iPod Camera Connector revealed at Apple briefing

[AppleInsider]

Representatives from Apple Japan on Friday held a press briefing on the company's new iPod offerings, a couple of tipsters have told AppleInsider. The presentation included a keynote slide with (what appears to be) a photo of Apple’s new iPod Camera Connector.



The device, which was previously described by Apple vice president Greg Joswiak, looks like a small port convertor, approximately 2-inch is length and an inch or so in width. It connects to the base of the iPod photo through the Dock connector. On the other end is a female USB port for connecting a digital camera. The iPod Camera Connector is expected to be available in late March for $29.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[G_Warren]

Does the job, but shouldn't Apple really be including this in the box if it is an iPod photo? I guess that is why they downplay the photo text on the box now, as the iPod photo will eventually be the regular iPod it looks like.

[a_greer]

Originally posted by G_Warren
Does the job, but shouldn't Apple really be including this in the box if it is an iPod photo? I guess that is why they downplay the photo text on the box now, as the iPod photo will eventually be the regular iPod it looks like.

I think that the Photo thing is a fringe benifit, the real advantage is the color display for enrichment of the UI and cover art for ITMS, give it till Jan 06, all ipods and minis will have color display and none will bear the photo name unless apple tosses in the adapter in the highest end model.

[wilco]

Is USB sufficient for the people who would have a real use for this?

[aplnub]

I have that camera in the photo. It has a nice color screen for reviewing the photographs.

Why would I need the iPod photo again? Looks like a bunch of hassle to carry around to snap pictures.

A simple card reader would be sufficient. I hate to say it but that looks like a gimic.

Eric

[PBG4 Dude]

Originally posted by aplnub
I have that camera in the photo. It has a nice color screen for reviewing the photographs.

Why would I need the iPod photo again? Looks like a bunch of hassle to carry around to snap pictures.

A simple card reader would be sufficient. I hate to say it but that looks like a gimic.

Eric

You could offload the pics from your card to the iPod Photo, then wipe the card and continue to shoot more pictures. That's the real value.

Still, I would prefer a card reader vs. a camera connector so I wouldn't have to use up my camera's batteries transferring pics to the iPod.

Of course, I only have a 2G iPod so the issue is moot for me.

[shadow]

The possibility to offload the photos from the card is a BIG value. You don't need to carry your PowerBook with you when you are on a vocation.

[aplnub]

Originally posted by shadow
The possibility to offload the photos from the card is a BIG value. You don't need to carry your PowerBook with you when you are on a vocation.

Do they not make a card reader already for the ipod? I guess this would be a big deal for those who have wierd cards I guess.

Eric

[ipodandimac]

Originally posted by wilco
Is USB sufficient for the people who would have a real use for this?

of course. whatever reader they use right now is probably usb anyways. the real difference is the horrendous speed of the iPod's hard drive. I'm sure its fine for photos, but its not going to be some miraculously fast transfer.

[MacCrazy]

Originally posted by ipodandimac
of course. whatever reader they use right now is probably usb anyways. the real difference is the horrendous speed of the iPod's hard drive. I'm sure its fine for photos, but its not going to be some miraculously fast transfer.

The iPods HDs are not slower than the original iMacs and current iBooks. Although it does take a while to play some songs on my iPod. The Belkin media reader is slow. Apple want to reach the most people so if they have a USB connector anyone's media card can be used but also you don;t have to open up your camera etc which keeps the cards clean and makes it a lot less fiddly.

[ipodandimac]

Originally posted by MacCrazy
The iPods HDs are not slower than the original iMacs and current iBooks. Although it does take a while to play some songs on my iPod. The Belkin media reader is slow. Apple want to reach the most people so if they have a USB connector anyone's media card can be used but also you don;t have to open up your camera etc which keeps the cards clean and makes it a lot less fiddly.

my frame of reference on HD speeds is in video, so 4200rpm is really borderline. like i said, for photos, it's fine. but not for any video thats dv resolution or higher. yes, someone is gonna post and say "but i edit videos on my blahblah 4200rpm drive." i know you can, but its slow and crappy.

[MacCrazy]

Originally posted by ipodandimac
my frame of reference on HD speeds is in video, so 4200rpm is really borderline. like i said, for photos, it's fine. but not for any video thats dv resolution or higher. yes, someone is gonna post and say "but i edit videos on my blahblah 4200rpm drive." i know you can, but its slow and crappy.

you said it was slow for USB transfer - I think not!

[k squared]

Originally posted by PBG4 Dude
Still, I would prefer a card reader vs. a camera connector so I wouldn't have to use up my camera's batteries transferring pics to the iPod.

I wonder if we can just use a usb card reader attached to the iPod connecter? If iPhoto recognizes the card reader, then hopefully an iPod will.

[reykjavik]

great,....so the three people that bought an iPod photo now have an extra device to buy.

[PBG4 Dude]

Originally posted by reykjavik
great,....so the three people that bought an iPod photo now have an extra device to buy.

$30 isn't hugely expensive when compared to the price of an iPod Photo. Besides, it's new!

[rok]

it's such a simpel port converter, i am surprised griffin or someone didn't already think fo this and beat apple to the punch. couldn't other vendors do the same thing and undercut apple by a few bucks? or is there something i am missing here?

[Jwink3101]

Originally posted by k squared
I wonder if we can just use a usb card reader attached to the iPod connecter? If iPhoto recognizes the card reader, then hopefully an iPod will.

That is a good question. If anybody wants to buy me an iPod Photo i will spring for the adapter and write a nice long (~7 pages) report for them.

[nagromme]

Originally posted by G_Warren
Does the job, but shouldn't Apple really be including this in the box if it is an iPod photo?

The iPod Photo is for SHOWING Photos, just like it is for PLAYING music.

Anything else is outside the core purpose of the device. Everyone likes top SHOW photos. Few people actually have a camera-capacity problem that another flash card won't solve.

This adapter has its niche, but it's nothing to do with the Photo's intended function.

[nagromme]

Originally posted by rok
it's such a simpel port converter, i am surprised griffin or someone didn't already think fo this and beat apple to the punch. couldn't other vendors do the same thing and undercut apple by a few bucks? or is there something i am missing here?

Yes. Software within the iPod to a) import the images and b) prepare them as thumbnails and integrate them into the UI.

[trtam]

could you use it with other ipods (e.g. ipod, ipod mini, etc.)?

[Bouba]

Well, the software inside the ipod is already present, and was functional on before the ipod photo with the belkin media reader.

It seems like the ipod just needs the proper drivers for the media reader for it to work through this adaptor (dock plug to female usb plug)

[Louzer]

Originally posted by k squared
I wonder if we can just use a usb card reader attached to the iPod connecter? If iPhoto recognizes the card reader, then hopefully an iPod will.

i would think it would work if you connected it to Apple's attachment, but not connecting it directly to the dock connector from the reader. There's something going on in apple's attachment.

BTW, its not just a simple port converter (because if it was, couldn't you get a 'square' USB to 'flat' USB port converter, hook it up to the camera, and hook the other side directly to the iPod. I don't think others, like Belkin, would come up with something, because they need apple's approval to use the connector, and if apple has something, they might not let others in.

I would also think there's something in the attachment that talks to the iPod photo's software which isn't on the other iPods (so I don't think it'll work with your 4G iPod, whoever asked).

[Louzer]

Originally posted by wilco
Is USB sufficient for the people who would have a real use for this?

Not much choice. Almost all digital cameras connect via a USB port. Kinda hard to come out and say "But it only works with those three Firewire cameras out there"

[DonkeyRinse]

Everybody is missing the point here....this isn't a gimmick, but a Godsend for pro photographers who shoot in RAW format and want to offload those big files.

Go Apple!

[nathan22t]

why not just make a cable with dock connector on one end, USB on the other.

[artse]

Obviously there's something going on in that connector or this would have been a "Been there, done that"

Why isn't the cable white?

[Telomar]

Originally posted by aplnub
I have that camera in the photo. It has a nice color screen for reviewing the photographs.

Why would I need the iPod photo again? Looks like a bunch of hassle to carry around to snap pictures.

A simple card reader would be sufficient. I hate to say it but that looks like a gimic.

Eric

An iPod is far easier to carry if you're traveling around overseas that a dozen memory cards and I know quite a few people doing that exact think at the moment.

Originally posted by aplnub
Do they not make a card reader already for the ipod? I guess this would be a big deal for those who have wierd cards I guess.

Eric

The ones out there now cost $90 - $100, this costs $30. What's not to prefer about it?

[spylaw4]

Originally posted by artse
Obviously there's something going on in that connector or this would have been a "Been there, done that"

Why isn't the cable white?

Beacause the cable isn't by Apple - it's the cable that comes with your camera!

[artse]

Oh......, I forgot, they don't include cables, that's another $19...I'm still going to buy one.8) (Gosh, I love these smilies)

[macslut]

Originally posted by spylaw4
Beacause the cable isn't by Apple - it's the cable that comes with your camera!

Exactly, and the reason why Apple shouldn't include one is that there are several different kinds of USB ports that cameras use, and almost every camera will come with a cable already.

By the way, I do believe this will probably work with most card readers. This makes it even more useful because you could be offloading from a card reader while shooting on another card, and for when you're with friends/family and want to grab their pictures instead of having them send them to you when they get home.

[MacCrazy]

Originally posted by rok
it's such a simpel port converter, i am surprised griffin or someone didn't already think fo this and beat apple to the punch. couldn't other vendors do the same thing and undercut apple by a few bucks? or is there something i am missing here?

the software is needed, when Apple (well Portal Player) create the software other companies will make similar devices.

[cmoney]

Originally posted by reykjavik
great,....so the three people that bought an iPod photo now have an extra device to buy.

i think that's already begun to change. i had to spend an hour or so in an apple store this weekend waiting for my appt with a genius. no less than 10 ipod photos were sold in that time! they've effectively increased the price of the ipod to $349 because pretty much everyone was saying 10gb + color + photos for only $50 more? sure why not, i'd have to be crazy not to!

[heyjp]

Originally posted by AppleInsider
The device, which was previously described by Apple vice president Greg Joswiak...

Hmm. The Japanese product photo doesn't look at all like what was described by Greg Joswiak. Greg described a "mini dock" device with a cable that attaches to the iPod and a receptacle for a cable from the camera. More like a dongle.

Jp

[TrevorD]

it's such a simpel port converter, i am surprised griffin or someone didn't already think fo this and beat apple to the punch. couldn't other vendors do the same thing and undercut apple by a few bucks? or is there something i am missing here?

There are already card readers and such out there. There are two problems, though. 1) They're big and clunky. 2) The photos they import can't be viewed on the iPod photo until you copy them over to your Mac, and then re-sync them onto your iPod photo. Apple's attachment lets images be viewed right away.

And for people who are saying "what's the point", have any of you noticed how many people (on these forums and on other sites) were screaming "I can't import pictures directly from my camera to my iPod. It sucks. Apple's gonna go out of business!"? Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit with that last thing there, but people were tearing the iPod photo apart for not being able to connect it to a camera or memory card. Apple's just responding to the obvious customer demand.

[epsilon]

I updated my iPod 3rd Gen, 30GB yesterday... they finally came out with a software update for it (2.3)

Anyways, it has an option for the menu called 'Photo Import', i don't recall seeing this there before. I'm wondering if the new camera adaptor would allow me to transfer images from my camera to my ipod, for the sole purpose of clearing off / backing up my card. I realize that this would be of little use to some, but i think it would be great if Apple finally thought of something new for all the iPod users who had them before they became super popular.

(unfortunatly, the iPod's without dock connector don't have many expandible options for even earlier adopters )

Why else would they have waited a year, and then updated the software for my ipod???

[MacCrazy]

Originally posted by epsilon
I updated my iPod 3rd Gen, 30GB yesterday... they finally came out with a software update for it (2.3)

Anyways, it has an option for the menu called 'Photo Import', i don't recall seeing this there before. I'm wondering if the new camera adaptor would allow me to transfer images from my camera to my ipod, for the sole purpose of clearing off / backing up my card. I realize that this would be of little use to some, but i think it would be great if Apple finally thought of something new for all the iPod users who had them before they became super popular.

(unfortunatly, the iPod's without dock connector don't have many expandible options for even earlier adopters )

Why else would they have waited a year, and then updated the software for my ipod???

They updated the software due to complaints, there was nothing the 4th gen iPods could do that was not possible on the 3rd gen. They updated the iPods to improve stability etc, maybe even security and allow new file formats to play?! That photo import menu you think off is the current way of transferring photos using an adaptor.

[minimal]

Originally posted by MacCrazy
the software is needed, when Apple (well Portal Player) create the software other companies will make similar devices.

Why don't you think Apple is capable of developing the software? Its not like they haven't done it several times before.

[MacCrazy]

Originally posted by minimal
Why don't you think Apple is capable of developing the software? Its not like they haven't done it several times before.

Apple don't and never have made the iPod software. It's made by Portal Player; Apple probably design it. For more proof click on Legal in the Settings menu.

[minimal]

Originally posted by Bouba
Well, the software inside the ipod is already present, and was functional on before the ipod photo with the belkin media reader.

There was no evidence that iPods have previously had any USB host capability. Being a USB host is considerably more complicated than just being a USB device. The software for the belkin media reader would not display the photos on the iPod, its was just a way of transferring photos from the card to your Mac via the iPod.

Originally posted by Louzer
BTW, its not just a simple port converter (because if it was, couldn't you get a 'square' USB to 'flat' USB port converter, hook it up to the camera, and hook the other side directly to the iPod.

You're right, USB is a lot different depending on which end of the cable you're on. The device end is quite simple. The host end is a lot more complex.

[minimal]

Originally posted by MacCrazy
Apple don't and never have made the iPod software. It's made by Portal Player; Apple probably design it.

Wow! All those Apple employees slaving away over the iPod software are a figment of my imagination then? I never realised that. I'm sure theirr signifcant others will be releived, or should they be worried about what they have been doing with their weekends.

I've seen the portal player software in action. Its not a patch on the iPod software. The PPI referenece code can't even cope with a mass storage transaction of greater than 128M. You can't even use a PPI reference design with Panther, Panther started using larger disk transactions (like greater than 128M).