Related link: http://www.apple.com/podcasting/
Apple fans everywhere are anticipating next week's announcement (Sept. 7th). What will Apple announce? It could be any number of developments that have recently bubbled up, including the move to flash memory for the iPod mini, which would mean a much thinner, more reliable and less battery-sucking version of the mini, increased capacity for the mini and the shuffle, or possibly the video iPod, although I think that's unlikely - I think that's coming, but not likely to be announced next week. Apple recently changed the language in its iPod patent to include video as one of the files the iPod can download and play back. So video iPod is definitely coming (despite Steve Job's announcement a couple of years ago that he wasn't interested in doing that!). It makes sense though. Apple has essentially conquered the music service market; time for them to do the same with the video service market. Obviously a very different animal, however, so it will be interesting to see what their approach is.
But most likely, the announcement next week is primarily related to the new iPod/iTunes enabled Motorola phone with Cingular service. This phone will be able to download tunes from a wireless version of iTunes, or synch directly with your computer and iTunes to transfer mp3 files from your computer to the phone, much like you can do now with your iPod. Personally, I'm not interested in buying a phone like that (not yet, anyway :-) because I don't really want phone and music in the same device. But given how attached so many people are to their cell phones as devices for talking, chatting, taking photos, playing games, etc., I anticipate that for a lot of people this will be big. And a big win for Apple. We'll see!
What new Apple products are you most eagerly anticipating in the future (real or imagined)?
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Better be bigger than a phone...
And that's exactly what Apple (and others) want the mp3 player to become, a throwaway comodity which you indeed drop and damage and then throw it away for another one.
And iPods and similar devices cost about the same as mobile phones so if you can afford to trash one you can afford to trash the other.
the iTablet?
The imaginary Apple product I want to see the most is the iTablet (or hopefully a cooler name than that). Something small enough to be truly portable, but with the full power of Mac OS X. Something I can use a pen on, and draw into. I'm waiting....
Better be bigger than a phone...
I agree... Apple and Motorola kind of took the wind of the sails of this announcement by making it too early and then acting like it never happened.
I also agree that I'm not going to switch services just to get MP3's on my phone from iTunes.
But there a whole lot of people, especially young people, out there who *love* their phones and take them everywhere and *do* use them for music, etc. I've watched them :-) For that generation, I think the phone is currently their primary device. It's really amazing.
Heard it on the grapevine
I heard somewhere that it's a mobile phone iPod. Lets see if Apple can bring that designer magic to the good old telephone? No longer can you escape by turning up the volume!! It's gonna be a sad day :-)
Better be bigger than a phone...
With apple boasting this "1000 songs in your pocket... here we go again." hype, this release better be bigger news than a cell phone.
For one thing an MP3 cell phone is nothing new & revolutionary. There are allready other models on the market.
Also, Apple released news of this cell phone months & months ago. Its old news by now.
Another thing is that cell phone MP3 players are a much more limited market than something like an iPod. A lot of people (myself included) just dont care about a phone that functions as a media player. Do you know how many stinking phones I've had that just wear out or break from extensive use? Not to mention that a phone suffers much more wear & tear than a media player. Do I want to hold my iPod precariously between my shoulder and my ear while trying to take all 10 bags of groceries and a lap top case out of my car? Of course not, but I do it with my phone, and I drop my phone doing it. Its "just my cell phone" and thats allowable in my world. It is not allowable with a media player. Do I really want to pay for a media player that is that likely to die on me? If the phone part dies on me, then the media player part is basically useless as I've got to get another one anyway.
Finally I've heard the term "Cingular Enabled". Am I going to switch to Singular just to play MP3's? H**L NO! Any MP3 phone I consider needs to come to me & my existing service, not the other way arround.
Is it a bad idea that noone at all is interested in? No. It may even be something I look at down the road (if it works with my existing cell cervice provider), but its definately not worthy of Apples level of boasting & hype over this release. Better be something REALLY special.