On Friday, November 23, 2001, at 11:23 , James Dwyer wrote:
> I've been reading that the iPod has lots of not-yet-developed features.
> Perhaps it could also become an iPIM.
Don't get me wrong, I think the iPod is a marvellous MP3 player and it
may even develop into a great mobile movie player and game console, but
a PDA ?
Clearly, if you look at it's design, an essential part of its
userfriendly interface is the big dial on the front. The screen might be
perfectly suitable for displaying playlists and info on current title
and it may still be acceptable for movie clip playback and games.
However, for it to become a good PDA the dial would have to be
sacrificed to make way for a large screen, which would turn it into a
less userfriendly MP3 player.
Sure, you could have a dial and a small screen on one side and a large
screen on the back, but I don't quite think that this would be such a
great idea and I seriously doubt this would be a successful concept. A
whole bunch of issues come to mind ... accidentally pressing a button on
the dial when using the back as a PDA, power requirements for two
devices in one increase, complexity increases, etc etc.
No, I think for the time being a PDA is a PDA and an iPod/Rio/Nomad is
an iPod/Rio/Nomad.
Eventually those devices will undoubtedly merge into one multi-purpose
device (incl a mobile phone), but for as long as we are struggling to
come up with well designed special purpose devices, I don't think there
will be a breaktrough with a well designed multi-purpose device. It is
far more likely that special purpose devices will have to be first
perfected and reach a zenith before they start to evolve into
multi-purpose devices.
As for Apple, using the iPod as a base (without the MP3 player focus,
without the dial, without the small screen) and build a new PDA on top
of it, well I would love to be positively surprised, but experience
tells me not to take any talk, not even official talk too seriously.
Apple talked about Rhapsody or whatever "the new OS" was called at
various points in time for how many years ? And eventually they
abandonded it altogether and did something very different. Not that I
don't like the outcome, quite to the contrary, I love OSX, but if there
is any lesson to be learned then it is not to try too hard to look into
the cristal ball. If Apple is ever to bring us a new PDA, I will believe
it when it hits the shops as any secret projects can always change
direction or be cancelled without any notice at anytime.
kind regards
BK
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