Any future changes being made with iPod? (Price, Storage, etc)
Okay, this is probably discussed in the forum below, but I will ask anyway:
Are there any price changes being made on the iPod in the forseeable future? I am considering buying one, but only being 14, and not quite old enough for a job, <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> dont have 300 dollars to cough up.
In general, what will happen to the iPod in the future, in terms of price and features?
Are there any price changes being made on the iPod in the forseeable future? I am considering buying one, but only being 14, and not quite old enough for a job, <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> dont have 300 dollars to cough up.
In general, what will happen to the iPod in the future, in terms of price and features?
Comments
MP4 (AAC) support!! C'mon Apple, why the heck blow your horn about MP4 in iTunes/QuickTime when the iPod doesn't have it!?
Recording.
More storage. What's Toshiba or whoever makes the drive mechanism doing?
Better input/more PDA like function (big "?" here.) Things like color screen, new interface/form factor also fit in this category.
2. Larger storage
3. Same or smaller price points
<strong>In terms of importance and most likely order of occurrence:
MP4 (AAC) support!! C'mon Apple, why the heck blow your horn about MP4 in iTunes/QuickTime when the iPod doesn't have it!?
Recording.
More storage. What's Toshiba or whoever makes the drive mechanism doing?
Better input/more PDA like function (big "?" here.) Things like color screen, new interface/form factor also fit in this category.</strong><hr></blockquote>
couldn't agree more - but the wait for a colour screen (to show iphoto and imovie stuff perhaps) could be torturous.
Hardware? Drop the mechanical wheel and move to touch wheels across the board. I'd look for prices to drop a little and specs to stabilize, but features to improve. 20GB is plenty big on the high-end, for a portable player it's really quite a lot and support for a better standard will stretch the life of those GB's that much further. Another 'feature' I'd like to see is improved reliability wherever possible. This is not to say it isn't reliable (I don't know), but where price permits some more RAM wouldn't hurt -- to minimize disk access and also save a bit more battery life. For me, a killer feature would be a recorder (line-in or firewire). I'd have one today if I could use it to record lectures and research notes direct to MP3, a small in-line mic would be perfect!
Next I'd say DAB and FM tuners, but while Europe and Canada have decided on DAB, the US is cocking-up the works with a semi-proprietary modified-FM scheme, so scratch the tuner 'cause that issue won't be sorted for a while. FM only perhaps?
Price.
That is MOST important. Make the current lowend really cheap and intro new high-end models.
I suspect the scroll wheel and 5 GB will be phased out on the next update iPods if they add a 30 GB one.
Since the software can up upgraded, I would expect AAC, OGG Vordis, and MP3Pro (and, shudder,WMA?).
I've got a 10 GB (bought in April) and it's been great, but I've just about filled it up and I don't have what I consider a large CD collection (40-50 CDs). I encode at 160k so that explains some of the usuage. I'd buy a 30 GB with a record function built in.
What I would like is AAC supported and the ability to record. The issue I could see with recording is battery life though.
A $200 iPod would be right on. 5 GB, solid-state wheel.
$400 for ANY portable music player is just insane. Sure it can be used as a HD, but please, that's too much money for a gadget.
Also, Apple needs to work on quality control and durability. I've read lots of complaints about the FW port and the wheel. Apple fixed the wheel but then like total idiots they only fixed it on two iPod models, not the third. The FW port is still too flimsy ASAIK. If they are going to charge so much $$$$$ for these things, they should be built like tanks.
1) Built-in mic
2) Radio Tuner (with record functionality)
<strong>I was sort of expecting rumors of future trends more than feature requests in this thread, but it has been illuminating nonetheless. Matsu in particular can always be counted on for insightful posts. I love my less than month old 10GB iPod. It is thankfully more scratch resistant than I heard it was, and there's nothing wrong with the Firewire port cover, IMO. It would be nice to see the 5GB stay around so that it could penetrate the $199 mark. As for feature enhancements, I'd like to see:
1) Built-in mic
2) Radio Tuner (with record functionality)</strong><hr></blockquote>
If Apple kept the 5GB and put it at $199 that would probably be a smarter move, and I'd be very impressed.
Built-in Mic is a good idea...it would be cool to have a mic on a device that is OK, all the mp3 recorders i've seen have shi??y a$$ mics, and apple normally goes mediocre or the best.
Radio...why in god's name would you want a radio?! The point of the iPod is so you can listen to your music and not have people designate the crap you listen too.
I know I'm the minority, but 90% of the stuff on the radio makes me sick...give me some good old fashion jam bands! (i'm listening to the recipe right now, and boy does it make you just want to get up and dance)
<strong>
[snip]
Radio...why in god's name would you want a radio?! The point of the iPod is so you can listen to your music and not have people designate the crap you listen too.
I know I'm the minority, but 90% of the stuff on the radio makes me sick...give me some good old fashion jam bands! (i'm listening to the recipe right now, and boy does it make you just want to get up and dance)</strong><hr></blockquote>
I would love an FM tuner since the gym I work out at has little FM transmitters hooked up to their TVs. This would allow me to keep up with the game (on Sundays) without having to read the close captioning / having to concentrate on the TV.
IMO you are correct about general radio having almost nothing worth listening to. I'd rather listen to my CDs for the thousandth time then listen to the new poptart of the week.
i really want a slick mp3 player to drown out the crazies on my transit ride into work in the mornings (who lets some of these people out of their cages? geez), and being able to consult to do lists is a definite bonus, but...
my wife and i both agree... without an easy way for me to add to my schedule while on the train or bus into work, it doesn't do me much good on the pda-side of things.
i don't NEED a color screen. sure, it's be nice, but i seriously don't need it. nice grayscale is just fine with me.
bigger screen would be nice, but then input would have to resort to stylus input (the jog dial would get annoyingly small, or the ipod would have to get bigger -- both things i do NOT want). inkwell gives me hope (though i cannot see all of os x on an ipod, no matter how "lite" you make it).
and, of course, drop the price a bit. then again, i have been saving my pennies... lots and lots of pennies...