Putting the Pod back in iPod

It's no secret that Microsoft has been aiming its sights at capturing the emerging media center market. They've released a version of Windows called Microsoft Media Center and they are building into their Xboxes some media center functionality. But what about Apple? APC Magazine's Dan Warne believes Apple is about to enter the media center market. He makes the following points:

• Apple has just released an iPod with video playback functionality.
• Apple simultaneously released an iMac G5 with media center software called Front Row and a remote control
• Apple is now selling good downloadable videos via their iTunes store.
• the Mac mini shipped with a mysterious but unused Firewire bus speculated as being for an iPod dock in the mini's case.

Now, to me this sounds like a recipe for an Apple Media Center of some type. How long before we see a revised Mac mini with a built-in iPod dock? Imagine being able to store your songs, movies, photos, saved games, and files on your iPod and then being able to detach it and carry it over to your friend's house and plug it into his/her Apple Media Center unit.

Years ago there was discussion about why Apple named the iPod the iPod. Why not something exclusively music-related as that's what its role seemed to be. What if Apple's been thinking long term this whole time and the iPod will actually become a "pod" you carry around between your physical locations. Apple appears to be putting into place all the elements necessary for a successful release of a media center. I know I would be waiting in line with credit card in hand.