New iPod Revision?

[smashedapart]

Has anyone given thought to the idea that maybe this new enclosure rumor actually pertains to a revision to the iPod? We're approaching the 9th month without an iPod revision, and the retail channel appears to be almost completely cleared of current stock. Maybe Apple is getting ready to release a successor to the iPod?

It almost makes sense...the lack of updates is strange considering Apple was really quick to jump on the availability of new Toshiba hard drives for previous updates. The current round (30 and 40 gig models) have been available to OEM's since late January if I'm not mistaken. I think that the next version of the iPod will be expanded to do more things...even though I think this is a bad idea, I can't help but think that Apple will want to put their own spin on the "video-in-your-pocket" market that's starting to emerge.

 

[NavyIntel007]

5x7 is too big to be an iPod. It has to be something else.

 

[Thanatoast]

But it is about the right size to be a movie player. Think of all those portable DVD players you see at electronics stores. Now apple can put out a movie-playing ipod. With a 40 gig drive you could rip how many movies from DVD? A couple at least. It'd be a video ipod. Pretty neat if you ask me.

 

[smashedapart]

Without a G4, and with no optical drive, this thing would have a hard time doing what you describe. I seriously doubt that Apple would try to cram a G4 into something so small...the heat dissipation (or lack there of, rather) would cause some serious issues. Add to that the fact that ripping DVDs still faces even more legal problems than ripping mp3s, and the fact that ripping on anything but a G4 takes forever, and you're back to square one.

I know the size is too large to be an iPod, which is why I'm hoping I'm wrong on this, but what if this is the video-enabled version that people keep yacking about? I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't...but I'm confused as to what it is or will be. I just don't see a market for a video-enabled portable device. The timing isn't right.

 

[Thanatoast]

About your concerns on it's capabilities. Just like an ipod, it wouldn't be expected to work without a comoputer to back it up. You plug your ipod in to sync with itunes, and you would plug your vpod in to sync with itunes? quicktime? Just another mass media storage device, really. It only needs enough power to play the videos.

And maybe an itunes visualization.