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Apple Creates new iPod and Macintosh Divisions
KH2002 writes "According to a New York Times/Reuters report, Apple is creating a separate division for the iPod. Apple Senior VP Hardware Engineering, Jon Rubenstein, will head the iPod division, and Executive VP of Worldwide Sales and Operations Tim Cook will lead the Mac division. The report quotes a spokesman as saying, 'This organizational refinement will focus our talent and resources even more precisely on our industry-leading Macintosh computers and the wildly successful iPod.'"
I've heard that it's largely politics that're responsible for iPods not having native OGG codec support, which is the one thing keeping me from getting an iPod tomorrow..
For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
What I'm hoping will happen with the iPod division will be that they will start making their own iPod accessories. What I really want is a car head unit that has a slot that one just pops the iPod into. Current iPod adapter solutions are all crap and don't measure up to Apple design standards.
If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
Quite a normal computer industry phenomenon, and nothing to worry about.
I'm typing this on a dual 1.8 G5. Nice machine.
I am a believer of momentum and curves.
Besides moolah. When I read this report I thought it may be a response to Apple Records pressure and a preemptive action to divorce the music selling business the content creation side of the equation.
As nice as it is, the iPod is pretty much a one-trick pony. Do you really think Apple could sustain itself on the (relatively small) profit margins of the iPod alone? Additionally, iTunes and the iTMS are presumeably staying in the Mac division.
Dunno why you'd presume that.
Also, the new division may be responsible for other one-trick-pony devices, should Apple decide to market them.
The thing that I find the most notable about this is that Jon Rubinstein (not going to check the spelling, sorry) is the guy that everyone lauds for the iMac, the tiBook & the alBook, the cheesegrater, and the iPod's excellent design. You'll note how four out of those five items are Macintoshes and not tiny consumer electronic devices.
Was Jon a figurehead, will he still be involved in Mac hardware design, or does this mean that we'll be seeing lamer (maybe just different) design for the next generation of Mac enclosures?
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
Won't matter as long as they don't call it "Apple"... thus serving the real which is to deal with a lawsuit.
--Phillip
Can you say BIRTH TAX
What I really want is a car head unit that has a slot that one just pops the iPod into.
Many HU's have a jack in the back which you can buy an adapter for that can connect to an ipod. You can run the wire from that jack to whatever location you want to put the iPod in. My ipod sits in the door pocket where it is nicely out of the way and hidden from theives.
Jeff Raskin can take a hike as far as I'm concerned.
Apple should still be listening to Tog he has some good ideas.
I agree. I don't think we'll see much more (successful) convergence until there is a paradigm shift in user interfaces.
I'm thinking along the lines of having a 'convergent device' in my pocket (no, I'm not just happy to see you), with wireless technology feeding images to me through glasses or similar technology, with voice recognition, hand gesture recognition, etc (perhaps built into the glasses).
"Search engine. How do I get to Target from here?"
[Device looks up mapquest directions, map displays on HUD w/directions]
"Phone. Call Dave Jones."
[Phone dials, microphone and earphones are built into your glasses.]
"Calendar. Remind me. December 7, 1941 12PM. A date that will live in something something..."
[Calendar alarm is added to your schedule.]
"Take a memo. Subject: Convergent devices. Here are some more ideas for convergent device user interfaces..."
[New memo is created.]
"Camera. Pic."
[Camera built into glasses takes a picture.]
"Music. Shuffle. Dave Matthews Band."
[Device starts playing music, channeled to your earphones built into the glasses.]
Only problem with this thing is everyone will be wearing glasses. It's either that or implants.
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
I have an Executive Producer upstairs who is Dead Set on getting a wireless device she can watch movies on - so she can see rough cuts while on location. And she'll authorize whatever the gadget will cost.
Of course, in the consumer market the parent poster is probably right.
Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
Just imagine the number of people holding off on their Powerbook purchases until the G5 comes out (I count myself among them). I don't need it urgently, so I'm ok with waiting on what's sure to be a damn impressive laptop.
If I can get one even after they come out; I expect the demand to be far greater than the supply for quite a while.
I like my women like my coffee... pale and bitter.
Ah, but I doubt you'd be carrying around seven devices. There are, perhaps, two or three ideal form factors:
Palm: Comfortable to hold flat in the hand and operate with a pen or finger. Large screen. Examples: PDA, GPS, a calculator. By all means, merge them all into one and have a super PDA.
Ear: Comfortable to hold up to your ear for an extended period of time, which requires a smaller (or at least less wide) screen. The only thing I can really think of that fits into this category is a cell phone, which is good, because a cell phone is the only device here that can really issue an "interrupt," and the only one that you need immediate access to without losing your place in one of the other devices.
Pocket: Small enough to put in a pocket, but doesn't need to fit in the hand. Over the long run, this could become the same thing as the Palm sized device, but it doesn't have the same constraints.
Once you have these, you've got pretty much the ideal. And the devices should communicate with each other, I just am not sure I really want one that does everything, especially one where I need to lose my place in a memo to place a phone call.
Obviously, the Palm-sized device will need a better interface than either Palm or PocketPC currently offer.
It's very Unix-y - do one thing and do it well. It's also very un-Linux/BSD-ish - I can't afford one.
Precisely. This is more than likely where the market pressure will be felt the most strongly.
Our team has built an app that among other things, allows our producers to preview acquired video (we're talking way upstream of rough cuts, btw.)
The biggest feature request is to be able to access the app from home, which is doable as long as you've got pipe and can VPN in.
Your average Executive Producer isn't going to be doing that.
A handheld video device can create some new challenges (especially from a security standpoint) but they are all solvable -- a device that required me to authenticate with my SecureID would be sweet...
If you have an A/V out then you're outputting to a DLT projector and a 5:1 home theater system if you so choose... can you imagine a player that you could dock to your TiVo, transfer files, and carry around with you?
Of course, in the consumer market the parent poster is probably right.
ehh..... I dunno.
I didn't really see the point in carrying around 5,000 mp3s with me until I bought my iPod. Now I'm looking at buying a second one just to make my home folder machine portable :-)
An avPod would sell like crazy: especially to all of the Volvo/Audi driving soccer parents who are making movies every time their darling baby angel blinks and putting them up on their .Mac web pages.
I'd go buy one today. I've got over 20 GB of music videos that I would love to be able to carry around in a small form factor and plug into my home theater as easily as I can with my iPod.
- learn to swim.
The right solution is to make the iPod slip into a slot for it, preferably with the slot in the head unit itself behind the fold-down faceplate.
I'm entitled to want what I want.
All I can do is hope that somebody gets it right.If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.