It makes sense to change the interface on video devices, but it’s still a great way to navigate if you don’t need to look at the device. Apple will probably still offer the click-wheel on the Nano and other primarily-music models, and this new frame-oriented navigation system in the multimedia versions.
If a recent patent filing is any indication, Apple Computer may abandon the iconic wheel that has become virtually synonymous with its popular iPod music players.
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.
IPod designers face a challenge in trying to create a device with as large a screen as possible while still providing an array of functions and an easy way to access them, Apple noted in the patent application, filed in June but not published on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Web site until Thursday.
The problem with touch-sensitive screens is that they usually generate virtual buttons or windows that “overlay the content being displayed,” the company said. This new approach may solve that problem.
This could help the iPod fend off challengers for yet another device generation.
The iPod has become a standard and they better watch any radical changes. Talking about user interfaces, does anyone else hate DVD remotes? For years I had no problem with VCR’s, they were all about the same. I’ve had 4 or 5 DVD players, and they’re all different and seem illogical in layout.
DVD remotes are definitely inconsistent and illogocally laid out. High-end players, ~$2000 to $50,000+, have much better remotes, yet they mostly come from little companies with a miniscule fraction of the R&D budgets that the majors have.
In the mass market, it seems that ‘ergonomics’ and ‘human engineering’ were just fads… Maybe this upcoming iPod’ll change that by forcing others into paying better attention to the user interface – if they hope to compete, that is.
I personally don’t care all that much, I’m saving my pennies for the first iPod that will play 24/192 PCM (and in my fantasy, comes with Sennheiser or AKG phones)…
So Fantasizeth The Ghoti
Apple (and other MP3 player companies) have forgotten that iPods and the like are portable devices, originally designed to play music, and later Podcasts. My iPod is a 4th generation that doesn’t display video or pictures.
The click wheel is great for music: changing volume, skipping a track , and (briefly, while stopped) changing to another album or play list. One can listen to music or podcasts while walking or working.
A video oriented player is intended to be looked at, and you can’t do that if you’re moving. A video orientation requires the direct attention of the user, both while viewing the video, and fiddling with the controls. You can’t watch a video while you’re walking or working.
The video interface can still use the click wheel (real or touch screen) for its current purposes, but video functions probably need to move to some other interface, and sliders on the edge of the player or screen make sense.
On DVD player remotes: we just bought a Samsung DVD/VCR that has a much better and simpler remote that the more expensive Panasonic it replaced. They pared the controls down to what people actually use.
Going from DVD to DVR’s, I have two: a ReplayTV (Yes, the ‘Betamax’ of DVR’s, but I like the networking feature, and capability to ‘pull’ the programs onto a computer to watch or convert to DVD) and a DirecTV DVR. The DirecTV controller is ‘universal’ for the DSS, and works fine for that. For their own DVR, the controls suck. To look at the recordings (labelled My VOD), requires three clicks (ReplayTV is one, with the capability of moving recordings into categories e.g. Movies, Documentaries, TV shows) while DirecTV just lists them in order (reverse) of recording. Actually, there are many more problems with it that I won’t even bother to go into (though I will hopefully do a comparison on my website).
J/P=?
They started with an actual wheel and already replaced it with a virtual wheel. It doesn’t spin and is just a touch sensitive circle. If they make the virtual wheel just part of the screen it doesn’t really change anything.
I wonder if the controls on the edge of the frame will allow controls similar to what Samsung calls “Smart touch” controls on their NV cameras?
Can’t find a demo on Samsung’s own site???
But DCRP has an embedded movie near the beginning of their review of the NV10.
Interesting interface, especially if it incorporated touch-sensitive areas along the edge…
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/samsung/nv10-review/index.shtml
Hey Dvorak — chew on this thought: this is not an iPod. This new Smartphone (“iPhone”) device is a NEWTON. Take a look at that patent and compare it to our beloved Newton — looks exactly the same. Prediction — iPhone = Newton Reinvented.
I wouldn’t hate the click wheel on my video ipod if Apple would put some kind of round “bump” on the center button and the other four corners.
When I’m listening to cranky geeks and want to replay a section, I am forced to look at the iPod in order to click the center button in order to spin counter-clockwise. Something like the indicators on my “F” and “J” keys on my keyboard would fix an otherwise wonderful user interface.
OFF-TOPIC:
I was scanning the DCRP site, after positing the link in #6 regarding Samsung’s Smart Touch interface.
Came across this great shot of a huge cruise ship passing under the Golden Gate bridge.
http://tinyurl.com/ygcjxx
I hope Jeff Keller had his dSLR – and not just the Sony N2 – when he had that opportunity for a great shot…
2. A fish wish? I’m on to you Lauren…
RBG
#10 – Wha?? Can’t a ghoti uoti?
So Querieth The Ghoti
shoot, you want to talk bad remotes, lets talk cable-box DVRs. I went from the elegence of the TiVo UI to this monster kludge of a 58 button DVR remote and a UI that is just an eyesore to look at. (If my TIVO Series 2 IR blaster had worked better than 75% of the time I would have stuck with it). Oh, and when my cable co “upgraded” the UI, I lost all the shows I had recorded on the DVR. I would go with a TiVo Series 3, but I don’t need hi-def and I just cant see shelling out $800, plus the cable service, plus the TiVo service, plus the rental on twin cablecards.
rant over.
But anyway. Apple patents a lot of stuff. They already had one on file for the virtual touch-screen click-wheel. I hope they do put out a widescreen iPod – I watched back-to-back movies on my PSP on a long flight and could see doing the same thing on a iPod.
I will believe it when I see it – the more suspicious part of my brain wonders if Apple insiders are planting these rumors in the hopes that people who might be inclined to be Zune early-adopters will hold out for a mythical widescreen iPod. Sure the Zune is not a real threat, but rumors are pretty much free ….
U10 everybody….U10….
I don’t doubt that the patent is real or that there will be a full screen video iPod.
Doug’s notion that all this is Apple FUD is amusing. I suspect the only interest Apple has in Zune is comic relief.
PLEASE NO MORE POSTS ABOUT OVERPRICED UNDERPERFORMING CRAP LIKE GAYPODS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Apple sucks and here’s why …..bzzzzzZAAAAPPPPP
Chris jests, “HMMM. hard to tell what just happened there.. but all my harddrives just died at the same time.. f’ing cheap raid cards”
the ipod needs a new cat already?
15,
ANd you wish you got 1/10th of 1% of the revenue from it.