Daryl

New video iPod and iMac announced today. Pic of iPod:

http://www.macrumors.com/downloads/5G_ipod.jpg

KiwiGTI

iTunes 6 being installed right now.

Daryl

http://www.apple.com/uk/

Mogsi

Very nice, the black one looks rather tasty.....

Iain Young

Why though?

Guess I must be getting old, but I just don't see the point. I hope they put better batteries in them than in the current crop of ipods

ozzy

I wouldn't sit and watch a music vid on the move, but it would be handy to show friends some video clips from holidays. It also has TV output, so you could simply hook it up to a TV and play any sort of vid or movie.

It should have had colour and video from the get-go, but I suppose they had to evolve.

RB5-Black

wait a year or so and sony will put out a 60GB PSP2

Iain Young

Still doesn't support raw format for the photos though. Shame, as that would actually make that function quite useful. As it is, I don't think I've ever used the photo part of my ipod photo.

Daryl

Iain Young

Exactly my point Daryl. It's a useless and frankly pointless feature in my book. I'd have much preferred them to increase support for different photo file formats, improve the battery, and add some useful pda-like functions to the device. A missed opportunity to improve the usefulness of the device in my opinion.

The only people I can see this appealing to are the same people who get all excited about cameras in phones, mp3 ringtones etc.

It's like the psp. I don't see the point of the video playback on that either. Why should I buy all my dvd collection again just so I can view it on a little screen, or at lower than dvd quality on a large screen. I just use it for what it's best at. Playing games...

TopBanana

It's just one of the first steps along the road to a properly converged media platform... give it 10 years and we'll all be able to watch streaming tv over wireless internet on our ipods!

Iain Young

And we'll all be wearing glasses because of the eye strain

I'd just like them to fix the flaws in the current iPod before they start adding more new features to it...

Daryl

From the Apple site: "The new iPod boasts up to 20 hours of battery life, five hours more than before."

Seems they have improved battery life. Like you, I've already got an iPod photo, so I'm not interested in getting one of these, just thought someone might be thinking of taking the plunge.

RAW compatibilty would be useful, but to be honest I'm happy to shoot JPEG, especially when I'm on holiday, which is when I am most likely to use it for photo storage

Iain Young

I really meant the reliability of the battery. Had mine less than a year, and have had to change the battery because even on a full charge it got to the point where it wouldn't last more than five minutes before running flat.

I shoot everything in RAW mode now (and using manual settings), even when on holiday. Haven't taken a jpeg for probably a year or more.

Having said all that, I may get one. I was thinking of using my current machine as an auto-changer for the car, (I've got an ipod interface for the Pioneer touch screen hu), and getting a second one for using around and about. I'm just disappointed that they seems to have missed the opportunity to improve on a lot of things in preference to adding a new feature that isn't really all that useful at all...

ozzy

Just how important is RAW to the majority though? It's a fashion-item for most afterall

JackClark

It's got a 4:3 aspect ratio, picky I know but backwards all the same.

rich101

LOL widescreen iPods . . . . Ha, ha Future Boy !

Three issues as far as I am concerned

- Firewire is no longer an option

- Screen size 320x240, why except the obvious, cause it's cheap.

- TV episodes at $1.99 but US only no doubt, something I read mentioned BBC coming in on the deal but I already pay a license fee, suppose we will just have to wait how that is likely to work.

TBH I think Apple is in danger of stalling if they constantly rely on the iPod, all it is going to take is Sony getting it's **** together and fit a 8Gb flash in the next PSP revision and work out an iTunes interface. MP3 and thumbnail movies will only take Apple so far and Sony is real keen.


On a more positive note -

The Front Row interface/remote now that is interesting especially if VLC can be added to the present line up !

r

Mogsi

That is a loss, I have found firewire far more stable on my 4g Ipod than USB.

Simon C

It does look very tasty, and of no use to me. I have a 4th gen 20gb iPod, which I'm over the moon with, it was bought to replace the cd changer in the car, and to give me something to listen to on a night shift.

Personally I'd rather see Apple add a DAB radio to it rather than video.

KiwiGTI

Do some of you guys live in the real world?

Cameras in phones has made the mobile market boom and the crazy frog has been number one in virtually every country. If it does appeal to these people they are going to make a large amount of money.

And let people listen to music and entertainment for free? The same ringtone crowd will lap up the ability to download videos at £1.89 each. (btw Vodafone 3G charge £3)

How about video podcasts of BBC news to watch on the train to work? Or the ability to download any episode of any BBC comedy etc. There are some pretty cool ideas if they can implement them properly.

Iain Young

Unfortunately yes, althought I try not to. It's far too depressing

Mostly school kids. I don't know a single sane adult who could stand the crazy frog for more than 10 seconds before wanting to drop it down the nearest mineshaft.

A fool and their money.....

Simon C

And I didn't and still don't see the point in camera phones.

KiwiGTI

I don't have to agree with them and I hate the whole ringtone industry but they are all a lot richer than I am.

rich101

OK I can accept the dock the unit to get the subscribed to the 6:00AM News BBC Podcast unit is sync'd ready for the train but how do you think iPod's are powered ? Yep by battery, so everytime you dock the unit each weekday night unless it is flat or close to you are shortening the life of the unit.

Voda 3G video at £3 is a different situation as the owner is bored/drunk and thinks it's a laugh at the time.

iTunes is not exactly spontaneity, mmm I must use iTunes to get that video when I get home, dock the iPod and eject it in the morning, bit of a faff TBH.

But of course they could go the other route of partitioning/allocating the available space and put the top 10 videos in there and if you watch them you are billed a la Sky Movies style ! Imagine if they did that . . . afterall it won't cost them a penny until you buy and then they earn their margin.

I think I will stick to watching DVD's/TV on my 17" PB

But where oh where is the Airport Extreme Video ? Can't be long when you think about it . . . .

r

TopBanana

Just to say, I use the camera on my phone fairly often!

KiwiGTI

For me it's too small to watch anything too serious, that's why the idea of short (max 1 hour) infotainment/comedy/news etc appeals that you could watch on a commute, and pornography for those private breaks in airline toliets.

RB5-Black

Rich101 you need to do a little reading on how NIMH cells work. your comment it true for the old NICAD type , but the new cells have no memory and when and how you charge them has no bearing on life or capacity.

Daryl

RAW is fine, but you still have to manipulate the results in post-processing. Unless your monitor is calibrated (not saying yours isn't), you're still only guessing as to the final outcome. Most of the time I'm happy with Levels in PS

What do you mean by manual, BTW?

Iain Young

It's the little M setting on the dial

If you are going to post process the photos, I find it better to start with the raw data rather than a compressed jpg which has already lost a load of the information. Hence why I use raw mode...

rich101

Fair dues . . . . but my first 5Gb 1st gen iPod used to be a right so and so unless you discharged and charged from flat. Level indicator really used to muck around.

TBH I still run everything down before recharging I guess it's a habit I got into !

Having owned laptops/mobiles for years and always done it that way.

I have read the Apple support site and yes you are right.

So do you just charge whenever ?

It's rich by the way . . . .

r