iPod Home (rumor posted elsewhere)

Comments

• Reply 1 of 8

  base80 Posts: 9member

  July 17, 2002 1:59AM

  iRemote a device to control your mac from your living room. listen to your playlists, watch some trailers, answer your email with Ink.
  
  Works with Remote Desktop, airport, rendezvous, QT broadcast,...
• Reply 2 of 8

  olli Posts: 39member

  July 17, 2002 12:36PM

  Does the new iPod have a mp3 encoding device in it?
  
  
  
  And if yes , when will we see an iPod able of doing voice recording?
• Reply 3 of 8

  flashgordon Posts: 284member

  July 18, 2002 6:17PM

  the new iPod does not have MP3 encoding...so who knows when. the only negative parts of reviews I have seen mention no built in mic or recording and no FM tuner, if it had these it would be a little closer to being perfect...as of now it is only the best.
• Reply 4 of 8

  tulkas Posts: 3,757member

  July 19, 2002 12:36AM

  [quote]Originally posted by Masker:
  
  <strong>I went slumming over at the spymac boards for the first time and got some dirt all over me...
  
  
  
  Here it is we'll know soon enough that it's not true I guess....
  
  
  
  "
  
  
  
  Pixo long ago developed a suite of mobile applications for their OS, which they hoped would
  
  be on everone's phones by now. They have solid address book, calendaring type
  
  mini-applications and a mini web browser. I couldn't get much detail from my contact there,
  
  but he reminded me of these apps and said "put a Palm-like touch screen on the iPod, add
  
  our mobile apps and license Palm's conduit technology and think about what you get --
  
  instant PDA, syncs with Entourage from day one". I never gave much credence to the
  
  Apple PDA rumors, but when you think about how easy it would be for them to extend the
  
  iPod I guess it makes sense.
  
  
  
  My friend finished adding PCMCIA and USB support to their OS in late May. I questioned him
  
  about why they wanted that for the iPod, and was able to pump him for all the details.
  
  
  
  They've been working with Apple to make the living room equivalent of the iPod -- the iPod
  
  Home (name sucks). The device is about 10" wide and 2" high with the same controls as
  
  the iPod, however the screen is on the left (with blue backlight) and the wheel is on the
  
  right. The front panel is stunning in its simplicity -- just the screen and the now-famous
  
  wheel. The case complements the iPod classic. Where the device differs from the iPod
  
  classic is really interesting:
  
  - sound output: RCA, optical out, and USB connector (for optional Harman Kardon sound
  
  sticks)
  
  - PCMCIA slot accessible through the base to take an Airport card
  
  - on bootup the iPod Home scans the network with Rendezvous for any iTunes databases
  
  that are shared
  
  - the iPod Home does not have a hard drive: a deliberate decision to reduce the costs, but
  
  there is a mini-IDE connector on the inside to allow for one (perhaps a build-to-order
  
  option?)
  
  - the iPod Home uses BlueTooth for two optional accessories: a wireless remote control
  
  and wireless headphones (which explains why the front panel is missing a headphone
  
  connector and IR sensor)
  
  Apparently they're aiming to sell the basic iPod Home for $199 with accessories extra. At
  
  that price I'm going to buy two or three...
  
  
  
  My friend didn't know whether Apple will be announcing them at Mac world -- but said they'd
  
  definitely be out by the anniversary of the iPod in October."
  
  
  
  MSKR</strong><hr></blockquote>
  
  
  
  This all sounds like a very limited version of what was discussed here months ago, as the iDock. This iPod Home sounds a little too limited as a home device. With no harddrive standard, it would only be useful in conjunction with a computer(Mac and/or maybe Windows). While this strategy is successful for a personal device like an iPod, a single function home stereo component that requires a computer would be a tough sell I think.
  
  
  
  Also, if it uses Rendezvous for it's media collection, which is agreat idea, why would there not be ethernet and Firewire on this thing? Even Apple can't assume everyone who buys this thing will have both a Mac and an Airport network.
  
  
  
  Now, throw in ethernet and Firewire and you have a fully functional home entertainment device. An argument from Apple that it requires a Mac to use fully would make sense. You would use the Mac to store the media and create playlists. Ethernet available wouldn't force every Mac user to also pony up for Airport if they don't want it yet. Airport could be sold as an extra for the device as it is on today's Macs. Only if all Mac come standard with Airport built in and not just Airport ready, would making Airport the only available interface make sense. Use the recently released PVR software for OSX (perhaps Apple will have their own) and a TV tuner card and you now also have a digital TV recorder, where you would use the Mac to setup the recordings.
  
  
  
  Onboard Firewire would allow you to connect your DV cancorder or iPod portable directly to the device.
  
  
  
  The recent announcement of increased collaboration with Panasonic, regarding Firewire, to me sounds like Panasonic might be planning to integrate FW into more of their consumer electronics. This would allow this iPod Home to connect to these devices directly with a digital, open interface.
  
  
  
  Seems more and more rumors are trickling in about Apple releasing a home entertainment device. In conjunction with some of their other moves, it is really starting to make sense as a possiblity.
  
  
  
  [ 07-19-2002: Message edited by: Tulkas ]</p>
• Reply 5 of 8

  goldfish Posts: 8member

  July 19, 2002 5:16AM

  The iPod Home already exists, of course its not made by Apple... yet?
  
  
  
  <a href="http://www.slimp3.com"; target="_blank">http://www.slimp3.com</a>;
  
  
  
  This is a small startup company who have created an ethernet hifi box which streams audio files from a Perl server app on your main machine. Comes as standard with a generic infra red remote thats compatible with the rest of your hifi. All for $249.00
  
  
  
  Just to add a dose of extra spurious rumour value to this one to give it some extra legs, I just spotted on their website that their new CTO has previously worked at Apple on Quicktime and Quicktime Conferencing. Coincidence or more than that...
  
  
  
  [ 07-19-2002: Message edited by: goldfish ]</p>
• Reply 6 of 8

  trimalchio Posts: 7member

  July 20, 2002 12:08AM

  I think the basic rumor has credibility because of the itunes streaming demo in the Stevenote which steve said would be available "six to nine months" out. Add that to the MPEG-4 license that allows free streaming below 50,000 streams and then you can use the device to stream music and video from your Mac to your living room without any legal concerns. Remember, Schiller said that MPEG-4 was 2 mb/s. Airport can handle 2 mb/s can't it?
  
  
  
  As to the feature set, I think keeping it that simple is essential for keeping the price down. Airport, outputs and a simple interface. Let the Mac in the den do all of the storage and heavy lifting. That's a digital hub.
• Reply 7 of 8

  drewprops Posts: 2,321member

  July 20, 2002 12:20AM

  Okay, I rarely bite on these things...but for once I'm convinced that this one will happen. The opportunities for extending this technology into our everyday lives is beginning to become more clear~
  
  
  
  D
• Reply 8 of 8

  tulkas Posts: 3,757member

  July 20, 2002 2:54AM

  Actually, now that I think of it, the original threads about this device were back in the days immediately predeeding the orginal iPod release. Rumours were flying that Apple was to release an entertainment device, but very few people thought a portable. The threads dealt the the possibility of a home entertainment iDock, very similar to what the rumour in this thread is predicting. I wonder if this was in development back then, and was the initial source for the rumours. It would make sense that someone, somewhere who worked on or with this device, hears about an Apple Event to release a new product, one that is music related and called iPod, believed it would be this product and becomes the source of those rumours, intentionally or not. To me, the original timing of those rumours does add credibility to this rumour.