- Dec 12, 2000
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I think its time for us to stop talking about the iPhone (which is already a smashing success or a huge flop depending on who you talk to) and think of what other markets Apple can set its sights on.
Innovation at Apple comes in two flavors. Very rarely, they will take the lead and create an entirely new market (they weren't the first devices but iPod + iTunes paved the way for digital music.) But more often, Apple likes to take existing technologies, bundle them with cutting-edge hardware and great software, and put it all in an attractive package that they can sell to the masses.
Using the latter approach, I think Apple could do a hot point-and-shoot digicam or combination camera/camcorder device with the same hype as the iPhone. Sure, there are already lots of thin, shiny, sexy digicams that can fit in your pocket. But I imagine Apple can put together a device with:
- somewhere between 6-8 megapixel
- a better lens than most (comparable to Carl Zeiss etc.)
- a better image sensor (i.e. Foveon X3 or 3CCD) capable of better color separation and better low-light operation
- a better built-in flash
- 4gb - 8gb of flash memory
- 802.11n / Bluetooth 2.0 EDR or both
- Native H.264 encoding with a resolution of 1280x720
- Native support for JPEG 2000 Lossy and Lossless (10-12 bits per pixel, MJPEG?)
- a zoom lens with whisper drive that you can use while making movies (most digicams won't let you zoom in movie mode)
- Use it as a wireless webcam?
- Integration with new versions of iPhoto and iChat (running on Windows and Mac), QuickTime, Apple TV
- Integration with YouTube (because every Apple product needs YouTube!)
- Ability to upload pictures wirelessly and pickup prints or a photo book at the Apple Store and major Apple retailers
* The first user-replaceable battery on an Apple device (fingers crossed!)
- $499 - $599
What do you think?
Innovation at Apple comes in two flavors. Very rarely, they will take the lead and create an entirely new market (they weren't the first devices but iPod + iTunes paved the way for digital music.) But more often, Apple likes to take existing technologies, bundle them with cutting-edge hardware and great software, and put it all in an attractive package that they can sell to the masses.
Using the latter approach, I think Apple could do a hot point-and-shoot digicam or combination camera/camcorder device with the same hype as the iPhone. Sure, there are already lots of thin, shiny, sexy digicams that can fit in your pocket. But I imagine Apple can put together a device with:
- somewhere between 6-8 megapixel
- a better lens than most (comparable to Carl Zeiss etc.)
- a better image sensor (i.e. Foveon X3 or 3CCD) capable of better color separation and better low-light operation
- a better built-in flash
- 4gb - 8gb of flash memory
- 802.11n / Bluetooth 2.0 EDR or both
- Native H.264 encoding with a resolution of 1280x720
- Native support for JPEG 2000 Lossy and Lossless (10-12 bits per pixel, MJPEG?)
- a zoom lens with whisper drive that you can use while making movies (most digicams won't let you zoom in movie mode)
- Use it as a wireless webcam?
- Integration with new versions of iPhoto and iChat (running on Windows and Mac), QuickTime, Apple TV
- Integration with YouTube (because every Apple product needs YouTube!)
- Ability to upload pictures wirelessly and pickup prints or a photo book at the Apple Store and major Apple retailers
* The first user-replaceable battery on an Apple device (fingers crossed!)
- $499 - $599
What do you think?
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