Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Portables, Rumors, Video
Think Secret: No video iPod on Oct. 12th
According to this article at Think Secret, we shouldn't be holding our breath for a video iPod from Apple later this month. Instead, they suggest, we can expect revamped PowerBooks and Power Macs. Think Secret does admit that details on these updates are "scarce." It seems to me that the rumor sites just aren't nailing the details like they used to. I don't know if they've been intimidated by the smackdown Apple put on Think Secret recently, or if old sources have finally run dry. Either way, I won't be surprised if we don't see an iPod video next week. Why would Apple want to detract from sales of its brand-spanking new nano just before the holiday shopping season? Plus, Steve himself has said "No" to a video iPod time and time again. It's just not going to happen.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alex Brooks said 5:47PM on 10-05-2005
I think we are about to see Think Secret be wrong or at least only half right. The point is Apple seem to have two events up there sleeves one for the video iPod and the other for the Pro line machines.
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Ahmed said 5:57PM on 10-05-2005
I'm thinking a 'regular' video iPod will be as good to Apple as an audio only iPod, however, throw in some bells and whistles...wireless video streaming via airport express to the TV, touch screen maybe, PDA like interface, a new interface from the ground up and now we're talking...
As for the pro machines...hmmmm..yeah possible...but frankly I don't see many people going out to buy 2k+ machines that will be dying in a matter of months (yeah I know apple said support PPC for a few years, but hey new products hit the market old products become least priority!)
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Aaron said 6:00PM on 10-05-2005
I would like to see an announcement for a Video Airport Express and Video Downloads at the iTunes store. I know this would be the answer to my prayers if it had remote control capabilities. I think a video iPod would be cool but for me I would rather watch most of my video content on any TV in my house wirelessly with no bulky box or computer needed to be hooked up. It would be my own video on demand. I could see them release the video iPod later this year or early next year after they get a feel for the video download market and secure more content. I can only hope it will support several codecs like xvid, divx, mpeg 2 etc..
I don't know if this will be what happens but I know it's what I would like to see happen.
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Hawthorne said 6:05PM on 10-05-2005
Jobs' last comments on the subject where: "Whether people want to buy a device just to watch video is not clear - so far the answer's been no. Devices that do video... have not been successful yet. No-one's figured out the right formula."
However, he didn't shut the door on a video playing device. "One never knows," he added.
(http://hardware.silicon.com/storage/0,39024649,39152441,00.htm)
So no one's figured out the right formula yet, in much them same way no one figured out how to do a hard-drive mp3 player before the iPod, or how to properly sell music online before the iTunes Music Store.
Cringley had some interesting thoughts about this at the beginning of the year (http://hardware.silicon.com/storage/0,39024649,39152441,00.htm). If this is Apple's "Year of HD", where's the HD?
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Dave Caolo said 6:08PM on 10-05-2005
Hawthorne: I had the same thought recently. We're in October already. If the "Year of HD" is going to get underway anytime soon...well, the clock is ticking.
I'f I'm wrong on this one, you can all call me out on it. But I'm still unconvinced, despite the supposed BBC slip.
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Dave Caolo said 6:11PM on 10-05-2005
Aaron: Such a device would be sweet indeed. Want to see the cool, exclusive videos I downloaded from iTunes last week? Blam, there they are. Want to see video of my kids' trip to the state fair this summer? No problem.
Ever try to show a group of people video that lives only on your Mac? Four or five people huddled around an iBook's screen, trying to see a Quicktime movie is extremely annoying. Streaming it to my tv. . . ah, that's nice.
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Varun Seth said 6:16PM on 10-05-2005
I wouldn't be suprised if there was an upgrade of the powermac or powerbook line. People who need the products will buy them, intel or not. Not to mention the people that would rather wait till the second generation intel macs. People don't keep computers forever, so I don't think it would be such a big deal if we saw another round of powermac/powerbook upgrades.
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Ahmed said 6:19PM on 10-05-2005
Well I'm thinking they can miss the 'wireless' part..but I mean hook to the puter, put movies on it, hook to the TV show movies, or store fav shows from TV and watch them on the road in the car, or in the plane...something along these lines...no bulk...small and works in a simple manner...NO (or lets say few) scratches on the screen...good enuf battery power...
+ regular ipod functionality + photos...
Simple enuf Apple?
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Reid Bode said 6:22PM on 10-05-2005
Hey, the BBC leaked that a video iPod would be released.
Plus the nano and video iPod would be in completely different categories. It'd be twice as much.
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El Payo said 6:28PM on 10-05-2005
BluRay drives for PowerBooks, iMac G5s and PowerMacs, HD screens for iMac G5s, HD screens for PowerBooks and iMac G5s. LCD prices have been falling all summer. And it's the year of HD.
If I'm wrong, I'll know on Tuesday.
Oh, and one more thing...
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Y3ti said 6:31PM on 10-05-2005
Steve also said no to flash based small form factor mp3 players, then here comes the shuffle. Steve said that there really is no need for a video device because there is a lack of a market for it. All other portable video devices have lacked one very key element: supply of content. With iTMS implementing video that last argument is taken care of. Now people will have a portable video player with a place to get content. With the BBC announcement slip (or supposed slip) it makes sense. BBC will supply the initial content.
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Weblogs, Inc. said 6:49PM on 10-05-2005
Why read this blog when all you do is repost things that appear on Engadget hours earlier? I seriously hope you aren't getting paid for this, if so you need to get some original stories and stop stealing money!
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Sean Flanagan said 7:09PM on 10-05-2005
To me, this event is obviously what was originally scheduled for Apple Expo. Think Secret will probably be correct about the Pro line upgrades, but that won't be the *big* announcement. The invite itself alludes to the ubiquitous line Steve delivers after half an hour of major product updates, financial reviews, and guest speakers. You'll see the Pro line announcement after about 15 minutes, and someone from Adobe or similar will come out and talk about how the Mac is now more powerful than ever. Steve will thank the person for making it out to the event, and say something like "So. We've upgraded the fastest Macs ever, and those are now among the fastest desktop and laptop computers on the market. Once again, new Power Macs and PowerBooks are up on the Apple Store online right now, and will be shipping by the end of the week. Oh. But there's just... one more thing." and then everyone applauds because he said the line from the invite. Then he'll introduce a device that is is ten times better than any of the predictions, just like with the Mac mini, the nano, the iMac G5, et al.
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Gidge said 8:02PM on 10-05-2005
We all know what the real announcement will be...
Intel eMacs!
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Tubby McGee said 7:53PM on 10-06-2005
This could be the Apple Mac mini media center. since they bumped up the mini under the radar recently, this could indicate the bump was necessary for the process. iTunes could be upgraded to download content or maybe resurrect HackTV. I think this is the direction it will go. maybe include a monitor on a "luxor" type arm. http://engadget.com/entry/1234000933061627/
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Tubby McGee said 7:57PM on 10-06-2005
This could be the Apple Mac mini media center. since they bumped up the mini under the radar recently, this could indicate the bump was necessary for the process. iTunes could be upgraded to download content or maybe resurrect HackTV. I think this is the direction it will go. maybe include a monitor on a "luxor" type arm. http://engadget.com/entry/1234000933061627/
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Jim Hillhouse said 10:36PM on 10-05-2005
I can't see Apple making a big event just to announce an incremental speed-up of PowerMacs and PowerBooks. Unless I missed the big news, IBM hasn't done anything "big" on the PowerPC side in...what? 2 years? I think these machines will be released, but I don't think they are the "Big Thing". Because if that is all there is, there are going to be some very disappointed press people. Hype but no material leads to bad press, and Jobs doesn't do bad press.
Intel Mac announcement could be one, but that seems a bit early given that it's only been 4 months since the Intel switch announcement. It would be big news, though. And it would help with the Christmas lineup.
Releasing video iPods wouldn't suppress iPod Nano sales measurably. They really are products filling two very different needs and desires. PowerBook 17" sales don't hurt high-end iBook sales, at least not measurably. I have a Nano and an iPod Photo. Both have music and photos, but I used them in very different ways because one has 4 Gig and the other 60 Gig of memory. But releasing iPod Videos would be very big and another kick in the privates to the music player market and go a long way towards sealing Apple's Christmas season line-up.
The Christmas shopping season begins soon. Apple will want its lineup completed before the season begins to have its place locked-up in people's mindspace. So my vote is for new Pro machines and the "...one last thing" being a new iPod.
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Mark Sumner said 7:09AM on 10-06-2005
That curtain looks remarkably like some of the designs for CenterStage. I'm betting on a video addition to iTunes, and some media center software.
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Radu Dutzan said 12:29AM on 10-06-2005
Ok, so no eyePod for now, people.
Yes, this was only an excuse to use my incredibly creative eyePod brand name. So what.
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Tyler Mccamant said 4:13AM on 10-06-2005
They could be planning on releasing the Mac Mini with the 1.5 Ghz PowerPC G4
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