apple news/media reports
09/27/2005, 5:15pm, EDT
Tuesday, September 27th
Apple VP says no iPods, PDAs, cellphone convergence
Apple senior vice president and executive team member Jon Rubinstein believes the iPod, cell phone and digital camera will all continue to cater to their individual markets for at least another 10 years. "Most people still take photographs with their digital camera rather than their cellphone," Rubinstein said. "And there's a simple reason: digital cameras take better pictures." When asked whether Apple has considered a re-entry into the PDA market by evolving the iPod, both Rubinstein and Apple vice president Phil Schiller seemed strongly opposed, according to Apple Insider. Schiller explained that PDA's are a niche market for specialized applications, and that basic functions of PDAs, such as date planners and address books, have been available on most cell phones for a long time. "PDA's would not be good business for Apple," Schiller said.
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In 5 years flash media will be super cheap and large enough to include a gig or four in cell phones. Cameras will be better and the cost per mb on cell phone networks will be cheaper. With Palm going over to the M$ camp Apple should toss in something to compete.
Give me a do-it-all brick, please... I'll make feature but not quality compromises - that sounds right up Apple's alley - beautiful simplicity & integration - a white PSP with a HD & cell phone built in & CF cards to swap stuff around...
my 2ç
I can see an Apple branded device that can take a carrier module for mobile phones.
I don't know, though. iPod's predecesor was a convergence deviced called PowerCD. It was a Portable CD/KODAK PictureCD/SCSI CD-ROM device that didn't do too well (but looks awesome even today). Apple made the QuickTake cameras, a KODAK product at heart, that were really good in later models (the 200 was impressive). iSight has done well, who knows if the next version is a small flash based camcorder/digital camera/web cam? One never knows! I don't know about the phone, though, as that's a complex market to get into (it's not like a codec to play an MP3) and you have to *partner* with *carriers* and we all know how well Apple plays with others. So ... I'd love to see it, but I don't know if or when it will come. I do love the idea of an Apple mini mate, though.