Rumors of Next Generation of Ipods

xyankee writes "Apple is on the verge of releasing a 60GB iPod that will not only hold a ton of music, but also sport photo-viewing capabilities! Think Secret is reporting that the new iPod will also have a 2-inch high-resolution LCD display, video-out, and enhancements to iPhoto for synchronizing photos. The best part is it'll be just 2mm thicker than regular iPods. Does this mean that iPhoto for Windows might not be far behind? Also, as a note to all the rumor pundits, Think Secret nailed the iMac G5 specs a month before its announcement, so I'm inclined to believe them with this bit as well."

Yeah...but...

[bugbeak]

didn't the iPod make it because it played MP3s, and played them well?

Well....

[plazman30]

Think Secret also spent a lot fo time showing the new Apple PDA along with supposed screen shots and that never surfaced...

Re:Yeah...but...

[Jakhel]

if it can do both, why not let it? Don't fear convergence, embrace it.

"...high-resolution LCD display..."

[Anonymous Coward]

versus what, low-resolution etch-sketch display?

more screen?

[anocelot]

I thought the screen was the part on the iPods that broke most often... If that's true, (and it was in my case) I really hope they have better design to go with that larger screen.

Re:Yeah...but...

[geekwithglasses]

Yeah, the iPod does well because it does one thing better than any other player. I have an Archos that does video and music, and I hate it. Clunky interface, heavy, and over all, just poor design.I take my iPod everywhere and I get a TON o use out of it.

If Apple can make a portable image/video player that has the functionality and respnosiveness as the iPod, then I'm in.

After the deal [slashdot.org] with Steve Balmer and his comments that Microsoft will dominate the convergence market for computer based entertainment, I'd love to see Apple come in and lay down another big seller.

Great for digital cameras

[Anonymous Coward]

As digital cameras keep producing larger and larger file sizes, it's getting to be quite worthwhile to have someplace to dump the contents of your flash cards.
If this new i-pod has a CF reader built in, I wouldn't need to carry half a dozen 512MB flash cards, I could just fill one card, dump it into the i-pod and keep on shooting.
Devices like this do exist already, but none of them are really easy to use and carry.

going....going....gone

[to_kallon]

the way of the cell phone? assuming this rumor to be true, are we seeing yet another device have "features" added on to a product who did its job well and is now going to be ruined by unnecessary additions?

Re:60 GB..

[Unkle]

One reason would be that you would not have to worry too much about running out of space, even when using the highest quality MP3 bitrates. Plus, as others have mentioned, it can function as a portable HDD, so you can bring along movies, docuemnts, etc.

Re:FM Tuner?

[mgs1000]

I'm guessing most people buy an iPod so they don't have to listen to the crap that's on FM radio today.

Re:Digital Rights Management?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, I hate how their portable digital music player only plays DRM music.

Oh, wait, that is not Apple, that is Sony.

Well, I still hate how their media player software really only wants to rip in a DRM/proprietary format.

Oh, wait, that is not Apple, that is Microsoft.

What is Apple doing again?

Your argument is analogous to not buying a certain car because it comes with a tow-hook standard, and saying "I don't buy into this towing nonsense. I am not buying anything with a tow-hook." The damn car still works fine if you completely ignore the presence of the tow-hook!

News flash: You do not have to use DRM at all on the iPod.

Re:The Killer App Would be...

[Mean_Nishka]

How would I hold a 12" Powerbook up to my ear to make a phone call?

What about recording?

[gidds]

I'm still waiting for the much-rumoured ability to record music on my 3G iPod...

And I'm not talking about voice notes, either, but CD-quality, stereo, uncompressed audio, from a mic or line input. The iPod chipset is supposed to support this already, so all it would need is a software update. Apparently...

I do concert recordings (with permission), and that would make things so much easier. [fx: sigh]

Re:Yeah...but...

[trentblase]

I have a feeling that Apple's always had much bigger plans for the iPod than just music. I mean, they called it the iPod, not the iMP3 or iMusic, etc. I'll welcome an iPod with audio, video, contact, and phone capabilities in the future. Just think, a phone designed by apple would be the coolest thing ever.

Re:Bloat

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh, you mean like minidisc players have been for over a decade?

Re:Yeah...but...

[BigBir3d]

Uh.... yeah right. Did you not see/use a Archos first? Buying on "specs" alone is pretty dumb IMO.

Re:Credible

[Mark Hood]

I suspect it'll just be a larger 4G iPod, with the ability to show Album Art stored in the ID3 tags.

As others have pointed out, most digital cameras have a larger screen, so the only advantage here is additional storage... Nice as it is to have all your photos with you, and of course it'll have TV-out, I can't see it being used to really show them off with the same size screen as the current iPod.

Who knows, maybe there'll be the long-fabled firmware release that makes the current 4G iPods colour-screened ;)

Mark

Re:Meh

[emilymildew]

aside from the UI

What else is there? If I am going to be using something with the same regularity as I use my iPod, I want it to be easy to navigate and use.

I know, price price price. I dunno, I just think UI is important.

Re:Album art

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh, it would be wicked cool if the iPod would display the album art of any songs it's playing

How often do you want to site and stare at your iPod when you are listening to music? How much battery life are you willing to throw away on keeping the display active and lit all the time?

Re:Gimme more!

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm too disappointed with APPLE to buy another product from them.

I truly vote with my money and Jobs is not getting my vote again.

Why:
1.) Battery not replaceable *(easily)
2.) They do not release new features for old models (old as in the generation before the current one)
3.) The headphones with remote, which cost me 50 EUR broke 3 times - everytime within 3-10 days (cable break when it was cold), all three times I went to the shop to replace them. The freaking shop stopped carring them because so many people returned them on warranty

And I thought for paying a little premium I get good rock solid product which I can use for years to come.
God was I wrong!

Its the same with those fucked up mobile phones, Nokia even builds in small annoyances in each phone so you are bugged enough to upgrade at some point.

FUCK THEM! I'll keep my very old but working phone, same with my ipod. But I will neither in my live again buy from either of those companies.

Re:Yeah...but...

[Molt]

A lot of digital cameras have TV-Out themselves now anyway, simpler still just to use that.

Re:Yeah...but...

[2nd Post!]

Yet isn't that what exactly every Archos booster on Slashdot seems to advocate?

Specs, features, and capabilities, without considering design or usability?

Re:Gimme more!

[log0n]

1) Just out of curiosity, have you needed your battery replaced? I've got the original scrolly wheel 10gb, I use it for 4-5 hours daily 7 days/week, I'm still going fine with the original battery. If and when it ever dies I'll get a new battery and replace it myself. Anyone who actually enjoys posting at Slashdot should be more than techy enough to replace an ipod battery.

2) One of my DVD players doesn't play back divx or ogm or WMV. Sure, it plays back normal DVDs fine - which is was advertised to do, but I'm bitter that this one doesn't so I'm going to bitch and moan and complain about a company (let's say Phillips) not keeping an antiquated *limited by hardware* product up to spec with what other modern DVD players can do.

Please.

3) Why are you abusing the headphones and putting them someplace where you know they would break? If you know that the cold is breaking them, why are you going right back to putting them in the cold?

Sorry, but you're clearly a dumbass with a mentality of you being owed everything by anything that displeases you.

Re:60 GB..

[angle_slam]

I know that some people have large amounts of music, but isn't this overdoing it? Who would buy this thing compared to a cheaper 20GB one?

Here's a guess: people who have large amounts of music.

Different people have different needs. Personally, I can't see why anyone would buy a 4GB iPod. I finally installed iTunes on my computer and transferred a small fraction of my MP3s to it. I've already have 4.4 GB. On my main computer, I have well over 50GB, with hundreds of CDs that I haven't even encoded yet.

Your question is like asking, "who would buy a rack that holds 500 DVDs?" The answer is people who have or forsee having 500 DVDs. The fact that you have only 20 DVDs is immaterial.

Re:Yes it did, but also...

[toddestan]

Something to consider is that if you ever lose your iPod, someone could end up with a copy of all your files stored in /home. Just something you might want to keep in mind.