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Next Generation of iPods to have Wi-Fi?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the buying-on-the-go dept.

Zephyr14z writes "A TMCnet article states that Apple has filed a patent for iPods that can purchase music wirelessly over the internet. This was an expected feature in the Zune, though it turns out not to be true. 'While this could be an effort to fight the software giant and its product directly, it should be noted that Zune's built-in Wi-Fi will be limited to the file sharing between devices with no direct Internet purchases from the handheld,' says Campbell."

7 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. need cable anyway? by spectrokid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You need to hook it up anyway to recharge. Just using Wifi to download music means they will have to cram a lot of iTunes/iStore functionality into the ipod. Byebye simple userinterface... How about security? Either they make you enter your credit card number with the clickwheel(????) or else it gets "linked" to your iPod on the Apple servers. Lose your iPod and the thief can shop around on your card... The whole point about the iPod is that all complexity is parked in iTunes.

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    10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then

  2. Wireless is the future by LaughingCoder · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This move is long overdue. Hopefully Apple will do a better job than Microsoft did. It is *so* 90's to have to dock your player just to get music into it. The technology exists today to make a very capable wireless media player, what is missing is someone (Apple?) to make it useful and functional. The possibilities are endless. Imagine "Mall Radio Stations", audio lectures or supplemental material distributed wirelessly to all the students in the classroom, having a playlist at a party that is a composite of all the wireless devices in the room/house. Let the next wave of portable music players begin!

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    The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
    1. Re:Wireless is the future by LaughingCoder · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Seems the technology is already here.
      That's what I said. It's not a technology issue. And when I tout the use of wireless, in my mind the *right* way to do it is to seemlessly blend cellular wireless with WIFI. Imagine a device that could do both (some PDA phones can do this) ... you start a download on WIFI as you leave the house and get into your car. Your WIFI signal drops and the download application automatically opens up a cell connection and continues the download. At the same time your car's radio connects via bluetooth or WIFI to your device and your personal "radio station" begins playing from your device through your car stereo. As new content trickles in, it gets mixed into the play list. All of this is possible today, and has, in fact, been possible for a few years now. What is lacking is the software to bring it all together.
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      The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
  3. Manual On/Off? by tenaciousdRules · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Unless it has an external on/off switch, I would never own one of these. Imagine walking into a retailer, and you get an advertisement on your ipod for "the GAP does Christmas" CD they are blasting on the stores over-engineerd sound system. Better yet, it would be a hackers dream to have people walking around a crowded public place with these things turned on.

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    --Always, I mean never..., No I mean always check your references.--
  4. Stop thinking about downloads by dweebzilla · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What about streaming content.

    I'd love to have my ipod receive Internet radio.

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    Get your tagline off my lawn.
  5. Re:Wireless by sydsavage · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Unless your laptop fits in a jacket pocket, I'm afraid I'll have to respectfully disagree. Being able to purchase music and video content from iTMS while unchained from any desktop or laptop would be a HUGE leap. This would also open the door to owning (and populating) an iPod without needing a computer in the first place.

  6. Re:Be afraid of the Zune by shaneh0 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If I was in charge at MSFT, I'd never give away Zunes. I'd give away the music.

    How many people would buy a Zune over an iPod if it included 50 free songs? Or maybe 5 free songs a month for 3 years.

    Another idea would be an "iPod exchange" program. Turn in any working iPod and get a free Zune w/ more storage. (turn in a 60gb iPod, get an 80gb Zune, etc). Similarly, buy a zune and get free credits for any music purchased thru iTMS so you can download the songs from the MSFT store for free.

    Obviously the iPod exchange would be the most expensive of the ideas I've listed, but what a way to pick-up market share. You're removing an iPod from the market and adding a Zune.

    The only question I have: What would they do with all the iPods?