Comments on: New Apple leader sets stage for the future of the iPod

Chip design wizard Mark Papermaster is taking control of Apple's iPod and iPhone hardware engineering as the portable music player of the last decade becomes a computer.

[Mr. Dee]

Here is how the iPod is doomed, complexity creeps in. The moment Apple drifts away from simplicity to support bloat and do everything approach either in hardware or software then the Company will lose its magic. I personally believe the iPod Touch should be just that, the future iPod. Not some iPhone zombie. Its trying to be what the iPhone is, and we all know, for a phone it must have a lot of features. But the core features of the Touch need to go back to its roots and stay there.

[myles taylor]

I disagree. The consumer gets more demanding and want's more features. Simplicity was enough when mp3 players were complicated, but now it's not. Read the reviews; there are plenty of music players that are just as simple to use. So far there isn't a competitor to the iPod touch and for those of us who can't or aren't ready to get and iPhone and don't mind having two mobile devices, we want a more complicated machine.

[daedbird]

I don't think there ever was a question on that the iPod Touch and iPhone will continue to evolve (the two will continue to feed each other on uses) the question in my mind is what will happen to the Shuffle, CLassic and Nano - the single-use iPods. The reason the iPod was such a success was that integration of hardware and software, making it easy to listen to music (and now watch video) and there will continue to be a lot of people who will want to keep that separate from their phone. My concern is that Apple will see the profit margin drop on those devices as more players come on the market to challenge, and just decide to break free all together, focusing on the micro computers the Touch and iPhone already are. Does it make sense to keep making those single use appliances to have a stable of products that appeal to every consumer, or will they see little profit continuing them? Or will they try to do everything, have multiple products, and get bogged down by a bloated catalog? Some wonder if Apple will come out with a iPod phone, light, simple, with narrow function. Others may want the Touch to grow in size with a larger screen. Many questions will continue to remain unanswered.

[myles taylor]

Nature of Apple. That's how it is. We'll get our answers.....but not before Apple is good and ready for us to have them.

[myles taylor]

This is Apple's new "netbook". I want to see a device the size of my iPod Touch that I can attach peripherals to and make it a netbook. Maybe....I'm not sure.

[dk jones]

i have iPod Touch 1G & i love it, about the only addition i think feasible for Apple to add is a flash memory card slot on which one could put Keynote presentations or projects involving all iWork files or for the addition of more music & video files(my line of work) for client preview. i don't have the need for an iPhone, 'cause i can use free Wi-Fi most places to check my email & web search. for other communication i use my basic cell phone w/ no camera.

[toomath]

Wow, Tony was my very first boss right out of college at Philips Electronics. He's a good guy. Had no idea he went on to invent the ipod, though the stuff we were working on at the time reminds me a lot of the design aesthetic apple has today. Hope he continues to do well. I'm sure nobody's heard the last of him.