[joel_v]

Every iPod comes with a built-in speaker, for the clicking sound. Why don't they just put in a better quality speaker, then we could watch our movies without headphones...

Just a thought...

[analogika]

Because it would significantly increase the bulk of the iPod, probably increase its price, sound like complete ass, and annoy the heck out of everybody within twenty feet of you?

[rparke1]

and this would get very annoying very quickly for people in the relative area. have you ever been in an airport or simular and someone was playing a movie on there laptop or listening to really loud music through there headphones. for me this can get annoying rather quickly. not putting down the idea, just my thoughts on it.

heh

and while im writing this, the news just reported that in boston if a cop thinks your music is too loud on the street (even through headphones) or in your car, than they can fine you

edit: analogika beat me to it by a min

[joel_v]

fair enough..but im not talkin about in the airport... im talkin about when u and a couple of mates are havin a look at a music video or something... i noe when i first got my iPod, i was showin everyone the quality of the screen...they were like..."wheres the loudspeaker".

anyway, im just thinking out loud..

[analogika]

while this is true, experience with a mate's PSP has shown that apart from a thirty-second "show-off" aspect, the built-in speakers are nothing but utterly useless or downright annoying, depending on the setting.

I certainly don't blame Apple for leaving them off.

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by rparke1

and this would get very annoying very quickly for people in the relative area. have you ever been in an airport or simular and someone was playing a movie on there laptop or listening to really loud music through there headphones. for me this can get annoying rather quickly. not putting down the idea, just my thoughts on it.

heh

and while im writing this, the news just reported that in boston if a cop thinks your music is too loud on the street (even through headphones) or in your car, than they can fine you

edit: analogika beat me to it by a min

For as long as I can remember in Illinois if you can hear the music 20 feet away from your car then you can be fined for noise pollution. I support this 100%.

[ghporter]

The speaker in the iPod is NOT designed for real music reproduction, just for feedback sounds like the click. As such, it was designed to be very flat so it fits nicely inside the tiny case.

I going to assume a couple of things here. NOTE: I have no idea how the thing is actually designed, and I haven't found exactly where it's located-I AM WINGING IT HERE.) My assumption is that the "speaker" is more of an "annunciator," a speaker-like device that is built to reproduce a limited range of sounds. Such devices are typically disc shaped, very thin and quite small. I think the thing is located either within or near the clickwheel, but I could be wrong...

In order to reproduce music, or any real sound with any fidelity, it would have to have two major changes. First, it would need to be made from a much more flexible material-which translates into a thicker diaphragm and more thickness overall. Second, it would need to be shaped differently, be cone-shaped rather than flat, in order to produce anything like audible volume; you can make tons of clicks and alarm beeps with just a flat diaphragm, but that WILL NOT reproduce music, voice or anything else we buy iPods for. Anyway, both of these things would increase the volume taken up by the "speaker" such that the iPod itself would have to be much bigger.

Overall, I don't think anyone would like what putting a real speaker in the iPod would do for the device, and I don't think anyone would like the way the existing "speaker" would sound trying to reproduce music.