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Monday, June 12, 2006
We’ve all seen the “leaked” photos of the full-screen iPod for months now. This picture is one of the earliest and has been pretty much discounted as a hoax. However, the notion that a widescreen video iPod is coming keeps fueling the rumor fire and thus many believe not if but when. So indeed, when? When Apple gets more movies to slap onto it. That’s when.
CEO Steve Jobs has had a tough time convincing Hollywood to listen to some computer guy tell it how to run the music and movie business. Understandably, what’s a geek know about movies? Nothing, but he knows how to get it to everyone who wants to buy one; that’s what he knows. Jobs also knows that no one, relatively, is going to buy an expensive iPod that plays widescreen movies if there is really no widescreen movies to be had. All one has to do is look at the new HD DVD players that have been out for almost a month now. ‘What HD DVD players?’ Exactly. Good luck trying to find any kind of selection of titles on the new high def format. Jobs doesn’t want that problem when the next true video iPod hits the streets.
SvenOnTech believes that Jobs has had Apple engineers working on the next level iPod for some time. Just like he had OS X engineers running that operating system on Intel chips since day one. Jobs needed a dog for show-and-tell down there in Hollywood and that may be the what we’re seeing on the Internet with most of these leaked photos. We also believe that Jobs needed to get the ball rolling on content and thus had to give reason for a video iPod, hence the 5G iPod. Enlarging the screen on that iPod took little effort on Apple’s part and would allow the Cupertino-based computer company to have reason to start selling video at the iTunes Music Store.
Now that this is all in place, it’s time to bring real movies to iTMS. A little of that is happening and rumors have it that the next version of OS X, code named Leopard, will have a BitTorrent built-in. With no other reason for BitTorrent than to assist in huge downloads, this seems to add more weight to the fact a full-screen iPod is coming soon. That coupled with the fact that Jobs took a powerful role at Disney instead of cash for the Pixar buy out should really point to movies are coming.
Jobs understands many things and he understands the chicken and the egg problem. Once a good foundation of movies are available on iTunes Music Store (by this Christmas?), you’ll see the next iPod in all of it’s full-screen glory in the hands of a smiling Steve Jobs. Trust us, we nailed the MacBook Pro was coming, so we think we’re on a roll with these predictions. 
June 12th, 2006 at 8:08
I think you’re exactly right.
In fact, I think Apple had been angling for 30th anniversary release of both movies and the new iPod, but has now pushed it back to October (for Christmas). I think Jobs failed to get what he wanted for the store, as the studios opted for the CinemaNow/Movielink approach. So Jobs is content to allow that trial to fail, as it surely will given the pricing and usage rights, while the TV shows on iTunes continue to sell at a good profit for the networks/studios. In the meantime, Apple will continue to improve the in-the-lab movie iPod as better batteries, processors, and memories become available.
June 12th, 2006 at 8:22
Whoo hoo. I think you’re right too, Sven. It’s nice to see that you’re back making sense instead of speaking out of your sphincter.
June 12th, 2006 at 9:43
No way will Apple do this (at least, I hope!). Your vision of a full-screen iPod means that the buttons would have to ALL be on a touch screen. You need to have at least the basic controls (play/pause, forward, back) on buttons THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY BY TOUCH. I’m stressing that for a reason. How many people control their iPods without looking at them? Touch-screen-only controls are an abomination in any product that you aren’t supposed to have to concentrate on completely (think car audio controls, etc – very bad!).
I can only hope Apple isn’t dumb enough to remove the controls from the iPod.
June 12th, 2006 at 10:09
Thanks, Poopmaster, for the vote of cofidence.
Dan S., I hear ya (and agree) that isn’t the best idea for us touch-remote users but truth is, that kinda went away with the 4G as the ClickWheel isn’t fully a touch-remote. It is, but isn’t since you can’t feel play, skip, and menu. You have to know which direction you’re hitting to get the right key.
My biggest complaint with many hi-tech universal remotes are the LCD screens. I can’t tell what I’m touching unless I look at and thus I avoid them completely. I think you and I agree with this problem with the full-screen iPod. However, getting a widescreen movie on a unit the same size as the current iPod with easy to use controls wouldn’t be possible any other way. And truth is, a LCD ClickWheel is trick.
I figure the ear buds will have a remote that will handle the same commands as the click wheel and that will help those like you and I. Heck, maybe the Apple Remote will work on this new iPod. Ooh, there’s a rumor I could start.
June 12th, 2006 at 10:50
“How many people control their iPods without looking at them? Touch-screen-only controls are an abomination in any product that you aren’t supposed to have to concentrate on completely (think car audio controls, etc – very bad!).”
???
Let’s see, having a need to “look” at touch-screen controls will be a killer to sales of “video” iPods.
Or in other words, people who want to _watch_ a video on their iPod will be frustrated because they’ll need to _watch_ how they handle their controls.
June 12th, 2006 at 11:24
“Let’s see, having a need to “look” at touch-screen controls will be a killer to sales of “video” iPods.”
Why?
Unlike music, when you’re watching a movie, you are looking at the screen all the time – so what’s the problem?
June 12th, 2006 at 12:00
Mike, et al:
The “video” iPods will still play music, right? I wasn’t saying you need no-look-needed controls for video playback, but requiring someone to look at the controls is bad for a music player. Even if there is an iPod Full-Screen released, do you really think many people won’t often listen to music while driving, riding a bike, jogging, walking down the street, etc?
June 13th, 2006 at 2:47
From my reading of the Apple patent for the touch screen the controls would fade from the screen after a few seconds of non use, like the eject on the DVD player and the volume and brightness do on my monitor.
No reason why a subsidiary control could not be on the earphone lead though.