iLoad will rip CDs for direct-to-iPod transfer

Thank heavens for other bloggers, because strictly based on the website we'd have no idea what the deal is with a bit of tech known as the iLoad. Luckily for us, the whizzes over at Tech Ticker were able to decipher the sole photo on the site and determine that the iLoad is used for ripping CDs (compact discs: the medium of choice after cassette tapes and before MP3s) and transferring the contents directly onto an iPod. We heard somewhere that a computer is also capable of this amazing feat, but who are we to knock a product that simplifies the process and makes it portable? Along with the lack of specs is, of course, a lack of price, but that info should be available in no time as the manufacturer promises that the iLoad will be "Loading Soon!"

[Via Tech Ticker]

[Paul D. Spradling @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

wtf? This is the stupidest idea ever. It won't sell.

[Samuel McConnell @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm liking the free $10 Best Buy card for the bullshit survey.

[apeguero @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I wonder if a device like this one will do ID3 tagging. That is, add the CD text for the track name, number, and album title. Otherwise, this would be pretty ugly to have your songs with titles like "Track 01" etc.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

This thing better have built in WiFi to connect to the CDDB to get the ID3 tags or else this is useless.

[tony @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

i agree with the first 2 posts. If it does, the next factor is the speed of ripping. Ripping a CD computer-free to your ipod in 2-5 min. would be nice. I'd pay a visit to avid music lovers and browse their cd collection. :)

But then again, with no id3 tagging this thing is a complete pile. (it's already a pile, but could be a useful pile of *)

[Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

the image of the nano taken from apple's site has me worried...

[Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

also the name is a little unfortunate. why not ipile?

[crunkmaster @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Notice how the dock connector is centered on the bottom of the nano...

[the other steve jobs @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

and i like how it will make everything work great with your computer's iTunes list..

oh.. wait.

[narco @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

So, say you rip your entire collection then your iPod is stolen -- you'd have to do it all over again? I'll stick with a computer.

Fishes,
narco.

[Rob_ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

thats far too complicated for most ipod users

[NNTPgrip @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

No shit, you average user would want it to clip to the ipod someway, and not try to rip CDs, only play.

"Look, now you can use your iPod to PLAY a CD! - You give up nothing!"

I call dibs on the add-on to play cassette.

[funkbass @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

First, to number 3 it only takes about a minute for me to rip a cd on my powerbook and second, this doesn't seem to make sense to me...

First, people who already have an iPod would find this pointless because let's think about it. If you bought an iPod from this point on, I guarantee that you own a computer already so that eliminates that market.

For those people who want an easy solution to loading without a computer (my guess on the intended market) I don't think this will get enough exposure. Suddenly, people won't start buying iPods now where they were reserved before because they don't own or can't afford a computer, just because this thing exists.

My point is, even for the intended market it seems like a half-assed business plan. We all would consider the iPod to be a luxury where a computer is more and more becoming a necessity for all households. So, in other words, someone who has the cash to and who's willing to spend $250 and up on a music player that is a luxury surely would have the kind of money and therefore initiative to invest into a larger necessity like a computer, which you can get these days for $500.

So what's the point of this product if it does not clearly appeal to any particular market?

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Looks like a portable CD to go with you iPod... check the head phone jack on the right top of it... maybe the hayday of the Diskman is not over quite yet!

[manfesto @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

iTunes would clear off all of your hard work once it syncs up, making the only use I can see (ripping a buddy's CD at his house and copying it onto your computer) impossible.

[John Doe. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Possibly a good way to get around dumbass DRM. . .Maybe.

[funkbass @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Manfesto, this is true unless you set up your iPod previously to manually update songs.

[apeguero @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I also wonder how it would handle DRM and Sony's rootkit technology. Since no PC is present, will the CD's even play on it? Or, since no PC is involved, will DRM even apply? This could be a lot more useful then we may think. But then again, if this doesn't provide a way to get ID3 tags then it could be too much of a hassle. Back in the days of minidisc, a lot of CDs were being released with CD Text that would automatically transfer to the minidisc. Does anyone know if that technology is still being used?

[DG @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Is it possible to load every ID3 tag currently in existence onto the iLoad and have it work that way? If so, this can be a feasible device for those without computers (they do exist). I'm thinking older people, and, well, that's about it.

If it needs WiFi for id3, then really, what exactly is the point? It probably needs its own power source, and if that source is an AC adaptor, it is stupider still.

That said, it IS an iPod accessory. Expect it so be too expensive but still sell very well.

[funkbass @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

However, I forgot to add that it's not allowed to copy back onto your iTunes library anyways. That is, unless you use iPodRip or similar application.

[funkbass @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Yeah, but older people either don't know what an iPod is or don't even have the technical knowlege about how to get music on the item. I have a 5g iPod that I carry around everywhere with me at college and I can't tell you how many times I've been asked "So how do you get music on that thing?" by older people. If they don't know about iTunes they are surely not going to know about this thing (unless they read engadget or like blog, but then they'd probably have a computer).

Here's a Catch-22....

How would someone find out about this product? I'm sure there's no advertising budget for television commercials or magazine articles. Surely, the people who know about this product know through the website. They have access to the website which means they have access to a computer and therefore would not need this device in the first place.

They've shot themselves in the foot because their advertising base seems to be mostly through internet promotion through their website. Those who will see it in the first place will have a computer or at least have access and therefore would not need the product. The one's who may need it won't hear about it and would probably find the process to confusing and costly in relation to just purchasing a computer.

[British @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I would be happy if I could rip a CD in iTunes but with the ability to specify the freakin' file format it rips to. With iTunes comes a horrid amount of file name pollition which consists of "track number + song name", and the id3 tag info is filled if you are lucky. That's why I prefer CdeX for CD ripping.

if there's no tagging possible with this hardware mentioned, forget it. unless the band you are ripping the cd from is named "artist", and their latest hit "Track 03".

[Travis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Clearly this is vaporware as the ipod shown in the photo doesnt exist. No ipod of that size takes the dock connecter to the center of the bottom and that is too small to a video ipod, and too thin to be a 4G. So oops...doesnt exist.

[chris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

from what i can gather you'll probably have to enter the id3 info letter by letter on the iload itself. also, did anyone notice the image of the hand holding the nano has the album work on the wrong side of the ipod?

[Jarrod Turner @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Hahaha, what a joke. It's really not that hard to transfer to a computer then an ipod. It's one of those completely impractical "Wouldn't it be cool if..." sorta things. Thanks for the 10 bucks though, vaporware. And thank you, engadget.

[DG @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I've been thinking about this device. It seems you could package an iLoad and an iPod as a gift. But really, it seems the people that would want to use it like that would be happier with a regular Discman.

Maybe this would be useful if it could create a queue? I guess clandestine use at a used record store would make it worthwhile. "You want to listen to another CD? You've been testing out CDs for four hours!"

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

finally something useful and not another piece of crap ipod accessory. too bad it doesn't exist yet.

[Clay @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I dropped an iLoad earlier in my bathroom.

[Dull @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Maybe it's to transfer your music files to a cd. Looks like a portable burner to me.

[George Moore @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

have it rip dvd's

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

i know people... well i know they exist... that don't have a computer and instead go to the college computer lab with a stack of CDs and rip then sync to an ipod. seems ridiculous to me personally. and presumably whoever uses that computer next just got a ton of free albums.

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Oh, my Lord, what a useless piece of crap.
Remember "the Palm economy," where various vendors came up with every possible wacked-out accessory for your Palm V? The "iPod economy" is just as big a waste, as evidenced by this thing.

[Bernard Kaplan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Response from the folks at iLoad:
Someone "Googled" our place-marker site and thought that they earn brownie points by taking what they found to Gizmodo. When we're ready to release info on our product, we'll issue a press release. We won't announce the product until we have a delivery date from our manufacturing facility. We appreciate all comments and suggestions made in good faith. ([e-mail]) Feedback has shaped and will shape this product family. Those seeking purely self-aggrandizement from their comments should go into politics.

[Denise Haelzle @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

After submitting my survey on iLoad's website, (which didn't work)I emailed them requesting my gift card as I got no confirmation from the survey when it "timed out" four times. I got this email in response from the people at iLoad:

This is not about something for nothing. Those kind of irrelevant and
usually arbitrary responses have polluted the valid and properly-intentioned
responses. Obviously a company that offers compensation for responses is
not simply trying to be either charitable or seeking to obtain a bunch of
bogus junk responses. I guess that someone needed to spell that out for
you.

Sandy

-So needless to say, the professionalism in this company alone will boost their product off the charts. Just thought I'd share some of their quick wit.

[Food for Thought @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Some food for thought about Sandy:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Sanford+Schupper&btnG=Search