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

[Virgil-TB2]

You know... I thought about that, and it seems like a REALLY good idea. Or what about a mall or music store... you hear a new song, really like it, go over to the kiosk, hook it up, or even use WiFi securely, and, as Steve would say, BOOM!. Not a bad idea. I may have to run a mockup through Photoshop and see what I come out with.

If you think about it, the "kiosk" rumour and the "WiFi" rumour are mutually incompatible.

If the thing has WiFi built in then you would connect to the Apple iTunes store from the device as usual, so why bother with kiosks? The possibility that the new iPods *won't* have WiFi is also enhanced by the fact that Steve Jobs specifically and very recently (I think in his last public appearance), has said that people don't want to do that and would rather buy the music on their PC's and keep it in one place (iTunes).

If on the other hand the "radio" rumour is a garbled account of the new "Kleer" (http://www.kleer.com) radio technology, which is short range but higher quality and throughput, then the kiosks make excellent sense again. It also makes sense to throw in some digital HD radio stations on the kiosks.

The Kleer technology married with a touch-screen iPod, and some kiosks in StarBucks and BestBuy, is so compelling that I sure hope they *are* doing this. It's a sure-fire opportunity for Microsoft if Apple fails to implement it first.

 

[R.Youden]

I don't know if I am correct, but...

In the US don't you use satellite radio rather than digital radio? In the UK digital radio is starting to take off but I thought the protocol was different in the US.

This is one of the main reasons why we don't see a mac video recorder, the difference between TV sources are very different all over the world.

If I am totally wrong, ignore that rubbish!

 

[triscuitbiscuit]

I don't know if I am correct, but...

In the US don't you use satellite radio rather than digital radio? In the UK digital radio is starting to take off but I thought the protocol was different in the US.

This is one of the main reasons why we don't see a mac video recorder, the difference between TV sources are very different all over the world.

If I am totally wrong, ignore that rubbish!

No, HD Radio is non-fee based and then there is Satellite radio that is fee based.
Two completely different user experiences also.

 

[R.Youden]

No, HD Radio is non-fee based and then there is Satellite radio that is fee based.
Two completely different user experiences also.

Oh OK, at least I wasn't talking absolute rubbish!

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Soundburst]

Check this out.

New iPod nano?

http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q307-leaked-images-of-new-3rd-gen-ipod-nano/

 

[boby17]

http://all-ipod-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/radio-ipods-expected-on-wednesday.html

 

[BrainDonor]

Yes, you are correct, but the Flash size will be 4GB

I'd predict a hybrid. Flash drives aren't large enough and hard drives are too slow, so why not a small flash drive, maybe 128mb, for system software, and a hard drive for media storage. It would be a lot better - no waiting to boot from the hard drive, and it only spins up to play media, not when it's using other apps like iCal, Address Book, etc.

New Gen6 Ipod = Iphone - Phone + Harddrive + Bluetooth

Active playlist is in Flash, Non-Active Playlists are on Harddrive, Harddrive usage minimized, Battery life is maximized.

 

[marcateyou]

Check this out.

New iPod nano?

http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q307-leaked-images-of-new-3rd-gen-ipod-nano/

Minorly photoshopped to show how fake this picture is. Check out the forums a bit before posting old news also.

 

[cr0nite]

Remember this DigiTimes rumor?
Engadget says: "Taiwanese paper DigiTimes put out a report (read: rumor) on this year's iPod line (supposedly due this September), which is said to be primarily flash based (up to 16GB), eschewing hard drives entirely."

 

[tek]

the ipod nanos are definitely coming. pricing data just appeared on my system at work. same price points. no sign of video ipods.

 

[currentinterest]

The 4 iPod lines?

A hybrid top of the line iPod Touch would make sense. Apple, though, may simply bite the bullet and go all flash. Rumors have indicated 4 categories:

1. Shuffle

2. Nano Video (I think the old nano line will not be retained)

3. iPod Touch (NAND Flash)

4. Could be an HDD 120 GB iPod similar to 5.5; could be an iPhone Nano, Could simply refer to the iPhone, or....????

 

[DonRivella]

Please don't remove both HD and click wheel. I'd rather have a G5.5 iPod with 120 giga and improved battery life than a slightly modified iPhone. Better audio quality would be nice, too.

 

[Cloudane]

I do agree with the hybrid theory. Flash for the everyday "iPhone-like" usage and perhaps even cached copies of your most commonly played tunes (as well as the current album). This would save a lot of power. It could even store the index there so that you can browse around the songs without having to wind the HDD up. Then the HDD would wind up when you want to actually retrieve something.

We'll soon know But I do like that idea.

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.

Hmm, well the response time is nothing new as iPods have had HDDs for a long time and got on just fine And the hybrid idea would help alleviate any UI latency when loading apps etc.

In terms of battery life, true... again this would be helped with some flash memory in addition to the HDD, plus don't forget people said the same about colour once. That's why I was happy to have the old mono Palm handheld and 3G iPod at the time even though the rest of the world was moving on

This time, perhaps it's Apple who are doing the "moving on" and pushing the boundaries again.

 

[Multimedia]

No Hard Drive? Seems Highly Unlikely

How can anyone get excited about a NAND only iPod? At most that would be a 32GB model instead of a 120GB one. I don't see it likely that the 120GB model would be axed from development for market this soon in the approaching but not yet ready for prime time NAND era.

We need a large HD inside an iPhone like interface with a 640x360 screen (1/3 HD res). The Wi-Fi part would be a total bonus and a KILLER APP that would send sales through the roof and into outer space.

Oh, and we need a gapless 2GB Shuffle in the same package as the G2 Shuffle Clip. Those gaps in the current model are very annoying.

 

[gugy]

an iPod with max of 32gig is no good. I rather use the iPhone as media player then.
120gig is mandatory for our increasing media collection. 32gig is too little.

I would expect a hi-end version with 4" widescreen, 120gig and hopefully wi-fi. but I am not holding my breath for wi-fi.

 

[Stridder44]

I still don't buy the flash-only thing. It leaves those who like the high-capacity ipods without an option. I think more likely is a hybrid structure, with some models moving to flash, and some remaining HDD based... but this is just speculation.

Amen. Every time I see anything lower than 40 GB (not just including iPods) I can't help but laugh and feel pity.

 

[Stella]

Unfortunately, they would be offered in very few places, no doubt, only a handful of places in the states, so would be meaningless to the vast majority of iPod customers.

WIFI iPod would benefit customers much more.

I would rather see Apple announce kiosk's then a radio function on an iPod.

Just think how cool that would be, you are at the airport about to catch a flight, you see an iTunes kiosk and go over and dock your iPhone or iPod and then download a movie or two for the flight.

Genius... I hope this becomes reality.

Sam

 

[gr8ful]

I'm with you there.

My bet is that the Video iPod will be HD based.

I expect it will be a combination of HD with flash. Driving the large screen and a HD drains the battery, so I think they will use flash to fetch large chunks from the HD to minimize the battery drain.

This would make more sense to me and would not cut-off the users out there who need the higher capacity. Plus, I believe the new iPod Touch along with the iPhone is being set-up as the platform that will allow Apple to fully utilize OSX and roll-out mobile versions of iChat, iWork, etc.

 

[MattG]

Well then it'll be useless to me...I really hope this report is wrong. Looks like I'll be purchasing one of the current 80gb iPod Videos if the new iPod "Touch" is flash-based.

 

[motulist]

What I want to know is, why is this being announced on a wednesday? What happened to new-product tuesday?

 

[bigpics]

pundits, technocrats and people who just want their stuff with 'em

I'm with you there.

My bet is that the Video iPod will be HD based.

If iVieish minimalism takes away my ability to carry around my entire library (especially on a machine that begs for big video files), and the Mac Break Weekly panel's unanimous conclusion that the super duper smart play lists they nerd out on creating are the way "iPods were meant to be used," i.e., loaded, sucked dry and reloaded on a regular basis, is shared by those who actually work full-time in the meister's reality distortion field, it'll be a strategic misstep allowing competitors who think the 5.5 was slim enough to nibble on Apple's designer-obsessed heels.

When I'm in my car or dj'ing at a friend's house the last thing I want is 2/3 to 3/4 of my music collection back on my Mac, especially when with a few simply created playlists I have it all with me all the time, automatically charged in the car, and my podcasts on the shuffle that's already with me when I'm at my Mac, ready to reload.....

Except I have it on good authority this is all a smokescreen, and the BIG announcement of the day, so to speak, will be the "iPack," a backback with a terabyte HD, and wireless virtual reality glasses where you see horizon-filling videos and control the interface with eye blinks. The iPack will also have room for all the gear you need for a day trip, except in the special limited Drobo edition with optional wheeled battery cart.

 

[MacFly123]

???

Flash + Wi-fi + Digital Radio = teh ultimate hotness.

Enter new iPod revolution.

It says that as the songs play on the radio there would be a "Buy Now" option....... So your telling me if that is the case, I would have to listen to the radio and wait for the song I want to come on so I can buy it??? That would be the stupidest implementation of wireless purchasing I could ever think of. There is no way Apple would screw up that bad! Ever since I got my iPod radio has not even existed to me lol. Now they think I'm going to sit and wait for a song to come on to buy it? That is worthless, I would just get it on iTunes on my computer.

 

[MacFly123]

Stupid

I am afraid that the only wifi we will see in this iPod will be to access iTunes, so you can spend even more money. No safari... no email.... wifi is for Apple to make sales of music, not for the user. Apple will piss a lot of people off if they only allow wifi for itunes.

Anyone really need another way to buy music? At some point, don't we just want to spend money and listen to our music... not spend money so we can be sold more music via wifi?

To offer anymore than that with wifi would be really stupid because it would really hurt the iPhone, can't you understand that from a business point of view???

 

[ReanimationLP]

I just wanna know how many times Steve says BOOM in this keynote.

 

[Cloudane]

Enter new iPod revolution.

Ah - the iiPod