Sam Diaz blogs for ZDNet, “A guest post on ZDNet yesterday posed the question: Has Apple gotten lazy?”
“Instead of calling Apple lazy, I would counter that the company is in a transitional mode. No, that’s not suggesting transitional in the sense that an ailing Jobs will be passing the reins anytime soon. Instead, it’s transitional in the sense that the focus seems to be shifting away from the hardware side and honing back in on the software, err, applications business. Aside from a handful of product categories, the fun techie stuff is less touchy-feely than it used to be. The cool things no longer come in the form of breakthrough gadgets. They come in the form of apps for the iPhone, links between iPhoto and Facebook, virtual piano lessons from within Garage Band,” Diaz writes.
“In terms of a breakthrough gadget, the next big thing is already out there – and has been for more than a year. The iPod Touch (horrible name for it) is the real breakthrough device here, not the iPhone. When it was announced back in September 2007, the Touch got buried by news of a $200 price drop to the iPhone and announcements of an new iPod Nano look, an iPod classic upgrade and a WiFi iTunes music store for the iPhone (and Touch)… After all, its the non-phone parts of the iPhone – the Touch – that’s seen noteworthy success,” Diaz writes.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
MDN, get rid of that awful ad showing the fat belly. Man.
iPod Touch is a pretty good name! Tne next name will be iMac Touch!
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My wife loves her touch. She uses it all the time. I wish she would touch me more though. Oh well, that’s what happens when you get married. The majority of wives stop putting out. But the iPod Touch is an incredible device.
I agree about the touch part being more important than the phone part……and that ‘iPod Touch’ is a bad name
“iPod Touch is a pretty good name! Tne next name will be iMac Touch!”
I don’t think it will. The reason is that a touch-screen computer is almost useless, unless it’s in a retail space or a trade show. After seeing the HP touchsmart, I relized that it would be EXTREMELY tiring to use the touch-screen, and after the novelty wore off, it would be mouse & keyboard. In fact, sitting at my desk, I can’t easily touch the screen.
I can see a keyboard-sized touchpad though. Like the iPhone, the interface changes. Need to type? It shows a keyboard. Need to use FCP? It looks like a video controler with jog/shuttle, etc. Need to work on music? It looks like a mixing board, etc., etc.
IWANTTOBEABLETOEDITMYPOSTS!!!!!!
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I wish Apple would come out with a keyboard with a glass trackpad on it and eliminate the mouse. When you get used to the trackpad, it has way more functionality than a mouse.
I have found very few people that actually call it the “iPod touch”, most call it the “iTouch”. I usually have to resist the urge to correct them, because I’m kinda pedantic like that.
@ Macfabulous
“IWANTTOBEABLETOEDITMYPOSTS!!!!!! “
You CAN! It’s really simple, just read the text you entered on the screen and change any grammatical and/or spelling errors BEFORE you click on the “Submit” button. I works every time!
errrr….. IT works every time! hehehe
@FUDsucker Proxy
It’s treu! Oh damn it 🙁
I’m not sure that I want the trackpad on the keyboard. That works for laptop use, but I think that it would be very useful to have a multi-touch mousepad kind of device. Like one of those pen-based tablets. I can’t think of a good name for it, though. I’ll leave that up to Steve and crew. They should definitely stay away from names like Maxi-Pad, though!
Greatest Computer (Or-Device) for that matter I have ever owned! It is a Mac to me and to equate it with an (Ipod?!-This device is a, MAJOR POCKET COMPUTER) So looking forward to Gen.3! Hope we see: GPS, Camera & Webcam, Bluetooth, and when docked: VGA support!!! Apple: This is FOR-SURE, your FINEST product and a Superb Labor-Of-Love! HANDS DOWN!
I think if a touch screen is going to be useful on a full size monitor, the monitor would have to place more like you would place a book when you’re reading. it’d have to be right there on your desk, propped up a bit in the back. That way it’s close enough to you so that you don’t get “gorilla” arms, it’ll still simulate the keyboard feel of typing, and it’ have the same kind of “there you see it there you don’t keyboard” that the iPhone has. Didn’t Steve say that one issue with existing phones is the plastic keyboards that are static?
Think of a 17 inch screen (placed horizontal), slightly tilted up at the back, with a keyboard input that mimics the iPhone. And of course it’d be glossy unless you pay an extra $50
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Quad Core:
You’re thinking about it the wrong way (and HP’s lack of vision made it easy to do it).
From the moment homo sapiens stood up, we have been working directly with the objects of our work. Grinding, pounding, cutting, drilling, writing, drawing, leafing (through a book), etc. Then, some fourty years ago, a completely new and weird concept was invented. Our work appeared on a vertical screen, about a metre away, and in order to do any work on it, we had to interact with a mechanical device seemingly completely detached from it. We press on some buttons on this device, a seemingly unrelated change appears on the screen half a metre away. We learned how it works and generations of people have grown up learning rather quickly how to interact using a keyboard and a pointing device.
However, touching our work remains the most intuitive way to interact with it. I will not be surprised if within next five years or so, Apple no longer sold computers that are controlled by a physical keyboard or a physical mouse (or other separate pointing device, such as trackpad). I am almost certain that Apple will lead the way in making computing interface intuitive again. It will be a flat, horisontal (or slightly inclined) touch-screen. Just as we had worked with ordinary paper documents on our desk (writing, flipping pages, cutting, pasting, resizing, etc), we’ll work on this touch-screen computer. Interface will be intuitive, easy to use, most likely with some form of handwriting recognition, for those who don’t care for (virtual) keyboard and just need to jot down a word or two. For light to moderate typing, a virtual keyboard will be available at the bottom end of the screen (where you would normally have a physical keyboard), and for heavy typing, you could get a cheap USB (or bluetooth) physical keyboard.
I have no doubt that in 5 years, no Mac will need a keyboard or a mouse.
they’re right, imagine this, an ipd touch and iphone in the future with more storage and the same ui (just more advanced from updates) and when you wirelessly connect to display / keyboard and mouse (via bluetooth and hdmi) the ui reverts to the traditional mac ui, both ui’s have access to the same apps (coming in both ui forms) and the same documents.
@Quad Core:
As I’ve said many times before, a vertical touch screen is an ergonomic nightmare.
I don’t care for the name eather. The Ipod part of the name, has to go in my book! Should be called, for shits and giggles: Pocket Mac! Would better discribe this SUPERB product!
Actually, the proper name is iPod touch.
That is, lower case ‘t’
As is iPod nano and iPod classic.
I also wish that there was a desktop input device that was a glass trackpad – I like it way more than a mouse.
I don’t think Apple’s necessarily moving one way or another between hardware and software. I think it is evolving the user experience as it always has. Sometimes this is through software, sometimes through hardware. In trying to categorize Apple I think we sell it short…
so… if apple can’t deliver a world changing device every season or every year, they are lazy?
cancel all vacations at apple. no more sleeping either. the customers want the world changing devices now! and for cheap.
I think a “killer” upgrade to the iPod touch would be to add speakers. Really, that’s the only thing keeping the iTouch from being a full-featured game machine. Who wants to have to fetch headphones when you’re in the mood to play a game?
——RM
LordRobin, the iTouch 2G has a speaker.
“The Touch” and the iPhone are the same; except one makes calls on ATT. The thing is, most people have a cell phone so why not buy the combined item?
I think Predrag is right. Notebooks will become tablets with wireless keyboards for heavy typing. The separate keyboard will also have a trackpad.
We will see what happens. God willing.
You can’t produce breakthrough devices/concepts on a schedule. True innovation is a rare beast, indeed. However, Apple’s amazing success at innovation in recent years should not detract from the perceived value of the refinement and evolution of Apple’s products.
I can’t believe how fickle Wall Street and analysts are acting with respect to Apple, a company with a strong pipeline of consumer products that has a lot of legs remaining. 500% growth? No way. But I would rather have 5% growth over same quarter sales of 20 million than 500% growth on sales of 500,000. All product cycles reach a plateau.
I want a cable that charges my iPhone/iTouch, runs a monitor…and enables me to use my iPhone/iTouch as a multitouch track pad and toss in a bluetooth keyboard…
I believe the iTouch is the future as well. I am “shocked” at how much my laptop use has dropped since owning an iPhone.
I have an 8 year old that is addicted to Nova and National Geographic podcasts on his iTouch…what a brave new world we are building.
@ Not Bill
“The Touch” and the iPhone are the same; except one makes calls on ATT. The thing is, most people have a cell phone so why not buy the combined item?
ummm how about $60 a month….and the iTouch doesn’t have GPS or a Camera….there is a lot less reason to have a phone with the iTouch. As time goes on, if you want to reach me….try email…I am getting tired of the phone.
Show your wife you love and care for her (initiate!) and she will reciprocate (give you the _ahem_ touch you desire).
MW: daily. it’s a continual, daily thing…
Hank’s not the only one with that problem. I know a lot of people who are nice and caring towards their wives and the wives still don’t appreciate it. You can’t win with a woman. And once their married, especially after child birth, the sex goes way, way, down from when you were dating. Almost every guy admits this happens to them. The old bait and switch. Annoying.
On another not I love my iPod Touch! At least I can touch that.
This article makes so much sense that I must wonder why it wasn’t published 2 years ago. The touch is a remarkable device. Sure the iPhone is great, but many of us find it not very useful because we are forced to go with one carrier that may not be the carrier of choice, and we have to pay high monthly fees to keep the iPhone working. My touch does not require any monthly fees. I can use it with any WiFi site, and, the Verizon phone I have costs me about 1/2 of the price of the iPhone. Yet, the combination of the touch and my Verizon phone while 1/2 the price of the iPhone monthly charges gives me 90% of the usability. This is a no brainer for many of us.
@ JoshtheImacGuy
Could not agree with you more Josh. We think very alike with reference to the Touch! The only difference I use the Virgin Mobile phone. I use the cell so infrequently, don’t make sence on Any sort of long term contract! The Touch is the First computer pick up in the morning and the last at night and really to be honest, all in between to boot!
I do wonder though? How many people that use this fantastic device actually use it to it’s ( FULL-POTENTIAL) with the help of the App. Store! It’s a total waste to use this Only for an iPod! It’s the first ever REAL-USEFULL ( Non-Toy) pocket computer!!! Long live the TOUCH! With making it Stand-Alone and a few other bells and whistles, it WILL be the: NetBook! Actually blows away Netbooks now to be honest. It’s easier to use and you get to ALL your info MUCH faster than any NetBook…
@ Splat Try $100 a month for 900 minutes and unlimited data and taxes. It is quite a hit. GPS is really nice. The camera is almost not worth having because it is so fuzzy and does not zoom (like most if not all phones). I can see your point. Living with the “the touch” alone would be much more frugal.
@Hank
Amen there Hanker! I sure know ALL about that with the Little Women’s…