OSX Based iPods In August?

[AppleIntelRock]

Funny you mention that because a recent article posted here on MacRumors talks about an Apple patent for an iPod video with a touchscreen on one side and the classic Click Wheel on the other side.

I seriously doubt that. Steve is obsessive about design, and a double-sided iPod would be very... ZuGly™ (Zune/Ugly ). Personally, I find the iPhone's touch-screen to eclipse the scroll-wheel and I seriously can't imagine TWO different interfaces on who device- sounds clunky and outlandish. I think a simple inline remote could solve this problem, and would be much simpler, less expensive, and much more elegant then a two-headed iPod

 

[kenaustus]

I haven't had time to read the board, but I did note that APple is playing their annual "buy a Mac and get a free iPod" promotion for back to school. That promotion ends around Sep 16th so it seems logical that a new iPod would be announced right after that. The promotion sells a lot of Macs and clears out iPod inventory for the new line . . .

 

[pocketrockets]

I haven't had time to read the board, but I did note that APple is playing their annual "buy a Mac and get a free iPod" promotion for back to school. That promotion ends around Sep 16th so it seems logical that a new iPod would be announced right after that. The promotion sells a lot of Macs and clears out iPod inventory for the new line . . .

You're a freaking idiot. Again:

About half of you don't understand that the BTS promotion doesn't have to end for Apple to announce new iPods. The new iPods won't qualify for the rebate, yet students and educators will still buy the old one because its free! Exact same thing happened last year.

 

[cmcconkey]

I just flew on my 1st business trip with my iPhone.
Glorious.

In the airport: emailed some pix I took with the built-in camera, did some txting, fielded a couple of phone calls, entered a few new events in iCal based on the phone calls, snapped a couple more pix, checked the weather in my destination city, kept up-to-geek with macrumors... all while listening to music.
On the plane: more music and then a movie. Then a slide show, just for kicks.

And the best part?
I didn't have to take out my MacBook Pro, once (ok, besides the security check point).

Thank you Apple.

I want something like that but with the major drive space and without the annoying AT&T/Cingular part. I am quite happy with my verizon service and my chocolate.

Christopher

 

[Nym]

It's funny that some people act as if they knew what Apple is going to do or not...

"There will be no wi-fi"
"There will be no touchscreen"
"There will be no Touchscreen iPods until 2008"

I mean, no one knows if any of these things are going to happen nor when they will arrive, so, it's best to start your posts with "IMO" because that's what it is, unless you're way up in Apple's hierarchy, there's no way that you're opinion is more accurate than the guy posting above or below you.

Having said that... my prediction is that the new iPod will be touchscreen, I say this because, if you follow the logical order of things you'll realize that:

People wanted a Video iPod, they got it, however, the screen is way too small to actually watch a 2 hour movie and it just feels ackward.
Ok, so, Apple needs to make the iPod screen bigger without compromising it's size and form factor. So, my guess is that a touchscreen display will be essential to the 6G iPods, not because "it's cool" or that "it's already in the iPhone", but instead because there's a need to make the screen bigger without changing the iPod size, and Apple already has the multitouch techology so, it's only a small step to implement it in iPods too.

IMO, the new iPod will also have Wi-Fi, however, I don't think it will have a web-browser like the iPhone.
I think that the Wi-Fi in the iPod will be used to make right what "t3h Zune" got wrong.

True Wi-Fi streaming of music from another iPods, imagine that you're on the train (subway, bus, whatever) and you can go and search "shared libraries" from other iPod's around you and listen to the songs (streaming, obviously)!

This would be a killer feature, and, once again, Apple already has the technology to do this, so, it's easy to get it right.

Wi-Fi doesn't necessarily mean "Web Browser and E-Mail", but it opens the doors to YouTube, Wireless Synching, Shared iPod Libraries and a whole lotta stuff we can't even imagine.

BTW - The Front Row 2 interface idea for the iPod and the "touchscreen tapping screen commands" would be perfect

 

[peharri]

I seriously doubt that. Steve is obsessive about design, and a double-sided iPod would be very... ZuGly™ (Zune/Ugly ). Personally, I find the iPhone's touch-screen to eclipse the scroll-wheel and I seriously can't imagine TWO different interfaces on who device- sounds clunky and outlandish. I think a simple inline remote could solve this problem, and would be much simpler, less expensive, and much more elegant then a two-headed iPod

The thing that kills the inline remote (which is otherwise a good idea, for now) (aside from the fact a version needs to be made that works with third party headphones, I don't know about everyone else but I hate those ear bud things Apple gives you with a passion, and even people who like that style have different needs) is the rise of Bluetooth as an increasingly viable audio equipment interface.

Apple probably needs to set some standards so, at the very least, "previous/next"/etc buttons can be incorporated into Bluetooth equipment, not just for headsets, but for, say, car audio system front panels.

 

[tarjan]

My bet is networking will be for it to be a hard drive storage system used with your iphone. Then you can bring your music and video library with you, while keeping the iphone nice and slim.

What did I say?

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/...hod-for-iphones-and-ipods-to-chat-wirelessly/

Hard drive storage system for your iphone. Leave it in your bag and use your phone to actually listen to your music. Add in apple tv etc and you walk into your house and can access any of your media from the iphone, or maybe even have it act as a remote control on your other apple products int he house for playing video etc.