60 GB Color Screen Photo-Capable iPod?

[iPost]

Thicker and heavier?

It sounds cool, but I really got turned off when I read that it's thicker and heavier than the current iPod. I want portable devices to go smaller and lighter, not larger. I love my iPod Mini -- have already bought two, and I rarely use my other full-size iPods now. I don't think I'd buy another full-size iPod, especially if it is larger.

But I guess that's the way it goes... in order to give you more features, you have to go bigger before you can eventually make it smaller.

Looks like I'll have to wait a little longer for that color-screen iPod Mini.

 

[~Shard~]

Re who wants to carry all your photos... I do! I'm always being asked to show something, or wanting to show something, and don't have my PB on hand.

Exactly - I just returned form my backpacking trip through Eastern Europe and everyone is wanting to see my photos. Well, until I print physical copies of some of my digital photos, or set up my website for people to view them, I really have no way other than my camera's LCD to show them - and I don't even have a PowerBook either!

Re screen size: My camera's screen is 1.6" and I show photos on that all the time. Plus TV output makes this even more ideal.

I agree - as I said before, the screen would definitely be adequate to preview photos, etc, just as a digital camera's screen does the trick, but this thing would really shine when it comes to that video out port. That's going to be great, and it's exciting to watch the iPod evolve like this.

 

[~Shard~]

It sounds cool, but I really got turned off when I read that it's thicker and heavier than the current iPod. I want portable devices to go smaller and lighter, not larger. I love my iPod Mini -- have already bought two, and I rarely use my other full-size iPods now. I don't think I'd buy another full-size iPod, especially if it is larger.

But I guess that's the way it goes... in order to give you more features, you have to go bigger before you can eventually make it smaller.

I'm sure when they say heavier and larger it's a relative term - just like the current 40 GB iPod is technically "larger" and "heavier" than the 20 GB, even though it's in actuality only .1 inches thicker and .6 ounces heavier.

 

[nagromme]

I agree, having it be thicker is a shame. I wanted a Mini just for the physical size (convenience AND geek-toy factor). But if it's not much over .75" thick I can stomach it for the new functionality. (If it's the same .69" size as the 40 GB I'll be even happier. But maybe the thickness is needed for battery, not just HD.)

Also, I don't care if batt life is lower. Every iPod in history has gotten longer playback than I personally need. And I'd charge it daily anyway just from habit, so being able to "skip a day" doesn't matter to me.

(I'd say AI really did have the scoop back in March as posted above. Now they've followed up tonight: http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=683 Nothing new there though.)

 

[quackattack]

It sounds cool, but I really got turned off when I read that it's thicker and heavier than the current iPod. I want portable devices to go smaller and lighter, not larger. I love my iPod Mini -- have already bought two, and I rarely use my other full-size iPods now. I don't think I'd buy another full-size iPod, especially if it is larger.

I think it really depends on how much larger. I have a 3rd Gen 30gb, which is larger than the current 40gb. If it is the same size as mine, i won't mind. If it is bigger than that it could be an issue. I would hope apple wouldn't release something that is significantly larger.

 

[dizastor]

Anyone else happy to see a rumor on Macrumors front page again, rather than just news and security updates.

Yay for the new iPod too.

 

[iMeowbot]

I have often thought that the iPod would eventualy include iPhoto integration, but what about Windows users? Will this mean the porting of the iLife apps to Windows?

HP already do a decent job in the consumer photo area, having needed to offer that to support the printer business. Covering the functionality from that end would make a lot of sense.

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

This sounds like it might just become a new line, like powerpod or something. I don't see this going much in the way of the "i" crowd. But with all the 60 gig harddrive, video out, and color screen I know alot of "power" users would buy it. They would line up if it was all brushed aluminum casing.

 

[JDOG_]

Woot!

Best rumor of the past couple of months IMHO. I'm also excited that it's coming from ThinkSecret instead of some other site, they've got had great sources over the last year or so.

Now where to get that pesky $499....

 

[fredwick]

i do not believe

 

[iMeowbot]

But maybe the thickness is needed for battery, not just HD.

Color LCDs need more powerful backlights than their mono counterparts, and they tend to need the lights on much more often. For an iPod-sized device to serve as a reasonable thumbnail viewer, a much more powerful battery would be in order.

 

[Sir_Giggles]

iPods are for music!!! I don't want all this video/photo crappy bloat!!! Look at what happened to Real and Netscape. Looks like Apple is following the same path.

 

[BakedBeans]

now thats a dang juicy rumor/rumour

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

I always thought if this did happen then it would be oled.

 

[QCassidy352]

Exactly - I just returned form my backpacking trip through Eastern Europe and everyone is wanting to see my photos. Well, until I print physical copies of some of my digital photos, or set up my website for people to view them, I really have no way other than my camera's LCD to show them - and I don't even have a PowerBook either!

Honestly, it seems silly to me. So people will huddle around your ipod to look at pictures on a 2" screen? I know that I wouldn't want to see someone else's pictures on that screen, nor would I want to show mine that way. No one is going to be all that upset if they have to wait a few days to see my vacation photos (either printed or online).

It's another little gadget that no one really needs until Apple (or some other tech company) tells you that you need it. Like a camera in your cell phone. Now the original ipod is different. Apple didn't create the demand for a better portable music player - people have been looking for better "walkmen" since portable radios were invented. The ipod was meeting a demand. But I don't think there's really a pre-existing demand for this...

But hey, if it makes you happy...

 

[stefman]

I am soooo ready to order one!!

I can't wait!!

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

iPods are for music!!! I don't want all this video/photo crappy bloat!!! Look at what happened to Real and Netscape. Looks like Apple is following the same path.

I doubt its real. Even Steve Jobs said "It's about the music stupid"

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Funny, really.

Honestly, I don't see it happening.

 

[jimthorn]

It's still about the music. These are just bonus features. I probably wouldn't use the photo feature much, though a crisp color screen would be nice, especially if you could see the album art. And how about a tiny version of the iTunes visualizer?

Personally, I'd just be happy if the iPod had a high-quality recording ability, like a line-in (unlike the "voice recording" in the current ones).

 

[nagromme]

Honestly, it seems silly to me. So people will huddle around your ipod to look at pictures on a 2" screen?

They most certainly will--that's not even open for speculation, it's done all the time: look how much people huddle around little 1.5" screens on cameras already, which have limited capacity. And you're overlooking TV out.

People WILL want to be able to show any photo, any time. That's so much better than what people already do all the time.

Yes, this is a non-music extra, not a core feature. BUT it's still the expected $499... and iPods already have LOTS of non-music features. Heck, iPods already have PHOTO features--ones a lot less widely appealing than this.

Then add music to your slideshows and suddenly photos really DO integrate with the key iPod function.

BTW, here's the rumored size (TS says 2 mm thicker and the same in the other dimensions): .77 inches thick. That's about as thick as I'd accept... but I still hope the rumor's true

 

[Sir_Giggles]

the new iPod is said to have a 2-inch color liquid crystal display, iPhoto synchronization, audio/video-out capabilities, and will sell for $499...The 2-inch color screen... the new device's real shining feature will be its video-out port... rudimentary built-in software for viewing photos, with no editing tools, sources say.

Hmmm.. for just slightly double the price I could get one with a powerful 1 GHz processor, a massive 12" color LCD screen, 5 hours of battery life, plus photo-editing and video-editing software. The price also includes the ability to transfer my photos and music to CD for archiving. Plus it has an integrated DVD player and I can surf the web and check my email.. did I mention all this for JUST DOUBLE THE PRICE.

 

[broken_keyboard]

I don't think it will have video. The whole beauty of the iPod is the auto sync thing. So easy, just plug in and automatically syncs with your iTunes. I can see how the same thing would work with iPhoto, but with video the files are just too big. If autosync is not possible I don't think they will do it...

 

[nagromme]

Hmmm.. for just slightly double the price I could get one with a powerful 1 GHz processor, a massive 12" color LCD screen, 5 hours of battery life, plus photo-editing and video-editing software.

The iBook's great, no doubt. But it won't fit in your pocket. A photo-display solution that you don't have WITH you is, at that moment, useless.

I bought a supercompact camera because "if it's too big to have with me, then what's the point?" The same could be said of showing photos... I run slideshows with music from my PowerBook all the time. And yet I'm often asked to (or want to) show stuff and can't because I don't HAVE my PB with me.

 

[coolfactor]

iPods are for music!!! I don't want all this video/photo crappy bloat!!! Look at what happened to Real and Netscape. Looks like Apple is following the same path.

It's obvious this is coming. Apple wants the iPod to be a "media device", and media includes more mediums than sound.

The new iPod will be priced at the high-end, and won't replace, but rather complement the existing family of iPod (full-size, mini, and HP). Remember HP *just* started distributed iPod and that's going to be going on for months and months using the current specs.

I just discovered the concept of "podcasts", which is a huge revolution born of the "iPod platform", and that's more than music in itself. Apple has created more than a music player, but a platform on which new ideas, services, and experiences can be discovered.

Keep an open mind.

 

[JFreak]

i'd be happy with even a simple "backup your iphoto library into ipod via isync" feature, even if the photos would not be viewable with the device. on the other hand, i bought the 20GB version the day they announced the 4G models, so i'm not actually in the market for a new one...