Alas, the Apple Remote provides only minimal play and volume control for the Universal Dock (or uniDock as I call it). And, apparently, the 'Menu' button only works to pair the Remote with the Universal Dock (or uniDock as I'll call it)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1827
While nice, it's a missed opportunity for full remote control in IMHO. My fictional dream spec for full control would be based on the following stupendously original button mapping:
- Vol + = Up
- Rewind = Left
- Vol - = Down
- Menu = Menu
- Came with the image, IR port if you care.
- Fast Forward = Right
- Play/Pause = Select/Go
- Button Battery = Button Battery
Buttons explained:
- Menu: move to parent Menu of current list or playing media
- >||: enter/play current selection
- +: up one in current location
- : down one in current location
- |<<: do nothing OR same as Menu (ie. left/out to parent current location)
- >>|: do nothing OR same as >|| (ie. right/in to child of current location )
Even extends to iPod Touch/iPhone where the top level media "channels" are buttons at bottom, not just the top level list.
At the top of a "Channel" list,
Menu would shift focus to the Channel buttons list.
|<< (left) or
>>| (right) to shift to desired button,
>|| to select/enter.
Since Touch/iPhone interface doesn't automatically select the first item in a list, press
- (down) to start with the top item.
Nice thing is this could mimic fairly closely to standard user experience of normal iPod touch wheel nav, and use of the cardinal directions of the Remote "Ring" would be fairly easy to pick up.
BIG BONUS:
When in menus, show ipod screen on tv (as-is is fine, don't need new interface unless they
want to get all nice and front row like which would be sooooo Apple of them)
How hard could that be? *sarcasm*
Probly just a code rewrite, firmware update, new hardware and complete restructuring of the iPod architecture, right?
See, simple!