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Touch Screen iPod Nanos?
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Is this the new "I heard from a friend"?Cliff Edwards said:
This is why I think the click wheel iPod nano will stay for at least some time. An iPod nano touch (I'd like it) would be at most an addition to the current iPod lineup, and not (yet) a replacement for the iPod nano.
- The rumored upcoming iPod nanos appear to be click wheel-based (no sign of touchscreen)
- Some tasks are much easier to do with a click wheel than with a touchscreen
- Apple just updated/redesigned their UI for the nano and touch. If Apple was going to discontinue those iPods, would they have made a new UI?
- A touchscreen may be too expensive over a click wheel for the lower price segments
I think quite definitely what we're hearing about is a "nano" model of the iPod touch, one of 2 new models that we'll see as part of the overdue iPod touch refresh.
There is no way it will be an iPhone. Too small. Only iPhone update will be new colors for Christmas with possibly a 32 gig black.
iPod will be 8 gig for the small touch, 16 or 32 for the large touch.
My question is how could a smaller touch screen device take advantage of current apps? 99% of current apps (including Apple apps) demand every inch of screen space to be usable.
20% screen size reduction or more would be totally useless.
Maybe same screen with even less physical casing ie: no home button or sensor sections?
There is no way it will be an iPhone. Too small. Only iPhone update will be new colors for Christmas with possibly a 32 gig black.
iPod will be 8 gig for the small touch, 16 or 32 for the large touch.
My question is how could a smaller touch screen device take advantage of current apps? 99% of current apps (including Apple apps) demand every inch of screen space to be usable.
20% screen size reduction or more would be totally useless.
Maybe same screen with even less physical casing ie: no home button or sensor sections?
Couple of thoughts:
1. Who says the device the guy saw in the wild was even made by Apple? Surely other companies have black nano-sized MP3 players with touch screens.
2. Regarding touch screen vs scroll wheel: why not have both? A virtual scroll wheel displayed on screen, and you roll your thumb in circles as if you were spinning the wheel. Later incarnations of the scroll wheels used a touchpad anyway instead of an actual mechanical wheel. Then you can choose your interface: scroll wheel, linear list, cover flow.
3. iPhone shuffle -- nice. Does it pick someone to call randomly from your contact list?
1. Who says the device the guy saw in the wild was even made by Apple? Surely other companies have black nano-sized MP3 players with touch screens.
2. Regarding touch screen vs scroll wheel: why not have both? A virtual scroll wheel displayed on screen, and you roll your thumb in circles as if you were spinning the wheel. Later incarnations of the scroll wheels used a touchpad anyway instead of an actual mechanical wheel. Then you can choose your interface: scroll wheel, linear list, cover flow.
3. iPhone shuffle -- nice. Does it pick someone to call randomly from your contact list?
Easy now, that's a mockup that's been kicking around for a year. Notice how it identifies "Cingular" as the carrier?
Probably won't happen, no point in creating a new interface if you're just going to emulate the old interface with it. What's really missing is the tactile feedback. Operating the Touch while engaged in an activity where you can't really look at it is a pain. At the gym, running, driving, or even just out in the cold and you don't want to pull it out of your pocket. The tactile clicking is what makes it user friendly in these situations, and the Touch fails here. How to fix that? An iPod Touch Nano with iPod Shuffle controls on the chin? Might work.
Couple of thoughts:
1. Who says the device the guy saw in the wild was even made by Apple? Surely other companies have black nano-sized MP3 players with touch screens.
2. Regarding touch screen vs scroll wheel: why not have both? A virtual scroll wheel displayed on screen, and you roll your thumb in circles as if you were spinning the wheel. Later incarnations of the scroll wheels used a touchpad anyway instead of an actual mechanical wheel. Then you can choose your interface: scroll wheel, linear list, cover flow.
3. iPhone shuffle -- nice. Does it pick someone to call randomly from your contact list?
1. Whats the guarantee its not a hoax!
2. That really wont be a good idea!
3. LOL. Im sure it'd be great in boredom! LOL
I need to buy an new Nano in the coming months. I sure hope that it's touchscreen instead of "tall plus click wheel" because the picture of that looked uncomfortable to hold. Plus I just like touch so much.
if there was an iPod Nano with Touch capabilities, I would picture it like this picture. it would have a scroll wheel that could pop up on the screen so that you could scroll through music and videos, and go away when watching videos or music, but then reappear as soon as your finger touched the screen so that you could move through a video or song.
EDIT: i did a google search, and eventually found what i was imagining. I attached what it looks like.
EDIT: i did a google search, and eventually found what i was imagining. I attached what it looks like.
Attachments
Dudes... I think what they saw was the super secrete "Zune Feel Micro". It's a new rumored innovation out of Redmond.
Personally, I think Apple would want to change over to the touch screen for all iPods. It makes sense to have an updatable user interface on all the devices and no physical parts to break. Plus... toss in WiFi and applications (which no other MP3 player can even come closer to right now) and now the iPod is miles ahead of the competition.
MP3 and Movie Player, wireless music sharing, Games, custom applications... need I say more???
Personally, I think Apple would want to change over to the touch screen for all iPods. It makes sense to have an updatable user interface on all the devices and no physical parts to break. Plus... toss in WiFi and applications (which no other MP3 player can even come closer to right now) and now the iPod is miles ahead of the competition.
MP3 and Movie Player, wireless music sharing, Games, custom applications... need I say more???
Now touch has come along, which has better potential, but with the iPhone we're back to the bloody linear scrolling model and so large lists - particularly non-alphabetised ones - become very laborious to navigate...
Besides needing the obvious iPod search on iPhone (I know I've said that 1000 times), why can't they add a virtual scrollwheel option?
Which is exactly why iPod song navigation has stepped backwards with iPhone.
Index. Oops, I'm sorry, didn't mean to pop your bubble.
I agree about tactile controls--with buttons on the edge like iPhone being one solution.
And I agree about price: that would be one reason to see the nano stick around with a wheel. It could get cheaper than today, cheaper than a touch version could be. On the other hand, Apple does want to push this touch platform, and the Shuffle is still there on the cheap end.
Apple has solved that in a much better way than a clickwheel--but we've only seen it (AFAIK) in the Remote app, which is better in several ways than the current touch iPod app.
Alphabetic lists are already easier on a touch than with a wheel: tap a letter to get in the area, then scroll (with physical coasting) to zero in. Much less chance of overshooting, and MUCH quicker to get through a long list. I like my wheel iPod--it's WAY better than lifting your thumb endlessly on the scroll wheels/strips/buttons of other brands--but it's not the ultimate answer.
So now, with Remote, Apple has brought that same instant scrolling to non-alpha lists, via a row of dots on the right side. Move your thumb up and down the edge (like a computer scrollbar really) to quickly scan the entire list. Flick to zero in.
And I agree about price: that would be one reason to see the nano stick around with a wheel. It could get cheaper than today, cheaper than a touch version could be. On the other hand, Apple does want to push this touch platform, and the Shuffle is still there on the cheap end.
What's funny is that the click wheel was invented to solve the problem of having to keep moving your thumb again and again (like using a mouse to scroll a very large area so that it always moves to the edge of the desk and has to be replaced). It was an elegant solution, since moving your thumb around in a circle is infinite.
Now touch has come along, which has better potential, but with the iPhone we're back to the bloody linear scrolling model and so large lists - particularly non-alphabetised ones - become very laborious to navigate...
Apple has solved that in a much better way than a clickwheel--but we've only seen it (AFAIK) in the Remote app, which is better in several ways than the current touch iPod app.
Alphabetic lists are already easier on a touch than with a wheel: tap a letter to get in the area, then scroll (with physical coasting) to zero in. Much less chance of overshooting, and MUCH quicker to get through a long list. I like my wheel iPod--it's WAY better than lifting your thumb endlessly on the scroll wheels/strips/buttons of other brands--but it's not the ultimate answer.
So now, with Remote, Apple has brought that same instant scrolling to non-alpha lists, via a row of dots on the right side. Move your thumb up and down the edge (like a computer scrollbar really) to quickly scan the entire list. Flick to zero in.
That's odd, last night I got this email from the xskn case guys, who sent around some fairly accurate case descriptions for the iPhone 3G before it came out
4th Gen iPod nano to be touchscreen
Take it with a big grain of salt but I tend to believe these guys.
4th Gen iPod nano to be touchscreen
Take it with a big grain of salt but I tend to believe these guys.
An app like this already exists for jailbroken iPod touches and iPhones, and it works well. It's called PocketTouch. There is a beta for firmware 2.0, I believe. See here for info: http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46238&pockettouch .
But Steve Jobs hates buttons, thats why there are always so few on his devices.
I think a more likely scenario is adding haptic feedback to the Touch and iPhone.
I do like the jailbroken touch screen solution which would be cheaper to implement.
I, for one, can't think of a single reason not to believe an email from iDealsChina.com
Hence the turtlenecks. Probably has velcro jeans too.
The rear touch area is nonsense, and even if it was real, this is a family-friendly forum and any discussion of the possible applications of that iPhone Shuffle in conjunction with a rear-touch area is probably not appropriate!
:O apple actually tests its ipods?!?! why didn't they do that for the macbook pros. so many problems still exist and they didn't fix them for the duration of the 5 year old design. now their just gonna give up and move on to a new design soon.
What he saw
If he actually saw something like he described then it was likely a Samsung P2. It is about the size of the previous nanos and has a touch screen, it's actually looks like a pretty nice player.
If he actually saw something like he described then it was likely a Samsung P2. It is about the size of the previous nanos and has a touch screen, it's actually looks like a pretty nice player.
Certainly possible:
http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/images/full_reviews/samsung/p2/holding_big1.jpg
The likelihood of a smaller Touch/"touch Nano" happening, to me, is more from looking at what Apple has done and where they might go. The "when" is up in the air, and this particular eye-witness report holds little value by itself.
In other words, a (gasp) rumor!
Agreed. I have a Touch and, like everyone else, I find the music UI incredibly clumsy. Too bad too, because it has so many other capabilities worth carrying around.
Rumors are generally more reliable than speculation. Rumors generally come from insider sources while speculation is just guesswork.In other words, a (gasp) rumor!