[gotterdamm]

Even wackier: Maybe a peer to peer (napster style) system. All of the above but a unit will pick up all other units in the area. You can stream off them or steel their music. Damn that would be cool.

Now that sounds interesting.
You can transfer songs back and forth to your Mac with no need for a wire.
And think of the large-scale capabilities; all Apple Stores could have certain MP3s available as free downloads to anyone who takes their iMP3 players into the store.
Maybe one day concerts will have certain exclusive tunes available for download to anyone who brings their device to the show...
All being broadcasts through large-scale Airport hubs. The possibilities are endless.
It would be nice.

[itai195]

Originally posted by gotterdamm:
<STRONG>

It would be nice.</STRONG>

Won't be so nice after Apple gets sued by the RIAA and loses.

I don't know people, is the idea of another mp3 player really that exciting to you? I'm hoping for more...

[ 10-18-2001: Message edited by: itai195 ]

[Zoom]

Wow, so many possibilities!! I've got to admit, I'm stumped on this one. Somehow I want to believe that Steve is going to knock our socks off with this, but then again it could be a lot of marketing hype.

I agree with some of you here that it's not going to be a rehash of some other product that already exists, even with interesting Apple style or bells and whistles.

I do think it has something to do with music - MP3s and iTunes in particular. It's probably much more than that.

This could be a multi-faceted thing, though. Personally, I'm hoping that this is the Big One. This is the gadget that has been popping up in outlandish rumors for the last 1-2 years. If I let my imagination and hopes go wild, this will be the device that links your Mac to "everything else" - the most obvious thing being your entertainment system. Given Steve's quote about wanting to be like Sony, I'm imagining a set-top box gizmo that is a TiVo, a WebTV, an MP3 jukebox, and more!

I would have to guess that it would have multiple connection options for your Mac. Ethernet, FW and AirPort. I threw in Ethernet because I think people are more likely to run CAT-5 through the walls than FW. It'll probably have a hard drive, at least as an option.

But I don't think the link will be necessary. That is, you won't need to have your Mac on to use it. That would be silly. This thing will be stand-alone. But if you can connect it to a Mac, you get all sorts of cool extra functionality. However, I'll bet it will have some sort of Internet connection for sure, even if it's just a modem.

I also think that iTools will be involved. I think it's a whole other way to give Mac users something extra here. I can almost guarantee that Apple will make MP3s of popular songs available somehow, but it couldn't be a full-blown Napster thing because as big as Apple is, they couldn't beat the RIAA. But somehow iTools will fit into this picture.

But there's got to be more to it. God, think of all the possibilities of getting your TV, your stereo, your Mac, and the Internet all talking!! Steve has a vision of the Digital Hub and the Digital Lifestyle, and my bet is that this new product is going to finally show us the specifics of his vision.

I've always wanted a "hub" for my entertainment center. Song and others seem to be leaning on the big-ass home theater receiver/tuner/decoder/amp/toaster thing, but I think we need something higher up. This device needs to be more like a computer than a metal box full of electronics. To really kick butt, all your components will need to have FW ports and will need to have control interfaces and digital I/O. That may never happen. But Apple could make a device that is a TV tuner, an FM/AM tuner, a PVR, an MP3 jukebox, an uber Universal Remote control (using programmable infrared), etc, etc.

Okay, well, that's my "shoot for the moon" idea. With my luck, it'll be an MP3 player with candy colors.

[gotterdamm]

Hey gotterdamm, wanna buy my bag of dog poo? It's $5 less than the cheapest available alternative

So let me get this straight; you don't think a lower price helps a product sell?
Why does Dell outsell Apple?
Why does GM outsell BMW?
Why does Sony outsell McIntosh?

History and common sense has shown that a product that can perform all the functions of it's competitor for a fraction of the price have a good chance of outselling said competitor.
Don't believe me?
Then why did IBM clones overtake IBM's market?
I swear, sometimes people in this forum are so damn eager to look cynical they end up tossing their own common sense out the window.

Won't be so nice after Apple gets sued by the RIAA and loses

Huh? How can Apple be held responsible for an individuals private trading?
The only reason Napster loss their lawsuit is because they allowed the public trading to happen on their own servers.
Apple is not helping people find MP3s. This device would do nothing that USB and Firewire don't already do. This is the same reason the RIAA can't sue the guys who designed the Gnutella network or cassette records.

[ 10-18-2001: Message edited by: gotterdamm ]

History and common sense has shown that a product that can perform all the functions of it's competitor for a fraction of the price have a good chance of outselling said competitor.

itai195 will thus take the dog poo market by storm.

[gotterdamm]

Originally posted by &lt;Mac The Fork&gt;:
<STRONG>

itai195 will thus take the dog poo market by storm.</STRONG>

What, you think crap doesn't sell?

[Longstride]

Originally posted by &lt;tomvale&gt;:
<STRONG>
On another note i think they have to do something with the storage medium. Applle wouldn't do flash kinda things. Too small.
Putting a hard drive is too big/expensive.
Making it fit burned cd's - WAY to big.

the best option is ibm microdrive or iomega clik (did they rename that?).
they dont seem to be apple's syle though.

so will apple come up with a decent new storage system?
</STRONG>

It's a long shot that Apple would use this as media for this device, but I think Minidisc is the best format for digital audio. The discs are cheap (under 2 bucks for some brands), hold 74 minutes of audio at regular compression (equal to 256K MP3), can hold up to 4 hours at higher compression levels, are editable and rewriteable. I have a digital board added to my soundblaster card with a digital optical cable connected directly to the recorder. Apple could modify it with a firewire interface and Mac-based editing tools, hmmmmmmm, I can dream can't I?

[scarab]

Originally posted by gotterdamm:
<STRONG>


What, you think crap doesn't sell?</STRONG>

The PC weenies don't have a choice, do they? Mac OS doesn't run on x86 hardware...

Anyway, how revolutionary is that device to hook up to the stereo? It's been around for some time right? I remember seeing a review of one on a TechTV show months ago!

[Zoom]

I got a little off track in my dreaming. Let me take some guesses at the specifics...

It's a box that's meant to sit with your entertainment center, first and foremost. It'll have a nice display, possibly a small color LCD on the face. It will have some sort of optical drive - I'm betting either DVD or combo. It will have a super-stylish remote control, but you will also be able to control it via your Mac desktop or portable using AirPort or via a FW or Ethernet connection. I could see it running a little web server and you can configure it via a web browser - even from outside your house, if you know the password. (I'll get to the cool uses for this soon.)

The back of this thing will have a ton of ports and connectors. FW for sure and probably an AirPort card slot. Maybe Ethernet, maybe even a phone jack for a built-in 56k modem. It will have cable TV I/O jacks. It will have composite RCA I/O jacks (video and L/R audio). It might have VGA out. And it will have an IrDa I/O port on the front. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it might have a USB port for an optional keyboard and mouse. It also may have an IrDa device that can be used to control other home stereo equipment.

This device will allow you to control all of your entertainment center components using a Universal Remote type technology. You simply download the proper controller codes via the 'net by entering the model and make. Then it provides you a nice graphical interface for controlling the device, either on screen or on your Mac or via it's web interface.

The device can function as a PVR. You can "pause" live shows and pick up where you left off (this is actually buffering to disk). You can record TV shows. It will have an Internet connection which can fetch program listings for your area and give you a stunning GUI through your TV (or the web!) for selecting what shows to record. With the CDR capabilities, you could probably even archive stuff to CD - all the "Sopranos" episodes on VCD! Why not?

This "iThing" will also be an MP3 jukebox. You can store gobs of songs on it and play them through your stereo. I love the idea someone had about it running iTunes with visuals to your TV! You can also burn them to disk or play from a disk.

But the key is the iTools/web/net angle. Imagine sitting at work and realizing you forgot to set up the VCR to record a special show. You log into the 'net and using a nice iTools link, choose the program you want and tell your spiffy iThing to record it (your login to iTools provides security). You can also see everything that you are currently set to record, how much space is left on your iThing, delete shows to make room for new ones, or maybe even watch them remotely using QT streaming! Can you imagine being able to call up last night's episode of "Friends" on a remote computer (like your PC at work)?

You can also log into this thing and play music via QT streaming wherever you are. You mount your iTools account, which logs you into your iThing, and you now have access to everything stored there.

Obviously, you can do simple things like view pictures on your TV or watch iMovies that you've made. You can also do this remotely, via the above-mentioned iTools access. This device will also play DVDs, of course. And it will also be able to do video capture.

And while we're going crazy, why not add a web cam and a microphone so that you can do video phone calls with anyone else who has an iThing? Okay, that's going overboard... at least for the first revision of this device!

Damn. If Apple doesn't do any of this stuff, I just screwed myself out of about a dozen patents by posting these ideas online....

[Zoom]

Did I mention that this iThing will cost about $3000?

For it to have all that functionality, it would be very expensive. So maybe I got carried away. But it could have a lot of that functionality and not be too awfully expensive, especially if it relegated a lot of the heavy-duty stuff to your Mac running iThing software. That's more likely.

But maybe there's a subscription service angle, like WebTV. Mac owners get it for free or at a reduced rate. The subscription subsidizes the hardware. If it has a web interface, it will be system-agnostic. But if you have a Mac and an iTools account, you get all the cool features.

Whatever this thing is, I just hope it's really revolutionary and not just a candy-colored, overpriced, Apple version of something else. My expectations at this point are extrememly high, which probably means that I'll be disappointed.

Anyone found any juicy rumors yet? Man, the secrecy surrounding this project must be insane. If this is as big as they're making it out to be, I'll be Steve hand-picked the developers and had them all sign special NDAs.

[gotterdamm]

The PC weenies don't have a choice, do they? Mac OS doesn't run on x86 hardware...

It was joke people.

Anyway, how revolutionary is that device to hook up to the stereo? It's been around for some time right? I remember seeing a review of one on a TechTV show months ago!

Really? TechTV showed a disk-less MP3 jukebox that uses your Mac's hard drive through an Airport?
No, didn't think so.
If you would have read my posts you would have seen me site specific examples of such products and what makes this idea unique and more economically viable.

Zoom: I like your idea. My device could easily be integrated into it. It would get Apple some profit outside the slumping computer industry, but still use Mac desktops enough to reinforce their position as the "digital hub."

[ 10-18-2001: Message edited by: gotterdamm ]

[sadie]

There are devices out there that use Ethernet to read MP3 files from a hard disk of any PC, and pump them through to your stereo system. This is what he was talking about.

That all-in-one device sound incredible. But without a computer plugged in, wouldn't it need 12 remote controls of its own?

More seriously, Steve has been trying to brand the Mac as a 'digital hub' thingy. I doubt he'd deliver something, even something that cool, that rendered the Mac itself useless.

This has to be a device between the Mac and the other stuff. It probably lets the Mac control the other stuff (no more fiddling with a dozen remotes), and also shift data between the Mac (in MP3 etc formats) and the other equipment.

In terms of hardware, it'll basically be a large pile of plugs and maybe a hard disc and processor. Everything interesting will happen in software - meaning other uses could be added in future.

I do think they'll shy away from deliberately encouraging anything illegal, though - the emphasis with iTunes adverts was always "it's your music", not "it's a big pile of music you can easily steal, provided it's popular enough for somebody else to be sharing it"

[Zoom]

Originally posted by sadie:
<STRONG>That all-in-one device sound incredible. But without a computer plugged in, wouldn't it need 12 remote controls of its own?</STRONG>

If it has on-screen capabilities (which I'm saying it would), then you could do a lot with cursor arrows and a numeric keypad - like a VCR. I think it could also add things like closed captioning, programming info (what a show is and what it's about, etc) on screen while you're watching it. It's a combo PVR and set-top box.

<STRONG>More seriously, Steve has been trying to brand the Mac as a 'digital hub' thingy. I doubt he'd deliver something, even something that cool, that rendered the Mac itself useless.</STRONG>

I'll flip that logic on you. Steve can't afford to make this thing depend entirely on a Mac. This is going to have broader appeal than that, I think. I say this for many reasons.

(a) You can make more money by hitting a market larger than the Mac niche.
(b) Having a good basic set of features that is enhanced by connecting it to a Mac can drive Mac sales and boost marketshare.
(c) Practically speaking, most people don't have Mac "servers" in the home that are always on and can drive this thing.

But yes, this thing won't be The Hub. It will be a fancy controller used by your hub, the Mac. But I'm guessing that it will still have decent functionality as a stand-alone device.

<STRONG>In terms of hardware, it'll basically be a large pile of plugs and maybe a hard disc and processor. Everything interesting will happen in software - meaning other uses could be added in future.</STRONG>

Yes, it will be firmware upgradeable for sure, and most of the major magic will occur only if you have a Mac hooked up. Or maybe most of the cool synergy will occur with a Mac - things like working with iTunes and QT.

<STRONG>I do think they'll shy away from deliberately encouraging anything illegal, though</STRONG>

That's for sure.

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: Zoom ]

Well as long as we're thowing out opinions (what else can we do until th 23rd) I would disagree with sadie. I think if the new device is going to reflect Steve's "digital hub" philosophy, then it won't be between the Mac and some other device. That would make the new device a hub of sorts, and the device would only be as good as the hardware at the end of the chain. Once you start figuring in third-party hardware things get complicated, and Apple Steve hates complicated.

[YourMac] &lt;-&gt; [NewDevice]

not

[YourMac] &lt;-&gt; [NewDevice] &lt;-&gt; [YourStereo]


But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

__________

If these devices look like Newtons but play iTunes, would we call them 'NewToons?"

[MikeD]

Longstride,

I totally agree. I love my MD player and only WISHED I could connect it digitally to my mac! I find MD's far better than mp3's since, as you said, discs are cheap (compared to more memory). IMHO. Now, if Apple could store mp3's on the minidiscs.... hmmmm...

Mike

Originally posted by Longstride:
<STRONG>

It's a long shot that Apple would use this as media for this device, but I think Minidisc is the best format for digital audio. The discs are cheap (under 2 bucks for some brands), hold 74 minutes of audio at regular compression (equal to 256K MP3), can hold up to 4 hours at higher compression levels, are editable and rewriteable. I have a digital board added to my soundblaster card with a digital optical cable connected directly to the recorder. Apple could modify it with a firewire interface and Mac-based editing tools, hmmmmmmm, I can dream can't I?</STRONG>

[MikeD]

Another thing I'd like to throw into the mix is a combination of what a lot of you guys are all talking about..


What about an apple enhanced Tivo with dual HD's.. one for Tivo, the other for DATA. MP3's can either be stored or streamed via airport. Watch two channels at once (dual coax inputs), surf the internet (special browser)via airport all on this new device!! It would sorta be a Tivo/tv, music, and internet "receiver". That would be awesome! Oh yeah, iPicture (if that's what it will be called) too! So we'd have a cool apple remote with a main power button and buttons for each feature. Or a menu like what's on Tivo where we can select options, or set it up so that we could also view items in configurable "blocks" of your tv screen. For example, upper right and left sides of the screen have tv broadcasts in them and are recording (with audio only going to one item at a time) while surfing the net on the bottom. But you can also view pictures on the bottom like osx's screensaver etc. it's up to you! Now that would be cool!

Mike

[no use for a nick]

Apple owns a domain name I find rather interesting:
http://www.macmate.com

Follow the URL and see what happens.

nick

[MacNomad]

My guess

1) Airport AND Firewire, both, for different usages : plugged/unplugged, no other cable, wireless most of the time inside home or school

2) Music and image (video+pictures)

3) Internet access (streaming and webcam/video conf)

All in one easy home phone/player

[Nimisys]

i would love it if apple made a MP3 jukebox... and made it portable, and made it so it hooks up nicely to the home theater system...SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO BUY IT!!!

you already get it in Creative's Nomad Jukebox 6 or 20gig and they are working on a firewire version as well.

[Brit Ben]

Apple are probably laughing their assess off about all these ideas, and probably aslo getting a lot of good ideas for their next generation of pervasive computing devices.

As amusing as all this is, I don't think it will be anything like this.

Bell Satellite receiver + tivo PVR combo is $700 Cdn.
Airport Card is $150 Cdn.
Creative Labs Jukebox (20G) is $ 800 Cdn.
Embedded PC + Fw +modulators + dvd rom drive +5.1 sound +USB = sony playstation2 = $500 Cdn.

Add the whole lot to get:

satellite video + MP3 + DVD with tv out and record.
dolby 5.1 stereo sound
fw, airport and USB connectivity
40g of online storage

Consumer cost : approx $2000 Cdn or $1500 US or whatever the exchange rate is now...

Some of these ideas are going to be way out of the price range that the consumer market is willing to pay.

Plus, I think we're thinking too small. It's going to be radical in that it will change the way we live somehow...

My $0.02
Ben.

[Mr_Solar_Wind]

Originally posted by edhawke:
<STRONG>http://news.cnet.com/news/0,10000,0-...327217,00.html

An old idea they had in 1998!

ed</STRONG>

HAHAHA Do you even know what the "Columbus" project was? It was the original iMac!!! Somebody (probably Jobs himself) started the rumor that Coumbus was an "Apple Media Player" being developed. This led to mass insanity on news and rumor sites, message boards-- everybody was so wrapped up in this "media player" that the iMac remained a secret until the day it was launched!

It definitely "played (mass) media" HAHAHA!

[Mr_Solar_Wind]

Originally posted by gotterdamm:
<STRONG>

No prob, Airport can pull 11 megs a second.
That's more than enough for VNC.

Yeah, it's little far-fetched but in a worse-case scenario you can use Firewire.</STRONG>

um, 11 Mbps is the THEORETICAL maximum throughput for 802.11b-- typically the maximum attainable speed you'll find in the real world is about 3 Mbps... theoretical maximums usually don't take things like interference, path loss, signal reflections, and heavy noise into account!

Anyone remember this?
Inkwell Handwriting recognition.... http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...607921,00.html

Could this be part of the device?

[MacNomad]

Originally posted by Brit Ben:
[QB]I think we're thinking too small. It's going to be radical in that it will change the way we live somehow...
QB]

You are right, I too was thinking too small, it can only be
1) a fully-functional coffee-machine (with only one button as usual)
or
2) a teletransportation device working only for Mac users

+ oh and one last thing ... (Censored by SJ)

Don't think MP3 player, PDA or "iPicture" - that stuff is old hat. I've been told that the new device is essentially a Kerbango ethernet internet radio with firewire interface, pcmcia for airport card, and possibly an E-Magic midi interface. Just think - wireless midi transmitted via airport.. A mic may also be contained in the unit.

[free lunch]

Disclaimer: I have no idea what this device will be. I love Macs.

Some thoughts:
All those musings about digital recording devices that do all things
(video, music, internet) in a consumer-friendly package (LCD display, settings via internet) being a break-through... It's actually old hat.

There are and have been several PC-based models which do exactly that. One of the recent issues of the German magazine c't ( http://www.heise.de/ct ) explores a home-built project (for about $2000) which includes DVD, Video CD, CD-Audio, MP3, TV, Internet along with remote and LCD status display plus all ripping from and recording to CD possibilities and all the connectivity. I can post a few scans from the magazines if people want me to.

Yes, and Airport is cool. but 802.11b networking is readily available for Windows machines. It is not an Apple exclusive by any measure.

So if they do this, Apple's advantage in this realm can only come from two angles, both of which they are actually really strong at:

Usability & Design:
make it LOOK GOOD & EASY to setup and use.
Apple usually shines at that.

Price & Performance:
G3/4 blow Pentiums away, IF programmed correctly.
A mass-produced *working* package with well-balanced components rather than a collection of whatever is available COULD be cheaper than the "Dell etc." alternative.
Macs usually retain higher resale values than other comparable products for exactly that reason.

$0.02...

Ooh! Ooh! I wanna play! I wanna play!

Remember the story last spring from the Taiwanese CNET? The Alpha Top exec who was talking about Apple's "new iBook?" Huh? 'Member? Well, maybe this thing is like a 14" tablet or something? Hmmmm?

Okay. Well. That was fun.

[gotterdamm]

Well, I'm sure we've all seen the news on the front page stating the guys at HITS are pretty sure it's a portable MP3 player that syncs with iTunes via firewire.
What do think? Would you be disappointed if this was the device?
Do you think it's as good "or revolutionary" as some of the ideas you've seen here?

And Mr Solarwind: all I said is Airport can pull 11 megs a second, not average 11 megs a second. You might also have noticed I had already taken the liberty of stating efficient VNC via Airport was "far-fetched."

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: gotterdamm ]

Ok all of the things ive seen are great and beliveable but what if its all of these things. A home interface package. Microsoft is coming out with there tablet thing sometime soon and bluetooth has finally comeout. So what if its a new newton that can interface with all other things in your home. It can control a mp3/home audio type hybrid machine. Or your computer, or even your lights, a "remote control for your life" i hope we see this this would be awesome. Now everyone has said iTunes yes of course iTunes but not a mp3 machine ok the handheld device could control iTunes on your mac from anywhere within the home. Done with AirPort and with the help of Bluetooth or even possibley something even more revolutionary an Apple Bluetooth better than regular bluetooth and something they could hold licenses for. Its perfect. A new Newton with the ability to control your home, car, office, what ever.

Well, I have some ideas.

Number one, I agree with an earlier post, this must somehow figure into an acqusition of Kerbango (or at least, its assets).

Number two, some people suggested it wouldn't make sense to use full sized CDs in this device (if it was hand held or portable) but remember there are now 8cm diameter CDRs on the market in consumer oriented stores - and from all the reports I have heard, these work fine in any slot loading drive because they are totally round, rather than "cut off" like biz card CDs or PokeROMs.

Number three, even if this device only supports QuickTime, remember that QuickTime is much much more than most people perceive it to be. Since (IIRC) QT 4.0, a rather large portion of the Mac's API (some say 90%) has been integrated into QuickTime, which allows for actual applications to be built in QT! There is a chat room, stock performance grapher, etc.

[machdreamer]

http://www.geocities.com/leobairn/

This is a new twist. Sucky idea, or pure genius? You make the call!

[new newton]

Apple hasn't done anything like this since Newton. None of us know what to expect. With any luck, we'll all be quite surprised.

[murk]

The FreePlay mp3's are for iMovie & iDvd, but I find it interesting that when double clicked, they are added to your iTunes Library, but are played from your iDisk. Make a mixed playlist with some of these and locally stored mp3's and they play, with the exception of a slight delay before, just like the songs that are on your hard disk . Anyway, to me this hints at a system for distributing music. Maybe you can listen for a while for free from Apple's servers, but if you want to download it to burn, etc, you have to pay.

[gotterdamm]

"Maybe you can listen for a while for free from Apple's servers, but if you want to download it to burn, etc, you have to pay."

Well, this could fit in with the signs from people like HITS who say it's a MP3 player.
It would also explain why a source told ThinkSecret "is not just another run-of-the-mill MP3 player."

[naderby]

If only Kormac were here with us�

Oh well, we'll know shorty.

Well, add one and one and you get:

Bluetooth & ShoutCast -&gt; A wireless iTunes player; very suitable for your stereo.

It would be some kind of internet radio device; pretty cool in my opinion.

[Michaelm8000]

I got my fingures crossed for a Apple Pocket PC thing. It has OSX lite on it and has iTunes,Quick Time, Preview, Mail ect. and of couse an AirPort card. That would be awsom!! But I do not really think that is what is going to be realesed.

I think it will be a digital divice to sit next to iTunes. I bet apple is working on one for iMovie as well. So they have iApps and devices to put them to there full potential.

What ever it is I am shure we are all WAY off!! haha

[John B. Smith]

man oh man.. yall are really piling it on today... what a bunch of lame ideas. a satellite phone/airport card/lcd screen/itunes... yeah, right, and I'm the pope

and what is this business about an internet radio device? nobody in there right mind is going to pay top denario for an internet radio... hell, people wont even take something like that if Apple paid them to..

the dumbest idea I've heard tho is the file sharing "device".. why the hell would somebody PAY for a DEVICE that shares files? they wouldnt! and then apple would be sued by RIAA and they would go out of business..

Mac OS X Lite?? that takes the cake.. I can just see all us poor mac users fiddling around with a tiny LCD screen trying to figure out how to use the dock with a stylus..

[Boondoggle]

I don't really care what it is... I'm pretty excited about it.

At least until teusday...


bd

[TonyRado]

I think most are "thinking big" and way too much so. Although some of these ideas are cool. I do think that airport is somehow involved. What's up with the new Ti's coming with the airport card pre-installed? Personally, I have found that with the purchase of a sub $5 "miniplug to RCA" cable that I can hook my Ti up to practically anything in my house short of my blender and play music through it. So far I have used it to play iTunes songs: through a home stereo system, to DJ a bachelor party in Vegas, to connect too my hotel room television while on vacation in Colorado, and just last night hooked it up to a boom box in my living room - all just to boost the sound and listen my growing library of music on my Ti. In fact, I'm running out of space on my stock 20 gig HD and hoping to upgrade by the end of the year. The cool thing is that all of this is for fun, and has nothing to do with my occupation. Although people in Vegas were asking me what clubs I DJ-ed in NY.

Anyway, the one piece of hardware that Apple has not updated in a while is the AirPort Base Station. So, how's about a new BaseStation that would also have an RCA connection, 1 Gig Ethernet, and phone line connection. How about calling it a BassStation?

People,

After thinking about all the opinions/guesses, have a look at this
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/prod...tal-wallet.jpg

THIS IS SO RIGHT!!!!

(made by apple)

[SpeedRacer]

I think anticipation might find some answers here...
http://www.riohome.com/products/receiver.htm

From what i've heard from my Apple sources, iTunes and wireless is all that anyone really knows at this point. A device much like the above would fit quite well into this scheme. And the integration between Rio hardware and iTunes is already there.

Oh and for what's not, well that's where iTunes v2.0 comes in right?



Speed

[Apple Pro Underwear]

I bet you the damn thing has a lcd on it though.

what it displays? a menu for something really cool.

i predict myself buying it already, damn you stevie J and your stupid black turtleneck!

[gotterdamm]

http://www.geocities.com/leobairn/
This is a new twist. Sucky idea, or pure genius? You make the call!

Hey, check it out. This kid posted my idea and is claiming it's "news."
Sorry kid, but I was just speculating, don't bet any ca$h on an iJukebox coming out tomorow.

[ 10-22-2001: Message edited by: gotterdamm ]

[Nebrie]

Originally posted by gotterdamm:
<STRONG>


Hey, check it out. This kid posted my idea and is claiming it's "news."
Sorry kid, but I was just speculating, don't bet any ca$h on an iJukebox coming out tomorow.

[ 10-22-2001: Message edited by: gotterdamm ]</STRONG>

Actually cnet also speculated on that same idea.

[Zoom]

Originally posted by John B. Smith:
<STRONG>man oh man.. yall are really piling it on today... what a bunch of lame ideas. a satellite phone/airport card/lcd screen/itunes... yeah, right, and I'm the pope

and what is this business about an internet radio device? nobody in there right mind is going to pay top denario for an internet radio... hell, people wont even take something like that if Apple paid them to..

the dumbest idea I've heard tho is the file sharing "device".. why the hell would somebody PAY for a DEVICE that shares files? they wouldnt! and then apple would be sued by RIAA and they would go out of business..

Mac OS X Lite?? that takes the cake.. I can just see all us poor mac users fiddling around with a tiny LCD screen trying to figure out how to use the dock with a stylus..</STRONG>

Wonderful insights! Excellent arguments, backed up with thoughtful counterpoints!

And by the way, it's "dinero".

[rtdunham]

An Apple "Breakthrough" product is announced under that headline at the Apple home page, &lt; http://www.apple.com/ &gt;
http://www.apple.com/

Suggests we not take promises of a "breakthrough" product too literally, don't you think?

http://www.spymac.com/

[Nebrie]

Here's a tidbit found on another forum:

::::..::::::::..::....::::::::..::::

ATMOSS - Australian Trade Mark Online Search System

Word: IPOD

Lodgement Date: 02-OCT-2001

Class/es: 9, 28, 38 &lt;- This bit gives you context for what 'it' is... (see below).

Status: Indexing Approved

Owner/s:
Apple Computer, Inc
1 Infinite Loop,
MS : 3TM, Cupertino,
California 95014
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Goods & Services

Class: 09
Computers, computer hardware, computer peripherals, hand held computers, personal digital assistants, electronic organisers, electronic notepads, apparatus for recording, transmission and reproduction of sounds, images, or other data; magnetic data carriers; mobile digital electronic devices, telephones, computer gaming machines, microprocessors, memories boards, monitors, displays, keyboards, cables, modems, printers, videophones, disk drives, cameras; computer software, prerecorded computer programs for personal information management, database management software, character recognition software, telephony management software, electronic mail and messaging software, paging software, database synchronization software, computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases, computer software and firmware, namely operating system programs, data synchronization programs, and application development tool programs for personal and handheld computers; electronic handheld devices for the wireless receipt and/or transmission of data, particularly messages, and devices that enable the user to keep track of or manage personal information; software for the redirection of messages, Internet e-mail, and/or other data to one or more electronic handheld devices from a data store on or associated with a personal computer or a server; and software for the synchronization of data between a remote station or device and a fixed or remote station or device; computer hardware and peripherals

Class: 28
Games and playthings, namely, electronic games, hand-held electronic games and apparatus

Class: 38
Communication and telecommunication services, providing access to web sites on the Internet: delivery of digital music by telecommunications, providing wireless telecommunications via electronic communications networks, wireless digital messaging, paging services, and electronic mail services, including services that enable a user to send and/or receive messages through a wireless data network; one-way and two-way paging services...

[Aykew]

Originally posted by &lt;the scoop&gt;:
<STRONG>http://www.spymac.com/</STRONG>

Wow... it's really cool how the iWalk creates a LENS FLARE in a bathroom. (See third "photograph")