moosecat said:
What if it's the size of a postage stamp and can be worn around your neck? Still the worst idea in the history of Apple?
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Flash iPod: 'Life is Random'?
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What if it's the size of a postage stamp and can be worn around your neck? Still the worst idea in the history of Apple?
topofthawoz said:o well, 1 more day and we'll all see that "life is random" actually refers to a headless mac with tiger and iwork
LOL - I have images of a new Tiger feature called "iGiveUp", which you use when you can't find that file you know you hid away in a folder somewhere two years ago. It launches files at random until you get the one you want. Or something.
Sorry, shouldn't surf rumour sites before bed
.All I can say...
All I can say is several people thought the iPod would flop. They said it was too expensive and that nobody would want to pay that much money for a walkman.
Apple is a company of vision and 'testing'. Apple never releases a product without testing the product and interface on REAL people. They take people's thoughts and feelings into consideration for the product.
All I can say is several people thought the iPod would flop. They said it was too expensive and that nobody would want to pay that much money for a walkman.
Apple is a company of vision and 'testing'. Apple never releases a product without testing the product and interface on REAL people. They take people's thoughts and feelings into consideration for the product.
j_maddison said:OK guys, when this rumor fails to come to fruition, I'm going to come back on here and call all you guys morons
jay
I have to back you up on this one. I know Apple likes simplicity, but never stupidity! If you can't use the thing, who would buy it?
David
io_burn said:
Hmm... Not sure where I said that. But anyway, it won't be the size of a postage stamp. And even if it were, I still think it would be a gimmick with only passing utility. If Apple could make it the size of a postage stamp now, either Apple or its competitors could make a postage stamp-sized one with a screen and/or other additional desirable features in six months.
mstecker said:
I don't suppose the "Life is Random" would be Apple personal life insurance?
Kind of do a Microsoft and sell the side effect as a "feature".
I know I'd buy Apple life insurance if I lived in a "sketchy" neighbourhoods.
They can probably sort out specific insurance more cheaply for iPod owners who are finding iPod stipulations in the small print of more general Life Policies.
Rootman said:
Then set your iPod on shuffle.
I think it's pretty safe to say that the vast majority of users would prefer choosing shuffle when appropriate, not being coerced into it at all times. The only way you will get people to give up that choice is with some serious concessions on price. Not Apple's strong suit.
fregedegpo said:
I listen to my 60GB iPod photo in exactly this way. Even though I have almost 30GB of music, I have a Smart Playlist (which feeds off 3 separate other Smart Playlists) that consists of:
- All songs added within past 30 days that I haven't heard in 48 hours
- 200 random songs that have not been played in 4 months
- 200 random songs that have playcount of 0
Sure, with the 60GB I do have all my music synced so I can suddenly listen to any song I want if I have a life-threatening urge. But in reality, 95% of the time I keep it shuffling on this complex Smart Playlist. I picture the next version of iTunes allowing for more complex logic within a single Smart Playlist, and even having a "special" Smart Playlist for the FlashPod which either defaults to 1 GB of random songs, or allows the user to create complex criteria with or without a certain play order which automatically refreshes and syncs with each connection.
For $99-$149, I'd buy one as an extra and just keep a slimmer version of that same Smart playlist on it. Would be nice to have something real tiny like this for some situations. People who say "nobody" would use this are really shortsighted and egocentric...just because you wouldn't use it doesn't mean nobody would. For a generation people have walked around with CD Walkmen with only an album's worth of songs and FM radios which are totally random (and commercial filled). Why wouldn't they want hundreds of their own favorite songs "in a matchbox," even if it's random? I'm sure it would have a "skip" button so worst case scenario if a song you don't like comes on (uh...why do you have a song you don't like on your iPod?) then you can skip it.
And if they don't like that simple (and hopefully cheap) idea and interface they can always buy a mini or full-sized iPod. Something for everyone!
j_maddison said:
Well, I'm quite sure there's already a few MP3 players out there without a display, but I do agree that no display and forced random is not the usual Apple interface.
The only ones who could use such a player (given it has next/previous/play+pause buttons) are the ones who listen to music and have no need/no ability to easily access it (bikers, snowboarders, etc).
But as a player to take on the subway, on rides, it just doesn't work. Unless you like to shuffle your music.
moosecat said:
...Right. Keep in mind most normal people (The people who companies market to, not the extremely surly and vocal 0.1% of the internet.) have a very small collection of music on their computer, a tiny device that would play all of their favorite music which could be dropped, thrown in a school bag, be smashed with books, take the repetitive shock of jogging two miles and still work wouldn't be a gimmick with passing utility.
Apple's competitors already make superior products to Apple's entire line of MP3 players. You can buy cheaper players with the same features, more space, and additional features like AM/FM radio tuners, broader codec support, and gapless playback. What Apple has going for it is that the iPod has become a trendy status symbol, and even as a 'gimmick with passing utility' a screenless iPod is still an iPod; just like people buy low end, stripped down, C-Class Mercedes, even though they don't even have a CD player or leather seats.
When you think of the flash iPod, screen or no screen, as an average consumer and not an angsty Mac fanboy, you'll see it in an entirely different light.
Wouldn't you just run if you had exclusive shots of an eagerly anticipated product?
And isn't it possible to recover deleted images from a camera so long as the card hasn't been formatted?
Makes me think that maybe this is unrelated to the ipod, or they haven't even seen the actual device itself.
blybug said:
STOP! Your over-use of logic and common sense is going to cause the MacRumors forums to implode upon itself and create a gigantic internet black hole sucking up lesser rumors sites from all over the web.
(I use my iPod almost the same way you do, as well.
)Ok I was watching Access Hollywood the other day and it was either Lindsy Lohan or Britney Spears' sister on it promoting a TV show and stuff. When they asked her what other acting she had done she mentioned recently doing a commercial for an iPod radio. I am sorry I can't remember who's sister it was but I am 100% sure she mentioned doing a commercial for an iPod radio. Now if we were talking old people I would say they call everything a radio, but for a 13 year old to say and iPod radio I doubt they would make the same mistake. Anyhow take it with a grain of salt, and hold off the flames
Mike
Mike
well all i'm gonna say is if you can sell ppl cut up socks for $30 bux. you can probably sell them anything.
kettle said:
I guess the multiple playlists would work... But then again how do you know which playlist you've just selected?
This "Life is random" banner and "no display" bit aren't selling points to me.
You're right about battery life though... No HD, no LCD... Wow, can't imagine the battery life, should be measured in days!
Aimon said:
I'd say most of the people who have access to the floor today are under heavy NDA's, or are somewhere they're not supposed to be. When given the choice of being sued, having your camera confiscated, or having the big beefy security guard who is holding you by the scruff of your neck delete the offending photos, which would you choose?
It's pretty difficult to recover any data off of flash memory that has been deleted. At best you might be able to come up with the filenames of the files, if anything at all.
i doubt it will be forced shuffle, because that would basically be dumb.
but the option of randomly selecting tracks from your library each time isn't so dumb i don't think, for the reasons i posted above.
Iain
but the option of randomly selecting tracks from your library each time isn't so dumb i don't think, for the reasons i posted above.
Iain
io_burn said:Wow, a new Apple product which we have practically no information about, and the legions of MacRumors retards have already decided it sucks, they won't be buying it, the entire line is going to bomb, and Apple is going to go bankrupt.
I really don't even know why Arn bothers to have discussion threads on new rumors, as they're almost ALWAYS the same, it's like reading a wacky mad lib.
OMG! (PRODUCT NAME) is the (NEGATIVE ADJECTIVE) thing yet! No (EXPECTED FEATURE)?! I WAS more than willing to shell out (ESTIMATED PRICE) for (PRODUCT NAME) before we found out it didn't have (EXPECTED FEATURE). I can't believe (ENDORSING CELEBRITY) would stand behind this (NEGATIVE ADJECTIVE) device! Apple is only going to sell (NUMBER LESS THAN 10) of these to the (NEGATIVE ADJECTIVE) users. I don't know who would buy a (ESTIMATED PRICE) (PRODUCT TYPE) anyway! There's no way they could even begin to compete with (COMPETING PRODUCT) without a (EXPECTED FEATURE) or (ADDITIONAL EXPECTED FEATURE)! What were you thinking, Steve? You're a/an (PERSONAL ATTACK)!
The flash iPod will sell just as well, if not better than the current line of iPods, with or without a screen. iPod is to MP3 players as Xerox is to copy machines, I already know people who aren't very savvy who refer to ANY mp3 player as an 'iPod' just like ANY copy machine is a 'Xerox' machine, even if it's not made by them. The flash iPods will allow trendy nearly-broke skateboarding Starbucks drinking wannabe yuppie junior-high-schoolers to get in the iPod club, they don't care if it has a screen.
...But, I don't want to rock the boat in this thread, so I'll go with the pack and say "OMG SCREW U APPL WAT R U TINKIN STEVE?!?! NO SCREEN?!?! WTF!!!! I CLICKED NEGATIVE TO THIS POS RUMOR! LIFE IS RANDOM?! MORE LIKE APPLE SUCKS."
Am I doing this right?
This could be one of the best, all-time posts.