New Device to Kick iPods to the Curb?

[J_UNTITLED]

From IMDb.com (Original Source: Science Magazine)

- "Presaging a day when hand-held media devices come preloaded with thousands of movies, videos and music tracks that can be individually unlocked by a code -- thereby eliminating the need for slow downloads -- scientists at IBM said on Friday that they had developed a new type of storage device capable of holding a hundred times more information than those in current use. Writing in the magazine Science, the scientists, who are based at the IBC research center in San Jose, CA, said that the device, smaller than those used in iPods, would be able to hold about 3,500 full-length films, and use so little power that it could run on a single battery charge for weeks at a time."

[xtop]

let me guess..IF they can make it..its 30 years off

[CptGreedle]

HA. I bet apple will take a serious look at this. This is still years away and will cost much much more than an iPod, but you better believe that if it has any potential in the marketplace, Apple will try to be the ones to benefit from it.

[Sylin]

the scientists, who are based at the IBC

What the hell is a root beer company doing researching portable media devices?

[atomik kinder]

Presaging a day when hand-held media devices come preloaded with thousands of movies, videos and music tracks that can be individually unlocked by a code -- thereby eliminating the need for slow downloads

So you are stuck with what is already on there and there won't be anything on it that was released after the device was created. Wouldn't that make it obsolete the day it comes out?

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by atomik kinder

Presaging a day when hand-held media devices come preloaded with thousands of movies, videos and music tracks that can be individually unlocked by a code -- thereby eliminating the need for slow downloads

So you are stuck with what is already on there and there won't be anything on it that was released after the device was created. Wouldn't that make it obsolete the day it comes out?

Perhaps, but I also think they'd allow you to add your own downloaded content. They'll just pre-load it with a catalog of the most popular selections, I'm sure.

Of course, the immediate downside to this, and why it probably will NEVER happen, is it'll take all of 5 minutes for someone to hack the encryption and unlock everything on the device for free.

[Hamburglar]

thats pretty cool if it were to surface one day. I am more impressed with the battery life and storage of the unit than the unlocking business plan.

Like the poster above, I wonder how fast it would be hacked and the kind of resistance it would face from record labels and other portable music competitors.

[eli1277]

I don't think even this would be able to stop the ipod dominance in the portable mp3 player scene.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by eli1277

I don't think even this would be able to stop the ipod dominance in the portable mp3 player scene.

... Seriously? Even when this could hold a near-infinite amount more of tracks on it in probably almost any format imaginable?

[WickyWoo]

... Seriously? Even when this could hold a near-infinite amount more of tracks on it in probably almost any format imaginable?

iPod is a fashion accessory, not a utilitarian device. If functionality were important,people would buy perfectly good equivalent/more capable devices at 30% less money