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World Leader Pretend
Ruling teh World
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Boston, MA
 
2006-02-18, 00:15

Ok, just got back from a forensics tournament and I feel like arguing a point that has ticked me off for a while now: Why people think that an iPod with a touchsceen won't work.

To start out, lots of the people here at this forum seem to be very sceptical of this rumored "touchscreen iPod Video". I for one am not here to claim that the vPod will ever come out or whatever, I am here to rebuke the people who think that a small iPod touchscreen won't work.

The touchscreen will work, and I will prove my theory with a few key points:

Numero Uno: Sceptics claim that the screen will get streaked and marred beyond recognition. Not true! Apple could very easily use a soft-screen display that wouldn't show fingerprints or scratches. Look at any flat-panel displays today. They are relatively rugged and don't get scratched or leave fingerprints. I commonly wash my iMac G5 display with a damp rag and it leaves no traces after it is dry.

"But a soft-screen doesn't belong in your pocket, it could be damaged!" -- Would it really be any worse off than the current gens of iPods? Current iPods get nicked and scratched without proper care. If anything, people will certainly treat a large soft-screen iPod with more care than ever. Of course, plenty of vendors will make cases to protect the display of your new iPod.

A soft-screen iPod would work very well with few adverse consequences.

Number Two: Lots of mock-ups that I see have a ghost-like reflection of the clickwheel floating somewhere on the screen. People complain soooo much about what a mess it would be to have to drag out their iPod every time they wanted to adjust something so they could see the little ghost-wheel thing on the display. Who here says that their needs to even be a designated place to use the clickwheel? Couldn't you just use a series of gestures to simulate using the clickwheel ANYWHERE ON THE IPOD?? Is their a law that states that you must use a clickwheel to operate an iPod? NO!

"There's no tactical feedback from a touchscreen iPod!" -- This is true, but try something right now. Take your iPod and put it in your pocket. Now, locate the side without the screen on it and make the same basic rotational movement as when using your click-wheel. Notice that it isn't hard to do at all! Neither is tapping once or twice or scrolling on the back of your iPod without looking at it.

N. 3: Change is something that we must all endure to get better. In the evolution of the iPod we must be able to accept the changes as they come. If everyone just sat on the first iPod design where would we be? 5gig HDD? Firewire and Mac only? Things in technology change and the best must continue to propel themselves farther into the lead.

"I'm afraid of change" -- Then find a cave and never come out! Things change, and the iPod is certainly not immune to changing.



In conclusion, I feel that the touchscreen iPod can (and, IMHO, will) be very successful as a product in the future.

Thanks for reading!

Last edited by World Leader Pretend : 2006-02-18 at 14:52.
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