The rumormill is abuzz with talk of the next generation iPods. It looks like it will abandon the click wheel and go touch screen.

Link with more info
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February 9, 2006 - Think Secret can confirm recent rumblings that Apple is nearing completion of a completely revamped video iPod that will shed the ubiquitous mechanical click wheel for a touch screen and will sport a 3.5-inch diagonal display.




This video iPod, which has been in development and on the table since before Apple released the 5G iPod last year with video playback, will feature a display that will occupy the entire front face of the device. Sources who have seen the device report that it features a digital click wheel, one that overlays the touch-sensitive display and appears when a finger touches it and disappears when the finger is removed.

Apple has been working with at least two other companies to perfect the digital click wheel display technology. While not all the engineering was completed in-house by Apple, sources have said Apple could hold an exclusive license on the technologies it borrowed from other developers for a period of time, limiting the ability of competitors to copy Apple's design.

Additional details concerning the new iPod have yet to be confirmed, including capacity and a release date, although all indications point to the Spring, possibly as early as late March or early April. During the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs alluded to a major announcement on or around April 1, Apple's 30th anniversary as a company.

Like previous iPods, sources insist that this video iPod will lack any sort of wireless connectivity, and will continue to connect to televisions using the conventional cabling solution of current models.

While Apple no longer publicly releases the numbers for how many specific iPod models it sells, Think Secret has learned exclusively that during Apple's most recent December quarter, the company moved 3.9 million 5G iPods, exceeding internal estimates and confirming that strong demand remains for higher capacity, higher priced iPod models, especially with additional functionality. By comparison, 8 million iPod nanos were sold during the same period.

Readers will recall that during the brouhaha leading up to the October release of the 5G iPod last year, Think Secret maintained that the video iPod would not be released at the time and, following the roll-out of the 5G iPod, that that iPod was "not the video iPod" but rather a souped up 4G iPod with video capabilities. This forthcoming iPod revision is what sources have said for some time will be the incarnation of a complete video iPod solution.
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So whaddaya think?

Regardless of all rumors, I think it's only a matter of time until Apple unveils the next gen iPod that will at the very least be widescreen. That SNL skit about Steve Jobs releasing 5 different iPods in 4 minutes, each making the previous one obsolete, is spot on.

I still need to tally up the results from the imformal iPod thread. I'm curious to see the breakdown of happy vs. unhappy iPod owners.

I bought my fiance a 60 GB video iPod... she loves it to this day and it has had zero problems...

I personally can't wait to see this new iPod come out if it truly is the next one...

Interesting video of why that pic is a fake. ALthough I think that concept is a great idea. We'll see Tuesday what SJ has up his black turtle neck sleeve.

Fake iPod Video

LMFAO priceless.

I was just about to post that video but you beat me to it. Now there are people out there claiming that the video is a fake since it doesn't match up with the actual picture (chinese writing is different, black squiggle is different, etc.).

I'm beginning to question my own sanity from all this "the video proving the picture is fake is really the fake" nonsense.

The Apple announcement today was exactly what thinksecret.com had predicted. A boom box and a mini thing. April 1st (ironically enough) is supposed to be the big iPod rollout.

We shall see..........

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Hey All,

Apple is planning an announcement tomorrow afternoon that will roll out their new movie download service.

The rest of the event is utter speculation but it looks like there is a strong possibility of a 2nd generation iPod nano (doubled capacity at same prices) and updated 5th generation iPod with video where the storage is bumped while keeping the price the same.

The much rumored true video widescreen ipod is not expected to be released tomorrow.

If it its all true (movie store, 2nd gen nano, new 5th gen ipod) -....meh. I really want a crack at a widescreen MP3 player, so I'll cross my fingers for the longshot. :p

I just got a 4gb Nano, so Apple is bound to come out with something new and exciting.

Apple just announced 2nd gen Nanos:

$149 for 2GB
$199 for 4GB
$249 for 8GB

They also tweaked the regular iPods and dropped the price:

30GB $250
80GB $350

60% brighter screen and 3.5 hour battery life for video playback.

*yawn*

As far as I can tell, this is just Apple keeping keeping up with the Joneses. I was really hoping for a widescreen iPod. Apple might very well be the last electronics manufacturer left still releasing new products with a 4:3 screen.

Well, that sucks, they dropped the educational discount too. Now there's no place to get an discount (even the small $20.00 they used to have).

Who puts out a widescreen?

The only one I can find is the Creative Zen Vision W (not out yet).

Otherwise...

Creative - 4:3.
Wolverine - 4:3.
Toshiba Gigabit - 4:3.
iRiver - 4:3.

I wouldn't consider the PSP in the same category.

I was comparing it to other more video concentrated products, like the PSP.

The cool thing about a widescreen iPod would be all the greatness of the music interface combined with an actual usable video screen.

I just wanted to see Apple take the next step. As it stands now, I think you'd have to be nuts to buy this new 5.5th generation iPod when everyone knows there's a widescreen waiting in the wings that'll probably drop sometime late winter/spring.