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[deadhorse32]

I'm gonna quote the whole thing since they are experiencing heavy traffic

Flash-based iPod LEAKED

TheMacMind isn't known in the Mac world as being the source of intel on the latest Apple products, however through an anyonmous tipster (to you! We happen to know this person is 100% valid), we've been tipped off to a whole bevy of facts about the new Flash-based iPod from Apple. We also had this confirmed by a second contact at Apple.

When I first heard about the iPod Flash, I met it with the same scepticism as Daring Fireball did.

AppleInsider brought you the basic concept, but TheMacMind is here to let loose about how the new iPod works, what it looks like, and how it feels! And we're looking forward to being there when it's released at MacWorld San Francisco! (Sorry Steve, we couldn't resist!)

The Meat: Milano cookie. That's the basic principle. I like Tim-Tams, but that's just me. Rounded edges, flat, and tiny. We're looking at something that is about 2.5" long, 1.5" wide, and just .5" thick.

Get this: NO SCREEN. Got a cellphone with one of those flat joysticks? This is apparently how you'll get around on the screenless iPod. Left and right move between songs, up and down change the volume, and pressing straight down will play/pause your music. With any other company, I'd be incredibly doubtful that their techs would be able to pull off anything useable. Scroll through 250 songs in one big list? We're betting Apple has something better up their sleeve, and we'll hopefully be able to tell you about the interface in the next few days. Evenything goes in and out through a full-size FireWire port. Apparently, they are also virtually indestructible. We did a mock up of the iPod Flash in 3D. You can see how big it is compared to a business card (the same size as an iPod mini) and an Apple Firewire cable.

What does that tiny size mean? Well, the iPod Flash is meant to be worn around the neck. Yep, a nice little lanyard will keep the smallest of the iPod family twirling around your neck while jogging.

AppleInsider said "less than $200", but we we're told that the Flash iPod will be priced at $99. Freaking sweet, we're hoping that that's right on the money! There have been reports of storage capacities from 256 MB - 1 GB, which would correlate with that price. This release will make an iPod available to people in any price range.

UPDATE: Some clarification is needed, as I've been going over the topics on Slashdot and talking to readers and the rest of the staff:
a) The image is CG, so "OMG IT LOOKS FAKE!@!!!!! THE LIGHTING IS WRONG" is in fact, childish to say.
b) 256 MB for $100 is likely. No one ever said the 1 GB version would be $100.
c) The controls: Left and right change songs; up and down change volume; pressing directly in works as play and pause
-Tito

TheMacMind Staff

Image by Robert Padbury
rpadbury@themacmind.com
Thanks so Apple-X.net for hosting our image while we were down!
--;

http://www.i.themacmind.com/index.html

 

[Doth Togo]

Creative owns you.

 

[element]

yeah, you can get a creative muvo2 with 4 GB for $120 now.

 

[sc0la]

It would be appealing if it had some sort of screen... I don't want to "next" through my music.

EDIT: well I guess you wouldn't be dealing with that many songs anyway =/

EDIT 2: when I first read that I thought macromedia flash. I was looking forward to homebrewing some flash games to play :lol

 

[Stryder]

when I first read that I thought macromedia flash. I was looking forward to homebrewing some flash games to play :lol

Yeah, same here, I'm browsing through the article trying to figure out how flash will work without any sort of a display. :lol

 

[LakeEarth]

No screen? That doesn't sound right.

 

[xsarien]

Something about this stinks...

 

[Funky Papa]

Something about this stinks...

How the fuck do you change folders WITHOUT A SCREEN?

yeah, you can get a creative muvo2 with 4 GB for $120 now.

Yeah, now tell me a retailer that ships to Europe

BTW this thing would come to europe at €99. Last week I got a 1GB mp3 player/USB memory combo with radio and all the bells and whistles for about the same price. Way to go Apple, way to go.

 

[Winged Creature]

Isnt the muvo HDD based?

 

[miyuru]

Wow, this is so...boring :lol

Just because it's Apple, who cares. There's loads of similar players out there already (and have been for a long time), and they're most likely better products than this new iPod.

 

[ChumsGum]

The people want to see the rumored Sirius Sattelite Ipod.

 

[Phoenix]

Just because it's Apple, who cares. There's loads of similar players out there already (and have been for a long time), and they're most likely better products than this new iPod.

Hater fanboy thy name is miyuru

 

[Agent Dormer]

I doubt this is real.

 

[StrikerObi]

The people want to see the rumored Sirius Sattelite Ipod.

I hope this doesn't happen, because I will seriously want one.

As far as the flash iPod goes, I find no screen a pretty crazy decision. Perhaps it will be attached via some sort of remote control like MD players do?

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

Creative owns you.

Yeah, as in Creative will own your PC if you install any of their shit software on it.

Dark10x came over and was going to dump some data off of his HD Nomad, but since I don't run SP2, he apparently had to install some software to get his device recognized. I was in the shitter when he did this BTW, I woulda nixed the whole operation if I'd been there, and this also marked the last time he will touch my PC when I'm not there.

So anyway, after I nabbed the coupla gigs he brought me, I went to uninstall the Nomad software, two different programs showed up in my add\remove list and I got those. However later I noticed that the Nomad Explorer was still showing up, despite the device not being connected.

So I went back to the add\remove list, there was no other Creative software there, so Dark pointed me to the unistaller in the progras menu that Creative had made. Even after uninstalling this third piece of software, the Nomad Explorer was stll there, now sans unique icon. I started to raise hell, but Dark sugested I remove it from the list with TweakUI. I did.
The shit came back on next boot.

Fuck Creative Labs' software. They can make a good sound card, but their drivers and software are just about the worst I've come across. I could bitch about them a lot more, if someone cared to listen.

 

[alejob]

It just has one play list, it doesn't use folders. Thats what the guy said in TSS.

iPod stuff is too expensive.

 

[StrikerObi]

I doubt this is real.

I'm skeptical, unless a site like ThinkSecret picks this up to back it up.

 

[miyuru]

Hater fanboy thy name is miyuru

:lol

I guess I sorta have a grudge against Apple. Before iPods were really big MDs were still popular, at least between my friends and I. I ended up getting an MZ-N10, and yeah, I still use it today. Though I'm not ignorant enough to say it isn't obsolete. And I'd love for easy transfers like with an iPod or any mp3-based player.

*sigh*

Regardless, this new iPod isn't a big deal. And everyone wondering where the screen is, what's with you people? Realise this isn't the next generation of current iPods, more a spinoff model for a new, cheaper series (a la mini but even more extreme).

 

[MetatronM]

:lol

I guess I sorta have a grudge against Apple. Before iPods were really big MDs were still popular, at least between my friends and I. I ended up getting an MZ-N10, and yeah, I still use it today. Though I'm not ignorant enough to say it isn't obsolete. And I'd love for easy transfers like with an iPod or any mp3-based player.

*sigh*

Regardless, this new iPod isn't a big deal. And everyone wondering where the screen is, what's with you people? Realise this isn't the next generation of current iPods, more a spinoff model for a new, cheaper series (a la mini but even more extreme).

MDs were never popular. Ever.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

yeah seriously. I think i'd be hardpressed to find someone i know who even knos what MD is, let alone owned one. MD was less popular than betamax.


as for these new ipods, guess it makes sense to not need a screen if they are only gonna have one gig or so of memory.

 

[Mejilan]

I know one person that owned a MD. Poor bastard.

Well, not really, he enjoyed it greatly, and apparently lots of the Israeli music he loved was available on that format. Was MD more of a success in Europe than it was in America?

I'm not too impressed with this iPod flash concept thing. I'm looking for MORE storage, not less. *shrugs* Different market, I know.

 

[thefit]

The people want to see the rumored Sirius Sattelite Ipod.

Um is that the one that's already being advertised on tv or something completely different?

EDIT: NM that was XM

 

[impirius]

I've clicked on this thread four times, and every time I think the title says "Flesh-based iPod". What is wrong with me/~

 

[Teknopathetic]

"MDs were never popular. Ever."

In america.

 

[miyuru]

"MDs were never popular. Ever."

In america.

Yeah, very true. Anyway I don't know about you guys, but there were a lot of people at my high school that had an MD, or more than one easily. On the whole though, they weren't really popular (in, America).

 

[theo]

i use my MD to bootleg concerts...

 

[Winged Creature]

i like MD's i hate sonic stage, thats what kept me away from the hi-md

 

[radios shipping overview]

I like my MD player, and I've got a lot of use out of it. I bought it when only flash-based MP3 players existed, as it was a better value. Recording the discs from MP3 while keeping the chain digital is always a two-step process, though (pain >_<), and it sounds like with the nonsense surrounding Net MD and Hi-MD the format is just sliding further into irrelevance.

 

[Fresh Prince]

What a boring piece of shit.
Even generic cheapies have a screen :td and drag and drop