News
Analyst: Wireless 6G iPod to counter Microsoft device
One analyst believes that Apple will introduce a wireless sixth-generation iPod this Fall to counter the debut of the much-rumored portable Microsoft device. “Apple has stated that ease of use is a key element of the iPod, so wireless functionality is an obvious next step for the product line,” Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a research note provided to iLounge. “Apple has also stated that the pace of iPod innovation will not change. Historically, that pace has been about two new iPods per year, but Apple has yet to release a new iPod this year. Based on these two factors, we expect a new wireless iPod this Fall.” As reported earlier, Microsoft is reportedly prepping a wireless audio and video player, which is expected to be out before Christmas. “Microsoft is rich with resources to compete with Apple. We do not believe, however, that the yet-to-be-seen Microsoft offering will be a worthy opponent for the iPod,” Munster said.
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1
Yeah, wasn’t the “Origami” suppose to be the ultimate “iPod killer”? and it turned out to be a peice of crap that no one wanted. Microsoft doesn’t innovate, they just try to copy everyone else, and keep saying how far superior their “device” will be, and in the end no one wants them. I think they should really just give up on trying to own everything. It’s starting to look pathetic.
Posted by Matrixsjd on July 6, 2006 at 4:28 PM (PDT)
2
Microsoft is going to bust through the mp3 player industry like the gigantic kool aide pitcher man through a wall!!!
lol
Posted by WldBluYonder21 on July 6, 2006 at 7:04 PM (PDT)
3
LOL, does it look like THIS?
Posted by Sean on July 6, 2006 at 9:23 PM (PDT)
4
Okay guys, I’m a freelance analyst. I’ll give you one scoop as a trial offer, then if you like it, you can hire me full time. Okay, and forgive me if I blow your mind here: Apple is planning on releasing an iPod made entirely out of chocolate, in order to broaden into Nestle’s market. The chocopod, as it will be called, will be made out of your choice of 3 flavours: milk, white, or dark. It will hold 17 terabytes of music, and will be the size of an Oh Henry (or, in Canada, a Coffee Crisp.) It will be powered by a fusion-powered quantum supercomputer that could’ve decoded the entire human genome in one googolth of a picoseccond- if you underclocked it. It will retail for the standard iPod pricepoint of US$350, and will be launched in Q4, 2006. There, to keep getting more of my Nostradamus-like revalations, send a cheque for CA$200 000, to me.
Posted by Special_K on July 7, 2006 at 12:11 AM (PDT)
5
For people who have issues with iLounge’s news article:
If you don’t like what is being published… don’t read it!!!
Posted by floridante2k on July 7, 2006 at 6:52 AM (PDT)
6
All I have to say is if it is truly wireless, they better offer FREE streaming of music videos. Then I’ll buy.
Posted by d3m0nICE on July 7, 2006 at 6:59 AM (PDT)
7
I just don’t understand what would be so great about a wireless iPod. Charging it is half the reason I hook it up to my computer.
Posted by TommyT on July 7, 2006 at 7:15 AM (PDT)
8
The funniest part of these Microsoft announcements (both official and rumored) is that they never change the software in these scenarios (not much, at least). No matter how sweet the products look, the software is always the disconnect. Look at the reviews. Apparently, Samsung and iRiver have real contenders, but the software is still awful.
Microsoft still believes that their part of this whole music thing is above reproach…you know, like with Windows. Only difference is that Microsoft doesn’t rule this arena, so the lemmings (Creative, iRiver, et al) don’t make a profit by default.
Posted by Gordy. in Atlanta, GA on July 7, 2006 at 7:58 AM (PDT)
9
I think a wireless iPod would be a good idea, if everything was free.
Posted by Buddy on July 7, 2006 at 1:29 PM (PDT)
10
I have a couple ipods but if this looks cool and has the features i’m looking for i’ll get it , I wonder if it will use a windows ce interface or a more updated like vista with the aero look that would be kewl.
Posted by Greg on July 8, 2006 at 2:42 AM (PDT)
11
“I think a wireless iPod would be a good idea, if everything was free.”
you, buddy, should be stoned to death, with big freaking rocks.
NOTHING IS FREE
ok. p2p is free. everything else that’s free, is just paid for by advertisments that make your mind even stupider. grats.
Posted by Jesse on July 8, 2006 at 4:37 PM (PDT)
12
This is unsettling… I’ve been in the market for a new iPod, but should I wait for this new one or not? I’d think that it would be obnoxiously expensive, too.
Posted by Mme. Thenardier on July 9, 2006 at 6:17 AM (PDT)
13
Wireless will only be cool if it supports encryption. I wouldn’t open up my network just to save the 30 seconds it takes me to set up a sync with my computer.
Posted by LukeA on July 9, 2006 at 8:36 AM (PDT)
14
This is news? :O
Posted by Will on July 9, 2006 at 5:14 PM (PDT)
15
Wireless would be wasted on just sync’ing. Cool would be giving your iPod wireless G streaming access to your PC’s hard drive full of music, video, text, or even Powerpoint or Macromedia Flash content. Even better, perhaps they could include some kind of limited Web access, say a portal to YouTube or GoogleVideo using the PC as a gateway, (if needed to process the audio/video to a compatible .mpx format). I won’t need a big hard drive on my ipod then, I can just stream content from my 1.3 terabytes of PC storage.
Posted by sk on July 11, 2006 at 11:11 PM (PDT)