2nd Gen Nano was a lot easier to use than the 3rd gen one due to it's shape.
I sure hope that the new Nano does NOT use a touch screen, that would be a very bad thing for that form factor. Touch screens are cool, but you need to be able to use the controls while exercising without looking at the device, and without breaking stride. I love my iPod touch, but it's the wrong device for that use, even if it was smaller.
Using the clickwheel when the iPod is rotated is a lot easier than some of you seem to think. When I use my 160Gb iPod classic, I always have on my belt, rotated 90 degrees. I've never had an issue using the clickwheel with it rotated.
Come to think of it, a real improvement in the Nano would be to use the tactile control from the shuffle in the form factor of the 2nd Gen Nano. The smaller control would easily allow for a longer screen, and make it even better for use when exercising.
Look at that Nano 3G screen: it's too squashed horizontally (the menu overlaps the album cover). The 4G Nano needs to be wider, not taller.
And there's the problem someone else mentioned with the purported 4G Nano of the click wheel having the text (and buttons) in the wrong location when you turn it on its side to watch video. Apple would never do that, would they?
No, rather than a super tall Nano 4G, I think it's going to be super w-i-d-e. Turn the photo from the original article on its side, then rotate the click wheel 90º. Now you've got a super w-i-d-e Nano 4G. You can view the menu and the album side-by-side without overlapping. And you can view video that way.
But it will store in your shirt pocket vertically, of course.
Doesn't that make more sense?
Makes sense to me. Just take the image from the article and rotate the iPod and the clickwheel 90 degrees. Then it all makes sense.
But maybe that's too logical for Apple. Not enough panache.
hmmm... I still think the click-wheel will go away, but we'll see.
As for orientation, that's trivial. The function of any particular click is just a software mapping. If the accellerometer (sp?) detects a 90 degree switch, then the function of the clickwheel rotate as well. Of course that would mean no markings on the clickwheel itself.
Or a backlit clickwheel as mentioned in my earlier post. I think the mini will retain the clickwheel in order to differentiate it from the iPod Touch. All screen mini would be nice but Apple would prefer you buy an iPod Touch or an iPhone for this purpose.
It's going to be a touch interface with a few real buttons for those of us who use it to exercise with. It will be a much more simplified interface than the iphone. Here's a mockup.
Actually that looks quite nice. I could see apple drop the clickwheel for that. The wheel is essentially there to allow for scrolling which is performed more intuitively by the iPhone's interface. Retains some physical buttons. I like.
Well, except for the original white ("pack of gum") shuffle. Many considered that to have the best sound of all the iPods released so far. My 2nd gen shuffle is definitely a step down in audio quality.
Thanks for reminding me- I have to pull mine out again. That pack of gum shuffle rocks!
Or a backlit clickwheel as mentioned in my earlier post. I think the mini will retain the clickwheel in order to differentiate it from the iPod Touch. All screen mini would be nice but Apple would prefer you buy an iPod Touch or an iPhone for this purpose.
How would backlighting the clickwheel be an improvement?
It's going to be a touch interface with a few real buttons for those of us who use it to exercise with. It will be a much more simplified interface than the iphone. Here's a mockup.
If you're going that direction then they'll likely do this:
While yours doesn't look bad. I wouldn't say they'd release it.
No need for a home button (as there's no home screen). Software based back buttons instead. A play pause button for sports, and double tapping it advances to the next track. No silent/ringer switch, obviously. New external volume buttons, and they are moved up to the position where the iPhone's silent/ringer switch is.
How would backlighting the clickwheel be an improvement?
When you rotate the device for landscape mode the navigation images on the click-wheel change places and rotate their symbol so they always in the same position in relation to each other and the user.
When you rotate the device for landscape mode the navigation images on the click-wheel change places and rotate their symbol so they always in the same position in relation to each other and the user.
More than a non-illuminatable click-wheel? Sure. Expensive? Not necessarily. If they do expect you to rotate the device for watching videos they will have to make the buttons change to accommodate landscape view.
More than a non-illuminatable click-wheel? Sure. Expensive? Not necessarily. If they do expect you to rotate the device for watching videos they will have to make the buttons change to accommodate landscape view.
I don't think losing the tactile "feature" of the Nano is a good idea.
You and a lot of others. I kinda feel a nano touch would be a good thing, and I don't agree that the OS couldn't be tweaked for the smaller screen. There's a bunch of really small devices out there.
That said, I don't actually think it'll happen though. Wish it would as I really dislike the 4th gen mock ups going around.....
You and a lot of others. I kinda feel a nano touch would be a good thing, and I don't agree that the OS couldn't be tweaked for the smaller screen. There's a bunch of really small devices out there.
That said, I don't actually think it'll happen though. Wish it would as I really dislike the 4th gen mock ups going around.....
The biggest complaint about the "fatty" Nano was the uncomfortable fit for the hand. The older style was much better for gym to quickly grab and use. You didn't have to feel over it because the shape was a clear indicator. One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone (overall) is the lack of tactile controls. This can't be helped right now. As much as i love my iPhone I do miss being able to keep the device in my pocket (simply not looking at it) while adjusting what is playing. The iPhone's double-click the headphone mic to jump to the next song is nice, but not a replacement for the being about to navigate the menu deftly. For that reason I don't think it will be lost until proper tactile response system through electrical impulses is available.
The only problem I see with the 4G mockups going around are the problems posed to those that are left-handed; Apple's been able to make the iPod nano hand-generic (if that makes sense :P). What if you rotated it so the clickwheel was in your left hand, not your right? Then the screen would be upside down! Would there be an accelerometer to detect the rotation orientation? I'm not sure how this is going to work...
The only problem I see with the 4G mockups going around are the problems posed to those that are left-handed; Apple's been able to make the iPod nano hand-generic (if that makes sense :P). What if you rotated it so the clickwheel was in your left hand, not your right? Then the screen would be upside down! Would there be an accelerometer to detect the rotation orientation? I'm not sure how this is going to work...
The iPhone can be rotated to either landscape side. The only reason i see Apple not allowing this is that the clickwheel navigation images are only viewable from two rotations, not three.
Comments
I sure hope that the new Nano does NOT use a touch screen, that would be a very bad thing for that form factor. Touch screens are cool, but you need to be able to use the controls while exercising without looking at the device, and without breaking stride. I love my iPod touch, but it's the wrong device for that use, even if it was smaller.
Using the clickwheel when the iPod is rotated is a lot easier than some of you seem to think. When I use my 160Gb iPod classic, I always have on my belt, rotated 90 degrees. I've never had an issue using the clickwheel with it rotated.
Come to think of it, a real improvement in the Nano would be to use the tactile control from the shuffle in the form factor of the 2nd Gen Nano. The smaller control would easily allow for a longer screen, and make it even better for use when exercising.
Look at that Nano 3G screen: it's too squashed horizontally (the menu overlaps the album cover). The 4G Nano needs to be wider, not taller.
And there's the problem someone else mentioned with the purported 4G Nano of the click wheel having the text (and buttons) in the wrong location when you turn it on its side to watch video. Apple would never do that, would they?
No, rather than a super tall Nano 4G, I think it's going to be super w-i-d-e. Turn the photo from the original article on its side, then rotate the click wheel 90º. Now you've got a super w-i-d-e Nano 4G. You can view the menu and the album side-by-side without overlapping. And you can view video that way.
But it will store in your shirt pocket vertically, of course.
Doesn't that make more sense?
Makes sense to me. Just take the image from the article and rotate the iPod and the clickwheel 90 degrees. Then it all makes sense.
But maybe that's too logical for Apple. Not enough panache.
hmmm... I still think the click-wheel will go away, but we'll see.
As for orientation, that's trivial. The function of any particular click is just a software mapping. If the accellerometer (sp?) detects a 90 degree switch, then the function of the clickwheel rotate as well. Of course that would mean no markings on the clickwheel itself.
Or a backlit clickwheel as mentioned in my earlier post. I think the mini will retain the clickwheel in order to differentiate it from the iPod Touch. All screen mini would be nice but Apple would prefer you buy an iPod Touch or an iPhone for this purpose.
It's going to be a touch interface with a few real buttons for those of us who use it to exercise with. It will be a much more simplified interface than the iphone. Here's a mockup.
Actually that looks quite nice. I could see apple drop the clickwheel for that. The wheel is essentially there to allow for scrolling which is performed more intuitively by the iPhone's interface. Retains some physical buttons. I like.
Well, except for the original white ("pack of gum") shuffle. Many considered that to have the best sound of all the iPods released so far. My 2nd gen shuffle is definitely a step down in audio quality.
Thanks for reminding me- I have to pull mine out again. That pack of gum shuffle rocks!
Or a backlit clickwheel as mentioned in my earlier post. I think the mini will retain the clickwheel in order to differentiate it from the iPod Touch. All screen mini would be nice but Apple would prefer you buy an iPod Touch or an iPhone for this purpose.
How would backlighting the clickwheel be an improvement?
It's going to be a touch interface with a few real buttons for those of us who use it to exercise with. It will be a much more simplified interface than the iphone. Here's a mockup.
If you're going that direction then they'll likely do this:
While yours doesn't look bad. I wouldn't say they'd release it.
No need for a home button (as there's no home screen). Software based back buttons instead. A play pause button for sports, and double tapping it advances to the next track. No silent/ringer switch, obviously. New external volume buttons, and they are moved up to the position where the iPhone's silent/ringer switch is.
How would backlighting the clickwheel be an improvement?
When you rotate the device for landscape mode the navigation images on the click-wheel change places and rotate their symbol so they always in the same position in relation to each other and the user.
When you rotate the device for landscape mode the navigation images on the click-wheel change places and rotate their symbol so they always in the same position in relation to each other and the user.
Nice.....but expensive.
Nice.....but expensive.
More than a non-illuminatable click-wheel? Sure. Expensive? Not necessarily. If they do expect you to rotate the device for watching videos they will have to make the buttons change to accommodate landscape view.
More than a non-illuminatable click-wheel? Sure. Expensive? Not necessarily. If they do expect you to rotate the device for watching videos they will have to make the buttons change to accommodate landscape view.
Or get rid of them entirely.
Or get rid of them entirely.
I don't think losing the tactile "feature" of the Nano is a good idea.
I don't think losing the tactile "feature" of the Nano is a good idea.
You and a lot of others. I kinda feel a nano touch would be a good thing, and I don't agree that the OS couldn't be tweaked for the smaller screen. There's a bunch of really small devices out there.
That said, I don't actually think it'll happen though. Wish it would as I really dislike the 4th gen mock ups going around.....
You and a lot of others. I kinda feel a nano touch would be a good thing, and I don't agree that the OS couldn't be tweaked for the smaller screen. There's a bunch of really small devices out there.
That said, I don't actually think it'll happen though. Wish it would as I really dislike the 4th gen mock ups going around.....
The biggest complaint about the "fatty" Nano was the uncomfortable fit for the hand. The older style was much better for gym to quickly grab and use. You didn't have to feel over it because the shape was a clear indicator. One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone (overall) is the lack of tactile controls. This can't be helped right now. As much as i love my iPhone I do miss being able to keep the device in my pocket (simply not looking at it) while adjusting what is playing. The iPhone's double-click the headphone mic to jump to the next song is nice, but not a replacement for the being about to navigate the menu deftly. For that reason I don't think it will be lost until proper tactile response system through electrical impulses is available.
A less expensive, high fidelity 2G form factor with
lots more memory will do it again and kill off the would-be's.
32GB would be super. Video is a nice add-on.
If you want a toy with all the extraneous junk, go get a Touch
or an iPhone.
Music is the core of the iPod.
The only problem I see with the 4G mockups going around are the problems posed to those that are left-handed; Apple's been able to make the iPod nano hand-generic (if that makes sense :P). What if you rotated it so the clickwheel was in your left hand, not your right? Then the screen would be upside down! Would there be an accelerometer to detect the rotation orientation? I'm not sure how this is going to work...
The iPhone can be rotated to either landscape side. The only reason i see Apple not allowing this is that the clickwheel navigation images are only viewable from two rotations, not three.