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Dark Helmet · Jan 10, 2007, 05:33 PM

OK, obvious direction is that they strip out the phone and use the extra space to put a big drive in it which would also need a bigger battery then.

Where do you stop stripping features?

Is it still called an iPod? iPod Video? Widescreen iPod? New product?

Do they leave OSX on it or just a slightly nicer iPod interface with touch controls.

Do they take out WiFi and Bluetooth?

Camera?

Take out the notepad?

What about the browser as it still works with WiFi?

Even then what are we left with? Does taking out the cellular bits and putting in a large drive and battery save any money? I highly doubt it as a $30 phone has the same cell parts as a $1000 smartphone. Camera can't be worth much.

If it doesn't lower the cost what is the point?

What percentage of iPod buyers need 80 gigs or did they just get it to watch videos which the nano can't? Many people I know with LARGE ipods use about 25% on average if that. Heck even my nano is half full.

With both products LOOKING the same does that cheapen the iPhone or make it less exclusive and recognizable to others?

If they cost the same or very close say $100 will they have a big enough market for it and the iPhone?

It isn't as easy as we might think.

Dakar² · Jan 10, 2007, 05:37 PM

My 80 GB is over half-full now, and I'm worried in by the time I've had it a year it'll be full.

PowerbookG3 · Jan 10, 2007, 06:04 PM

Chances are that the iPod will continue, even if the iPhone is around

::maroma:: · Jan 10, 2007, 06:16 PM

I'm thinking that they will evolve the iPod line into a more media savvy device. It will use the same multi-touch interface, with no scroll wheel etc, and will have very similar navigation to the iPhone. It will basically be an portable extension of the iTunes Store. Its for those who don't want a smart phone, but want a highly advanced iPod.

And it will get sickening in capacities with physically smaller drives with more space on them.

The thing is there's a massive amount of 3rd party products available for iPods. Its the most accessorised product on the market today. If Apple were to simply ditch the iPod line, or completely change the essence of it, all of those vendors would be left out in the cold, and all of those people who bought those accessories would be pretty miffed. I think Apple won't simply kill the iPod line, but they'll evolve it into something more advanced and closer to the iPhone in functionality and UI.

BRussell · Jan 10, 2007, 06:37 PM

What I'd like to see: The iPhone, with the touchscreen, the coverflow interface, photos etc., an 80 gig HDD, but no phone or internet capabilities.

I personally like to have everything on the iPod at all times, so a large hard drive is a must.

DeathMan · Jan 10, 2007, 07:50 PM

I see the form factor basically staying the same, but with the entire face becoming a screen, using the same technology from the iPhone for navigation. The click wheel interface isn't all that great compared to the orignal mechanical wheel, so I don't think a non-click wheel will be worse, especially if its pressure sensitive and has good audio feedback. Same screen, same Coverflow, movies, etc. It'd be a great iPod,

I think, without the camera, the phone, and the wireless tech, it would be a great ipod. If its really small, maybe wireless, to work with appletv, but somehow, I just don't see using that much. If I'm at home, I just use my mac to stream to appletv. If I'm at a friends, they probably don't have appletv.

I hate the hard drive though, as my 2 year old ipod's hard drive died just after I replaced the battery. I've moved to a nano, which at 8GB doesn't come close to fitting all my music, but it does the job, and I can run with it, and not worry that I'm going to damage the spindle. If it were feasible to have 30-40GB of flash memory in there, I think that'd be plenty of space. At some point, even 100GB in an ipod isn't going to fit all your music, movies, etc.

mdc · Jan 10, 2007, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by BRussell

What I'd like to see: The iPhone, with the touchscreen, the coverflow interface, photos etc., an 80 gig HDD, but no phone or internet capabilities.

I personally like to have everything on the iPod at all times, so a large hard drive is a must.

That's my guess.
The iPhone, though a little different looking since it won't have the top speaker or bottom home button. The same as the iPhone but no phone or "connectivity" in it. No wireless or anything, that'll be in the iPhone. The new iPod will be all the great softwareness of the iPhone, but just for movies, music, and photos.