iPod shuffle 4GB may be enroute; QuarkXPress 8; more

[AppleInsider]

Apple could boost its least expensive iPod this fall with a redesign and 4GB of storage, according to one report. Also, Quark has shipped a major overhaul of its long-running publishing software, the iFund is now backing a game developer, and Apple is now offering daily statistics to iPhone software developers for their App Store sales.

iPod shuffle moving to 4GB, redesign?

Often considered the runt of Apple's lineup with the least amount of changes, the iPod shuffle may receive a more substantial update alongside its larger counterparts, according to an unverified rumor from TGDaily.

While most of the report's claims about other iPods are drawn from analysts and third-party rumors, the technology site points to more than one unnamed and unverified source that claims a "slight re-design" in the works for the screenless iPod that would allegedly also boost its capacity from 2GB to 4GB and add new colors.

Whether or not the price will change is unknown and largely speculative; an iPod shuffle price cut to $49 early this year has rekindled sales of the music player, but would hurt Apple's typical selling price and may have less impact.

Analysts and outside rumor creators have already predicted similar moves for the rest of the iPod lineup, including the possibility of a new 16GB, tall-screened iPod nano and either a 64GB iPod touch or else a price-reduced refresh.

Quark ships QuarkXPress 8

Quark on Thursday began shipping QuarkXpress 8, the latest version of its page design app.

As previewed in May, the new version centers around a redesigned interface that Quark expects will simplify most common tasks and permit more keyboard shortcuts.

It's also aimed at those who have converted to Adobe InDesign or are considering making the move. Version 8 supports both Illustrator and Photoshop files natively and includes both image and Flash animation editing tools meant both to let publishers work in a single app and also reduce dependence on Adobe's larger Creative Suite.

Other touches in the app include document-wide grids and object styles that streamline creating documents with multiple pages that contain the same layouts.

A full version of QuarkXPress 8 costs $799, while an upgrade version is priced at $299. A 60-day trial is also available.

iFund backs game developer ngmoco

The next recipient of money from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Beyers' iFund venture capital pool is game developer ngmoco, the two organizations announced on Thursday.

The software firm believes the iPhone is the "next great game platform" and plans to use its initial funding to create titles specific to the handset and the iPod touch.

How much money was invested into ngmoco remains confidential, though the company adds that former Electronic Arts creative head (and now Kleiner Perkins partner) Bing Gordon will join ngmoco's board of directors.

iPhone developers receiving official App Store sales counts

Software teams anxious to learn how well their apps are selling in iTunes' App Store are now receiving sales results directly from Apple, says a report from MacRumors.

While Apple had been offering download counts on launch only to pull them hours later, fully registered developers are now receiving daily download statistics through the iTunes Connect web interface they use to manage their iPhone releases.

Having tangible data is considered crucial by developers, who otherwise would have few ways of determining whether a paid app is priced low enough to attract buyers or whether any one product among several is truly popular in absolute terms, rather than just relative to competitors.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Fleshman03]

First.

That is all.

Edit:
I think we'll end up seeing something like the Shuffle becoming the new nano and the old nano becoming like the classic only smaller. Classic will be even larger.

iPod Touch will grow up from being the wicked bastard child of the iPhone.

Now I don't feel so bad for saying first.

[iVlad]

Shuffle? Really.

I don't think its that big of a iPod sales hit. They might, but less likely. Apple can't announce iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod Shuffle with macbook and macbook pro at the same time. Its gonna be so overwhelming.

But with the stocks doing this bad, hey, this might be a great exit strategy. =)

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by iVlad

Shuffle? Really.

I don't think its that big of a iPod sales hit. They might, but less likely. Apple can't announce iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod Shuffle with macbook and macbook pro at the same time. Its gonna be so overwhelming.

They did do an iPod press event last year which I think every iPod was replaced, changed or improved, and they added the iTouch.

There's little point in mixing the iPod and notebook announcements at the same event. If there are significantly redesigned notebooks, then that will get a separate event, and the events would probably be a month apart. If there isn't a major redesign, just a chip spec improvement, then there will probably not be a press event at all, just a quiet update to the stores.

[Fleshman03]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

They did do an iPod press event last year which I think every iPod was replaced, changed or improved, and they added the iTouch.

There's little point in mixing the iPod and notebook announcements at the same event. If there are significantly redesigned notebooks, then that will get a separate event, and the events would probably be a month apart. If there isn't a major redesign, just a chip spec improvement, then there will probably not be a press event at all, just a quiet update to the stores.

I was thinking they would wait for a case redesign until Nehalem, but now with the possibility of not using intel motherboards (just CPUs), I think they might do the casing redesign sooner rather than later.

I do think to announce new notebooks and new iPods in the same event is a bit much, but you never know with Apple these days...

[iMick]

Originally Posted by iVlad

Shuffle? Really.

I don't think its that big of a iPod sales hit. They might, but less likely. Apple can't announce iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod Shuffle with macbook and macbook pro at the same time. Its gonna be so overwhelming.

But with the stocks doing this bad, hey, this might be a great exit strategy. =)

I would LOVE a 4GB Shuffle!!!! I'd SUPER-LOVE an 8GB Shuffle.

I think it's funny, that so many people don't want an iPod without a screen, and cannot imagine why people would want one without a screen.
It's easy. It's great for biking, walking, running, mowing, fishing, playing at work, working, bailing hay, etc. Also, at 4GB or larger, it becomes a valid storage device - especially due to it's very small size.

I don't always need a screen. As a matter of fact, I rarely use my iPhone to play music. I always have my Shuffle with me, along with my iPhone.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by iMick

I would LOVE a 4GB Shuffle!!!! I'd SUPER-LOVE an 8GB Shuffle.

I think it's funny, that so many people don't want an iPod without a screen, and cannot imagine why people would want one without a screen.
It's easy. It's great for biking, walking, running, mowing, fishing, playing at work, working, bailing hay, etc. Also, at 4GB or larger, it becomes a valid storage device - especially due to it's very small size.

I don't always need a screen. As a matter of fact, I rarely use my iPhone to play music. I always have my Shuffle with me, along with my iPhone.

I love my Shuffle for working it out. It's 1GB and has plenty of space for my music. 4 and 8GB is a lot of room for audio, what do you have AIFF audio?

[pixelnyc]

I think Quark should throw in the towel. Most designers I know, serious designers, have moved over to InDesign. Quark had a monopoly for a long tim, rested on their laurels and sucked too hard.

[reallynotnick]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I love my Shuffle for working it out. It's 1GB and has plenty of space for my music. 4 and 8GB is a lot of room for audio, what do you have AIFF audio?

I do my audio at 320kbs or 256kbs from the iTunes store and have 2.66GB of music, and would love to be able to fit all my music on a shuffle I hate having to re-sync my old shuffle to 'shuffle' new songs on it.

I always use my iPhone on shuffle, sure there might be a moment when I want to play a certain song but that is usually when I am with people not for my listening. I still think the shuffle is an amazing player assuming you like your music collection and are not super anal, I find it a waste of time to pick each of my songs and idk what the heck half of my songs are but they are good.

[otayranchdweeb]

Originally Posted by pixelnyc

I think Quark should throw in the towel. Most designers I know, serious designers, have moved over to InDesign. Quark had a monopoly for a long tim, rested on their laurels and sucked too hard.

"Serious designers" maybe. I don't know as I don't work for an ad agency.

But newspaper and magazine production staff, definitely not, we still use Quark.

[graphicbreak]

Originally Posted by otayranchdweeb

"Serious designers" maybe. I don't know as I don't work for an ad agency.

But newspaper and magazine production staff, definitely not, we still use Quark.

Sorry to hear that. But at least now you create SWF files , which seems very strange.

[i386]

Originally Posted by pixelnyc

I think Quark should throw in the towel. Most designers I know, serious designers, have moved over to InDesign. Quark had a monopoly for a long tim, rested on their laurels and sucked too hard.

Adobe needs competition. Both Quark and InDesign are way too expensive to buy at €984 and €1300 respectively.

Is there anything else apart from Pages and Scribus with its clunky GUI ?

Gavin

[Ireland]

en route is two words.

[zanshin]

I'm gonna have to download and try v.8, but I dunno... I bought v.7.3 as part of the spec for a mass document project a client wanted. After using InDesign/CS3 for the last year, the counter-intuitive procedures for Quark make working with it painful. Way too many trips to pallets and toolbars required, or else dig relentlessly in Help to find 4-fingered shortcuts.

I know I'm way behind the professional print-design software curve since I've been working on electronic media for the last 10+ years, but Geez, InDesign just seems to function a lot easier to get things done without needing to have spent the last 5 years of your life working in the program. I imagine there are good Quark tools and features for doing a lot of external text document linking and multiple team-based production that has that type of requirement, but for a one person/one document design and development scenario, my nod would go to CS3 for now. It just seems less cumbersome.

And I'd love to find a way to get both InDesign and Quark to stop thinking that because I have mass screen real estate, I want all of it used for a single document in their application. I have to work with two documents open at a time, and every time I open a file, they want to max the pasteboard out to the bezels, and I have to resize the window.