Apple to Unveil New Flash-based iPods? Digital Radio?

[acrafton]

Competition. . .

One thing that I haven't heard much discussion about is the fact that there are other companies that would give their right hands for a piece of the IPod client base and Apple knows this. . .for this reason alone I don't think they will disappoint us on Wednesday. . .

I am probably pretty typical of the posters here - multiple Macs, multiple IPods, talked friends/family into buying their first macs, etc. But I didn't do this because I am under Steve's Jedi mind trick (well, ok, maybe a little). The reason I did/do this is because Apple products are the best. However, the current IPods are long in the tooth and there are other companies that are starting to attract my attention for a nice, larger screen, video player. I have been holding off waiting for the IPod update that will give me what I want. If they don't announce a wide-screen/touch-screen IPod on Wed, I will simply go buy a non-Apple device.

If they don't do it, I won't be mad at Apple, I just won't buy the current version IPod. There are many like us out there, as well as non-Apple enthusiasts who can't watch the tiny screen on current video IPods.

Apple knows they are in a unique position to continue to innovate and grow market share. Nothing other than the wide/touch screen Ipod will demonstrate the kind of innovation that is required in the marketplace.

Prepare to be impressed on Wednesday.

Adam

 

[Football1maniac]

Because you use BT to hook up your keyboard and mouse which is basically no data at all. When you can show me that BT External Harddrive of that BT Apple TV, then we can talk.

True, but BT is the future. Steve Jobs knows what is the best for the iPod and the worst for the the Zune. Putting BT in the iPod Tap will allow more 3rd party accesories to flourish with it.

 

[bigpics]

wild speculation??

No, that would make it a communications device, which is what the iPhone is and the iPod will never be! The iPod will eventually disappear and be replaced by the iPhone. The future is having ONE portable device like the iPhone that does it all, and of course that will include a monthly bill, I hate to break it to you.

1. Apple's 5 year deal with AT&T. Not all iPod users are going to switch to AT&T in 5 years (if ever): you can't even get an iPhone in Vermont and next to no reception in one of the Dakotas (N?). And even if cracked iPh's become commonplace, your only other option is TMobile, with no visual VMail (and no non-wifi net connection??).

2. Not all of us need (or want) video input all day/everywhere. I personally will never carry around a music device again bigger than a shuffle. And I generally leave my celly in a soft b-case pocket instead of hanging on my belt like a dork pouch or being beat up by change and keys in my pants.

Convergence is cool up to a point but until there's a true 3G 32-64 GB iPhone costing no more than today's and more app-capable plus a few other fixups in the interface, I'll settle for a cell phone, a shuffle and a high-capacity iPod making me my own DJ in my car, hotel and at parties. Wifi/Safari would be really tasty icing, but I'll be moderately surprised to see it on a pure Pod this year.

There could be an iPhone Nano in the works (maybe for MacWorld '08), but its current market is surely still smaller than a Nano Nano (apologies to Mork from Ork).

3. If I'm on a long car trip or vacation, I want all my media with me, not back on my mac, even my macbook in the trunk, just so my Pod's .2" thinner, and I'll sac 25% of the battery life based on the long life of my iPod Photo. Plus you can just set the screen to light up for x seconds when you're playing music, so I don't see that big a loss for music, still by far the number one use of iPods.

4. Buying media ON your Pod: That's a big, uhhh, philosophical change for Apple, 'cos it means replumbing both iPods and iTunes to accept transfers of content FROM an iPod to a computer when you resync -- and that makes it easier (not that it's THAT hard for even semi-geeks today) to move media in directions Mamma don't allow. Maybe, but not a trivial change, even with a wifi iPod.

5. A radio? Huhhh? How does a "radio" allow iTunes purchases? Digital radio with two-way interaction? Is Apple announcing a world-wide satellite launch? The internet's already a capable media download service with the hugest backbone of all time. A bit spendy to duplicate it and make it able to receive signals from millions of itty-bitty iPods.

Wait until something you like comes along to buy? That'll work, sure. So much easier and more time efficient than surfing the ITMS. It'll only take you three hours to buy maybe five tracks (which will hardly burn up the Apple cash register). How many "channels" would this radio have, anyway? Isn't that half of someone else's business model (I forget which irrelevant satellite radio service bought the other)?

Analog radio? So we can listen to 28 minutes of commercials an hour, annoying hosts, severe playlists and signal loss? Whoever said that sounds Zune-like was right on. A radio?

Cell phones and blue-tooth devices are radios. Blue tooth earbuds?

6. Kiosks? My first thought was "whatchu' talking 'bout, Willis," but on reflection this idea's just off-the-wall enough to work. But positing some elaborate device in airports and Apple stores is thinking too small. You can't walk into a 7-11 or other retailer without seeing iTunes gift cards. All you need is a small (ruggedized) box plugged into a g-speed very simple and cheap ITMS dedicated computer disguised as a "kiosk" (taking up little floor space, and maybe even a countertop model) and you can pick up some tunes or vids on the way to wherever. Possibly (and much more ideally) wirelessly (with a "radio"). And turn many thousands of stores into Apple suboutlets with the corp logo everywhere. Slurpees and songs, together forever.

Walk up to the device and it and your iPod recognize each other, and you're off, probably with the whole interface on your iPod screen, with the kiosk able to serve up to say, 5-20 iPods at once (depending on the venue, e.g., less at convenience stores, more at airports). Imagine how THAT (the complete ITMS inventory in 24 hour outlets around the corner) would impact CD and DVD outlets!!

(But see 4 above.)

Whatever, phoneless iPhone or no, squatPod (it really looks much better in more recent mockups), picoPod (shuffle with a tiny screen), virtual click-wheel, OS X plumbing or warm-over, if Apple doesn't offer at least one HDD model, count me out as a buyer at the top end, and I'll keep my 60 gigger as long as it can be kept running.

 

[Black Belt]

True, but BT is the future. Steve Jobs knows what is the best for the iPod and the worst for the the Zune. Putting BT in the iPod Tap will allow more 3rd party accesories to flourish with it.

BT will help some accessories, but it is hardly the future. It is pretty old crap and was never that good to begin with. Wifi on the other hand is progressing to enormous speeds and bandwidth, it is more versatile over distance and is secure. That makes it far more attractive in my opinion.

The future is something like Wimax - broadband everywhere. Wimax chips are going into notebooks now.

 

[JGowan]

iPods are white.

I talked with a friend a couple of years ago when he was in the market for an iPod -- "Are you going to get a black one or a white one? I think video would 'pop' better with a black one." His response was that he didn't care about video that popped, "iPods are white", he told me.

Now it's a couple of years later and I'm thinking about what some/a lot of people consider an iPod:

1) iPods are white
2) iPods have a round click wheel
3) iPods have lots of storage

I really don't believe that Apple is going to abandon the current "top-of-the-line" iPods. There's too many people that want at least something that is very similar to what already exists. While 5.5G iPods are a whole lot thinner, sexier and more capable than the ones that rolled off the assembly line back 2001, but essentially they're same. I equate the '01 version as a kind of "1967 VW Beetle" and today's ipod model as the Beetle 40 years later. While many people won't mind a touch screen OS X iPod, too many (I believe) will balk ... and walk. Perhaps to the MS Zune, maybe the Creative Zen or possibly to eBay for older iPod models.

I truly believe there'll still be your basic white-high storage-click wheel model we all know and love -- it'll be hotter, sexier and more badazz, but it ain't goin' nowhere.

 

[Football1maniac]

BT will help some accessories, but it is hardly the future. It is pretty old crap and was never that good to begin with. Wifi on the other hand is progressing to enormous speeds and bandwidth, it is more versatile over distance and is secure. That makes it far more attractive in my opinion.

Then why not pleas both crowds by putting them both in? The iPhone has BT and WiFi. And if WiFi is so secure, how come most cell phones have BT in them? Macs have them in it? ( I kno i kno keyboards) Cars have them in it. Yes, WiFi is growing, but BT is now and the future, if you put WiFi on the iPod Tap, then I believe Apple should but Safari on it. What's the purpose of connecting over the Internet and not being able to browse websites?

 

[Eduardo1971]

Oh no I hope the new video-iPods are not flash based.

I have an 80GB+ iTunes library!

I've kept holding off on buying my first iPod because I wanted at least 100GB storage capacity!!!

 

[AJL23]

...and then the next time apple does a firmware update my iphone is a very expensive paperweight. All the unlocking software companies say is that it is restore resistant - they dont mention how apple can simply release a firmware to destroy the hacks.

There will be a way around that. The hackers always win these. Always.

 

[nemaslov]

I talked with a friend a couple of years ago when he was in the market for an iPod -- "Are you going to get a black one or a white one? I think video would 'pop' better with a black one." His response was that he didn't care about video that popped, "iPods are white", he told me.

Now it's a couple of years later and I'm thinking about what some/a lot of people consider and iPod:

1) iPods are white
2) iPods have a round click wheel
3) iPods have lots of storage

I really don't believe that Apple is going to abandon the current "top-of-the-line" iPods. There's too many people that want at least something that is very similar to what already exists. While 5.5G iPods are a whole lot thinner, sexier and more capable than the ones that rolled off the assembly line back 2001, but essentially they're same. I equate the '01 version as a kind of "1967 VW Beetle" and today's ipod model as the Beetle 40 years later. While many people won't mind a touch screen OS X iPod, too many (I believe) will balk ... and walk. Perhaps to the MS Zune, maybe the Creative Zen or possibly to eBay for older iPod models.

I truly believe there'll still be your basic white-high storage-click wheel model we all know and love -- it'll be hotter, sexier and more badazz, but it ain't goin' nowhere.

YES and I'd say the majority and I mean millions of iPod users just want it for music. No phone, no video. MUSIC. Remember Music??? And those of us who own alot of it...maybe 5000 plus CDs would LOVE to carry as much music as possible.

 

[Black Belt]

Then why not pleas both crowds by putting them both in?

Sure, why not. Just let me turn it off.

The iPhone has BT and WiFi. And if WiFi is so secure, how come most cell phones have BT in them?

The reason is VERY LIMITED USE. Bluetooth is basically used to pair with headsets or create a limited connection with a device. That the iPhone has Wifi should tell you something. All the amazing connectivity demos were done over wifi, not the cell network.

A reason for not having both? Battery drain. When Apple finds the secret to Tesla's air battery then our problem is solved

 

[Black Belt]

Oh no I hope the new video-iPods are not flash based.

I have an 80GB+ iTunes library!

I've kept holding off on buying my first iPod because I wanted at least 100GB storage capacity!!!

160, that's the number that will make me smile and stop being pissed so much at Jobs for screwing up the iPhone.

 

[Football1maniac]

Sure, why not. Just let me turn it off.



The reason is VERY LIMITED USE. Bluetooth is basically used to pair with headsets or create a limited connection with a device. That the iPhone has Wifi should tell you something. All the amazing connectivity demos were done over wifi, not the cell network.

A reason for not having both? Battery drain. When Apple finds the secret to Tesla's air battery then our problem is solved

True, but who knows? (Actually a couple do in California. I wonder who they could be?) Yes, if only Apple could find an unlimited power battery source, all of our questions could be answered.

 

[beer.coffee]

Awwww

I dont care about any of those features you guys are arguing about.....i just want my damm HDD based storage.

Now i dont know what the hell i am going to do...probably buy a 5.5G i guess

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Any incremental upgrade above 8gb is going to hurt Iphone sales. Edge network is the Iphone's achiles heel, apple will NOT release in my opinion higher capacity widescreen Ipods until it addresses that issue. probably late next year.

I doubt it will hurt iPod sale if Apple releases a 4GB and 8GB version because there are people who don't need or want the phone function in a digital music player.

One line of thought with business once you have a successful established product line it is a good idea to diversify for more product recognition, brand awareness and options for the consumer, Apple has already done this with the iPod Shuffle, Mini and Nano the iPhone is just another brand of the portable Apple range.

The iPhone is a great product but it marketed to a very specific client, a product like a iPhone doesn't not compete on the price vs feature compared to the other products lines. It's about style, form, function and a hefty phone plan, not about iPod + Phone (which it does do very well), so therefore I can't see an iPod refresh hurting the iPod or visa versa.

Apple has also been very careful with separating the brand of the iPhone compared to the iPod, even thought Steve Jobs is quoted as say "The best iPod ever" the branding of it still distances itself from the iPod line.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

I talked with a friend a couple of years ago when he was in the market for an iPod -- "Are you going to get a black one or a white one? I think video would 'pop' better with a black one." His response was that he didn't care about video that popped, "iPods are white", he told me.

Now it's a couple of years later and I'm thinking about what some/a lot of people consider an iPod:

1) iPods are white
2) iPods have a round click wheel
3) iPods have lots of storage

I truly believe there'll still be your basic white-high storage-click wheel model we all know and love -- it'll be hotter, sexier and more badazz, but it ain't goin' nowhere.

Good post, I agree with the overall branding of the iPod, most people think sleek design, white and if it's an iPod it will have a click wheel. Apple also innovate.

But then there's the other point of view that I think black and metal is the new white for Apple, just look at the iPhone, iMac, Mac Pro and Macbook Pro the current iPods (not Nano or Shuffle) and Macbook look a little out of place.

Stylistically I think the new iPods will be more inline with the iPhone and new iMacs.

 

[buddhahacker]

1. . . .



4. Buying media ON your Pod: That's a big, uhhh, philosophical change for Apple, 'cos it means replumbing both iPods and iTunes to accept transfers of content FROM an iPod to a computer when you resync -- and that makes it easier (not that it's THAT hard for even semi-geeks today) to move media in directions Mamma don't allow. Maybe, but not a trivial change, even with a wifi iPod.
. . .

Just to clarify, the replumbing happened sometime back. When you sync. your iPod to a new computer iTunes informes you that there is purchased content on you iPod that isn't on you computer and do you want to transfer it to your computer. I have answered both yes and no to this question as I have sync'd my iPod to different systems. If you answer yes then the content is now on you PC, assuming you haven't exceeded your max. PC count.

While I'm not certain if I would ever purchase through my iPod it certainly get Apple one step closer to immediate gratification for the consumer. The we don't have to wait to get back to our computer to buy more content.

 

[MacFly123]

WOW lol!

I talked with a friend a couple of years ago when he was in the market for an iPod -- "Are you going to get a black one or a white one? I think video would 'pop' better with a black one." His response was that he didn't care about video that popped, "iPods are white", he told me.

Now it's a couple of years later and I'm thinking about what some/a lot of people consider an iPod:

1) iPods are white
2) iPods have a round click wheel
3) iPods have lots of storage

I really don't believe that Apple is going to abandon the current "top-of-the-line" iPods. There's too many people that want at least something that is very similar to what already exists. While 5.5G iPods are a whole lot thinner, sexier and more capable than the ones that rolled off the assembly line back 2001, but essentially they're same. I equate the '01 version as a kind of "1967 VW Beetle" and today's ipod model as the Beetle 40 years later. While many people won't mind a touch screen OS X iPod, too many (I believe) will balk ... and walk. Perhaps to the MS Zune, maybe the Creative Zen or possibly to eBay for older iPod models.

I truly believe there'll still be your basic white-high storage-click wheel model we all know and love -- it'll be hotter, sexier and more badazz, but it ain't goin' nowhere.

Wow, lol, I don't even know where to begin.... I'm at a loss for words. I think you are so incredibly wrong its amazing. How did the iPod become so recognized??? Its called Apple's marketing. Has anyone ever heard of the iPhone??? Everyone has and its only been out a few months. Now you are telling me that if an iPod like the iPhone comes out that it wont be the talk of every kid on earth before Christmas lol.... Wow how exactly does your thought process work??? The iPod Touch will come out because if it doesn't after everyone has been waiting almost 2 years they will be so screwing themselves over with competition as the market leader its not even funny. The click wheel will still be on the Nanos, but within a matter of maybe 2 weeks every person on earth will know what the iPod touch is and that it is in fact an iPod and is in fact made by Apple and will be willing to sacrifice anything to get it.

 

[ryan.axiom]

Re: #4 from before:
Some people seem a little confused about this. You CAN transfer purchased songs from the iPod to iTunes. Try deleting one of your free songs that you got on iTunes that is also stored on your iPod. When you connect your iPod, iTunes will let you know that you have purchases on your iPod that you don't have in iTunes and ask if you would like to transfer them.
Now if they implement a purchase on-the-go feature I don't know how they would deal with a case of an iPod being stolen before it was synced at home....

I think WiFi would be a nice addition to the iPod, but doubt it will happen now. (but I'll still be hoping!) If it is included but limited to ITMS, then I'm sure there will be people selling addons to enable more robust capabilities (remote syncing and other functions depending on touchscreen or not).

I think the report of Apple buying flash memory that everyone is thinking of, that was (reportedly) 500 million 4 Gbit chips=62.5 million 4 GB chips. This doesn't seem like enough to launch a full line of large capacity flash based iPods (although they could make 6 million at 40GB). I do think they will move to flash memory soon, but whether it is Wed or not... Anyway, flash memory is getting cheaper and larger (64 GB max right now, but the technology is capable of doubling every year for at least 2 years). This is according to the Samsung website so take it as you will.

Also regarding the HDD iPods, I think there will always be a market for them. If people are really wanting more storage space, why don't you buy a bigger hard drive and put it in yourself? (I'm sure that will be less expensive than buying a new iPod...)

 

[Mgkwho]

Whatever.

-=|Mgkwho

 

[Wanh]

Awwww

Now i dont know what the hell i am going to do...probably buy a 5.5G i guess

Let's wait until the products are released

 

[ctakim]

160, that's the number that will make me smile and stop being pissed so much at Jobs for screwing up the iPhone.

I really have no clue what you are talking about. (Typed from my iPhone)

 

[zub3qin]

I really have no clue what you are talking about. (Typed from my iPhone)

Did it take over 1 minute to type the sentence on your iPhone?
Touchscreen isn't "all that" just yet....
Buttons can be good!

 

[currentinterest]

I can type much faster on my iPhone than I ever could on my Treo 650.

 

[aristobrat]

I type way more quickly on my iPhone than I did on any Windows Mobile or BlackBerry that I owned. The auto correction on the iPhone is simply amazing.

 

[far.fromthetree]

Nightmare...

Ultimate disappointment scenario:

iPod
80 - 120 GB HDD
White / Black Aluminum enclosure
"Stubby" form factor to allow for wider screen
Smaller nano sized Click Wheel so widescreen occupies most of the device
New Interface (as leaked)

iPod Nano
4, 8, 16 GB FLASH
New color pallette (as leaked)
Same form factor
Video Playback
New Interface (as leaked)

Shuffle
[quiet update after media event]
1 GB & 2 GB
New Product Red version added

iTunes 8
New iTunes radio with "Buy Now" option

Also
New array of branded accessories

Pretty much this is what would have to happen to disappoint me