iPod just the start

avg joe

Registered
I was thinking today about the technology that is built in to the iPod, and I couldn't help thinking- "How cool would it be if someone took a clue from Apple, and built the same technology into a digital camera?" I think that a decent 3-5 megapixel camera with a built in 5gb drive, 10 hour rechargeable battery, and the transfer capabilities of firewire would be worth any reasonable price asked. I've tried a few digital cameras, but their lack of storage space and their ability to chew through batteries still makes them cost prohibitive for a serious hobbiest like myself. Apple (or any other manufacturer) could really make a serious dent in the market with an idea that apple has proved will work in another form factor. Any other opinions on this?
 
This is a great idea, and Apple could do it if they wanted to...

Apple made there own digital camera quite a few years ago, so they already have the camera technology.

They have the firewire, form factor and hard disk technology to make a attractive looking digital camera running through and charging through firewire....

' iCamera' would integrate with iTools members online photo album...and the 'Image Capture' application perfectly...

I would think that an Apple camera with a 5+gig hard drive would be as large, or larger than the iPod, and I thinks thats slightly to big for a digital camera, but thats the only down side I can think of. Oh and they'll sell this 'iCamera' for about $500.... so that means I won't get one....

Luke
 
The camera industry is NOT an industry that is pleasant to newcomers.

What would be hot is nice digital cameras that could connect to firewire harddrives (a spec which the iPod supposedly conforms to).

I could see apple putting out consumer cameras with OK components that -attached- to the iPod. Who needs another tiny harddrive? Just use the same one =) It would also work with any industry standard firewire drive... I'd dig that. They could also sell them for cheap... $200 tops. Of course- it works best with an iPod... but that only makes them average out to 300/each. If it was a decent 1megapixel camera with decent controls and optics... I'd get one.
-stephen
 
although having a digital camera with a 5 gig hard drive is a great idea... this camera would be quite large... take an existing digital camera... the type of storage the cameras on the market use right now does not take up much space... i wish camera makers would try and make their cameras smaller not bigger, and a 5 gig hard drive would add a considerable amount of size... a camera that could connect to a firewire hd and store pictures on it IS a good idea however. keep the ipod in your pocket and just keep shooting... im actually considering buying an ipod because my canon xl1s can record directly to firewire hds, so this would be pretty useful...
 
Oh, I don't know about the size issue. I'll bet that even with a notebook sized hard drive, a decent quality camera wouldn't be any bigger than a Kodak DC 290. It's a little on the larger end of digital cameras, but by no means too big to be practical. And as for using the iPod as an external storage device for numerous other devices, that just might work out. Just put it in a belt clip case, hook it up with a 4 ft auto retracting firewire cable, and take enough pictures to match the device's price in rolls of film. Of course, you'd have to worry about two batteries instead of just one.

How many times have you said to yourself, "[Company X] would be doing so much better if they just hired me to their creative team!" ;-)
 
That's an awesome idea avg joe. I would definitely buy one of those. Send your resume into Apple and pitch the idea :) Apple would do great in the digital camera market with their whole home-cooked multimedia approach.
 
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