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I’m addicted to my Ipod.  I admit it. It’s an addiction and I have a problem. I had two before this one, both 4G’s (4^th Generations), and they both crashed, froze and failed: one randomly during a routine firmware upgrade.  Still, as frustrated as I was that Apple’s software screwed me, like any addict, I ignored the frustrations and threw them more money for a 5G video Ipod.   I’m bitter about the past failures, and annoyed that the Instant Search functionality given to the 5.5G in September hasn’t been made available for the rest of the 5G iPods.  It’s frustrating to be penalized a feature for buying a product a month too early…still, I come back for more.   I’m addicted.  I recognize I need help.

But this being Silly Season, and my addiction running at full strength, I’ll get help later– Instead I’d like to put forward  my amateurish rendering of an ideal Ipod.  Some of its features:

• a touch screen controlled, wide-screen, interface with mostly virtual controls including an interchangeable virtual click wheel and virtual keyboard.  (Rumors of a virtual click-wheel, hinted at by patent applications have been floating for a while. Further rumors of a coming apple phone product with a touch screen keypad hint the iPod may go that direction eventually. Here’s to hoping the grapevine is accurate!)
• Two fixed button on the side, along with the classic lock slider, are the only non-virtual controls on the gadget.  The buttons allow me to toggle between a horizontal or vertical image layout. They also allow the user to toggle between a virtual click-wheel, and a virtual keyboard.  Additional uses of the fixed buttons include: scrolling through letters on the keyboard (for when I don’t want to use the touch-screen), an alternate means of navigating menus, or they can be used for volume or other settings as I might configure (That’s right, user configurable control buttons with Apple’s famous easy configuration…..how nice would that be?).
• For novelty, icon’s on the device can be replaced with my own pictures or from a library of available choices (even available for a small fee would be ok), all through iTunes.  There’d be no need, nor any risk of hacking the firmware, and invalidating a warranty, to personalize our toys.
• A microphone input and a small speaker – maybe for an integrated cell phone (assuming it can be incorporated in the same size footprint or smaller and also assuming Apple would allow the competition in function with their planned iPhone). A microphone would also help with voice recording (memo’s, notes etc), or voice activated commands…or just to annoy the person next to me on a plane?
• Integrated Wifi and/or Bluetooth. (Bluetooth wireless integration into a car stereo, or home stereo would be very nice indeed.)
• Supported wireless earphones would be cool.
• While at it, be nice if I could use it as a universal remote for my home electronics and if it streamed (via that integrated Wi-Fi or Bluetooth my music to my stereo wirelessly.
• If it could make popcorn that would be great too but I can live without that until the next generation hits the market.

These are just some thoughts….   If anyone at Apple would like to discuss them, I’d be happy to participate in a conversation. I’d even suffer through being an Alpha or Beta tester if they wanted.