Comments on: The future of the iPod

The device most responsible for Apple's 21st century renaissance gets short shrift these days next to the Mac and the iPhone. What lies in store for the iPod?

[wratbatblue]

My Next mp3 Player

I may end up buying the 2nd gen (and subsequent) iPhone model(s). I would like to see expanded PDA-type capabilities added, and an FM tuner. But I can't imagine going back to a "plain" iPod after owning my iPhone.

[rafemurray]

My next iPod will be a 3G iPhone

Wasn't really an option in the survey.

[choefer12]

Amen

That's all that's lacking in my Touch - the ability to get online
anywhere, anytime. In the US, free WiFi is getting very common,
but still some places make you pay. And in Europe, where I live,
free WiFi is unheard of . . .

To be honest, I would almost prefer a different company's
phone + a Touch with 3G AND WiFi that I could use as a music
player/pda. If Apple would unleash more of the power of the
touch, e.g. making Calendar more useful and integrated with the
desktop, it would be all the pda I need.

[mike.gw]

Same here!

I use either a Blackberry or Motorola Q for corporate e-mail use with our firm's Exchange server. I also have a 16 GB iPod Touch. So far, I've admired the iPhone from afar but passed on it. However, I will snap up an iPhone once it has all of the following:

- 3G or EVDO data rates (I commute 2 hours to work by train with no wi-fi)
- 32 GB of Flash storage (then I can upgrade my iTunes library bit rates)
- Exchange e-mail connectivity via Windows Mobile support (on the way!)

[Harleyhack]

Auto iPod

As much as I love all the expensive accessories for my iPod to get it to play in my car, it's really not the answer is it? Playing via FM is not good. Finding a 3rd party radio with integrated iPod input is again, not a good option. I want an iPod for my car, hopefully with a slick touch screen interface like the Touch. I want a large drive with wi-fi that syncs to my iTunes when my car in in the garage or driveway. Or will Apple leave this market to 3rd parties or let Microsoft take it with the Sync technology?

[Scott Gardener]

response to survey

I have no plans of buying another iPod in the near future. I would consider an upgrade if its functionality was significantly better.

I looked briefly at the iPod Touch. But, it would have to have a capacity of at least 80 Gigabytes, like my current iPod, to be worth the upgrade. A 64 Gig flash model is forseeable in a year or so, but until it's at least 128 Gigs, I'm happy with the one I have. Granted, once I start re-ripping my library at higher bit rates and storing more video content, I might need a higher capacity unit.

Of course, hard drives fail, and a dead iPod would force an upgrade. If that happened today, I might forgo iPods at all for awhile, as having one give out after only two years isn't very reassuring. But, if it were, say, lost or stolen, I'd replace it with a 160 Gig iPod Classic rather than the Touch. The Touch has the better screen, making it more useful for portable video--though I've also got a PSP that can with some work do some of that. The Touch would also work as a portable Internet device that's instant-on (no boot-up), useful for brief, on-the-fly Internet use. My mobile phone can do some of it, but the Touch has a full browser. Again, my PSP can do it, too.

In short, the newer lineup has some added features, but not enough to make me dump a perfectly good 5th gen. model, less than two years old.

[jypeterson]

Electronic failures

No matter how hard we try, devices will fail. My wife's 2G iPod
lasted almost five years until thenhstd drive gave out. It happens
and if you are not willing to live without a iPod go ahead.

[sre5gor]

What I want

a slightly larger iPod Touch, larger screen, completely wireless to
replace my desktop computers.

[mackenzie2881]

more capacity

Keep it simple.

[Preserved Killick]

iPod? No thanks.

I have a t10 from iRiver, but my wife and two girls have nanos and I HATE these digital players. My kids are constantly coming to me with problems-- 'my screen is "weird"', 'I can't get iTunes to see my nano' 'my game's not showing up' etc. etc. My wife will buy music on iTunes and then asks me to make it playable on other digital devices (especially our home audio set's "Squeezebox" (TM)). Playing iTunes on an iPod-- pretty easy. Play iTunes on anything else and Apple basically says "Let's see how annoying we can make this for everyone." So, no thanks, Apple, I'm going to stick with vanilla digital media players and buy my media from Amazonmp3 and other non-DRM sites.

[Spartan_458]

iDon't think so.

Sorry about the bad pun, I couldn't resist.

Anyway, I won't buy an iPod unless Apple decides to open up iTunes, make the iPod compatible with Windows Media Player, and if the hardware is actually decent.

I've owned a Creative Zen MicroPhoto, loved it, had it for 3 years, almost no problems (except for an occasional screen tint to blue), and then I bought a Zune for Christmas because I wanted something new. While the Zune definitely is not perfect, the hardware is amazing, with the huge 80 GB hard drive, great twist interface, and huge screen (not to mention an FM radio!). However, I would like to see Microsoft make the Zune compatible with Windows Media Player. It's not like it would hurt Microsoft. The one downside of the Zune is the Zune software. While it's interface is nice and simple, it has some annoying tweaks and glitches that make it unbearable to use. But that's my two cents.

[BigGuns149]

Why does iTunes need to be compatible with Windows Media Player?

I'm really puzzled by your argument that lack of compatibility is a dealbreaker for you.

iTunes works on two platforms(Windows and Mac) whereas a player that uses Windows Media DRM requires Windows Media Player, which ties you to Windows. That makes iTunes more compatible, not less.

If open up you mean open source it, I think that will happen right about when M$ open sources the current version of Windows Media Player and all the associated codecs. By that rationale you shouldn't even be using Windows.

Furthermore, who really likes Windows Media Player? The version with a good UI was 6.4. There is a reason that Media Player Classic, which uses the theme from Media Player 6.4 is so popular. Virtually everyone who I introduce Media Player Classic to likes it better than the current version of Windows Media Player.

[arnette71]

iPod is great., but.....

... I won't buy a newer version until they offer wireless downloads for podcasts. I am awware of the WiFi iTunes Store but it doesn't include podcasts! It's rare I buy music online but I download a slew of podcasts daily. This would be great to pull them from the air when I travel instead of syncing with a computer. C'mon, Apple!

[vrette]

Bluetooth Connectivity

This will never happen, but I'd like to see some sort of standardized BT connectivity to control portable digital media players. That way you just plug your iPod, Zune, or whatever into the headphone jack, and you are good to go. Taken a step further, go completely wireless and allow the music to stream via Bluetooth through the car or home entertainment system.

and FLAC...

[jep11]

stereo bluetooth

stereo bluetooth support
for the shuffle an audio user interface that allows one to interact with the ipod the same way as a classic, but it reads the options via headphoes since it has no screen
bluetooth update also

[Xelared]

What's next?

I'm a fan of the pretty and intuitive interface found on the iPhone, iTouch, iPod, etc. However, most of us in the over 16 demographic that enjoy our music outside of a retail store environment need something more reliable and rugged. I don't like the idea of cracking the screen on my $400 iPhone just so I can listen to music while I run. If a Shuffle is for the active folk, why isn't it designed that way? How about something semi-waterproof and durable, a "Toughbook" version of the iPod? I find myself worried when it rains and having to buy another company's headphones just to keep them in my ears as I run.

As for the company as a whole, the traditional Apple model, "plenty of reasons to love, not enough reasons to buy" continues to ring true in my mind. Just how many iPods does it take to get in bed with a MacBook anyway?

[stevenbrown1950]

my next ipod

I will buy an ipod when the technology changes substantially. That points to an iPhone. However the following things will have to happen first: Must be offered by Sprint as I use a SERO plan and won't leave it. / Must support next generation of wireless headphones (not Bluetooth) / Must support GPS / Larger battery will probably be necessary which is fine.

[BigGuns149]

Except for larger capacity, FM Tuner, and maybe BT not much

Frankly, there isn't a whole lot that Apple in the near future anyways could do to help iPod sales, which have essentially flatlined. Apple has mostly focused on size, but at this point the iPod can't get much smaller.

As time goes on Apple will obviously increase the capacity and slightly decrease the price as flash memory and hard drives for the iPod classic become less expensive, but beyond that the obvious updates disappear.

They could always add a FM Tuner, albeit I seriously doubt that is going to increase sales much. FM radio has became a vast wasteland so I doubt too many people find the lack of FM radio a deal breaker.

Another suggestion I have heard is to add stereo Bluetooth support. I could see them adding it on the high end models, but I can't realistically see Bluetooth support being too popular because the battery life on a lot of BT headsets is less than the iPod itself. Furthermore, you have one more battery to worry about being dead. BT headsets maybe chic, but there is little benefits to it beyond looking neat.

[zlove1]

Need More Battery life

I want a new iPod to gt more than 2 hours of battery life

[cummjejp2]

What I want in an PMP

Ease of use. I don't personally think the iPod is the easiest player on the market. I hate the wheel.

Good sound. Yes, I know, some people say that you can't hear the difference...yes you can...if you have a headphone amp and the right headphones.

No freakin' phone! No GPS! Don't care about these options and I don't want to pay for them!

[dk jones]

my iPod Life

i have a 1 GB Shuffle & 2 iPod Video Nanos, that i use-one for
music & PDA w/ my work calendar & most of my necessary
contacts, it's the reason i stopped wearing a watch-which i've
done since i was 8, now 54. the other is strictly for Video--
iTunes shorts & movies/concerts i've recorded from my HD cable
into an iMac then into iTunes as well as burned on DVD. i'm all
Mac & pretty happy in my Mac universe, w/ several Macs
ranging from 5 yr. old 17" 1GHz Flat Panel G4 to a MacBook--all
synched over my dotMac account over my secure Airport
network, which is handy. i don't want my entire library on my
iPod, so i have a core playlist of faves & another that i use to
change some of the songs as well as a few Podcasts i've enjoyed
subscribing to.

[mike.gw]

Keep the Shuffle as it is

It's nice for workouts or bike riding, where the screen is impractical. It would be nice if the Shuffle could store 2 Playlist (Workout, SlowJams) and then choose which playlist to shuffle within. As a device that you actually wear, always keep it good-looking.

[dobrienma]

IPhone on Verizon

At work we've done trials of most of the different carriers, and nobody matches the coverage of Verizon, at least in the remote locations of New England. If the IPhone worked on Verizon I'd already have one.

[Mossman824]

re: IPhone on Verizon

i'm in completer agreement wiht that statement. i refuse to get an IPhone, as much as I want one, until they are free from AT&T.

[Mossman824]

re: IPhone on Verizon

i'm in complete agreement with that statement. i refuse to get an IPhone, as much as I want one, until they are free from AT&T.

[Msorensen]

It's great - until it dies.

I like the Classic. I bought my original 20GB ipod about 4 years ago. It failed after about 2 years, and I'm really glad I bought the extended warranty from Best Buy. They replaced it with an ipod Video 30GB. I have used the larger capacity, so I'm glad they upgraded the model. I really like the functionality of the ipod classic video, but mine is starting to have some problems again. I wouldn't buy a new one if this one kept working without any problems. I may be ready to trade it in soon though if these problems continue to get worse. I definitely recommend getting the replacement packages when you buy one. Other than the failure rate, I love the ipod.