The New iPod ?

Bacillus

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 23, 2006
Messages
384
Anyone think that the iPod Classic will be updated. I could see an iPod a little larger than the iPod Mini with a click wheel, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi for AirShare and flash memory of 120-200 GB.

I would so buy this.
 
Would be nice. I'd like a Touch if they ever get the capacities up into audiophile territory.
 
I have a $200 gift card.. so I wouldn't mind picking one up if I don't get the new iPhone.
 
The key is flash memory cost. The iPod Classic is just a holdover really, and as soon as flash cost comes down, I'm 100% sure it will be discontinued.

The top tier iPod is the iPod Touch, and once there is a 128GB variety, I'm almost certain the Classic will cease to exist. As such, I'm not entirely certain they will ever bother to produce another model solely for high capacity, other than using the Touch.
 
I keep waiting for Apple to kill off the iPod Classic, as that will be the day I have to buy a backup for my current unit. A Touch of similar capacity will be way too expensive.
 
I keep waiting for Apple to kill off the iPod Classic, as that will be the day I have to buy a backup for my current unit. A Touch of similar capacity will be way too expensive.

Flash memory is only going to go one direction: down. Remember that the original iPod (back when this whole thing started) was $400, and that was for 5GB. Someday we'll have 1TB handheld devices that cost what we're paying now for the same thing. Either that or internet will be ubiquitous and quick, there won't be HD's and everything will be in a cloud somewhere.
 
The iPod Classic, to me, is still the ultimate home/portable music only player. 160 GB of Apple Lossless music, with the ability to connect to outboard DAC's (using a compatible dock of course) keeps it popular with the audiophiles. :)
 
The iPod Classic, to me, is still the ultimate home/portable music only player. 160 GB of Apple Lossless music, with the ability to connect to outboard DAC's (using a compatible dock of course) keeps it popular with the audiophiles. :)

I love my Classic personally, but even I admit that I would ditch it for a 128GB iPod Touch or iPhone. I've just finally filled my Classic recently, so I'm to the point where really 160GB is not enough to carry my entire library. Maybe I should hold out for a 256GB version...
 
Basically that would just be like using a 3G/4G smartphone and streaming Google Music.

I'm talking about these things long-game. At some point in time OTA internet will be fast enough to stream lossless audio. Of course that won't be for a bit, as 4G isn't even capable of doing that. However, technology moves at a logarithmic pace. At one point a 4kb HD was several thousand dollars (or something like that.) Now we complain at 4Tb HD prices. I digress.

That is to say at some point OTA internet or some variation thereof will reach the point in which data transfer for all intents and purposes is instant. It's the only logical way that it will completely replace localized storage.
 
Flash memory is only going to go one direction: down. Remember that the original iPod (back when this whole thing started) was $400, and that was for 5GB. Someday we'll have 1TB handheld devices that cost what we're paying now for the same thing. Either that or internet will be ubiquitous and quick, there won't be HD's and everything will be in a cloud somewhere.

Well sure, obviously. Some day there will be an iPod touch or other model with ~160GB of storage that costs what the Classic does now. But when you consider that the 64GB Touch costs $150 more than the 160GB Classic, it's probably going to be at least a couple of years. In that time there's a fair chance that the Classic I currently own that lives in my car will die/be stolen. Even if Apple doubles the Touch's capacity in a couple of days the Classic will still be a better deal.

And as far as streaming goes, it seems like its hard enough for the cell phone companies to get voice to be consistent in a moving car, much less time-sensitive data needed for streaming (especially anything approaching CD quality). Never mind the cost. It's going to be a long time before such a thing is truly practical.
 
Well sure, obviously. Some day there will be an iPod touch or other model with ~160GB of storage that costs what the Classic does now. But when you consider that the 64GB Touch costs $150 more than the 160GB Classic, it's probably going to be at least a couple of years. In that time there's a fair chance that the Classic I currently own that lives in my car will die/be stolen. Even if Apple doubles the Touch's capacity in a couple of days the Classic will still be a better deal.

And as far as streaming goes, it seems like its hard enough for the cell phone companies to get voice to be consistent in a moving car, much less time-sensitive data needed for streaming (especially anything approaching CD quality). Never mind the cost. It's going to be a long time before such a thing is truly practical.

I suppose it comes down to what you think is a long time. Looking down the road I see nothing but possibilities, and I think they are approaching us at an ever accelerating rate.

In the 90's we had the Zack Morris phone. Early 2k's we had Nokia bricks, in late 2k's we've developed smart phones that can replace computers. Using my other example from a post a bit after the one you've quoted, but even for more pronouncement, we've gone from hard-diskless, disk operated systems now to systems that don't even need media. From 0kb machines to machines with 10s of TB.

Flash is just beginning, and already we're three generations in. We've gone from having no flash drives a few years back to have ones large enough to replace standard rotational disks (albeit at a high cost... a 1TB drive is what, $1k?, I haven't looked recently.) Still even recently that $1k would have gotten a capacity far less than that when the first flash disk shipped.

I think 256GB onboard flash is closer than you think. Probably within the next 2 years, unless like I say some other better divergent technology comes out. They can of course build something that has that much space now, but at what cost? The cost obviously isn't worth it yet, but I'd bet on sooner than later.
 
I'm always bothered by how few MP3 players have more than 32GB of storage.
 
If they can come out with a 1/2 or full TB iPod, I'd buy it. I have an iPhone (work) that has 16 GB music, and I have ~200 GB of music left on the server... I dislike having to switch it around so often, but it's doable...
 
My 64GB iPod touch is used exclusively to stream Spotify or Slacker Radio now, I don't think I have more than a few GB of music on there...the only issue is if you are somewhere without wifi...but those places are getting harder and harder to find, or you can just use your phone...Anyone else do this?
 
I'm not using most the space on my iPhones, I too am streaming most everything.
Honestly, i'm not even installing that many apps either. I do keep a couple movies on the iPad when flying, but that's out of necessity due to a lack of Netflix.
 
iPhone + Synology NAS + 3G connection = Stream as much music from my home collection anywhere I go without storing any of it on my phone. I even have it set to cache up to 100 songs for the times where you hit a deadspot or a place with no wifi. Works awesome.
 
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