly to the portable media player through the USB 2.0 compliant On-the-Go port or by copying from the flash memory card. Synchronize images directly to and from a PC and the portable media player.

View still pictures (JPEG, GIF and TIFF) and video (MJPEG) on the color STN or TFT LCD on the device or on a standard NTSC/PAL TV, through the TV out connector.

Listen to music from the leading online music services such as Musicmatch®, Napster®, Real Audio® and more. Hear audiobooks from Audible.com.

Automatically identify CDs, name and categorize digital files, and generate custom playlists with the touch of a button using the Gracenote® Music Management System.

Record voice over narrations to go with the photos.

Synch digital music files and voice recordings with photos, providing the first of its kind multimedia slide show in a handheld device. Support for the industry standard MPV format (www.osta.org/mpv) enables slide show interoperability and quick indexing of metadata.

Interact with popular PC applications that are used to organize and view photo collections"

PortalPlayer is the company that Apple currently uses for it's iPod chips. This release pretty much describes this rumored 4th Gen iPod exactly (photo capabilities, slideshow capabilities, video-out to TV) so it doesn't sound that far fetched. While Apple is not named anywhere in the release or on PortalPlayer's site, 4 independant OEMs. 3 of those OEMs are located in Taiwan where the iPod is manufactured. Now certainly someone could have taken this release and decided this was the next iPod and went a head and started the rumor, but it is not that big of a leap to assume that the two are related.

What was the tag line for NAB again? "Moving pictures. Moving sound. Moving the industry" Still sounds like this device. Are rumors and clues actually starting to add up?

 

[ethernet76]

Am I the onlthat's going to call shennigans? How many people use their iPod for photos again? Less than 1% you say. Interesting. Video out is interesting, but two hours battery life? And what format would they use? mpeg-4? mov?
Honestly I just want a cheaper iPod with the mini-style button layout.

Personally I like the design of my gen 1 5gb better than the new ones. Touch sensitive buttons blow, and there isn't anything like feeling the scroll wheel move. On that note, since my iPod is out of warranty, does anyone know if i can just throw in a 40 gig harddrive into it and know if the iPod won't die? Reply in private message.

 

[ethernet76]

Re cameras--attaching a cable is another step too! I'd much rather the step of moving the flash card over than have to carry a cable. That's why my AlBook has a flash reader in the PC Card slot.

In any case, the iPod's NOT likely to get features for pro photographers. Direct camera transfer sounds like too small a market for Apple to put the development effort into. Folks can add a Belkin reader--I suspect that's the best you can hope for.

Personally, I just went for a bigger flash chip But then I'm a consumer not a professional photographer.

What I see from photo support is all computer-based: synch some/all photos with iPhoto, or manually load anything from Keynote slides (to TV!!) to driving maps. I'd use basic image display all the time! I hope it's true.

PS... Do not expect Quartz Extreme transitions or iTunes Visualizer from an iPod (SOME kind of visualizer would be fun.)

Pro photographers don't use an iPod. Look at journalism, a large small-format-SLR market. Speed is key. How long does it take to empty a flashcard, then, erase it? Too long. I'd just buy a 512, and be happy. It takes 4 minutes alone to empty a 128 via firewire connect to my D1H, and that's to a G4.

 

[Thanatoast]

I haven't read the whole thread, so pardon me if I repeat:

Is the iPod's processor hefty enough to play mp4s?

 

[blybug]

Am I the onlthat's going to call shennigans? How many people use their iPod for photos again? Less than 1% you say. Interesting.

Well I doubt even 1% use their iPods for Photos now since there is no Photo functionality in the current iPods other than to copy them there. But if advance photo management/synching and viewing were added...

Case in point: My parents.

Finally after 30-some years of taking slides they see all the neat things we are doing with our digital pictures (email, Ceiva Photo Frame, watching them on TV through TiVo Home Media Option and now through the Elgato EyeHome) they decide to go ahead and buy a digital camera. Nothing fancy, some 2 megapixel job they pick up at WalMart.

They think its cool, they watch the pictures with the video out on the TV, but then after the memory stick is full and they put the pictures in their computer, my dad says "Now I have to look at the pictures in my computer. How do I get to see them on TV after they are out of the camera?" Not to mention that the PC software they use to download and organize their pictures is agonizing. I've tried to tell them to get a DVD player that can play JPG CDs, and a CD burner, then burn the pictures to CD, or to get TiVo and set up a Home Network...but these are my PARENTS...all these solutions are too complicated.

They would understand downloading and organizing their photos in iPhoto (for Windows, anyone??), clicking "Sync with iPod" then taking the iPod to the TV and watching pictures. I've been so used to having my photos available on TiVo for the past year I've almost forgotten that most people still can't figure out how to free their pictures from their computers (until I have this recurrent conversation with my parents).

The average consumer, who has already heard of the iPod but may not feel that their digital music collection warrants purchasing one, might suddenly become very interested when they learn the new iPod can also sync their photo collection for backup, portability, and display on small screen or TV. Everyone is carrying around 10 pictures of their kids on their Palms, why not a few thousand on an iPod?

Makes me wonder when somebody is going to put the 40GB microdrive in a digital camera and simply make the camera the place where you keep your pictures...