Apple To Introduce Video iPod?

xombo writes "iPoding and Mac Rumors as well as eWeek newsletter and Reuters seem to think that Apple will be introducing either a video-capable iPod -or- even better a Tablet Mac which may run into direct competition with Microsoft's similar product. "The one thing you can say for sure is that they do have a lot of product out there right now and they're going to be hesitant to draw too much attention away from their existing products" by introducing new ones now, said Roger Kay, an analyst at market research firm International Data Corp. Instead, Apple may unveil the long-anticipated video-enabled iPod, which will likely work initially only on Macintosh computers, Enderle said. Apple's existing inkwell and Newton technologies seem to make them in the perfect position to take on Microsoft in what could be the biggest battle for the most worthless market sector (Tablet PCs), however as a Newton owner I think that the some-what-larger-than-Palm device size that the Newton line sported is much more user friendly and usable. Read the Reuters article at reuters.." It'd be nice, but I'm skeptical on it actually being that.

Comments

Two words: Apple. Rumors.

[UncleAlias]

Thank you for playing.

(Gotta love Macworld Expo...)

Hypocritical?

[m00nun1t]

It's interesting when MS released the tablet, the majority of /. said "ho hum". Now, when there is a rumour about Apple releasing a tablet, the comment is..

"...-or- even better a Tablet Mac which may run into direct competition with Microsoft's similar product..."

Why is Apple releasing a tablet so great if the idea of a tablet is so dull? Is this just MS bashing in disguise - "it is competing with Microsoft so it must be good". Constantly comparing yourself to the competition is a great way to give them credibility.

Re:Hypocritical?

[Alan Partridge]

have you ever played with one of these "tablet" PCs? They're FAR too big/heavy/fragile to make any sense. Something with and 8-9" screen (800x600?) and half to a third of the weight is what's required. Tablet PCs are just notebooks with more expensive screens!

Re:Hypocritical?

[marcsiry]

I'd think it's more along the lines of a recognition that when Apple finally does something in a market segment, it's usually well designed and elegant.

There were tons of LCD all-in-ones- even that IBM machine, with the arm holding the screen- but the flat-panel iMac integrated the components in a way that surpassed them all in terms of utility and aesthetics (if you don't agree, you probably haven't seen/fiddled with one).

There's plenty of hard-drive MP3 players around- so why has "iPod" become almost synonymous with "portable music player?" It's because the ingenious scroll wheel and interface of Apple's machine- after about sixty seconds of messing with it, you're whipping through those menus like a pro and giggling with delight. I'm embarrassed to say it's a bit intoxicating (and I don't even own one; I play with them in stores). Every other MP3 player I've used is a confusing muddle of mode buttons and flashing LCD messages.

Conversely, one can see Microsoft's usual lack of consideration in Pocket PC's (and presumably their Tablets- I haven't seen one). It's basically "big Windows," with all the annoying interface doo-dads crammed onto a teeny screen. Does having four one-inch square windows with scroll bars on a handheld screen really serve the user?

In contrast, the Newton's interface was a dream- and that was the Neanderthal of handhelds! The expectation of an Apple tablet is that it will deliver the holy grail of tablet computing- easy usability with a pen only. Apple's reliance on its iSync technology to get all the information from its keyboard-enabled computers into your peripheral devices could be a major part of that plan.

As usual, the expectations of what Apple will deliver may not meet up with the reality. However, they have had enough successes in the past to continue to generate excitement.

Re:Hypocritical?

[Melantha_Bacchae]

Zinob wrote:

> Most PC users can say "my computer is MUCH faster
> then yours" and think thats an argument, but no, a
> (true) Mac-user can hug his 5 years old Performa
> and say "yes but i love this machine" and truly
> mean it.

That's because Apple understands their customers as human beings, and gives them what they need to become emotionally involved with their computer. To a Mac user, the Mac is like a lovingly handcrafted tool, almost a partner in computing. To the user of the average cheap mass produced PC running Windows, the number (the speed) is the only thing important. If the PC user has any emotional involvement at all, it is to swear and fume at Windows.

Mind you, with custom and home built PCs and alternate operating systems, this is starting to change. Now you can build a PC up from components (perhaps even scratch building the case), and make a custom copy of the operating system. In the person who has handcrafted his/her PC and compiled their Linux kernel, I would expect to see some emotional involvement.

> There are rumors about Steve Jobs adding some
> of his blood to the Silicon and casting dark
> spells over the CPU:s to enchant users using a
> Mac long enough

He does no such thing! If there is anything mystical about a Mac at all, it is the blessing of Mothra, for peace and happiness.

"No one's going to die, mister. Mothra's going to come and save us."
Taiki Goto, "Mothra", December 14, 1996
(Released in Japan six days before Apple's surprise announcement of the return of Steve Jobs.)

Re:Have faith

[Alan Partridge]

I would absolutely LOVE Apple to bring out a small tablet machine. Something with a sub 8" screen, Newton handwriting recog, OSX, Airport and/or Bluetooth would be the ideal machine for me. Handhelds aren't there yet, but notebooks and tablet-notebooks are all wrong. I KNOW Apple could make such a device better than anyone else, after all, it'd be little different to an iBook sans optical drive, with a 1.8 inch HD instead of a 2.5 and a touchscreen replacing both the screen and keyboard.

Are you listening Apple? I'd actually BUY one at $1000 or less.

Tomorrow.

Whats wrong mith M$s tablet?

[Cyno01]

Whats wrong mith M$s tablet? I thnk they did a fine job, i played around with one at circuitccity and the hadwriting recognition is amazing. Micorsoft put out a quality product for once, but unffortunately, its too expensive and is really only a niche market.

Accessory...

[lennart78]

I won't go about watching any video-material on a few square cm. display with poor color depth and/or lighting. Besides, it will probably consume a /lot/ of batteries...

The only way to experience video anyway near pleasantly would be through a head-mounted projection display. This will, however, seriously reduce your movement and reaction capablities, but still...

Still, I think I'll pass and stick to good 'ole audio instead...

What I'd like to see (but probably won't)

[mojofilter]

Investment in those who are supporting the platform through thick and thin, by buying them out and/or paying for more aggressive development. First, sink funding and other technical resources into finishing Chimera and maintaining it as the default OS X browser. Consider buying or subsidizing OmniGroup for their nonbrowser products to make peace and calm fears. Buy or fund the Watson folks to both enhance Sherlock and continue work on their Sherlock companion. Bundle basic functions into Sherlock -- build Watson into a more feature rich extension of .Mac services for those who ante up the $100 a year. Buy and bury Quark for good. QXP5 is terrible and the lack of an OS X product is hurting adoption rates of X and new hardware purchases. Release an OS X version of QPX6 as a glorified conversion tool to InDesign. Announce the EOF of QXP, put the last nail in the Quark coffin and embrace Adobe as a strategic partner. Further work on iSync to make it the defacto desktop synchronization tool for all Palm OS devices. Create a universal ease to using Palms, Handsprings and Clies to shore up defection from those companies customers to bargain basement Pocket PCs. Any enemy of Microsoft is a friend of Apple. Develop a TiVo and/or Replay connectivity application by purchasing or funding El Gato's EyeTV project. Don't take the time and efffort to develop a competing product when you can add the value and fuctionality end users want by working with an existing DVR hardware vendor. Apple will capture significantly more revenue if they can get just 10% of TiVo and Replay's customer base to buy a Mac by bundling innovative software than they ever will competing in an already crowded, low margin device market. Add value for an already enthusiastic customer base rather than take the R&D hit reinventing the wheel. Most early adopters have already invested in TiVo or Replay. Likewise, most are probably unwilling to abandon those in favor of a similar product from Apple. Apple needs to reward developers to encourage new ones and the formation of corporate alliances will give more customer contact with potential "switchers."

Re:What I'd like to see (but probably won't)

[Drakonian]

There are a lot of rumors of an Apple branded Web browser, based on Chimera (Gecko). Who knows if it will be released tomorrow, but it is likely to be in the pipe.

Newton form factor?

[Morky]

however as a Newton owner I think that the some-what-larger-than-Palm device size that the Newton line sported is much more user friendly and usable.

The reason the Palm became popular was it was first out with the correct form factor. You couldn't carry a Newton in your pocket, so the appeal was very limited. If Newton had been the size of a Palm, it would have become popular. Palm's licensing of the OS also had an effect, but it was the convenience of the size that made it take off.

Re:Table PCs et all will not be a factor for years

[money_shot]

I do software development for the government focused on training and tracking. We take tablet PCs and Pocket PCs very seriously for this type of work... in fact we are already doing enterprise level R&D with them as a target platform. Remember, the government collects a lot of information about things and then must manage it. This is easier said that done...

iTunes-iPod ... so ... *iPhoto*-???

[Malic]

I think the rumor mills are hearing the truth but misinterpreting it. A video screen (say 6-inch diag.) iPod like device as a portable photo album could be slick.

Don't think "QuickTime in your hand" think "iPhoto in your hand".

Re:iTunes-iPod ... so ... *iPhoto*-???

[Malic]

Are you kidding? I'm not just talking about family photos. Imagine maps, scanned handwritten notes, thumbnail concepts for client work, or any other "graphic page" type information in your hand.

Messing with the iPod...

[Toy G]

... Apple should give a try to this "BluePod" concept before burying itself under the "portable video" idea. I mean, nobody really ever wanted video-capable cellphones (ready from almost 5 years) basically because watching coloured stuff moving on a oh-so-small screen isn't exactly a great experience. A video-iPod wouldn't be different.

Apple is great in "thinking different", opening new markets. The "TabletPC" or "portable video" concepts are old things that no one still proved profitable.

Re:Messing with the iPod...

[Twirlip of the Mists]

Apple should give a try to this "BluePod" concept

Um. The guy who wrote that Register article doesn't have a very good understanding of how Bluetooth works. Before two devices can interoperate, they have to be paired. It's a security sort of thing. Besides, if you were sitting on a train listening to your iPod with Bluetooth-- somehow getting around the sharing problem-- about 25 people would be in range to access your device. Bluetooth is incredibly short-range.

This is not a good idea.

Video iPod? My wish list

[Dark Paladin]

I don't think a video iPod would be a bad thing - personally, I'd like a Palm style PDA with the 5 to 20 G drive inside - that way, I can store all my ebooks (yes, 16 MB has now become too small - thanks, Tolkein and Rowling!), documents, etc.

But for video - something to watch sitting at the couch ("What's that dear? You want me to sit on the couch and watch Pride and Prejudice with you again? Well, that's fine - I'll put Utena on the handheld."). Here's what I'd like to see:

1. A decent DVD ripper. Theoretically, if Apple made it so it only ripped the video to the handheld, they might - just might - avoid the legal entanglements. I know - I'm smoking crack just thinking about it, but this is a wish list. I'd like to stick a DVD into a tray in my Powermac, have it ripped to a 1 to 2 G MP4 file (including subtitles/optional languages taken care of - yes, I'm an anime geek fan, who asked you), then placed on the portable.

2. 802.11/Bluetooth support - yes, that would make copying a 1 G file a long time - but if we're assuming this also does MP3's as well, then I'm just putting the unit in the same room and synching up. Or "streaming" video/music from somewhere else. (Could be used as part of Apple's Digital Hub theory.)

Without turning this into a full fledged PDA, I can't think of what else I'd really like to see. (Well, unless you really want to make me a Gameboy Advance with a 1 G hard drive to cache ROM images of all my games so I don't have to swap cartidges - wait, there's that crack pipe again, my bad.)

both will flop

[asv108]

These are just rumors and probably untrue, but if they are true I think both ideas will flop. A tablet pc is currently only viable where people need to stand up, people will not be trading in their laptops anytime soon. 2 years from now, we will all be laughing about the "tablet pc revolution."

As far as the video i-pod is concerned, the market for such a thing would be so small. While MP3 is on just about everyone's computer, a large percentage of users are not downloading movies or editing video, mostly due to cost and bandwidth restrictions. The learning curve doesn't help either. The other reason why a vid-pod would fail is the experience would such, nobody wants to watch video on such a small screen, especially mac users who probably already have a ibook or tibook. The people who don't have laptops may be interested, but they will correctly reason that they shouldn't by such a toy, when they can save x amount of dollars more and get a full fledged laptop.

Re:both will flop

[veddermatic]

You sir are incorrect. I have a TiBook, and I love it.. I would also be the first in line for a Mac Tablet computer. Why? two reasons:

1) being able to write (not type) is wonderful.. esp. for adding diagrams and such to notes, something I miss sorely, and perhaps the *only* reason I still keep pen and paper around.

2) Being able to draw on-screen in the wet-dream of every designer / artist out there. And guess what, us "art-fags" like Macs. =) Wacom offers the Cintiq , a tablet that pipes your display to itself, but if for a couple hundred buck more, I can get a whole machine that runs OS X, hells yeah!!

iTablet Confirmed: here's some details

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's the low down on the iTablet. Its the about the same form factor and style as the iBook, except its 1 cm thick. It's internal configuration is based on a G4 and the bus config is simmilar to the powerbook. There is no CD/DVD player built in. In fact there is only a single (enhanced) fire connector in the lower right corner, which connects to the power adapter. The power adapter doubles as a "dock", having two USB connections, a fire wire port, and ethernet port, and a video out. An optional seperate blue-tooth keyboard is available. a CD rom can be attatched via the firewire port on the body or the dock.

At the desk, the tablet can be set in a lucite cradle with matching fire-wire plug, making it look a lot like a 14" apple studio display. On the go, just pluck it from the lucite base and go. The screen is pressure sensitive when using the battery powered stylus. There are no buttons at all on the device. The computer is turned on or brought out of sleep by placing your hand palm down on the screen. This also serves as a biometric password based on finger lengths and palm shape (if enabled).

the case is nominally white, but fiber optic LEDs allow the case to take on hues from red to blue. The case flashes as an alert signal which can be enabled in the network panel to flash when the Airport locates a rendevouz enabled signal, or when new mail arrives, or an iCal appointment alarm is set.

It will come with new version of apple remote desktop which will enable it to act as a hand held remote screen and input device for a central server. This enables it to be the "remote control" for the digital hub: watch movies on it, or control your music system, Sync your blue-tooth phone, etc....

I've heard the price point will be in the low $2000 range.
Disclaimer: Sorry, I cant tell you how I know this. But (hint) I'm out of a job and looking for work. post below if you might have a job for a power systems electical engineer.

Slightly Off Topic - Tablets Aren't Worthless

[ytsejam-ppc]

"most worthless market sector (Tablet PCs)"

I hate to post an opposing opinion, but I have had my Compaq TC1000 TabletPC for nearly a month now, and it has truly revolutionized the way I use computers. As a laptop, it is powerful enough to run SQL Server 2000, IIS and Visual Studio.Net, allowing me to have a full development environment with me wherever I go.

As a tablet, I have learned to keep handwritten notes and sketches of my architectural meetings, which are later searchable without having to convert them to text first. It records voice dictation for small notes, and does nearly flawless speech recognition for larger documents. Every way I want to use this computer is covered, with and without keyboard or pen.

It is small enough to throw into any carrying bag you need it to fit in, and the resolution of 1024x768 is extremely crisp and clear, especially using the Clear Type feature of XP.

I think people who spend so much time bashing Tablets haven't bothered to see how they have revolutionized computing. Maybe not for you, but certainly for me.

For those considering a foray into the Tablet market, I highly recommend the Compaq product.

I've got VMWare workstation loaded on it, and its 30 GB drive has plenty of room for virtual machines of all my favorite operating systems...

Don't bash it until you try it. Blanket comments like "most worthless market sector" aren't doing anyone any favors, especially the people out there that could benefit from this technology. And if it isn't for you, that's fine too.

Re:Have faith

[Alan Partridge]

Sounds like we're on the same wavelength. Thing is, I don't see why this machine shouldn't be - mobo wise - virtually identical to the current 12.1inch iBook. Deleting the optical drive and providing a smaller screen should save power straight away, and using an iPod style HD with a large cache should keep down power/heat and weight even further. Give it a beautiful pop-up stylus a la Newton and one of the modern generation of transflective colour screens (so you can use it in any light) and I think we've got a winner. The Newton's StrongARM was pretty powerful, but a 5-6-7-800Mhz G3 would be in a different league. I'm pulling numbers out of my arse, but maybe a 10hour battery life would be possible with judicious Energy Saver defaults? Best of all, of course, it'd be a REAL computer - not some lightweight syncable adjunct. If it had the iBooks usual roster of ports you'd be able to network via 10/100 enet, Firewire or AIrPort - or just use it in target disk mode to maintain file sync.

This is the product that I WANT from Apple, because this is what PDAs and notebooks can't do for me today. My girlfriend's Clie SJ-30 is pretty cool, but it doesn't "read" my writing like my old MP2100 does - but my poor old Newton can barely talk to the 'net (or my PowerMac G4 or Win2K machines). And notebooks - even small ones like the iBook - aren't small enough and the batteries don't last long enough.

Bring on the iPad!

Re:Just not right

[jasonditz]

Try to keep in even further mind that VCDs are the REAL low end of digital video, and they've been 320x240 for a long time.

I didn't think we were talking about higher-than-DVD resolution portable video devices here, I thought it was a handheld (possibly little bigger than an iPAQ) sized video player.

I'm disappointed to hear that virtually all PDA's now feature "postage-stamp sized" screens because of the 320x240 thing, but keep in mind that the term originated in a day when getting fullscreen 320x240 out of Doom was supreme and postage stamp size meant you were lucky to get 90 pixels one way or the other on your 386.