The iPod flash?

Remember what we said about promising one new Apple rumor a day between now and MacWorld next month? This is gonna be piece of cake. We'll just say right off the bat that this one doesn't exactly feel right, but TheMacMind swears up and down that have the scoop on the new flash-based iPod, along with some specs and a mock-up of what it's going to look like. The hardest part is that there's no screen or display of any kind (although that's something that does get dispensed with on the absolutely smallest MP3 player), and the iPod flash (that's what they claim it's going to be called) is supposed to be just 2.5" by 1.5" by 0.5" in size and start at 99 bucks for the 256MB version, with pricier 512MB and 1GB versions also available. Hmmmm…

[Thanks, Wirobro]

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

me likey

[Fine James @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Will Paris Hilton have one?

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

how could you possibly handle a gig of music without a screen?

[roo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Is themacmind engadgeted?

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[daniel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Move over over slashdot effect!

[Alexander Hamilton @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Looks like you could choke on that device

[Dan Bedford @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

HA! No display? NO WAY!! Where is the "ease-of-use" in that??

If this is correct, there MUST be an inline display on the cord or something. But what's the point in that, this thing is about as big as one of those things, so, what, is the display on the other side of this thing? I'm sorry, but my brain is about to explode to think that an MP3 player (and not just one made by Apple) would not have a display. That's just crazy...

[Steve Jobs @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Has anybody even looked at the image??? It's an Apple mouse (you know, the white ones), and a modified click wheel of a Mini. Not a chance Apple ever releases anything that looks like that.

[SteveJ @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I don't know about a 1 GB model, but a screen-less design certainly isn't out of the question. The intent for the device would be that you set it up with a playlist on your computer and then go play it (while exercising or whatever.) It would only be able to contain one playlist. No navigation needed other than skip forward and back. I mean do people running really navigate their iPod while they are running, or do they just listen and don't touch it? I think the latter.

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I'm thinking this isn't the final design... but it isn't because of the lack of a display - it's because I see nothing for the center button, and MacMind doesn't mention it. Nor do I see a lock switch, and the dock connecter seems to be a little large for that design (I would think retractable USB 2.0 would make more sense in a case like this, so it could just plug into the side of your laptop or something).

Now, thinking about what's on the iPod remote, I think this makes more sense as a redesigned remote for the HD-based iPods. Guess we'll see in a few weeks...

[roo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

If they ditch the LCD, and do text-to-speech with the interface, they'd probably cut manufacturing costs.

It might also be play-list driven and the play lists would be managed through iTunes, like they are now with the iPods.

That said, it's a just a rumor, and most rumors turn out to be fake. However, Apple's got some serious following on the iPod front, and they're known for simple, innovative user experience. Anything is possible.

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[Attis @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

No way can that be an iPod! It has to have a screen.

However that could easily be the new inline remote for iPods.

[Wilford Brimley @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

what a waste of time

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

it's not a mouse, but something (besides the display) is definitely missing. there's no play/pause button. few buttons may make for a simpler design, but at some point it becomes harder to use.

[spork @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

an mp3 capable butt bead? boy, if ever there was a need for bluetooth headphones....

[KM @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Ugh, no way. I think (hope) Apple will come up with something cooler looking than that. If it was going to lack a screen (unlikely) I'd imagine that it'd look like an iPod mini cut in 1/2.

[duncan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Without the display it looks like they want the user to put their (well-thought out) playlist on there and be on their way. A next to nothing device that just plays my mix of the moment is kind of appealing to someone like me who, despite all the songs on my iPod, listens to the same playlist over and over.

[shawn @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I would be surprised if they made the same mistake as the previous generation of ipod remotes. Ever tried to change the song without looking at the remote? There's no indication of which end is 'up' on the remote. Very poor design - nothing to give feedback as to how to hold it so you're pressing forward instead of backward. This looks like it has the same problem and I would doubt that it's a mistake apple would make again. How it's gone so long unfixed is beyond me.

An interesting idea, but poor design.

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I think this is BS. Where's the play button? I can't imagine 'Volume Up' and 'Volume Down' being more important than 'Play' and 'Stop'.

[pmahc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

wow mac does it again with design, it looks sleek and sexy however i dont know how the hell its going to be functional, the biggest question is as fine james puts it "is paris hilton going to have one?"

[Gavin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

And now their web site is down. Server overload, or do you think this is an Apple-related shutdown? Hmm...

[habu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

iPod or remote for Airport Express or iPod?
With out a screen i cant think it would be an iPod. A radio remote though would not need a screen and simple controls like that would be fine. Though a way to change play lists would be nice...
But the idea of it being an inline remote for the iPod would work as well.

I dont know just a thought.

[jan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

It should at least be written "iPod flash" instead of "iPod Flash" on the image. That's the will of Steve, mind you.

[digital @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I finally figured out through several secret sources why the new flash iPod will not have a screen... Two words : Mental Telepathy

Ha.

[shidoshi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

What if, instead of an iPod flash, this is instead a Bluetooth/other wireless iTunes remote? People brought up the fact that the Airport Express is a bit hard to manage when using it to remotely stream music due to no remote... maybe this is Apple's answer?

Also, for "Play/Stop," I've heard people mention that you would simple push in the navigation circle.

[lloyd @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Pure rubbish. This one stinks to high heaven. Where is the advantage? For those who have forgotten how to think, let me outline it for you:

1. It would undercut the current iPod line

2. Although a credit card size line would be slick, you still have to wonder about batteries (not to mention headphone jack, etc.)

3. The "mockup" is looks like an April Fool's gag - come on, if you are going to mock something up take more than 10 minutes on it!

4. Apple has been down the road of undercutting their own products. They figured it out - they lose money. This is NOT a company that is keen on losing money (esp. since they are making a bundle).

5. Ergonomics - yeah, it's fallen out of favor, but think it out guys. If it is a pain in the ass to use (and trust me, no display WILL be a pain), there will be no market. No market means no moolah.

6. Hmmm... how many people out there ALREADY make flash MP3 players? Where is the advantage in a "me too" product? Zero.

Now that I have said this, watch them do it an make a jillion dollars :)

[Pascale Soleil @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

No way Apple ever bothers putting out an iPod at 256 MB. No WAY there is no screen interface.

Interface is the whole key to success for the iPod.

[JS @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

This is strangely possible.
TheMacMind mentioned that the little knob is a joystick. Maybe you click it "in" to "play", click in again to pause, or point in the indicated direction for vol. up/down, back/forward. Think of the analog sticks on a PS2 controller. Of course, this mockup is just based on specs.
BTW, anybody know how many songs can you fit in a 256 MB card?

[Curt fiedler @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Although I don't believe this rumor and mock-up is legit, it's not difficult to use a flash-based player with no screen. And I've got first hand proof.

In addition to my iPod, I have a flash-based Rio - a sport model that I use for exercise. With the SD card I added, it has 256MB storage. And, well, I dropped the damn thing on pavement about a year ago and cracked the LED screen. (So much for the ruggedized design...)

So, no screen, but the unit works perfectly otherwise. And I found that I don't need that screen, as the play list is small enough to navigate through it quickly. You can learn your playlist quite easily with only 60 odd songs. I thought I'd miss the screen - but so far it hasn't been a big deal... except to change the equalizer settings...

Apple could learn something from the Rio design in any case. The 4 way click button (similar to the mock-up but with Play) works well and is rock solid - more tactile than even the 4G iPods.

And whoever designed the old iPod remote should be fired. Yeah, looks cool but the buttons are not easy to press or distinguish from eachother. And even for my small fingers, it's not easy to manipulate it without looking at it.

Let's hope Apple will get its FlashPod right... Or get Rio to make them. :-)

[Oscar @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

If you're going to fake it, at least do a better job like here:

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/cultofmac/index.blog?entry_id=551420

Not that I believe that design any more than this one...

[Adam Blinkinsop @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

"anybody know how many songs can you fit in a 256 MB card?" -

At about 4 MB per AAC (normal compression: 128), 64 songs will fit on a 256 MB card. Note that this varies with song size (Collective Soul, Dosage, has songs from 2,849 KB to 9,790 KB, with an average of ~4,394 KB per song).

[Joel Leo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

First of all why would you use Firewire for a portable flash player, the data rate is more reasonable if you use USB plus USB modules have been shrunk much smaller than the Firewire modules. SO for me it is a fake.

[Sam Krupa @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

"No way Apple ever bothers putting out an iPod at 256 MB. No WAY there is no screen interface.

Interface is the whole key to success for the iPod."

That's so true.

[wirobro @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Oscar:

I'd agree with you, except that the "hiPod flash" design, along with most of the other ideas to come out of Sanada, is pretty flawed - by having the scroll wheel take up the whole front, you're going to cause things to happen by just holding the unit, because your fingers/thumb will be touching the wheel.

Not that I think TheMacMind's mockup is much better, though.

I'd be surprised to see Apple release something with those specs and dimensions, and especially at that price.

[Desert @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I'm all for a small and screenless design. I think it's perfect for exercising. I never look at my ipod while running. Thumbs Up!

[Keller @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Just a note that it is possible to determine which way is up on the current iPod headphone remotes without looking at them by feeling for the clip on the back. That being said, I dont like the design of them either.

[roo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

They have a mirror up!

http://i.themacmind.com/

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

That is such an obvious Photoshop job it's not even funny.

I can't remember the last time I saw an Apple "mockup" that was not an actual photograph. I've even seen photographs from them that I could have sworn were renders on first glance, they looked so good (the first released pics of the G5, for example), but further examination proved they weren't. When they show a product, they show the product.

This is total Photoshop, with elements from various other Apple products. And I mean, come on... look at that business card. Apple would never show such a poor rendition of a business card. I mean, draw a rectangle in Photoshop, shade half of it grey? Please. I'm not making any judgement on whether the product itself may or may not look like an Apple product, but the techniques used to show off these "mockups" do not match what Apple has done any time in the past, and therefore, I doubt the product itself is real.

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

well, if it is real, i'm assuming apple put the firewire card next to the ipod for scale (otherwise, why would they include the firewire cable?) if that's the case, then it's not a new remote, because it's much bigger than the current one. besides, what incentive does apple have to tease us with a new remote?

also, on a side note... having to hold a button to play and pause would be god awful annoying. i sometimes just pause my ipod instead of turning it off because i don't want to wait for it.

additionally... introducing these cheap flash players really devalues the ipod name. owning an ipod used to be somewhat of a status symbol... sort of like how owning a cell phone used to be.

[Brett @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Designs: SHOPPED! Concept: REALITY!
A flash player from Apple will be more than just an audio device. It's gotta be a flash drive and have sync capability allowing you to sync not just your home folder (like the current iPods), but bookmarks, documents...everything you'd need to keep handy.

I just bought a jumpdrive and use it daily to keep my notes and plans together so I can work anywhere I'm inspired. I believe they'll make it a supplement to the iPod, giving you the ability to offload playlists and trade files between them.

Now that's cool.

[pedro @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

it looks like the switch i use to light up my christmas tree, but in white.

[djafke @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

uh? flash isn't it supposed to have a cardreader so we can put any flashcard we want? (2gig compactflash or something?). That would be waaay nicer

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

nahh, without display? It's impossibile.
maybe it's on the back. I can believe they did without it.
I hope for them, it's a fake mock up.

[JS @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

From appleturns.com:

Rumor has it that the flash-based iPod will have no screen. How will you get title, artist, and album info for the song you're listening to?


Audio: thanks to text-to-speech, the info is repeated over and over again in the "Fred" voice, dubbed right over the song itself

Braille: the back gets bumpy, so let your fingers do the walking

Morse code: the international language of flashing LEDs

Semaphore: little flags on sticks pop out of the sides and wave appropriately

Smoke signals: you wear asbestos garments, right?

Telepathy: the flashPod beams the info directly into your brain, with only a 3% incidence of seizure, coma, or death

[mark @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Er ... never mind whether or not this is a fake. Who the hell has business cards the size of an iPod Mini? No iPod Mini I've ever encountered is a small as a standard business card. Must be some giant-ass businessmen out there using really big cards ...

[Ken Pun @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I have no idea what the new iPod flash will look like but I do have a suggestion: keep it almost the same size as iPod mini, maybe just a tad narrower and shorter, but a lot THINNER. I figure without the hard-driver and with the reduced battery requirement it can easy be even less than half the thickness of mini. I think this is nice because you keep the cool iPod look including click wheel and screen. The size is not too small for handling, yet the slim form factor makes it even more portable than mini. I can just see the new ad showing iPod flash ultra-slim profile.

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

well, I guess you all are not real mac users.
We, the real ones, enjoy everything what Steve Jobs gives us. If our sheppard likes that stuff we must buy it and like it.
Steve, good job! Don't listen to these PC-poor-envyingly users.

[Michael Grey @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Fake. Apple got rid of round designs years ago. Everything, from the iPod to the iMac is square now. And that toggle-button looks useless.

[boomashi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

battery life 60 hrs. since there is no screen...ya think? Probably not, but it would be cool. I'd loose the screen for that. Also, I have an MP3-CD player that I bought a few years back, and it doesn't have a screen on it. Granted I never use it anymore after I bought an ipod, but I could live without the screen with a playlist of like 200 songs...if there is a good reason not to have it...keep price down, keep size down, keep battery life up. Go Apple! Make my stock go up to $150.

[Frank @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I hope this is fake. Why would Apple go with this design? Even the tiniest flash players (e.g., Creative MuVo, Jet Audio, MPIO) have an LCD screen on the unit. Apple wants to cut into the flash market so I think their flash player will resemble the iPod Mini, but smaller (and hopefully with a removable battery).