2GB iPod with LCD Display?

[plastique45]

Let me put it this way: MacOSXRumors has a 0% rate of accuracy. I repeat, ZERO percent. They have NEVER been right about ANYTHING. All they do is either A- Steal rumors already posted on other websites B- Post news of new hardware AFTER it is officially released or C-Make up wildly innacurate predictions.

It is impossible to understand why that website still exists.

 

[swissmann]

t'would be quite nice, certainly makes the Shuffle more appealing to me.

And I would guess to a lot of other people too.

 

[Neerazan]

Think different...

Everyone here must know that the new Quicktime codec is extra efficient and very, very cool, yes?

And what we iPod users want is high quality audio, and lots of it, yes?

What if Steve announces a next generation AAC codec in a few days time? Same great sound, just half the size... (or double the quality for the same size)

Instant upgrade for all iPods, extended battery life for most of 'em (on account of having to load less data from disk per minute of music played), and extended capacity as well. And no retooling or old inventory to worry about.

Would free up bandwidth on those iTunes servers for video as well

Just a thought...

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Everyone here must know that the new Quicktime codec is extra efficient and very, very cool, yes?

And what we iPod users want is high quality audio, and lots of it, yes?

What if Steve announces a next generation AAC codec in a few days time? Same great sound, just half the size... (or double the quality for the same size)

Instant upgrade for all iPods, extended battery life for most of 'em (on account of having to load less data from disk per minute of music played), and extended capacity as well. And no retooling or old inventory to worry about.

Would free up bandwidth on those iTunes servers for video as well

Just a thought...

That's EXACTLY what I'm waiting for! Come on Steve, announce it already...

 

[James Philp]

Except H.264 wasn't exactly an Apple Codec. It was open-source and to be used in the HD DVD format.
I haven't heard anything about a next-gen (HD) audio codec out there, have you?

 

[windywalks]

i totally agree; i have a shuffle and a regular ipod, and in complete honesty, i use the shuffle more.

ihate having to walk down the street and pull out the whole ipod just to switch songs. with the shuffle i just put my hand in my pocket, feel around for the buttons and switch songs. this is especially useful in a day and age where you cant really take your ipod out anywhere without people looking at you / following you.

Well, I do the same with my iPod photo, though i wear it in my jeans' back pocket in an iPod sock and just "press my butt" if I feel in need to change a song though it looks kindda weird. I have a 512MB Shuffle too, but use it rarely since I'm a very moody person and never know what I might want to listen to. The Shuffle is a gym-specific iPod for me. Even though I like the idea behind the whole "life is random" thing, but when it comes to a 2GB Shuffle the screen becomes a necessity.

Cheers!

 

[Zaha]

Without commenting on the reliability of the rumor, I'll add that still not owning an mp3 player and considering a Shuffle, this would definitely be one I'd buy as soon it is released. The display with multiple playlists would definitely be a bonus as I prefer listening to whole CDs at a time to shuffling.

 

[dejo]

iPod shuffle with a display? Maybe like this:

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Except H.264 wasn't exactly an Apple Codec. It was open-source and to be used in the HD DVD format.
I haven't heard anything about a next-gen (HD) audio codec out there, have you?

I was assuming that the post was a reference to HE-AAC (also known as aacPlus).

 

[thejadedmonkey]

has anyone else noticed that this is the 2nd instance that there has been talk of a flash based ipod with a screen?

and that image above..if that's the new ipod, i'd get one no questinos asked. 4 gig one for WoW? you betcha!

 

[xli_ne]

iPod shuffle with a display? Maybe like this:

Wish mine looked like that

 

[madmaxmedia]

Regarding HE AAC, I wouldn't get your expectations up-

http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=SBR
http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=HE+AAC
http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=Version+3

SBR means "Spectral Band Replication" and is used with AAC (aacPlus or HE AAC), MP3 (mp3PRO), MP2 (Layer-2+SBR) and AMR (AMR-WB+) to increase the coding efficiency of these formats for the upper spectral bands. This only works for low and very low bitrates around 20-64 kbps/stereo for AAC and 32-96 kbps/stereo for mp3PRO, as it will not help for higher bitrates when the basic codecs have sufficient headroom to encode high frequencies without SBR. So the sound of plain AAC LC and MP3 files at high bitrates will be superior to their SBR variants at the same bitrate then.

 

[solvs]

Let me put it this way: MacOSXRumors has a 0% rate of accuracy. I repeat, ZERO percent. They have NEVER been right about ANYTHING. All they do is either A- Steal rumors already posted on other websites B- Post news of new hardware AFTER it is officially released or C-Make up wildly innacurate predictions.

It is impossible to understand why that website still exists.

I think people are thinking of http://www.macosrumors.com/

I'm not sure if this site is affiliated with them, or if their track record is at the same level, but I agree with everyone who is suspicious. Maybe that's just because I finally bought a Shuffle a few weeks ago.

 

[technocoy]

I've been waiting on this

if they introduce a shuffle that does what a previous poster says... has a display that show the playlist and song only. and come in at 2 gigs. I'm in completely.

technocoy

 

[helge_karl]

Why not oled?

Don't think apple should use lcd.
Oled doesn't need backlight and thus shouldn't take much space nor battery. It's in use in the PHILIPS 659 mobile phone.

Sony is using glowing Organic EL (electro-luminescence) display http://www.sony-europe.com/PageView...ection=en_EU_Press&pressrelease=1109586832346

I think if there is going to be a 2 gb display ipod it should not have a boring gray lcd display. But however a bluetooth connectivity would be better and thant to use a mobile to wiew the song title and playlist stuff. I guess the moto-itunes phone will do something like that...

Helge Karl

 

[dotdotdot]

Apple should keep the iPod Shuffle 512 at $49 and they would instantly sell!

 

[Fiddytree85]

Then we would be looking at a whole new design for the Shuffle. If they want to kick major bum, they better do something better than the rest of the group when it comes to navigation. A screen only tells you what's going on, it can't control the experience.

Also, HE-AAC would be nice (especially for the Shuffle/Mini market), but how about a little AAC VBR native iTunes encoding?

 

[Zaha]

Seems like no iPod updates at WWDC, guess the Intel stuff was enough news. I suppose there will be no releases later this WWDC?

So I suppose I'll order the 1GB shuffle that I planned to, and use my customer return right if they actually update the models within the return period.

 

[androo4519]

What about a radio?

In all this talk of LCDs and extra memory, nobody had mentioned the one thing missing from all iPods: radio.

That would be a great addition to a relatively limited flash memory device. When you get bored with the tracks you have, listen to the radio instead.

But I think Apple are going to be in trouble generally with the whole iPod thing quite soon.

My brother and his wife each have a Creative MP3 player and both offer many advantages over the iPod and look just as cool. If I wasn't a Mac user and an iTunes user, I might be tempted.

As it is, Apple haven't given us an iPod I can buy yet, what with the silly battery that's difficult to replace, the lack of a radio etc.

Perhaps they'll get it right just as everybody realises the place for a portable music player is the cellphone. I think, and hope, Apple realise that their iPod business depends entirely on getting iTunes into cellphones. Actually producing hardware for iTunes may become a thing of the past.

I do worry that they won't manage it and the iPod boom will turn to bust before they know it.

 

[Fiddytree85]

iPod shuffle with a display? Maybe like this:

Problem. You would hold it like a basketbal card in mint condition?

HE-AAC would be great for the Shuffle and maybe, just maybe the Mini, but otherwise, I would prefer AAC VBR within iTunes encoding.

Radio:

I think the FM radio suggestion has been overplayed. I rarely hear any qualms at all from students at UND. Perhaps if your radio stations are decent, maybe, just maybe I can understand such desires. The problem has been this obsession with a Swiss Army Knife DAP. It may not even be used to all degrees, but it certainly comforts the ego which tells you that maybe someday you may need it.

I'm still willing to bet that most who are pursuing DAP's are after their own music rather than small playlists chosen by Clearchannel Communications.

As to what Apple should do with the Shuffle? I think they should keep it as it is. Otherwise, we are going to need a real redesign of the entire device. 2 GBs? Nevermind the screen, just think if you added one. It wouldn't do a damn thing. We would need an efficient navigation menu and control, along with a physical size redesign to accomodate not only a screen, a but a more complex navigation control.

 

[Gibson424]

videos

when will the rumors about iPod Video start rolling in, huh? Isn't it fairly obvious with iTunes 4.8's video support that they'll put out a device to play them? Come on now.

 

[skwoytek]

They may not need a screen on the shuffle. Read this article about multiple playlists on the current shuffle. It's a start and has some simple firmware suggestions.

Shuffle to Work, Shuffle to the Gym at Palmer Deville on iTunes and the iPod

 

[mcarnes]

It would be stupid to add a screen. That's the whole point of the shuffle. If you want a screen get a mini.

 

[ph0rk]

Why? Because you work at Apple? You know how they think?
The simple fact is the shuffle is a gimmick to avoid a screen. It’s like a car salesman who is selling a car riddled with bullet holes is selling it with the pitch that they are speed holes. They make your car better, stronger, faster.

With my 40 gig 3G ipod i had it in my messenger bag and used the wired remote (sans display). I liked it, but I didn't need the space, i just shuffled, and I never used the display.

Now with my 1gig shuffle i'm not tied to my bag or my ~6oz ipod; the shuffle is unobtrusive, fits in my watch pocket, and because its flash it gets even better battery life than the hd ipods.

With some careful use of smart playlists (which anyone with more than 5 gigs of mp3s should consider anyway) i can keep the shuffle filled with recent music I actually want to hear without any effort. It is my music; I know what I'm listening to. A display would be a waste of an LCD.

 

[ksz]

I use my 1GB iPod shuffle *a lot* more frequently than my 30GB model. It's plugged into my ear even now and delivers better sound quality than any other iPod model.

Do I want a screen? NO.

Would it be nice to know what song, artist and album I'm listening to? YES.

How to solve this seemingly Catch 22 problem?

Simple: Use voice synthesis on iTunes to attach the song, artist and album names to each track when sending songs to the Shuffle. Use a delayed keypress (such as hold down play/pause for 2 seconds) to hear the song, artist and album names.

Images often include thumbnails; this is nothing more than spoken-thumbnails for songs.