Touchscreen iPod

Rumors of a new touchscreen Apple iPod have been around for years: The big issue as to the viability of this as a real product were fingerprints smearing the touchscreen. As hrmpf.com noted:

Apple has previous described new iPod designs (in patent applications) which
incorporate a touch sensitive surface into the display. There seems a scepticism
on the web about designs becoming reality due to the problems of screen smudging
and scratching.

The_new_ipod

Via GMSV, we see new patent app by Apple approaches the issue somewhat differently: Apple may "abandon the iconic wheel that has become virtually synonymous with its popular iPod music players."

Mercury News writes that the company had "previously explored replacing the click wheel with a virtual one as part of a touch-sensitive display. But now Apple appears to be looking at a third option: a touch-sensitive frame surrounding the display. Rather than click a physical button or press a virtual one on the screen, users would touch an area on the frame to operate their iPod."

Here are the details:

"This application has designs for a new iPod/Tablet/Phone (or dare I say it,
Newton-like device) which put the touch sensitive areas into the bezel
surrounding the iPod’s screen (as well as on the screen and sides of the device). The user interface seems particularly
well conceived and relies on on-screen indicators of the control surface’s
function. In addition to buttons the surfaces can act as scroll surfaces. The
interface works by the user selecting a control to change (in the picture below-
position in the song, volume, balance) and then, using the bottom surface to
scroll, adjusting the element in real time (Fig. 19).

And the various patent drawing are below:

 

Ipod_demo

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Cody Willard directs us to this Apple Insider piece giving much more fdetails on the Patent App . .  .

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Sources:
Apple describes new interface for iPod
hrmpf on October 26th, 2006
http://hrmpf.com/wordpress/90/apple-describes-new-interface-for-ipod

iPod’s click wheel: Has it been framed?
PATENT FILING SHOWS NEW NAVIGATION METHOD
Troy Wolverton
Mercury News
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/15885367.htm

Apple’s touch-sensitive iPod ambitions disclosed in filing
AppleInsider, Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:00 AM EST
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2177

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What's been said:

Discussions found on the web:
  1. thx1138 commented on Oct 31

    That sounds like a UI disaster to me.

  2. Bob A commented on Nov 1

    no reason it shouldn’t make phone calls too

  3. Bob A commented on Nov 1

    no reason it shouldn’t make phone calls too

  4. Peters Blog commented on Nov 7

    Video iPod to come soon

    Hi

    It looks like the Video iPod will be coming soon

  5. Sushi commented on Nov 12

    WOWW !! Are they having it for December? I’m going to the states on December and i want it for christmas grift!… this ipod is soooo cool.. i hope coach creates a nice conver for it

  6. Sushi commented on Nov 13

    is it 100% sure that this is the exact model they’re going to sell?

  7. Colin commented on Nov 23

    Seems like the screen would be covered in grime.

  8. Some guy commented on Sep 4

    Firstly to the morons who made this comment

    “no reason it shouldn’t make phone calls too”

    Its an mp4 player not a smart phone morons. The iPhone is the phone line for Apple, the iPod’s are the mp3/mp4 player line. The idea that they would be phones as well is stupid and illogical.

    To the person who said

    “is it 100% sure that this is the exact model they’re going to sell?”

    Your a moron to because clearly in the top right hand corner it states that it was created by someone who’s name starts with o, its blurry and hard to read. But it completely obvious its a mock up and there is no way to tell if it will be what it will look like.

    And to

    “Seems like the screen would be covered in grime.”

    No more so than any other touch screen device, you moron. Get a screen protect.

    People try n make useful comments not idiotic ones.

    Now time for a useful comment. Actually detail of announcement dates for the new models and how many models there will be.

    The announcement date is this Wednesday in US. Australian companies already have orders made for the new iPod. There will be 17 new models, that includes colour and capacity variations.

    I work for Dick Smith’s Electronics, this is how I know all this.

  9. Some guy commented on Sep 4

    Get a screen protector*

  10. G-Love commented on Sep 6

    this thing looks sweet but when does it come out?

  11. sali commented on Sep 10

    is amaazzing i love it … perfect!!!!1

  12. Daniel commented on Sep 14

    I think that the new ipod is like flepin sweet!

  13. Mariah commented on Dec 5

    OMG!! It is almost Christmas and I hope my dad gets me this new ipod! He said that he would think about it but I will comment you guys back when I get it and take a picture of it

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