[dividend]

idea for new iPod...

rumours are that there will be a colour screen capable of showing pictures and movies of some kind. what about adding a small digital camera (at least of the same quality as those found on mobiles, but should be a lot better). Would not that be a killer?

[Randman]

Having a Nokia 6600, the camera images still pale in comparison to my Canon ixus, which is even smaller than the iPod.
Nope, wouldn't want to see a camera. The Media reader from Belkin is likely more in line for using the iPod (date storage).

[dividend]

well, i think a camera in the ipod would be one of the reasons for making a colour display. showing photos and movies/videos on a small colour screen is pointless. adding a camera makes the colour screen usefull (and necessary). But is has to be, I agree, a camera that is better than mobile cameras, and I am unsure how a lens &c could fit in the small area that makes up the iPod. Anyway, no need to buy memory cards .

moreover, it would be even coolor if it could take video-sequences, guess it won't be as dv, but fun anyway.

an other thing that could make the colour screen usefull is for games and for the iPod to work as an pda. wonder if something of that kind may happen.

[d4nth3m4n]

this is where belkin comes in, make a accesory, much like the mic that clips into the dock port at the bottom and have it take pics, hell, even have the thing so you have the ipod upside down. put a little viewfinder on this thing (for the current gen) and there you have it. done.

or some kind of iSight-iPod linkup would be cool. video for cheap? dont mind if i do...

[GORDYmac]

Or not.

[Talk2Angus]

As Uncle Steve said it's about the music!!!!!!!!

[GORDYmac]

...stupid.

Don't forget stupid.

[Wiskedjak]

The iPod is a portable music player. It's not a swiss army knife.

[osiris]

Originally posted by Wiskedjak:
It's not a swiss army knife.

But it should be! The iPod is an amazing device: it plays/stores music, calendar, a couple of games, and it's bootable, so it's also great for ghosting other Macs.

Adding a camera and color screen would just be the icing on the cake.
Some cel phones do this now, and IMO people love taking pictures/video clips with these things. The image quality is limited because of storage space, but on an iPod the pictures/video could be of very high quality. Great for traveling w/photo albums, videos..

I just think it would be great to see something like that.

[GORDYmac]

Adding these features, and touting them, would make the iPod's appeal confusing. Sure, it's cool to have the ability to store photos, even view them, calendars, contacts, and the other stuff it currently does is nice too. But, Apple doesn't use these features to market the iPod. These are just gravy. Gravy that's simple to add and make it a little cooler.

These features would be trounced by Lacie, HP, Canon, or any of the vendors making standalone versions of these products.

I'd bet, if a camera were added today, some whiners would be on here tonight with topics like:

"This sucks! Onle 4MP? Why Apple? Why have you destroyed the iPod with such weak features!?!? ARRRRGH!!!!! I'll just buy a Canon S60 instead, SCREW THE IPOD!!!"

See, the focus needs to stay on music. Apple can add little nifty gravy-esque features to the iPod all day and night, but the focus must remain on music--lest the idiots try to make the iPod out to be something else.

Look for Sony to make these be all end all pieces of crap, not Apple.

[dividend]

in that case, not very much else can be done and the iPod will find it self out of the market. things evolve, and yes, the iPod should be focused on music. but should this mean then, no radio, no contacts, no nothing. only music?

the only thing that remians for the ipod is more storage, hardly revolutionary. besides, tehre is nothing wrong with being a swiss army knife, if you hold the same quality and thought as the swiss army knife manufacturere in Swtizerland.

so, as long as the music stuff is there, adding more things is not a problem, if well done. a colour screen is pointless unless you do something with it, watching videos is not really an option; neither is looking at photos. the only real use is if you want to

a) play games
b) take photos
c) use it for PDA-stuff

for games, it is a bit difficult to handle with the scroll wheel (i guess), but it would be cool if the processor and everyting else aloud for more games to be played on it (game boy...)

fine, today's photo-mobiles don't have the best cameras in the world - but which ones are being bought??? having a camera makes you want to bring it with you all the time. when you need pro-pictures, you bring your canon. with photos, iPod would work with iPhoto (and thus making an argument for mac) as well as with iTunes. Best thing would be for it to work with iMovie as well, but guess not really possible

PDA? well, why not. guess, screen is too small, difficult to imput.

so games and photos are the only reason for including a colour screen.

the coolest would be to include a mobile-phone chip....