The Fate of the iPod Classic: A Modest Proposal
By Harry McCracken | Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Earlier today, Jared wondered what the chances are that Apple will retire the iPod Classic at the music event it’s holding next week and replace it with 128GB iPod Touch. Jared explains why it’s unlikely that Apple will be able to introduce a 128GB Touch next week. That would presumably argue for the continuing viability of the Classic, which packs a 160GB hard drive.
But wait. I try to avoid making Apple predictions, but the company could make an end-run around the limitations of flash storage. Here’s how.
What makes the iPod Classic the iPod Classic? Three things, really:
- A ton of capacity–enough gigs for nearly anyone to tote nearly all of his or her music collection, and/or copious amounts of video;
- The iconic iPod click wheel interface and corresponding onscreen menu system;
- The inability to run iOS apps;
- The lack of any way to communicate with the outside world except via USB connection.
Massive storage is unquestionably a pro, not a con. The classic iPod interface is a good thing, but it, like the original 1984 Macintosh design which went away in 1995, is a good thing from another era. It won’t be with us forever, and that’s okay.
Inability to run apps? Definitely a con. And these days, not having a direct wireless connection to the Internet is also a con.
Apple could very easily respond to all this next week with one simple move: It could retire the iPod Classic as we know it and introduce an iPod Touch that packs all the goodness of the current Touch, cameras on the front and back, FaceTime capability, and…a 160GB (or larger) hard drive. Hard disks are way cheaper per gigabyte than flash memory, so it should be possible to sell a disk-based Touch at a price that makes sense. Folks who want humongous amount of storage would get it–plus the other features that define the iPod Touch, the iPhone, and the iPad.
The only real downside: this Touch would have to be a tad thicker than flash-based models. Apple products almost never get portlier, but seems to me that the tradeoff would be well worth it. And it would buy Apple time until it can release an affordable 128GB flash-based iPod Touch.
If a disk-based Touch is imminent, it’ll probably look very similar to the other next-generation Touches. But it’s more fun to mock one up that retains a hint of the Classic’s styling:
We need a name for this thing–I propose iPod Megatouch. But knowing Apple, it’s more likely that it would simply call it the iPod Touch. That’s assuming that it would make it, period–and like I say, I’m not predicting that. Unless it happens next week, in which case you heard it here first…
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August 26th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I gotta say I'm a fan of the classic. It's nice to have an mp3 player that really only does one thing. Also i I can leave it the car. Maybe we should consider the opposite direction Apple could go. Keep the classic but drop the price way low. Like 160gb for $99.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:27 am
Yeah, I love the Classic as well. Easier to navigate through non-visually, better battery life, etc.
I think Apple should keep offering some Classics as entry-level products, which will definitely work well for the benefit of the company.
The Touch is better as do-it-all mobile handheld computer than a simple PMP.
December 18th, 2010 at 1:33 am
Last weekend I purchased a 16GB iPod Nano at Costco to replace my 2nd gen iPod Touch. I thought about the Classic, but I wanted to stay away from mechanical memory (my 20 iRiver had a hard drive failure).
I've found the lack of dedicated music listening buttons to be a huge con. This is true of the Zune as well. Both my kids have an iPod Touch, and they use it primarily for apps (games) and videos…. that's what it's good for.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
A hard drive is too likely vibrate. It would ruin the touch UI experience.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
The classic can be run strictly by touch. You can’t operate an ipod touch while you are driving. I hope they keep it around for that reason if no other.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Finally! Someone else who appreciates tactile user interfaces!
I don't like the "everything's a touchscreen" direction technology is headed, especially on cars (and things you use in them). When I want to adjust the AC, I want to be able to grab the temperature control slider and fan speed knob, not look away from the road to play Super AirCon Bros. Same with my Sandisk MP3 player. Don't have to take it out of my pocket to adjust the volume or skip tracks, just press buttons and flip the lock switch again.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
>> "Inability to run apps? Definitely a con. And these days, not having
>> a direct wireless connection to the Internet is also a con."
I want a device to play music, audiobooks, podcasts, and videos. I don't need to play Angry Birds or Farmville or browse the internet or send email from it. It needs to store a lot of data and have a way to play that data. That's it. If I wanted an iPhone or an iPad, I'd buy one. I have a lot of devices that don't do what the iPhone or iPad do. For instance, my shaver. And I'm okay with that, because I don't go to my shaver for internet access or gaming or weather apps.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
definitely NOT happening! apple is staying for slow hard drives. It might introduce the 128gb but even that I dount it. It probably will focus on the camera and retina display just like they did with the iphone
August 27th, 2010 at 6:09 am
Last weekend I purchased a 16GB iPod Nano at Costco to replace my 2nd gen iPod Touch. I thought about the Classic, but I wanted to stay away from mechanical memory (my 20 iRiver had a hard drive failure).
I've found the lack of dedicated music listening buttons to be a huge con. This is true of the Zune as well. Both my kids have an iPod Touch, and they use it primarily for apps (games) and videos…. that's what it's good for.
If you listen to music, the Touch is overkill and annoying. Lack of app support a con? I don't think so. Just as I enjoy my Kindle to read books, it's a device that does one thing and does it well.
August 27th, 2010 at 6:21 am
I totally agree with what people have said about using in it in the car.
I hope they release a 300Gb version with an updated look, and maybe larger screen (similar to the style of the iPod Nanos), with Wifi sync and a way to update podcasts from the device.