Does PortalPlayer -- which lost to Samsung in the
contest to provide chips for the next-gen iPod nano -- have a chance of winning back Apple's business as Cupertino gets
ready to roll out the next video
iPod? And what exactly does Apple have in store for that long-rumored product? Those were the big questions on the
lips of analysts at PortalPlayer's first-quarter conference call this week, and CEO Gary Johnson did his best to answer
the first question -- and not answer the second one. Any queries about Apple were met with McClellan-esque
non-answers, as Johnson insisted that the company couldn't say anything that might reveal information about the plans
of its "largest customer" (Johnson wouldn't even mention the company's name). Johnson did, however, tout his
latest chip, which he said could do "full high-end video playback" -- something that's not possible with
PortalPlayer's 5021 chip, used in the current video-capable iPod. So, is Apple, er, sorry, PortalPlayer's largest
customer, going to buy the chip? "We're working to win back that business," Johnson said. Needless to say,
Johnson refused to shed any light on Apple's plans, or lack thereof, for the next-gen video iPod, though he did say
that his company's video-capable chip is "a product that's available." So, if PortalPlayer's largest customer
is in the market for a solution for a new portable media player, now they know where they can find one.
Does PortalPlayer -- which lost to Samsung in the
contest to provide chips for the next-gen iPod nano -- have a chance of winning back Apple's business as Cupertino gets
ready to roll out the next video
iPod? And what exactly does Apple have in store for that long-rumored product? Those were the big questions on the
lips of analysts at PortalPlayer's first-quarter conference call this week, and CEO Gary Johnson did his best to answer
the first question -- and not answer the second one. Any queries about Apple were met with McClellan-esque
non-answers, as Johnson insisted that the company couldn't say anything that might reveal information about the plans
of its "largest customer" (Johnson wouldn't even mention the company's name). Johnson did, however, tout his
latest chip, which he said could do "full high-end video playback" -- something that's not possible with
PortalPlayer's 5021 chip, used in the current video-capable iPod. So, is Apple, er, sorry, PortalPlayer's largest
customer, going to buy the chip? "We're working to win back that business," Johnson said. Needless to say,
Johnson refused to shed any light on Apple's plans, or lack thereof, for the next-gen video iPod, though he did say
that his company's video-capable chip is "a product that's available." So, if PortalPlayer's largest customer
is in the market for a solution for a new portable media player, now they know where they can find one.