AnonymousNoob

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, done by Robert Padbury, 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

Source: http://www.themacmind.com/modules.p...article&sid=618

Pelican Sam

:O Strange. It's too minimalist.

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sonicblue

I've finally committed myself to the 20GB normal iPod. This looks pretty nifty but not as much space as I'd need. Looks really cool though.

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Felix Blacke

I was hoping to get a 20 gig ipod from one of those websites. Or buy one when I get a job.

Pandas_UNITE

Damn lil mario just appeared in the post reply button and i tried to catch him but like he was gone and apple makes great mp3 players wat can i say.

Ninjazn

Not sure I like the idea of no screen. If I had money I might have looked into this.

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MetroidHunter

Wow, only a hundred bucks? That's pretty cheap. I might save some Christmas money or do some work this summer. My MP3 is slowly dying. But it's really small, which I like. So this would work, but I don't know about no screen.

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StJimmy

No screen eh? I really wonder how they'll pull that off... it's gonna be difficult to find the song of your choice if all you can do is push "next track" or "previous track" to go through hundreds of songs. And I love my regular 10 gig ipod. Wouldn't give it up for anything (except maybe a 60 gig one...)

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JoeyJoJoJrShabadu

...why? Who thought up the brilliant idea of leaving the screen out just to cut a few centimeters? Oh, and now it's round. Ish. Roundish. What a waste.




Stick to the usual, Apple. It seems to be working fine.

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Sephyr

Sooner or later apple is just going to start selling empty boxes, stating it's so small you'll never know it's there!

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LOLZ IM HRDCORER THAN BEan!!!

Derek

If Apple stuck to the usual we wouldn't have the iPod, the iTunes Music Store, or any of their other innovations of the years. The reason Apple stays in business is because they don't follow the examples of others, and they don't stop innovating just because they have a popular product.

Regardless, I'd have to see this screenless iPod in action to truly understand what Apple is thinking. I don't know how you would navigate hundreds of songs without a screen.

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p-0man

Innovation and milking a cash cow aren't the same thing.

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neophile

i hate everything about apple, always have and always will... except the ipod... this sounds interesting, not enough space for me though...

FunkMasterGeneral

We're looking at a different machine here, targeting a different demographic. This iPod is probably for people with not too many songs, and probably using it while excercising, like those MP3 players with the shoulder bands.

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Dawson

I will always be appreciative of Apple for the best music program ever made (I think they also invented the mouse?), but this thing sounds horrible. The one with the screen is much better.

Flynn

Actually it's a damn rip off considering you can get 20 gigs for 300.

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MetroidHunter

I have 13 songs on my MP3, I wouldn't know what to do with 1 GB much less 20.

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Flynn

You can also use iPods as a portable hard drive since that is pretty much what they are.
Helps me out a lot in college.

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p-0man

OMG IT LOOKS FAKE!@!!!!! THE LIGHTING IS WRONG

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