Apple is holding a press conference on September 12th. The invitations read “It’s showtime.” Though the consensus is that they will be unveiling a new iTunes “Music Store” that will now sell movies, the bigger rumbling is about the rumored iPod phone. But a patent application recently filed by Apple hints that it could be bigger than a phone, but an even more multi-function iPod. [Link]
Who knows how many functionalities will actually make it into version 1 of the device. But although I’m pretty sceptical about the usability of touch-screen controls with something as small as this, the prospect of a true all-in-one handheld device is pretty exciting.
As a long-time vet of the whole “snowballing rumors” surrounding every Apple event, I’ll lay good odds that we won’t see any kind of multifunction iPod next week. A new widescreen iPod and an online movie service are more realistic expectations, IMO. Though I’d personally like a new set-top Mac Mini to serve my collection of digital media.
But will it have the damn gapless playback that Apple has not bothered to put into any iPod yet, even though my freakin’ $20 shareware MP3 player for my Palm T3 can do it? Without it, listening to classical music, dance mixes or Dark Side of the Moon type of albums becomes pretty irritating.
I have so far manfully resisted the urge to buy an iPod Nano. I’m waiting to see what the new aluminium iPod Nano looks like. If it’s ugly like the Mini I’ll get a current Nano instead while I still can. Of course, if they do actual announce an iPod phone, that would change things, but I thought that product was more like six months away?
Am I misreading that article or is Apple really trying to patent having a handheld device that does more than one thing? If they actually get this patent, isn’t that going to screw cell phone makers? THe cell phone guys are adding functionality to phones all the time and they are multifunction handheld devices. Wouldn’t the patent get shot down due to prior art because of devices like the Blackberry or the cell phones with camera/MP3 players/games/address books, etc?
You’re right in that we already have multifunction devices. IANAL, but I think Apple’s application has to do with the virtual touchscreen method of controlling a multifunction device.