More noise about Mac OS in redesigned iPods
The iPhone has launched, and the iMac has been redesigned, which means it's probably time for new iPods.
Several different reports have surfaced over the past couple of days regarding revamped iPods that Apple may or may not have in the works. Other than adding color to the iPod Shuffle line, Apple hasn't done anything with the traditional iPods this year, and it looks like that's about to change.
It's starting to look like the iPod Nano is set for an overhaul.
(Credit: Apple)AppleInsider believes that Apple will release Mac OS X-based iPods in September, citing unidentified sources. This particular theory has surfaced before, with many believing that Apple will introduce an iPod that looks just like the iPhone, just without the ability to make phone calls.
These new iPods would have features very similiar to the iPhone but would retain the familiar click-wheel interface, according to AppleInsider. The site thinks four models are planned, two new iPod Nano models and two new iPod models, all of which would run some iteration of Mac OS.
It seems to make sense to me that Apple would want to start releasing Mac OS X iPods, given the amount of work it put into tailoring Mac OS for the iPhone and the extras that could possibly come along with Leopard in October. Also, a phone-less iPhone would finally give Apple a real video iPod, with the wider screen and the ability to watch movies or TV in landscape mode.
The exact details may still be up in the air, and the only safe bet seems to be that Apple will release new iPods later this year to refresh an aging lineup in time for the holiday season. Apple sold 21 million iPods in the fourth quarter of last year without making any major changes, and new designs could prompt upgrades.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
Best case, I figured they would incorporate the iPhone's interface into the next generation iPod. In fact, I'm putting off replacing my old iPod for that very announcement, assuming that's what's next. But if these chubbPod rumors turn out to be true, I doubt my next MP3 player will have a half-eaten fruit on it.
I don't think Apple requesting the pictures be removed necessarily hints that they are actual products. Didn't the iMac keyboard photos stay up for a while, with Steve actually referring to their having been leaked during his presentation? In any event, if Apple did request removal every time somebody posted an actual image, they'd immediately legitimize the report every time.
Something's coming, though, I think most of us can agree on that. You might as well hold off a little longer.
Oh yes, one more thing. It won't have an attached 300-page phone bill.
Some folks have 2-3 yrs left on a contract with another mobile
provider. Some folks don't have need for a mobile phone (yes,
they exist), and some folks would like more than 8 GBs of
memory for their media. Some folks have more than one iPod.
Hence, hor many of those folks a new iPhone-like iPod makes
sense. For the folks who live or work in an area that gets good
AT&T reception or who don't want to carry around two devices,
the iPhone makes sense. If the new iPod has iPhone-like
features, Apple doesn't have to worry . . . Zune has to worry.
But now that people have seen that widescreen movies can be done on the iPhone, anything less than a widescreen display on a next gen iPod will seem dated and dull. The big problem Apple now has is they iPod is long overdue for a big update so they have to do SOMETHING? and yet the alternatives all have serious drawbacks.
Limited flash memory capacity means you can?t create a compelling replacement to the current 30 and 80Gb iPod models. You might be able to convince 6GB mini owners of the benefits of the 4GB Nano but getting an 80Gb iPod user to ?upgrade? to a 8 or even 16Gb flash model is a really tough sell. And hard drives are bulky and power hungry which means the big touch screen will suck more power and be bulkier than even the current 5.5G models (which already have very limited battery life for video playback).
I hope they choose the latter because this iPhone owner would gladly geta high capacity version just for media. But if its just 8Gb then why bother?
Kind of like 'noise from the underground'. Which generally means information from secretive sources.
shipped with OS X!
Are you sure you didn't come off of 8-hours of Air America
before posting that stupid comment?
As for the iPod "spy" shots, I think it's brilliant on Apple's part.
Leak phony pix and then threaten legal action to make it lok
real.
Awesome job Apple.
This way you dont have to rely on Apple to release a device that you can only use as they say you can.
to be in the right format. There are a number of free tools to
accomplish this, such as iSquint. Check sites such as
download.com, versiontracker.com, and macupdate.com to find
them.
:-S
That article from Tom is informative, unbiased and i really dont know what mr biscuits is going on about.
Yes noise is chatter from various sources. And talking about such noise is biased against Apple now, when Tom is advertising their products in a proactive light.
If it has bluetooth or USB it can support an external keyboard. A monitor can be attached through a small port or with wireless technology (of which several kinds are already available).
It would be interesting to see what Archos will do about this, and what type of devices they will release, where they will go with regard to the platform.
I personally would like to see them open up the platform, make it a sort of Linux-palmtop. An OSX powered iPod could also be the same, hopefully.
It's like an "iPhone but maintains the familiar click wheel interface" tell me that this is somebody who doesn't know what they're talking about (or the physical characteristics of either or both of these.
is no way Apple can afford to offer anything larger than a 16GB
iPod... which is not really an iPod at all, but a glorified Nano.
Different markets, different expectations.
Lots of people are not satisfied with carrying just some of their
music and video. Apple understands this and that is why they
make the 30 and 80 GB iPods.
Until we have 64 and 128 GB flash capacities at reasonable
prices, it does not make sense to switch the flagship iPods to
flash memory.
- Hmm...
- by gonzotherat3 August 30, 2007 1:03 PM PDT
- A new iPod is good although it was already good. I think that the ability to watch tv and movies in landscape mode is a plus. If they don't change too much, I might get one. I like the iPod but don't have an iPhone, so it might be interesting to see what it finally comes out to be like.
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