First of all, I'm expecting last year's "iPod Event" to kinda be an annual thing from now on - there's enough iPods to deserve their own event. Traditionally, iPods are overhauled in the late summer or fall, so it's also possible this "iPod Event" could be held at the Paris Apple Expo...notice how it's not specifically a "Mac" -world?
I'm predicting that the iPod will gain the color screen standard across all models, and the "iPod photo" brand will dissapear. Other 5G adjustments? Maybe wireless, but I'm not sure. I don't think there will be much of a cosmetic adjustment - I just can't see the iPod going silver - like there was for the iPod 4G. Maybe, just maybe, the iPod will change to an iPod mini-style case - "rounded" at the top with the metallic back gone - but the colors would stay the same.
The iPod mini probably won't be upgraded - it seems like it'll be on an annual, Macworld update schedule. Same with the iPod shuffle...
I think iTunes 5 will be unveiled at this event, and it will feature full video capability. Whether you like it or not, making a seperate program for video playback just doesn't seem to make sense. The name will stay "iTunes," though, so don't worry - no "Apple Media Player" crap here. The video store that will hopefully accompany it will be called the "iTunes Movie Store," so again, no messy "iTheatre" nomenclanture to worry about - we'll even be able to abbreviate it the same!
And, yes, I think we'll see an iPod video.
A few months - even weeks - ago, I probably wouldn't have thought that we'd see video playback in iTunes and the iPod, but, uh, it's already beginning to be implemented into iTunes. The PSP has proven that there's consumer interest in a portable video player, and Apple has had time to perfect such a device to the point where we can call it an "iPod."
I also think we'll see an iPod camera. It will have a pretty nice (for the size) camera - no 640x480 cell-phone-camera garbage here. I think it's a great idea - it'd be a major draw to the 5G iPod line - and it would also bridge the pricing gap between the iPod and iPod video.
Speaking of prices...here's my predictions, starting with the 5G iPod (iPod shuffle and iPod mini prices remain unchanged):
iPod 30GB $299
iPod 60GB $349
iPod camera 30GB $399
iPod camera 60GB $449
iPod video 60GB $499
Finally, I'd like to bring up the issue of new iPod special editions. I can't see the U2 version being the first of it's kind. Personally, I see iPod special editions reserved for major, "adult" bands that have been around for a while (and thus, can be tied to a deal for a Complete package on iTunes) but I think we can see some iPod mini special editions for "trendier" bands, too.
I'm hoping for a Killers iPod mini! They're the first band that I really love that's probably popular enough to get a special iPod...and they're certainly popular.
Post your thoughts on what we you think we'll see at the 2005 iPod event. I know we probably won't see everything I've mentioned, but those are just my ideas...at the very least, this will get some of the iPod speculation out of the WWDC thread, right? I mean, Apple won't be announcing iPods at WWDC, that's for sure.