iPod Radio

Forgive me here, but is it not a good... no... a dam'd fine idea for an iPod to have an FM Radio built in, we have the color photos, and playback, music, why not a built in radio.

Sorry if this was discussed already... and if it exists, then... oops :dummy:

John

bump - so nobody thinks this is a good idea...

no, i think it is a good idea but i don't think apple will ever do it. i'd really like an fm tuner option on the ipod. thats pretty much the only reason i still keep my little creative muvo tx fm around.

I think I'd rather have actual live Satellite Radio on an iPod, Screw FM.

Steve doesn't want a tuner in the iPod. So unless Steve goes away, it's not going to happen. So yeah, it's pretty much not going to happen.

I asked an Apple employee about this once, and his response was "Apple feels you should be in control of what you listen to: iPod gives you that complete control."

Considering I have yet to hear a halfway decent portable FM tuner that's built into an MP3 player, I don't miss it. I've tested several, including Rio and Creative, and their tuners are lousy, at least for what I need, and I'm in a fairly major metropolitan area.

When I want to listen to the radio, I pull out my radios that are meant to be radios.

caribiner23 said:

Steve doesn't want a tuner in the iPod. So unless Steve goes away, it's not going to happen. So yeah, it's pretty much not going to happen.

I asked an Apple employee about this once, and his response was "Apple feels you should be in control of what you listen to: iPod gives you that complete control."

Considering I have yet to hear a halfway decent portable FM tuner that's built into an MP3 player, I don't miss it. I've tested several, including Rio and Creative, and their tuners are lousy, at least for what I need, and I'm in a fairly major metropolitan area.

When I want to listen to the radio, I pull out my radios that are meant to be radios.

Click to expand...

He didn't want video either.

HST_Gonzo said:

He didn't want video either.

Click to expand...

Perhaps, but the key is that you get to choose what you play, which is in the spirit of what Apple wants.

Steve Jobs' philosophy centers on control. You can control what you download from iTunes, you can control what you rip from CD, you can control what you load on your iPod, audio or video.

Radio, traditional broadcasting or satellite, causes the user to relinquish control over the content and quality. You may subscribe to the all-70s channel on Sirius, but you get no choice as to when and if you hear "Afternoon Delight" or "Band on the Run."

Also, you have no control over whether the signal is making it to the device okay: radio requires a reliance on a stable, clear signal from a transmitter and that the receiver can get that signal under all circumstances.

If a user gets frustrated with the content or the delivery of that content, they like the device less. And every single instance of someone getting frustrated with their device is potentially another step towards that device's firm ensconcement in a drawer somewhere. I think that goes against Apple's business plan.

My money is on "no radio, terrestrial or otherwise, with the iPod."

Anyone want to take the other side of this in a gentleman's bet?

you may well be right, however, they also said no video for the iPod...

I would love it, but you are probably right

I do see your point in wanting radio in an iPod and truth be told, I wouldn't mind it... but putting a radio tuner in one is taking up precious that could be more disk space and I'd prefer more disk space. Plus i'm just getting into the whole podcast thing and have found that one of the only radio stations I listen to down here in little old New Zealand does post podcasts of their shows so it's like i'm listening to the radio anyway. Also tend to agree with the satellite radio suggestion and the radios in mp3 players haven't been any good suggestion ... although Apple being Apple the radio would be perfect, or else they wouldn't put it in.

But I do see you're point. Perhaps a radio tuner now... could become a tv tuner later... technology's on speed at the moment.