Any idea when the REAL iPod Video will arrive?

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IDSmoker

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So, let me see if I understood today's announcement correctly...

I can now choose between:
  1. iPod Touch that has a screen big enough to comfortably view a video but not enough storage capacity to actually store any videos,
    OR
  2. iPod Classic that has the capacity to store many videos but has a screen too tiny to comfortably watch them.
WTF?!?!


I've been 'making do' with my 4th generation - Black&White - 40gb iPod for quite some time now because the newer generation iPods just didn't have a large enough screen for me to watch for any length of time.

Now I have to decide whether to break down and reward Apple's spiffy new marketing strategy by purchasing an iPod Classic or wait yet another year in the hopes that they will finally come out with the video iPod I've been waiting for...


Thanks for nothing Steve!!!
 

hyroboarder

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I'll tell you something, I was just as dissapointed. I'm getting the new 80 gb for 250 to hold me over till the touch is hard drive based.
 
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Well, to be fair, 16GB is not unreasonable for store videos if you sync with iTunes on a fairly regular basis. It's not a device to take long trips with, but it will certainly fill casual video-watching needs for most people over a short time period.

I've been doing fairly well with the 8GB on my iPhone. It's enough for about a half-dozen sitcom episodes and a movie or two, and with smart playlists you can rotate the content fairly well.

I've already switched to my iPhone for most of my portable video watching, using my 5G 80GB only for longer trips and/or TV output (something that the iPhone, and therefore likely the iPod touch, lacks).

It's not ideal, but it's not completely out of the question either.
 

kornchild2002

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hyroboarder said:
I'll tell you something, I was just as dissapointed. I'm getting the new 80 gb for 250 to hold me over till the touch is hard drive based.
I don't think the touch will ever be hard drive based. Apple is using the iPod touch to show the future of iPods. A PDA like device that can pretty much do anything using flash memory. Flash memory is the future of portable audio simply because it is skip free and can endure a lot more than hard drives. On top of that, it requires a substantially less amount of power to run flash memory and it takes up less space. So the iPod touch is just a glimpse of the future of iPods. Hence, Apple will continue using flash memory in the iPod touch and I don't really believe it will catch on until it reaches an affordable 32GB capacity and above.

The iPod classic will be just that, a place holder for people who will wait for a higher capacity iPod touch in two years. Flash memory prices are decreasing but they aren't decreasing as rapidly as hard drive prices did. So it will take at least 2 years before when can get an affordable 32GB iPod touch. Until then, people will purchase the iPod classic.

I still don't know what to purchase. Part of me wants to get the 160GB iPod classic as it can hold my entire media library including all my photos. Another part of me wants to get the iPod touch because of its wi-fi internet capabilities. I am in need of a new DAP but I am also in need of a new wi-fi internet device. I could kill two birds with one stone but the 16GB capacity of the iPod touch just doesn't cut it for me. I was about to purchase the 160GB classic but pulled back. I am planning a trip this fall. If the trip goes through then I will get the iPod touch. If it doesn't go through then I will get the iPod classic.

I have a feeling that we won't see a "true" video iPod until 2 years from now with the release of the 2G iPod touch. I hate that saying though: true video iPod. After all, a true video device is anything that can play videos. The 5G iPods have long been true video iPods, they just aren't focused on video playback. Their main selling aspect is music playback with added video. Though I would count the 160GB iPod classic as a true video iPod given that it gets about 7 hours of video battery playback time. Coupled with its huge capacity and price, that beats most (if not all) portable video players on the market.
 

homeboy

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I feel you on this one guys. But I'm afraid the iPod touch is the final stop. As it's capacity will be doubled every year it will eventually evolve to the device most of us want it to be, a high capacity PMP.

In January at Apple's keynote it will get it's capcity bumped up to 32GB and in 12months it will be bumped up to 64GB which will satisfy the majority.
 

kornchild2002

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I don't think it will get a capacity bump in as little as 4 months, that is not typical Apple style. I can see them increasing the capacity next year and getting rid of the iPod classic line. Apple updates their iPods once every year. They will either come out with a new generation or just change some of the specs of an older generation. I can see them changing the specs of the iPhone in January but that product is marketed towards a completely different set of people (people who want a all-in-one cell phone as compared to people who want a media device). 32GB and 64GB flash drives are already out there. The only problem is that you will spend quite a bit of money to get one.

I can see 32GB becoming affordable by next fall but not 64GB (unless they drastically increase the capacities of these flash drives over the next year).
 

IDSmoker

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kornchild2002 said:
...
I hate that saying though: true video iPod. After all, a true video device is anything that can play videos. The 5G iPods have long been true video iPods, they just aren't focused on video playback. Their main selling aspect is music playback with added video. Though I would count the 160GB iPod classic as a true video iPod given that it gets about 7 hours of video battery playback time. Coupled with its huge capacity and price, that beats most (if not all) portable video players on the market.
Neither the 5G or new "Classic" (can we please call that one the 6G?) are true video iPods in my opinion because a 2.5" screen is too small for me to comfortably watch video on, and I've tried.

Of course, those of you with better eyesight are free to disagree...
:D


As to the debate on whether the Classic will be the last of the hard-drive based iPods... I just don't see it happening. Since cost per byte will always favor hard drives, I think there will always be a market for lower cost, higher capacity handheld media players.

I'm already looking forward to my terabyte iPod 'Classic'... hopefully it will have screen I can watch video on! <grin>
 
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