The only problem that flash memory creates is the need of managing your media, deciding what you want to carry with you rather than carrying the full bucket. but the advantages may make it worth it.
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Apple to Unveil New Flash-based iPods? Digital Radio?
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The only problem that flash memory creates is the need of managing your media, deciding what you want to carry with you rather than carrying the full bucket. but the advantages may make it worth it.
I would be all over a 32gb flash ipod touch, but I think Apple would need some serious skills to be able to afford to put a 32gb NAND into an ipod costing less than $500.
A 16gb ipod touch just won't do.
However, mac os in a media player with a hard drive could be prone to low battery life, long loading times, and just feel a bit unresponsive compared to flash.
I can see why Apple would do this, as a kind of transitional product on the way to 32gb and 64gb NAND drives. I wouldn't have thought they would do this, but I read that 85% of ipod sales are for models that are flash based, so that's only 15% of people buying hard drive based ipods. Not sure how accurate that stat is but if it's true, Apple may be sacrificing some of it's market to improve the ipod experience for the rest of it's market (the vast majority). It would also give Apple a nice uniform platform over all 4 of it's main product lines, without having to deal with many repairs of failed hard drives, bad reports of low battery life, slowness etc.
I can see Steve Jobs talking about how flash is the future, the improvements over hard drives are vast, how iTunes 8 will make it easier to load your music/video with smart playlists so you only have what you truly need on there. The sweetener as someone mentioned could very well be the digital radio, as it will allow users a lot more content to listen to without needing to store it onto your player.
It's interesting stuff to ponder, at least we don't have to wait too long now for the announcement.
A 16gb ipod touch just won't do.
However, mac os in a media player with a hard drive could be prone to low battery life, long loading times, and just feel a bit unresponsive compared to flash.
I can see why Apple would do this, as a kind of transitional product on the way to 32gb and 64gb NAND drives. I wouldn't have thought they would do this, but I read that 85% of ipod sales are for models that are flash based, so that's only 15% of people buying hard drive based ipods. Not sure how accurate that stat is but if it's true, Apple may be sacrificing some of it's market to improve the ipod experience for the rest of it's market (the vast majority). It would also give Apple a nice uniform platform over all 4 of it's main product lines, without having to deal with many repairs of failed hard drives, bad reports of low battery life, slowness etc.
I can see Steve Jobs talking about how flash is the future, the improvements over hard drives are vast, how iTunes 8 will make it easier to load your music/video with smart playlists so you only have what you truly need on there. The sweetener as someone mentioned could very well be the digital radio, as it will allow users a lot more content to listen to without needing to store it onto your player.
It's interesting stuff to ponder, at least we don't have to wait too long now for the announcement.
that doesn't sound good for those of us who want (need) 120 or 160GB for our music collections....
Not only that, 300 GB 1.8" drives don't exist. Didn't someone recently announce 160 GB drives? That would be the max used in the iPod touch, if they even go that far.
Forget 160 GB, those drives don't exist in 1.8" form.
EDIT, nevermind, they do exist.
Also, Creative just dropped their only hard drive based player and now have an all flash lineup up to 16gb. Could we see the same happen with the iPod?
As the current iPods have two different sizes (not only in storage but also in physical appaerance):
Are there 80 or even 100+ GB HDDs by now that are as thin as the 30GB of the 5G iPod?
How big are the HDDs themselves? Is there any space left to make HDD-based iPods any smaller? What HDDs were used in the iPod minis? How big could a iPod mini HDD be by now?
I'm personally looking for a HDD-based iPod with at least 80GB.
I don't care for WiFi or other features expect Music since I'm planning to buy an iPhone when it arrives in Europe anyway. But it'd really love a smaller form factor.
Are there 80 or even 100+ GB HDDs by now that are as thin as the 30GB of the 5G iPod?
How big are the HDDs themselves? Is there any space left to make HDD-based iPods any smaller? What HDDs were used in the iPod minis? How big could a iPod mini HDD be by now?
I'm personally looking for a HDD-based iPod with at least 80GB.
I don't care for WiFi or other features expect Music since I'm planning to buy an iPhone when it arrives in Europe anyway. But it'd really love a smaller form factor.
iPod sync over WiFi would be nice, I know this is a niche application, but would be pretty neat.
I have a 2006 Benz, with the iPod kit. I keep my iPod in my car all the time, it's hooked into the iPod connector in the glove box (read: always powered). It would be so nice if when I parked the car (or came in range of my home WiFi network) that it'd connect up and sync with my iTunes Library over WiFi. The killer app in this would be my Podcasts of the radio shows I listen to would be synced by the time I got up and headed out for work every morning...
Right now I have to go grab the iPod, hook it up, and bring it back to the car, THE HORROR
.
I have a 2006 Benz, with the iPod kit. I keep my iPod in my car all the time, it's hooked into the iPod connector in the glove box (read: always powered). It would be so nice if when I parked the car (or came in range of my home WiFi network) that it'd connect up and sync with my iTunes Library over WiFi. The killer app in this would be my Podcasts of the radio shows I listen to would be synced by the time I got up and headed out for work every morning...
Right now I have to go grab the iPod, hook it up, and bring it back to the car, THE HORROR
.
Touch control? Yes please. Flash? No thank you. Capacity is just too limited and costs are too high right now for a flagship model to adopt it. One or two years down the road i could see it, but the time isn't right.
EDIT: Now if the flash were for the fatPod/Video line, that may be a possibility. The Touch may be its own line for all we know, and in that case Flash would make sense.
EDIT: Now if the flash were for the fatPod/Video line, that may be a possibility. The Touch may be its own line for all we know, and in that case Flash would make sense.
heh how would they market a low capacity video ipod to people who want to fit the entire collection of music, videos and pics?
The new iPod touch - Less is More...
More battery life
More reliability
More features
..Less loading
I think Apple are itching to transition to an all flash line up. Think of the amount of repairs they have to perform on dead hard drives and complaints that arise from that. Not to mention dealing with battery life and loading etc which would be made much worse by having an iPod with a stronger feature set and a solid operating system on the player.
A 16gb video ipod, however, is still too small in capacity. Two 16gb flash drives daisy chained together might be the answer if 32gb NAND prices are too high and cannot be leveraged.
The new iPod touch - Less is More...
More battery life
More reliability
More features
..Less loading
I think Apple are itching to transition to an all flash line up. Think of the amount of repairs they have to perform on dead hard drives and complaints that arise from that. Not to mention dealing with battery life and loading etc which would be made much worse by having an iPod with a stronger feature set and a solid operating system on the player.
A 16gb video ipod, however, is still too small in capacity. Two 16gb flash drives daisy chained together might be the answer if 32gb NAND prices are too high and cannot be leveraged.
well i hope that these rumors are true. but i'd like to think they have to keep a bigger hard-drive version or something
Yes they do make a 160GB drives.
But there are alot of people who use their iPods, not as portables , but to have their entire music with them in offices, studios (at work), bars and restuarants, second homes, travel, hotels etc. and want a large HD. They don't run with them so flash portability is not an issue. They have them hooked into stereo styems, etc.
Not to release anything bigger than the 80GB would be a shame. I'd even fo for the same design just with a bigger drive.
But there are alot of people who use their iPods, not as portables , but to have their entire music with them in offices, studios (at work), bars and restuarants, second homes, travel, hotels etc. and want a large HD. They don't run with them so flash portability is not an issue. They have them hooked into stereo styems, etc.
Not to release anything bigger than the 80GB would be a shame. I'd even fo for the same design just with a bigger drive.
I agree. I want a HD based ipod. I like having all my music with me, and as I have two homes and venture between - its very convieniant for me.
I've bought every 'main' ipod since Rev 2. Even went to 5.5 generation just for the extra 20gb ontop of the 60gb 5g ipod I already had, which is now nearly full.
I really want a 120gb ipod. Period.
If Apple drops storage down to 8 or at a max 16gb with the new ipods, then this will be one update I will look elsewhere at.
I agree, and dont understand why people think Apple is going to build a product that cannibalizes iphone sales. Also, keep in mind that chips that make an iphone a phone probably cost less than 5 dollars.
Dont hold your breath for a flash based Video iPod. The Video-Nano will play video and be flash. The full size iPod will still be HD based because the storage-to-cost ratio is still beneficial as such.
Exactly. Apple wants you to have the iPod at home, office and car. They want the iphone or Nano in your pocket, and a Shuffle for when you want to work out. Lowering the capacity of the iPod makes it compete with the iPhone, unless there is a HUGE difference in storage.
I can sum up why there won't be a complete transition to flash (yet) in just 5 words and they cover issues such as FM Radio too:
Apple do not go backwards.
I've seen this product differentiation argument a few times now, and strangely, often in a very strong/forceful manner (in some cases plain rude e.g. "are you on crack"), almost as if people are *hoping* there won't be an iPhone-like device. Maybe some are undercover Apple employees trying to stop us getting our hopes up so much
The way I see it is, the idea is already out there and has been since the iPhone was even a rumour. If Apple don't make an all-in-one portable communications device without the phone built in (this rumoured iPod Touch), someone else will. Apple always seem the types to stay one step ahead, so it'd be a bit odd if they changed now.
I'm afraid if they *do* go for digital "over the air" radio rather than Wifi, it won't be DAB, or perhaps they'd do a European model with DAB later on but I think we'd be waiting 6+ months. The USA use a completely different system called HD Radio, so it'd be that.
However if there's a "Buy Now" feature then I'm pretty certain they're talking about Wifi and internet radio. Don't know about HDR, but DAB doesn't have any support for transmitting from the device (I guess that's kind of what you call a cellphone haha)
Apple do not go backwards.
I've seen this product differentiation argument a few times now, and strangely, often in a very strong/forceful manner (in some cases plain rude e.g. "are you on crack"), almost as if people are *hoping* there won't be an iPhone-like device. Maybe some are undercover Apple employees trying to stop us getting our hopes up so much
The way I see it is, the idea is already out there and has been since the iPhone was even a rumour. If Apple don't make an all-in-one portable communications device without the phone built in (this rumoured iPod Touch), someone else will. Apple always seem the types to stay one step ahead, so it'd be a bit odd if they changed now.
I'm afraid if they *do* go for digital "over the air" radio rather than Wifi, it won't be DAB, or perhaps they'd do a European model with DAB later on but I think we'd be waiting 6+ months. The USA use a completely different system called HD Radio, so it'd be that.
However if there's a "Buy Now" feature then I'm pretty certain they're talking about Wifi and internet radio. Don't know about HDR, but DAB doesn't have any support for transmitting from the device (I guess that's kind of what you call a cellphone haha)
I cannot wait to see whats really going to be offered. I hate to get hyped up by these rumors but nothing would be better than been able to get and new touch Ipod to go with my New iMac.
I did not get the iPhone mainly due to the fact that it was out of my price range and also because I am a black berry user and the only need for mobile email access I have is for work which the iPhone does not support.
I would love to see an iPod that would have the WiFi functionaly f the iPhone. This would make it the ultimate Entertainment device.
I did not get the iPhone mainly due to the fact that it was out of my price range and also because I am a black berry user and the only need for mobile email access I have is for work which the iPhone does not support.
I would love to see an iPod that would have the WiFi functionaly f the iPhone. This would make it the ultimate Entertainment device.
Sonos-like capability
Guys,
I think the radio thing may have some truth to it, but may be related to another capability. Sonos recently added the capability to stream Sirius radio over their whole house music system. What is the killer app in the Sonos? The remote. What does the iPod video deliver, the remote, tie that to AppleTV and you have a really interesting Sonos killer. Not only could the iPod control the Apple TV with full coverflow album art, but it could also cue up and control videos. You could imaging sharing tunes from an iPod just as you can from up to 5 other Apple devices to AppleTV. This opens up the possibility of sharing a persons iPod wirelessly and seamlessly with someone's AppleTV. The whole radio thing might provide the ability to wirelessly control internet radio streaming over either AppleTV or iPod, just like Sonos.
Just a thought.
Guys,
I think the radio thing may have some truth to it, but may be related to another capability. Sonos recently added the capability to stream Sirius radio over their whole house music system. What is the killer app in the Sonos? The remote. What does the iPod video deliver, the remote, tie that to AppleTV and you have a really interesting Sonos killer. Not only could the iPod control the Apple TV with full coverflow album art, but it could also cue up and control videos. You could imaging sharing tunes from an iPod just as you can from up to 5 other Apple devices to AppleTV. This opens up the possibility of sharing a persons iPod wirelessly and seamlessly with someone's AppleTV. The whole radio thing might provide the ability to wirelessly control internet radio streaming over either AppleTV or iPod, just like Sonos.
Just a thought.
My theory is that an HDD multi-touch iPod would not meet Apple's standards of a consumer experiences. I think the multi-touch interface has high demands on response time and battery life. And with the moving parts of a HDD, you just can't achieve good response time and battery life that wouldn't hinder the consumer experience. Therefore, a flash based system is needed for iPod Touch... unfortunately.
This causes people a dilemma, like myself. I own a 30GB 5G iPod. Say they come out with a 16GB or 32GB flash based multi-touch iPod. Do I drop $400 on the new iPod that only gives me 2 more GBs and a new interface? Probably not worth it... (I'm not saying I won't do it.. haha)
Agreed. A HDD cant possibly provide the same speed unless they put a lot of ram in the thing and keep all the album art etc in it.
It would be so ****ed up of them to go all flash right now, especially now when higher and higher quality of audio and video are offered in iTunes. I store all my music in Apple Lossless or Flac, and I need the space. If only Flash-pods are released, then they have to introduce on-the-fly converting to other formats as well. Here's one who would wait for the Cowon X7 otherwise, which arrives in January. My music collection is about 100gb and I'm tired of choosing new music to put on my mp3 player every other day.
Flac support in iTunes would be nice as well. Then I wouldn't have to convert my whole library.
Edit: 16gb is only about 900 songs in Lossless. waaaay to small space
Flac support in iTunes would be nice as well. Then I wouldn't have to convert my whole library.
Edit: 16gb is only about 900 songs in Lossless. waaaay to small space
My apologies. Didn't consider that we would be looking at a US based initial roll-out (a la iPhone).
What I was thinking of wouldn't necessitate any transmission from the device. DAB programming can, and often does, include broadcast information such as track and artist, DJ and programme etc. When you select the "Buy It Now" option or equivalent the device would simply take note of the track and artist info and then attempt a Wi-Fi connection to the iTunes store. If there is no available Wi-Fi it will simply store the the info about your selected purchase until either you sync with your Mac or are in range of an available WLAN.