The new video iPods are great but there is a few things they need to work out. For starters, the actual screen size is way too small to watch video content for more that a few minutes. The obvious solution would be to increase the screen size but the problem is the over all size and form of the ipod is very well though out and lugging anything larger would be a cumbersome or awkward. Case in point, Sony's PSP is great for watching movies but I cant see myself keeping one in my pocket. And I'm not about to start carrying a man purse anytime soon ;-)So it seems that Apple is working on a solution to incorporate a touch-interface screen for their ipod lines. Here is a image from Apples' patent application on how something like this would work with scrolling. Also, look closely at the first image of the rumored ipod above. At first glance it looks like a regular video ipod, but the scroll wheel is actually on the screen.... Very cool. I would imagine it would be like the dvd controls on your computer set to full screen disappearing when not used.
So yet again, the issue for those on the fence becomes, do I wait or buy one now. Although this is still in the very early stages, it seems that this might be a reality sooner rather than later, most likely end of March/beginning of April. Apple is known for constantly pushing the element of design and with that comes the fact that your hardware becomes fashionably obsolete rather quickly. My 3rd gen iPod is only 2 years old, yet considered a dinosaur next to the 5th gen. After I received my iPod, the updates were numerous, including more storage, new "click wheel", color screens, video playback with large screen, and now a soon to be even larger screen with touch interface wheel.
All images borrowed from macrumors.com, from rumored touch-interface iPods, and patent gesture diagrams
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