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'True' Video iPod Coming Soon
Moby Cock writes "Think Secret is reporting that the true video iPod is slated for announcement soon. It will have a 3.5 inch display and will eschew the mechanical click wheel in favour of a touch screen version. The 5th generation iPod released prior to the holiday season last year is described as a souped up 4G iPod with video capabilities. This new iPod will be the 'true' video iPod. It looks like there is not going to be wireless support. The article hints that the release date could be April 1 which is the 30th anniversary of Apple."
Previous slashdot stories covered rumours about a possible upcoming Apple tablet (see here and here). However, perhaps what was really going on was that Apple was putting in place patents related to this device.
Look at the patents in question. US Design Patent No. D504,899, filed on May 10, 2005, looks like a patent for the design of an Apple tablet. Yet, perhaps they refrained from calling it a tablet in the patent (they call it "an electronic device") because they actually want it to cover the (much smaller) design of the video iPod. US Patent Application No. 20060026536, filed Jan 30, 2005, is called "Gestures for touch sensitive input devices," and the images very clearly show a device that looks like a full-screen ipod with overlayed "touchwheel" (check out this news item for commentary and images.
What I'm getting at is this: ThinkSecret may very well be right (again!). The fact that these patents were filed shows that they are working on this kind of device. I think these patent applications strongly support the notion that Apple is going to try to release a next-gen device with touch-screen based input. Sounds like a cool device.
"Screw them over"? Get real. Who, exactly, is forcing anyone to buy these new products?
the real question is: will it have more than 3 hours playback time so we can actually watch films on it, unlike almost every other portable video player
Keep in mind that almost every other portable video player is also significantly heavier and far less pocket friendly. It seems like Apple has been very careful to state that it is an audio player that can play video, because it is an audio player first. A good portable video player makes a very poor portable audio player and vice-versa, because of the optimum designs for the respective device types. To me, the video feature isn't so useful for more than a few minutes at a time anyway, unless you hook it up to a TV.
a touch screen would keep changing tracks when you walked around. Not good.
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I have an iPod Photo and I think the other iPods are similar as far as having a switch that disables all the inputs. I am pretty sure this new iPod would have a similar switch to disable the touchscreen. A touchscreen would most definitely not be useless, just different then the current way to control the iPod.
What I would be worried about is scratching the screen. I have a case for my iPod that is a solid enclosure with clear, hard plastic over the screen and a hole cut out where the buttons are. With the new touchscreen I am curious if you can have a similar protective cover over the screen, yet still be able to have the touchscreen functionality. One last comment is I would not recommend shoving an iPod into a pocket full of keys, coins etc. Buying a case is relatively cheap and a lot of the cases either come with clips or quick releases. Here is a picture of the model of case I have and I love it http://www.vajacases.com/images/mp3/apple/ipod_ph
Hey, there is only one Return and it's not of the King, it's of the Jedi.
The technical answer is "no". You can still transport your music to various Apple-blessed devices (like the Motorola ROKR), or to any system that runs iTunes. It doesn't have to be on an iPod.
Of course, you can always burn your iTMS purchased music to a standard audio CD, and then do whatever you want with it. The music will play on any CD player, and can be re-ripped in whatever format you like (although I would suggest a lossless format).
The music will still exist on your iPod, and can be retrieved. You can't retrieve it through iTunes itself, but the music is there in a hidden directory tree.
Of course, data loss is data loss, and isn't unique to music. Backups are important. Apple's Backup software has a built-in backup plan specifically to backup your purchased iTunes Music.
Uh, no. While I've never seen the contract artists have with iTMS, from what I understand it is not exclusive. Artists are still allowed to license their music to other services, which use other DRM schemes. So no, it's not Fairplay or the highway -- if you're the copyright holder of the music, you can use whatever additional DRM schemes with other providers for other players if you want.
Yaz.
the current iPod is referred to as "iPod with video" and not "video iPod" on Apple.com.
Really? I thought it was referred to as an "iPod 30GB" or an "iPod 60GB". There's no mention of video in the name at all.
"if you are a band and want to sell your music (with DRM) .. you have to do it on the iTunes store"
Well, duh. And how fucking difficult is that? Not, is how difficult. Plus, iTMS is very supportive - my brother's (unsigned) band has been on the front-page of the 'Alternative' section and got themselves a plug as single of the week without too much hassle.
As I type, the number one album on the UK iTMS is by Arctic Monkeys, who until recently were still trying to get themselves noticed on MySpace, and then signed to the independant Domino.
So try harder. Or try not sucking. Because iTMS is doing all it can to help independant bands.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
and customers aren't getting "burned". when a new product comes out, your existing one doesn't drop features, doesn't stop working, doesn't become any less useful or enjoyable than it was before the new launch. it's arguably not as "cool", because it's not the latest and greatest thing, but that's more an artifact of being a fashonista who buys technology for bragging rights or to compensate for certain anatomical traits than the actual technology in question.
stop buying technology as fashion.
i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
If you had RTFA, you would know the "true" reference means.
"Readers will recall that during the brouhaha leading up to the October release of the 5G iPod last year, Think Secret maintained that the video iPod would not be released at the time and, following the roll-out of the 5G iPod, that that iPod was "not the video iPod" but rather a souped up 4G iPod with video capabilities. This forthcoming iPod revision is what sources have said for some time will be the incarnation of a complete video iPod solution."
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
So basically, you are telling me that if I spend hundreds of dollars on music for my iPod .. and then it dies in 4 or 5 years or whatever (flash or HD failure) I should buy an iPod again if I want to carry that music around??
.. people are going to have to THROW AWAY/re-buy their HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS in music investment in order to switch to it?
.. a better mp3 player will be locked out of the market. It would be illegal for the new mp3 player to "break" the format so that customers can use the iTunes music.
.. it's cool and fun now .. until 10 years from now.
Uh, how else will you carry that music around if you don't buy another music player?
Or, eat my investment in all the songs I'd bought. That's ridiculous.
God, you're being idiotic. If your iPod dies, you don't lose your music. Are you even aware of how the iTunes-iPod sync relationship works? Your music would still be on your computer.
You are telling me this isn't as bad as giving OEM's a discount for being an exclusive MSFT shop? Tell me, in 5 years, if someone else comes out with an mp3 player that's vastly superior in features and design
Yes. That's true for anything. If you don't like that idea, don't buy iTunes music. Anything else you'd like to whine about today that's easily solvable by personal choice?
And no, it's not as bad as punishing stores for selling alternatives, thereby preventing others from being able to compete. Apple has won fair and square.
In other words, because of Apple's propreitery file format lock in
It won't be locked out of the free market. It will be locked out of Apple's iTunes market, yes. You and anyone else has the right to make a product and then sell stuff that only runs on that product.
Apple isn't being clear about the fact that when you buy music from iTunes your portable music player is going to be iPod forever unless you plan on re-purchasing your music. It's like getting a tattoo
It's not Apple's responsibility to tell people "Yeah, the Apple branded content you're buying in Apple's store will only run on Apple's player." Besides, you don't need an iPod to use iTunes, and you can rip the music to CD or WAV and re-encode it for your player of choice.
Basically, all your complaints are just made-up.
"Sufferin' succotash."