I bought my first iPod back in '03, it was a 20GB 4th Gen. I recently sold that and was considering moving up to a 30gb video. I had already filled up my 20GB with about 19GB of music, so i figured its better for somebody like me to get the 80GB, especially with the addition of pictures and videos.

I was waiting it out for Apple to release this new "touchscreen" iPod as the rumour mills have been buzzing about. So my question is, should I wait until the next generation comes out? How long do you expect before we see another iPod released?

1/11/2007 10:41:22 AM

i would wait

1/11/2007 10:56:59 AM

Now that Apple has the touchscreen LCD within its grasp, it's really only a (short) matter of time before the iPods get updated with them.

I'd wait 'til summer-ish, later if necessary. Bottom line is no way I'd buy a current gen KNOWING new ones will without a shadow of a doubt hit in 2007.

1/11/2007 11:11:55 AM

I would expect a touchscreen iPod to be easily obtainable in late 2007.

1/11/2007 11:36:04 AM

i think I might just buy one now, and sell it before the touchscreens come out, granted its not the smartest thing to do, but thats a long time to go without something Im so used to having

1/11/2007 2:37:46 PM

i would guess they will come out for the holiday season in late 2007...just in time for Christmas.

1/11/2007 2:50:25 PM

so a year

1/11/2007 2:58:24 PM

probably around a year...I'd say Oct. to November release date for those early Christmas shoppers and enough time for several shipments.

1/11/2007 3:01:48 PM

A touchscreen is definitely "cooler", but is it really more efficient and faster?

I have a Sony digicam from 3 years ago, and it is really easy to use.

The other day I was looking at the latest Sony models at a store, and one of them had a touch screen. First of all, you have to look through the LCD to take a picture, so if it is also a touchscreen, then that is just stupid, because it would get all nasty. But, the main thing is, even though all the menus on it were nearly the same as on my camera, it took a long time to change options and access menus, as compared to my camera.

I mean, it is a no-brainer that physical buttons and switches are better, ergonomically speaking.

I have also seen a Samsung phone with a touchpad instead of physical buttons. Just think about trying to type an SMS with that... aggravating.

So, I hope they keep the wheel on the upcoming new iPods. But a big screen is a must (if the video and picture capability is not to be a joke). For me, it is fine as it is, as I only use it for music.

1/11/2007 9:16:01 PM

A giant touchscreen is better for a video ipod then a small screen with capacitance touch buttons on the bottom.

Given the UI displayed by the iPhone demo, Apple's system is a pretty massive leap in touch technology.

Your video cam analogy is terrible in this context given that its a device that has a completely different use.

1/11/2007 9:24:29 PM

i don't think it is terrible at all, given that i am talking about time taken to access functions and features, as well as ease of use [if a touchscreen iPod was in your pocket, could you put your hand inside and without taking it out, change the volume, change the track, ffwd/rwnd, assign stars to tracks, etc?] as for time, physical buttons will always be faster than virtual ones. it is funny when people take out their pdas or other shit like that, and it takes them like up to a minute to dial a phone number. whereas it takes me literally 3 seconds on my old siemens phone.

also, what about feedback? the human body likes feedback. with touchscreens and touchpads you are never sure if you pressed/"touched" it just right to access what you wanted to access. no problem like that with buttons.

hey, i agree, that a bigger screen is better than a smaller one. but, what would be best is a bigger screen AND the clickwheel. i don't know how that is possible, but that would be ideal.

p.s. i was talking about a digital camera, not that it matters, but just wanted to clarify.

1/11/2007 9:36:27 PM

I personally definitely prefer physical buttons when I wear MP3 players for running. That way I can just reach down and click back or forth instead of unclipping the player on the run and looking at it. But that's probably not what you're using this for. I guess if it were for video it might be different.

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 9:50 PM. Reason : .]

1/11/2007 9:47:15 PM

Quote :

"if a touchscreen iPod was in your pocket, could you put your hand inside and without taking it out, change the volume, change the track, ffwd/rwnd, assign stars to tracks, etc?"

DEFINITELY NOT IN MY LEFT POCKET I COULDN'T.

1/11/2007 9:52:03 PM

you could just save some money and get the 30 if youre PLANNING to get the touchscreen. but i agree with the ease of use. mine stays in my pocket and i can use the controls that way, but theres no way i would be able to do that with a touchscreen.

1/11/2007 11:09:00 PM

get something other than an iPod, maybe do a little research

1/11/2007 11:12:49 PM

on the topic of non-iPods and video, I have a Cowon A2 and I love it. if you're concerned about having good video and a bigger screen, it's a great device. the screen is larger than an iPod video (overall device size is also a bit larger, though), and it still uses buttons for good feedback. the navigation and interface is pretty solid, and it comes with a lot of good accessories and extra functionality, like cables to hook it up as an a/v out to watch on your tv or monitor and the ability to record video on the fly. it can function as a standard portable hard drive, so you can store anything you want on it and don't need to interface it through iTunes or any proprietary program like that. it also has an fm tuner, photo browser, much better battery life than an iPod, and all that jazz. it's 30GB, so it might be a good bridge for you if you want something to bridge the gap between now and a touchscreen iPod. my job has a lot of potential travel, so i wanted something primarily for video with a larger screen so i can get my own in-flight movies, and the Cowon A2 delivers.

http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/cowon/a2/

http://dapreview.net/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.239

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 1:54 AM. Reason : ]

1/12/2007 1:52:50 AM

I have access to order the Ipod clones for 1/3 of the Apple prices. PM for more info

1/12/2007 2:06:33 AM

I am seriously racking my brain over whether or not to order an 80GB iPod.

Amazon has the 80GB for $330 shipped right now.
Also - did anyone buy the Apple Protection Plan?
Is that worth it honestly?

1/23/2007 3:54:41 PM

^when was the last time you had an apple product break and need repair? the most extensive problem i've experienced with an ipod required a reboot which you can do yourself.


and by that i mean outside the 1 year warranty...because I have used their 1 year before on a macbook pro but never bought an apple care.

[Edited on January 23, 2007 at 3:59 PM. Reason : sounds too fanboyish....]

1/23/2007 3:58:52 PM

want my 30gb black for 150?

1/23/2007 4:11:27 PM

^^my gf had two different apple optical drives screw up (and the one she has now still doesn't really work 100%)

[Edited on January 23, 2007 at 4:18 PM. Reason : .]

1/23/2007 4:18:20 PM

^yeah but within the 1 year? i had my power adapter catch on fire and melt so i had it replaced for free using the 1 year warranty.

1/23/2007 4:53:49 PM

^I would hope they would replace that regardless

1/23/2007 6:09:48 PM

The iPod warranty is 90 days

1/23/2007 9:05:39 PM

I had a service plan on my old 40GB from Best Buy, just got it replaced under the lemon policy with an 80GB iPod, so I'd say the service plan is worth it.

3/1/2007 11:12:37 AM