SJ squashes rumors of iPhone and Apple PDA

[MacQuest]

[Taken from O'Grady's PowerPage] http://www.powerpage.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/powerpage.woa/wa/story?newsID=11046


News from today's Steve Jobs interview in Carlsbad

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

From the User Group Dept.


No PDA in Apple's future -- their research is that people primarily want a small device which has copies of data already on their computer, make occassional small changes. He thinks iPod serves many of those people, and the new generations of cell phones will suit most of the rest. Apple is working with the phone manufacturers to be sure the data syncs.

No Apple brand cell phone. He thinks existing phone makers are too good, Apple can't add enough value.

Not much of a market for watching movies or showing photos on iPods or other small devices. Screen too small until someone invents a great folding screen. However he does see potential to use small device to drive a TV as the presentation vehicle.

Major push with iTunes and music. 3 million purchased so far, half the tracks sold as albums. More being loaded all the time onto the servers.

 

[MacQuest]

From the news report above:

"However he [SJ] does see potential to use small device to drive a TV as the presentation vehicle."

I call "iPad" [tablet device] !!

 

[DreaminDirector]

here we go again.....

It would be nice if Apple had a phone.


Oh well, let the PDA/No PDA fight begin...

 

[alset]

If nothing else, we can be glad Apple isn't spreading itself thin. Silver lining in everything, right?

Dan

 

[Nermal]

I'd much rather have a 970

 

[stefman]

O.K.

At least I don't have to wait anymore for an Apple phone and I can get the new Sony Ericsson T610!

 

[mim]

Originally posted by DreaminDirector
here we go again.....

It would be nice if Apple had a phone.


Oh well, let the PDA/No PDA fight begin...

Heh. No PDA doesn't mean no tablet

I think he's right about the PDA - some of the newer 3G phones have the same functionality and features as recent pda's. A tablet is a whole 'nother beast though. I'd be suprised if it wasn't possible to take the innards of a current iBook - minus optical drive and keyboard, and with a smaller form factor hd - and cram it into an A5 sized case. This would be a pretty valuable tool I thinks, especially if it could be used as a remote display for a desktop as well.

I'm guessing if something like this is not presented in conjunction with Pather's multiple graphical log-on's, we'll never see it. I'm sure the rumors would continue forever though...

 

[gotohamish]

Does anyone think Steve sees a '970', perhaps running a 'vehicle' call 'PowerMac' or even 'xMac', 'XPowerMac' - that would make me laugh...

 

[Arcady]

Ever since Jason posted a picture of his underwear wrapped around a PowerBook as his rendition of an iBook, I haven't listened to his silly site. It belongs in the same bin as MOSR - nonsense.

His latest ugly disco version doesn't even let you post comments - after the backlash to his fugly site...

 

[Pancake]

I still hold out hope for a Mac Tablet.

I also think Apple could do a revamp of a rotary phone. The Roto-Mac 970!!!

 

[RandomDeadHead]

Bummer.


I think All of us knew deep down in our hearts that Apple would never make a phone.

 

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Seriously - I'm GLAD that Apple aren't going near the phone manufacturing market.

How many mobile phones have you had over the years? Remember your FIRST one? You thought it was soooo cool (MY first mobile looked like a BRICK!)...

Apple KNOW the importance of aesthetics. You only have to take one look at their range of products to see that. It seems that every 5 minutes Nokia, Ericsson or some other mobile phone company are upgrading, to keep in line with the latest trends. It's a never-ending process, and a pretty fruitless task.

It seems the majority of mobile phone users are fickle - no sooner do they get the latest and greatest, when they find that the NEXT generation has more bells and whistles on it - and so the cycle continues...

If Apple made a mobile phone (even IF it were the dog's bollix at the time), it wouldn't be long before it were discarded into the box at the local mobile phone store, placed there for unwanted second-hand phones to be recycled for use in a 3rd World country.

And THAT'S not how Apple products should be treated.

 

[Thanatoast]

However he does see potential to use small device to drive a TV as the presentation vehicle.

An ipod able to display keynote files? That would be neat.

 

[The Shadow]

MacQuest - you can still quote me !

I for one, stick to my much maligned prediction of some months ago, amongst all the excitement, that Apple should not bring out a PDA or a Tablet, as either might be a quote "big fat belly flop".

Good to see that while Steve clearly did not rule out a tablet, he is at least being considerate of whether they should get into markets where they cannot add considerable value.

Always presuming, IMHO, that Steve is not actually a personal fan of my posts.

P.S. Please, please, noone make a reply! Go easy.

 

[deepkid]

Re: SJ squashes rumors of iPhone and Apple PDA

Originally posted by MacQuest


No PDA in Apple's future --

No Apple brand cell phone.

Not much of a market for watching movies or showing photos on iPods or other small devices.

I hope this will cure some of the mental illness that permeates discussion boards, articles and op-ed columns about what Apple is set to release.

If you go on ranting about a PDA/Phone/Vpod after this quote, then you need your local insane asylum.

It's ok to get excited dreaming about what may come, but don't keep banging your head against the wall in anger for what's not here today.

 

[gotohamish]

Originally posted by Thanatoast
An ipod able to display keynote files? That would be neat.

Yeah, perhaps cool. But it won't happen. People are happy to take laptops, and no one does enough presentations that they would sell enough.

 

[ssamani]

Re: SJ squashes rumors of iPhone and Apple PDA

Originally posted by MacQuest
Major push with iTunes and music. 3 million purchased so far, half the tracks sold as albums. More being loaded all the time onto the servers.

The 3million is confirmed by an Apple spokesman in this updated article about internet streaming being removed from iTunes:

http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/05/27/itunes/

 

[visor]

Very well

I am glad that Apple doesn't mess with current Phone makers. Indeed the marked is pretty overcrowded, and things even get messier with standarts beeing differnetly implemented.
#
Right now, developing for handsets is much worse than creating html durig the climax of NS/MSIE war.
No need to have another player making noise.

As for PDA - I'm almost happy with the iPod as a PDA replacement. It's got hat big HD - thats important, and it's small and handy.
The only thing lacking is the ability to input and edit short texts.
When on the move, I'd like to just be able to add a phone number to the adresslist, make an entry on the Calendar or edit a bit in song descriptions

I'd settle for a clip on input device that connects to the firewire interface.

 

[P-Worm]

Originally posted by kiwi_the_iwik
Seriously - I'm GLAD that Apple aren't going near the phone manufacturing market.

How many mobile phones have you had over the years? Remember your FIRST one? You thought it was soooo cool (MY first mobile looked like a BRICK!)...

Apple KNOW the importance of aesthetics. You only have to take one look at their range of products to see that. It seems that every 5 minutes Nokia, Ericsson or some other mobile phone company are upgrading, to keep in line with the latest trends. It's a never-ending process, and a pretty fruitless task.

It seems the majority of mobile phone users are fickle - no sooner do they get the latest and greatest, when they find that the NEXT generation has more bells and whistles on it - and so the cycle continues...

If Apple made a mobile phone (even IF it were the dog's bollix at the time), it wouldn't be long before it were discarded into the box at the local mobile phone store, placed there for unwanted second-hand phones to be recycled for use in a 3rd World country.

And THAT'S not how Apple products should be treated.

I think that this is a very valid argument. Apple is known for making trends, not keeping up with them.

P-Worm

 

[insidedanshead]

Originally posted by kiwi_the_iwik
Seriously - I'm GLAD that Apple aren't going near the phone manufacturing market.

How many mobile phones have you had over the years? Remember your FIRST one? You thought it was soooo cool (MY first mobile looked like a BRICK!)...

Apple KNOW the importance of aesthetics. You only have to take one look at their range of products to see that. It seems that every 5 minutes Nokia, Ericsson or some other mobile phone company are upgrading, to keep in line with the latest trends. It's a never-ending process, and a pretty fruitless task.

It seems the majority of mobile phone users are fickle - no sooner do they get the latest and greatest, when they find that the NEXT generation has more bells and whistles on it - and so the cycle continues...

If Apple made a mobile phone (even IF it were the dog's bollix at the time), it wouldn't be long before it were discarded into the box at the local mobile phone store, placed there for unwanted second-hand phones to be recycled for use in a 3rd World country.

And THAT'S not how Apple products should be treated.

Beautifuly put. It's hard to sum it all up better than this. A lot of my friends and family work for various mobile phone places around the area and EVERYDAY they tell me of this newer bigger badder phone and everday this bigger badder phone had something twice as bigger and badder than yesterday's phone, follow? ha. Apple wouldn't be able to keep up. Companies like sonyericsson, nokia, samsung spend millions in r&d and devote all resources to cell phones.. apple just needs to leave it up to them to provide awesome mobile phones which they are doing already and concentrate on making OS X integrate well with them. An apple phone would LOOK great but I am glad to hear they aren't risking lots of money by entering this market.

 

[mangoman]

Oh, jeez, the monster's head surfaces...

*sigh*, I'd STILL -- at least -- like to see some input ability with the iPod. Is that so much to ask?

Boohoohoo,

mm

 

[ac2102]

Stick to your guns...

I personally think that Apple should stick to what it does best, making awesome computers. The 970 should be a priority, not spreading their market. Mac OSX and is still what drives apple.

Having said that, the iPod has taken the MP3 market by storm....

 

[Jerry Spoon]

Re: Very well

Originally posted by visor
As for PDA - I'm almost happy with the iPod as a PDA replacement. It's got hat big HD - thats important, and it's small and handy.
The only thing lacking is the ability to input and edit short texts.
When on the move, I'd like to just be able to add a phone number to the adresslist, make an entry on the Calendar or edit a bit in song descriptions

ALMOST is the important word here. I'd really like the power to input info too in the iPod. Unfortunately, until that happens, I'm sitting here with no iPod and no PDA and too stubborn to spend the money on either with what is out there.

 

[mangoman]

Re: Re: Very well

Originally posted by Jerry Spoon
ALMOST is the important word here. I'd really like the power to input info too in the iPod. Unfortunately, until that happens, I'm sitting here with no iPod and no PDA and too stubborn to spend the money on either with what is out there.

Exactly. Preach on, brothah!

 

[cubist]

It should be "quashes" rumors, not "squashes" them.