Rumor has it than in an early version of its iPod Notes Feature Guide, Apple outed itself about the existence of a touch-screen iPod. If true, yes, that clunk, squish, clunk, squish sound you heard from the direction of Cupertino, California, was the sound of a head rolling. But, it could just as easily have been a typo.
Issues of corporate decapitation and typos aside, I’d like to focus our attention on what’s really important here—the contents of the document. I’ve been talking up the benefits of the iPod’s Notes feature for years. For those similarly interested in the interactive aspects of the iPod, this document is nothing more nor less than ground-shaking.
For those who’ve just recently come to the party, it’s like this: In the past, using a text editor and a smattering of HTML you could create iPod text notes that link not only to other notes, but to audio files. For example, you could create a love note and in that note embed a link that transports the reader to the Now Playing screen for your favorite song.
Cool enough. But Notes has far more potential and, as described by this iPod Notes Feature Guide, Apple has made a solid step into that pool of potential. Like what?
To begin with, on a 5G iPod running iPod software 1.2 or later, you can now link to photos and videos stored on the iPod. A little over a year ago I mourned the fact that the iPod lacked this feature. Imagine how cool it would be, for example, if you could load your iPod with the highlights of a world-class museum, wander that museum, and pull up text, audio, and visual notes of the works you’re standing in front of. Apparently, you now can.
Or you have a class project that can be better illustrated in video form. No problem. Just download the class notes, add them to the iPod and, when directed, click on the link that displays the project in all its cinematic glory.
Or the night before you meet with your real estate agent, load a collection of property previews on the iPod—in video and picture form—and weed out the bad stuff before setting foot in the agent’s office.
And the Notes function allows you to easily create iPod menus. Just plunk your notes into a folder, move that folder to the iPod’s Notes folder, and that folder’s name becomes a navigable menu command on the iPod.
Like I say, huge potential.
Apple has expunged the juicy bit about the touch-screen iPod from the document so if you’re interested in it only for the naughty feeling of ferreting out a leak, save yourself the trouble. For those interested in a more interactive iPod experience, however, I strongly suggest you check it out.
Updated 11/02/06, 3:15 PT to acknowledge that the kafuffle may have been sparked by a simple typo.