iPod and a Future Remote Control?

[Mandricard]

MOSR COUGH has brought up an interesting point today, though of course it has nothing substantive to say about it. :rolleyes:

His Meaderness is talking about the headphone port on the iPod which is atypical. There is the normal jack, but on the outside of the port, in a concentric circle, there are three other unused connectors.

My question is whether these things are simply exposed connectors for the headphone jack itself, which seems unlikely given their orientation, or possibly for a future remote on the headphone line (much like on mini-disc players).

Perhaps they have to do with some other functionality at some point. (If you recall, a number of early reports on the iPod mentioned "a port I do not recognize.")

Or perhaps they could be stereo "audio in" ports (though that might be too much to ask of the iPod's little processor.)?

My interest was even more piqued when I started using my iPod. :cool:

Absolutely love this thing....

Mandricard
AppleOutsider

[RoofusPennymore]

I noticed that when I first got mine and thought the design of the headphone jack is a bit weird. I looked at it again reading MOSR.

It's interesting and I cannot think of another reason for it's design except some sort of "clip-on" thing that would add functionality.

[Arty50]

I don't know what it looks like, but maybe it's a headphone lock of sorts. When you've dropped you walkman in the past, haven't you wished that your headphones could've been used to save it's fall either by grabbing the cord or merely by their their presence on your head. So imagine that your headphones 'locked' onto the port. So now you've got an extra thing to grab before that $400 iPod hits the ground, goes sliding across the asphalt, and now has stripes like the iMac.

[userone]

Arty50

This is really useful- good idea!

[Mandricard]

[quote]Originally posted by Arty50:
<strong>I don't know what it looks like, but maybe it's a headphone lock of sorts.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Alas, that doesn't look like what it is...

[Mandricard]

[quote]Originally posted by Mandricard:
<strong>

Alas, that doesn't look like what it is...</strong><hr></blockquote>

You can see the picture now over at MOSR.

[Escher]

[quote]Originally posted by Mandricard:
<strong>My interest was even more piqued when I started using my iPod. :cool: </strong><hr></blockquote>

Congratulations, Mandricard! I was wondering whether you would fall for the iPod. Did you use a CD Walkman or MP3s before?

My thought on the mistery connectors is that Apple was planning on having a remote in the headset wire, but then realized that the iPod's price would have to be raised unreasonably to accomodate the feature. My hunch is that we'll see the wired remote included at the $400 price point once component prices drop.

Escher

[Mandricard]

My MiniDisc player is now suffering from neglect.

<img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

[mqa]

you can send it to me!! i'll take good care of it!

[Nebagakid]

maybe apple will send it out to dealers and people who already have an iPod can go and pick up the new thing, god knows we have paid enough. It would be easy, make all those who ship with it have another marking on it...and just come and pick it up..and they can add the new firmware.
right? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />