Intel iBooks, Video iPod, Digital Entertainment in April?

[runninmac]

Oh the new iPod and new media Mac (with built in dock, of course). I was thinking that if the new video iPod is like what everyone is mocking it up to be, it will be semi-akward to hold in your hand, sorta un-apple like. You'll have to hold it around the edges and when you want to change something you almost need another hand to stop it from falling (when using it horizontaly trying to reinact what it would be like on my 4th gen). Maybe Im making no sense right now... its to late to be thinking.

 

[ImAlwaysRight]

Wonder how much I can get for my 1.5GHz SuperDrive Mac Mini?

Sure hope this thing has Core Duo 1.66 and not a Core Solo. Core Solo will make me just want to stay with my old Mini (just purchased in Jan).

 

[mvc]

Most photographers shoot in JPEG. It's a waste of time shooting in RAW. If it could display JPEG then it would be a great tool for semi to pro photographers. The only photographers who would need a RAW format would be commercial photographers. Carrying around a laptop to a photo shoot is not always convenient.

Wow, I am simply speechless at this seamless combination of arrogance and ignorance.

 

[tokin]

Such an iPod would be all horrible what with the fingerprints all over the screen from people touching it. Also, I completely agree with whoever said that it would be very un-Apple-like. The beauty about the current iPod is that you can hold it in one hand, watch a movie, and fast forward all without your other hand. The design of this would require two hands and make it very PSP like. I personally would think it to be rather disgusting to have my hands all over it all the time.

The Mac Mini however... ooh, that could be nice. Get a nice 1.66 core duo mini and plug that sucker into my TV.... DVR all the way baby!

 

[boncellis]

As for media center/mini...I don't see it either. Mini is design to keep costs down down down. A media center/mini would cost easily close to 1000 so who would buy. Thats figuring a large hd(min 160), core duo chip, high ram content, ir, front row, bluetooth, wireless (would need n I would think), dl superdrive. Just don't see it in a $600 box and don't see people paying close to $1000 for a mini. (Again Jobs would get more gripes for having something that "costs too much")

Otherwise...bring on the book!

Don't forget the upgraded video card--I think that is the most glaring need for the Mac Mini as a "media center." Front Row, I've heard, runs beautifully on a PB with 128 MB of VRAM.

 

[obeygiant]

RAW is the most popular shooting format for photographers from semi pro all the way up the chain. There is simply no better way to get maximum control of image quality.

People with little digicams and such will have no use for RAW. Your statement about commercial photographers being the only ones interested in RAW is probably a few years too late.

you speak for all photographers? are you a professional?

 

[twoodcc]

seems like great news to me. i'm not too sure about a touch screen, but i'm still looking forward to it. and especially the new mac mini...please have core duo

 

[Austin.xstone]

Not much talk about the iBook?!?! The iPod sounds cool - not sure about putting my hands all over it though - it might just sit there - looking very cool!

 

[tokin]

i think the iBook thing has been beaten to death... we've seen mockups, predictions, etc. i personally just want to see what apple releases and if they do it soon. obviously it makes sense to release it in april as that is when the education season begins for public schools, but on the other hand, i think we might be jumping too far ahead of ourselves. intel's roadmap clearly indicates the core solo coming out in q2, so lets just wait and see.

also, anyone else who just purchased the macbook pro enjoying the fact that merom was pushed back a quarter? makes my laptop retain value longer haha!

 

[Peace]

you speak for all photographers? are you a professional?

I have done a lot of "professional" photography and have been in the pit with many photographers from Rolling Stone to the Associated Press and I can tell you that RAW digital photography has fast become the choice of real pros.

As for the MiniMedia Center..I've been calling this one for a long time and I think it's about time!

 

[SuperSnake2012]

I want an Intel Mac Mini already. How much longer am I gonna have to wait

 

[swingerofbirch]

how would the videos being sold currently look on a bigger screen?

i am ashamed to admit i have bought every episode of the office (i dont want to look at my credit card bill)...i have a video ipod, but i watch them on my computer so i dont have to hold the ipod and sit awkwardly.

anyhow, that is all to say that the video on the computer is pretty pixelated. just wondering how it would compare on a larger screen ipod, as you all know, it looks fine on the current video ipod since the screen resolution matches that of the videos

 

[tokin]

how would the videos being sold currently look on a bigger screen?

i am ashamed to admit i have bought every episode of the office (i dont want to look at my credit card bill)...i have a video ipod, but i watch them on my computer so i dont have to hold the ipod and sit awkwardly.

anyhow, that is all to say that the video on the computer is pretty pixelated. just wondering how it would compare on a larger screen ipod, as you all know, it looks fine on the current video ipod since the screen resolution matches that of the videos

i have bought every office episode too! that being said, i have watched them on my iPod and they look really great on there... however i do agree about the pixelation on the computer. i wish apple would make them an extra 30mb a piece so you can get less pixelation at a minimum resolution of 1280x1024

 

[texasmafia]

I think most people are failing to realize the potential for the touchscreen iPod, if it is even called an iPod.

One thing that has limited the iPod is the lack of data input. With a touchscreen this is no longer a problem. I forsee more PDA functions and obviously a totally new GUI that closely resembles OS X. I believe it will be the step between the iPod and the Apple tablet.

How much would this touchscreen go for? I'm thinking $500

 

[mambodancer]

Why?

video ipod seems like a given, but a mac mini media center with DVR? the media center bit i can buy (and would), but the DVR thing would kill itunes video sales. why would someone pay $1.99 for a video when they can just "tivo" it?

if the mini media center rears its head i think we'll see something that provides tivo-esque convenience but entirely unlike tivo itself. my fantasy island hope is itunes offers all first run content concurrent with their airings. you pay X dollars a month and indicate the shows you want to watch and they're streamed/downloaded to your media center overnight so they're instantly ready for you when you wake up the next day.

For the same reason I download from the iTunes music store when I still have an Alchemy TV DVR...sometimes I forget to record a show, most of the time it's convenient to downloaded later without the commercials, and the quality of your DVR depends on "noise" that may come across the coax cable. I can also download shows that currently are not being broadcast, etc. etc.

 

[mambodancer]

i have bought every office episode too! that being said, i have watched them on my iPod and they look really great on there... however i do agree about the pixelation on the computer. i wish apple would make them an extra 30mb a piece so you can get less pixelation at a minimum resolution of 1280x1024

Standard television doesn't broadcast at 1024 x 768. I think the best you'll get with most non-digitally broadcast shows is 640 x 480. That means that content recorded prior to the last 5 years won't be better than that. Ever.

The quality of any TV show or movie is going to be limited to the original recorded medium, and a lot of TV was recorded straight to tape. In fact, I think George Lucas' Episode I of Star Wars was the first all digital film and I don't think that was even recorded in High Def. (But I could be wrong about that)

 

[sw1tcher]

The title of this thread says "Intel iBooks, Video iPod, Digital Entertainment in April?"

Just wondering what the news is about the Intel iBooks? Didn't see any mention of it in the body of the message, yet it's in the title. Is it just that they'll be out in April?

 

[QCassidy352]

the video ipod thing does nothing for me... can't imagine wanting to watch videos on that tiny screen. But the intel mini sounds fascinating and very cool... and of course i am waiting for that ibook (or smaller macbook pro)

 

[Kingsly]

Wow, I am simply speechless at this seamless combination of arrogance and ignorance.

Good one.

I guess its already time to post my 5G for sale. Sigh.

 

[jrhone]

Most photographers shoot in JPEG. It's a waste of time shooting in RAW. If it could display JPEG then it would be a great tool for semi to pro photographers. The only photographers who would need a RAW format would be commercial photographers. Carrying around a laptop to a photo shoot is not always convenient.

Sorry, I am a pro photographer with many credits and magazine covers to my name...In my community NO ONE SHOOTS JPG.....I dont know a pro who shoots jpg....Why? Its lossy compression. It has a narrow dynamic range and you are stuck with your in camera settings....With RAW things light white balance, color spce, sharpening, tonality, all that can be optimized after the shoot and its a 16 bit format where jpg is 8 bit...Who said anything about convenient? Ever see a sports photographer carry around 3 cameras, 4 lenses, a laptop and 6 spare batteries? He is there to get the money shot and not worried about convenience....sorry, for the pro, it would never work...there are a few out there already that are selling horribly.

 

[jrhone]

What kind of camera do u use that has a 3.5" widescreen display?

I use a Nikon D2X with a 2.5" LCD....that extra inch wont do much for me.

 

[shrimpdesign]

I love all the people saying that it would smudge or that you couldn't use it with only one hand. If, and I stress IF, Apple released a touchscreen iPod, it would not smudge and you could use it with one hand. Apple makes almost perfect products, they pay attention to everything.

Apple isn't stupid enough to release an iPod that has less functionaliy than the current model. You should all know that.

Such an iPod would be all horrible what with the fingerprints all over the screen from people touching it. Also, I completely agree with whoever said that it would be very un-Apple-like. The beauty about the current iPod is that you can hold it in one hand, watch a movie, and fast forward all without your other hand. The design of this would require two hands and make it very PSP like.

What? How can you say that you can't use it with just one hand? Look at this photo:

So how exactly does the functionality change? the scroll wheel is in the same place, and you don't need two hands to use a simple scroll wheel. Even though this is a mock up ... it's probably what Apple would do. It wouldn't be an iPod if it didn't have the scroll wheel in the same or similar place.

That being said, the widescreen iPod can't ship without widescreen content on iTMS. I doubt it'll be released without movies on iTMS.

And I believe that there will be no DVR for the mini. It's not that people don't want it, it's because Apple's model is through iTMS and NOT traditional TV. Apple thinks consumers would rather download without commercials straight to a Mac mini media center rather than TiVo or DVR it. I think they might be right. We'll see.

 

[Austin.xstone]

It will be nice to have a screen, not bother with the click wheel etc. I cant help think it will be thicker though.
Slightley Off Topic - RAW does sound good, its a shame my camera can't do it

 

[NicP]

Most photographers shoot in JPEG. It's a waste of time shooting in RAW.

LOL, thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard. I suppose its a waste of time using ALAC or FLAC then too?

 

[_dob_]

What about OLED?

Anybody have an idea of what the commercially viable applications of OLEDs are at the moment? In terms of the video iPod, when you triple the screen area, and decode a larger resolution video, the battery life will take a hit.

I don't know much about OLED technology (other than what Wikipedia offers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oled), but I do understand that they use a fraction of the energy of LCDs. Also, if this iPod were to be at all practical for normal music operation, it wouldn't make any sense to turn on the whole backlight of an LCD just so you can see the top half of the screen. As I understand, OLEDs operate on an individual pixel basis with no backlight, meaning when a pixel is off, it consumes no power at all and displays true black. I'd image as a complete display its much thinner than an LCD with a backlight too, leaving more space for stronger batteries.

So how does a 3.5" OLED 640x360 touch-widescreen sound?