Apple PDA / iPod ??
So Apple claims to make all of our digital management more efficient... What I'd like to see them do is combine the iPod with a PDA!
Sure through a small G5 processor in there, maybe even a bluetooth and a airport extreme. Call it a tablet or simply a PDA for the size purpose. Let me connect to the iTunes wherever I am and surf the web while I'm jammin to my 40 GB of music... Oh and throw in a 2 mega pixel camera while your at it!
The HIGH LIFE is here!!!
Sure through a small G5 processor in there, maybe even a bluetooth and a airport extreme. Call it a tablet or simply a PDA for the size purpose. Let me connect to the iTunes wherever I am and surf the web while I'm jammin to my 40 GB of music... Oh and throw in a 2 mega pixel camera while your at it!
The HIGH LIFE is here!!!
Comments
As far as:
-the G5, you must be kidding.
-the camera, god, that will mean my phone, my computer (with iSight), my dedicated digital camera, and my iPod will all have cameras. hmmm. not sure how I feel about that one.
-airport extreme, that's pretty bulky.
My main concern with all that functionality would be that the design and interface would become cluttered.
Originally posted by filmmaker2002
I am more fascinated by the concept of "Home on the iPod" where you plug your iPod into your Mac and it downloads everything in your home folder, and when you go to ANY other Mac running Panther...you can plug your iPod into it and it will be like using your Mac at home without disturbing anything on the Mac you are using...hence the POD in iPod. It is a great music player...the best actually, but I think the "Pod" refers to a much greater potential.
Agreed! I always thought that the iPod offered so much more potential than just being a Music player... somebody once postulated that iPod might stand for - Personal Organisational Device. I think they were accurate with that call!
Also, it's an elegant way for Jobs to reverse himself into the PDA market after he made those comments a few years back about Apple not entering into that area.
Originally posted by me:
[QB]iPods are nice. They're a "little" more than an overpriced walkman. With huge capacities comming down the pipe, and even with the 20, (previous)30 and 40GB models, there's enough there to make them into little portable "system" discs. Walk to any mac, plug in an iPod, and you're on your mac with your apps and files. Cool.
While I'm not a huge fan of PDAs, I think the iPod could stand to become one: keep the HDD, get a full length color screen to project the iPod scroll layout, or have an additional iPod solid state scroll wheel and buttons slide out Palm style. It could be a PDA with some real utility and tight iPhoto integration. Drag photos directly to the iPod from your camera via USB mass storage protocols, NO messy card adaptors, and view them right there, have it automatically time stamp and catalogue them into rolls; build in the microphone, have the same functionality to catalogue and time stanp recordings. Make use of Palm. Just like they now license Pixo, there are plenty of cheap, low power Texas Instruments (ARM based) CPU's with hardware DSP. There's a great library of apps and it doesn't need much, just enough for occasional emergency text input, or checking off a list , appointment etc etc.
Bring it in at the high end and sell a ton. Apple has already argued against the commoditization of the iPod: if they do not innovate on it, they will get beaten on price. So innovate. Palm isn't bad for what they do, why not take advantage? Cost-wise, price margins should not be affected one bit since it only costs about 30 bucks to actually build the average palm device (that sells for hundreds). Substitute that against the cost of building the iPod's guts and add one HDD of your choosing.
It might turn out to be the first decent useful PDA that's actually pocketable:
-Small, pocketable MP3 player.
-Colour screen "digital vault" for iPhoto
-Go anywhere "system disk"
-Voice recorder
-PDA (calendar, contacts, notes)
iPod is already many of these things, but perhaps you can understand how it could really perfect the concept with a few little tweaks.
Pscates had a great mockup once, very close to what I'm thinking. I'll look it up if he's still hosting it. [/QB]
As I mentioned, it might make sense. The iPod is just a group of 3rd party components and OS which Apple has tailored to its own purposes. PalmOS has very low overhead, and TI's OMAP processors have all the power and efficiency needed for the task.
I don't think it's really a question of not wanting to use palm so much as not wanting to be percieved and judged as a palm PDA, rather than an MP3 player. It could hurt the iPod's distinction in the marketplace. For me, the device I've outlined, makes sense, and I would buy it to compliment my music collection, my digital camera, and to make voice notes, access to other palm stuff would be a nice bonus, but it isn't ultimately neccessary that the thing run Palm. Apple could go custom. G5's, AE, and tablet talk are all silly for such a device. But a cross between a tungsten and an iPod makes a lot of sense from here.
Originally posted by Matsu
I jus posted this in another thread, but perhaps it's more relevant here:[snip]
I don't think it's really a question of not wanting to use palm so much as not wanting to be percieved and judged as a palm PDA, rather than an MP3 player. It could hurt the iPod's distinction in the marketplace. For me, the device I've outlined, makes sense, and I would buy it to compliment my music collection, my digital camera, and to make voice notes, access to other palm stuff would be a nice bonus, but it isn't ultimately neccessary that the thing run Palm. Apple could go custom. G5's, AE, and tablet talk are all silly for such a device. But a cross between a tungsten and an iPod makes a lot of sense from here.
Fair post Matsu. I'd hunker down my "hard-earned" for a device like that. At the moment though, with the iPod as just an MP3 player (albeit an excellent one), I'll continue to wait until it evolves into an infinitely more useful utility for my purposes.
Taking your ideas:
It might turn out to be the first decent useful PDA that's actually pocketable:
-Small, pocketable MP3 player.
-Colour screen "digital vault" for iPhoto
-Go anywhere "system disk"
-Voice recorder
-PDA (calendar, contacts, notes)
It appears logical that it needs to evolve into a dedicated Apple iApps device - an extension of the digital hub idea, first proposed by Jobs a few years back, when he outlined his plan to "innovate" Apple out of the IT slump. Makes sense to me - all that great innovation and Apple style UI simplicity needs to be matched with an equally innovative and functonal Apple styled portable digital hub device.
I guess I'll keep waiting until it happens.
I like the idea of using the PalmOS only because I have a few Palm apps that I really like and they won't work on a &*%&$@ phone no matter how cool the phone is.
Mac+: It isn't just an mp3 player....how long lord?!?!
If the screen were made color and covered the whole front of the iPod as Matsu suggests, then it should be given a different name. It has to be an iVid or iPod2 or something. Why compromise the iPod as an icon, the way they did with the name iMac, by using the same name on a new form.
Originally posted by MacGregor
[snip]
Mac+: It isn't just an mp3 player....how long lord?!?!
If the screen were made color and covered the whole front of the iPod as Matsu suggests, then it should be given a different name. It has to be an iVid or iPod2 or something. Why compromise the iPod as an icon, the way they did with the name iMac, by using the same name on a new form.
MacGregor - I know it isn't just an MP3 player, (... how long Lord?!?!) - I was referring to it that way for 2 reasons:
1. laziness during the typing up of my post
2. that is the primary function for which it is best known by most of the world
However, I would also like to add that I don't think they should change the name of the iPod to a "2" naming convention - I hate iPod2 or iPod series II, Classic II, Mac II naming conventions - sounds like they left something fundamental out of the original design and are now scampering to play catch-up. I say, keep the iPod brand name and continue to develop new models with increased fucntionality as they are doing now (just as the Walkman brand has evolved to encompass Discmans and Sports models and radio/monoculars etc).
After all, they didn't opt to change the name when they added address book functionality and document back-up or photo image storage and audio recording capabilities did they?
On the other hand, as you said above, if the physical dimensions were to be changed radically to accomodate a larger colour screen, then I have no problems with Video iPod or iPod Colour (or some such thing)... just not iPod2! (yech)
(edit - typos... hate 'em)
Keep Hope alive!
Originally posted by Carson O'Genic
Unfortunately, Enderle hates Apple and gnereally makes some really dumb statements. So I say its its a bunch of hot air.
Yeah, he heard something about it... from Bob Cringely's column a few weeks ago, just like the rest of us did:
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20031127.html
Good insider information, Rob! No wonder Engerle is on his own these days... good riddance.
- Philips HDD100
http://www.consumer.philips.com/glob...ctId=HDD100_17
- NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra
http://www.nomadworld.com/products/Jukebox_ZenXtra/
- Samsung Napster
http://www.samsung.com/Products/Digi...p_YP_910GS.htm
Additionally, the iTunes music service is going to soon be facing pressure from rival services like Napster and Microsoft with the Loudeye/Microsoft announcement. This just downplays the necessity of having an iPod...
Apple is known for innovation, so I really wouldn't be surprised if we were all pleased by MWSF.
Here's hoping!
Look- Firstly I think it needs to remain small actually smaller width and heigth than many PDA's. Why I think that is one of its major selling points is its size (4.1X2.4X.62) (HXWXD). It easily fits in ones pocket etc. The tungsten looks about the right size (4.8 X 3 X .66). And to borrow another idea from the tungsten it like the ability of the screen to slide out. The screen can go from slightly larger than it is now to much longer length wise. As mention before in a different thread, I would replace the wheel with a single strip to navigate moving the main select button above or below. This is to save space but more importantly the pad becomes the input writing surface. It simplifies the cost compared to a large pressure sensitive color LCD to a smaller black and white pressure sensitive strip that elegantly combines navigation functions and input fuctions.
Camera- do not think it should be included as I think that a camera is not something that you need all the time and more importantly it may limit where you can take your iPod Black as some buildings especially govermental buildings are outlawing camera phone. But I like the idea of storing pictures (to be viewed) and movies/ slideshows (not to be viewed unless hooked up to diplay).
Phone- I have been debating this one. It would be nice to combine functions. Numbers would be either dialed from a preinstalled list or by entering the number within the input strip.
Problems I see are the # of cell phone providers and how much it would add to cost and design by implementing the components.
Wi-fi cards would be interesting not only for general connectivity but for a wireless form Voice of IP wherever there is Wi-fi reception.
Regardless, the anticipation is a killer...