UltraPod?

banjo_boy

banjo_boy

Bona Fide Pater Familius
Probably everyone here has read this article on O'Grady's

http://www.powerpage.org/story.lasso?newsID=9754

After the latest release of the iPod, I REALLY want an iPod now. 20G of course. But, this article made me think more about the evolution of the iPod. We now have an MP3 player, Hard drive, and now basic PDA capabilities. Can / Will Apple add a Color screen. How about movie capabilities? I would not necessarily need that but some might. How about 5x3.5x.84 in for size?

Yes I am getting dreamy about the prospects, but it could happen. Look at all the improvements they have made since the introduction. It is moving toward something more than just a MP3 player. There is ALOT more in it's future, to me.

Steve Jobs does hate PDAs, but he is NOT making one with the iPod. He is making a Digital Companion. Something that is a part of your life, not just a "assistant" when you need it. This will be something you need for your life. Steve can always call it an iPod but it would just improve as the years go on. I have a feeling that the iPod will be playing a major role in Apple's future in one way or another.

What are your thoughts? I am out of my stinkin' mind or I am on to something?
 
Originally posted by banjo_boy
Probably everyone here has read this article on O'Grady's

http://www.powerpage.org/story.lasso?newsID=9754

After the latest release of the iPod, I REALLY want an iPod now. 20G of course. But, this article made me think more about the evolution of the iPod. We now have an MP3 player, Hard drive, and now basic PDA capabilities. Can / Will Apple add a Color screen. How about movie capabilities? I would not necessarily need that but some might. How about 5x3.5x.84 in for size?

Yes I am getting dreamy about the prospects, but it could happen. Look at all the improvements they have made since the introduction. It is moving toward something more than just a MP3 player. There is ALOT more in it's future, to me.

Steve Jobs does hate PDAs, but he is NOT making one with the iPod. He is making a Digital Companion. Something that is a part of your life, not just a "assistant" when you need it. This will be something you need for your life. Steve can always call it an iPod but it would just improve as the years go on. I have a feeling that the iPod will be playing a major role in Apple's future in one way or another.

What are your thoughts? I am out of my stinkin' mind or I am on to something?
Click to expand...


You are not, but you should consider some things:
Movie capabilities require a completely redesign of the iPods internals. The current processor and especially the RAM which would drive the buffer of the display could not take the stress of even one MPEG artefact, not to mention a whole movie.
They would have to come up with a new embedded CPU, a new RAM subsystem and thus would have to modify the OS, so a movie iPod would be much more expensive, so don't think you could get this feature (if Apple realises it) for 100 bucks more.

A feature I would love with my iPod is the ability to read large textfiles.
One of the main usages of my Compaq iPaq is reading internet news. I connect it in the morning to my syncstation and it downloads several "channels" of information. During the day, when I have to wait for something, I read those news.
If a similar feature would be implemented with the iPod I would totally love it!!!
 
there are many embedded processors around that could be used. the emphasis of the device seems to be to handle audio and video - and there are several processors (cheap ones, too) around that could handle that. one thing that seems important would be that the device needs to run some form of quicktime, but that's basically all, because quicktime handles all those needs...

motorola makes good embedded processors based on the G3 PowerPC processors, IBM also makes some. this would mean the device COULD run a very basic form of OS X as described in this thread: http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13216
 
I think that the ability to read large text files is definitely the next big feature for the iPod. I'd love to be able to read txt files and also a very stripped down HTML so that I would suck down entire sites and then use the scroll wheel to read the text. Even cooler if as links showed up on the text, they were highlighted to you could browse through local files.

Of course it would be even better if apple released the APIs used for the features in the Extras menu. I'm sure there'd be plenty of apps written for large text files and also for new games (asteroids anyone? :D )
 
While I don't think the screen on the current iPods would make great text readers, I, too, think that would be a nice feature for a future iPod. E-Books on your iPod :)
 
Urlik, I understand the need for total rehaul of the iPod. I am talking in the future as I said in my post. I am talking about evolving.

Who knows what Apple can do with the iPod. Who knows what they have in mind for it's future. Of course, Apple will put a text reader in there. That would just be a Software update. What about a larger touch screen? I can even see it become a removable hard drive to bring your computer to shell CPUs.

Start hurling the insults... God forbid a Mac fan be optomistic about a fabulous company.
 
large text files, such as the e-books, or even something from projet guttenburg would be nice. A color screen that can handle visual effects such as a screensaver would be nice.(Like Geissworks)
 
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