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October 7, 2008

people

Steve Wozniak will see the iPod dead and buried

Posted Oct. 7, ’08, 8:12 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » People

stevewozniak.jpgTo be fair, when Steve Wozniak talks to the press, it’s usually rehashing the same old, same old, but the Daily Telegraph has up an interesting chat with Woz in which the Apple co-founder gets unusually frank about the future of Apple’s most popular devices.

I begin to wonder whether he was even briefed by the Apple press office when he predicts the imminent death of the company’s most popular product, the iPod.

“The iPod has sort of lived a long life at number one,” he says. “Things like, that if you look back to transistor radios and Walkmans, they kind of die out after a while.

“It’s kind of like everyone has got one or two or three. You get to a point when they are on display everywhere, they get real cheap and they are not selling as much.”

Woz? Briefed by Apple PR? Nobody briefs Woz, friend. You think they can handle this Segway polo-playing madman? He’s a maverick.

There’s something to what Woz is saying, of course. Technology is constantly evolving, so it’s not a question of if the iPod will die but a question of when. The transistor radio died out, and was replaced eventually by the Walkman, which was in turn replaced by the portable CD player, and then by the digital music player. So what’s next? My gut says networking will be involved, but hey, I’m no Steve Wozniak. If Steve Wozniak wants the iPod dead, then the iPod is dead, fools.

Woz also dished on the iPhone as a platform, opining that it was a bit restrictive for his tastes:

“Consumers aren’t getting all they want when companies are very proprietary and lock their products down…I would like to write some more powerful apps than what you’re allowed.”

There are a few other interesting tidbits in there, such as what he and The Other Steve think about Apple as religion (hint: not so big fans) and his thoughts on where the technology sector of the stock market is going (dooooown). By the end of the interview, you’ll want to stay curled up under your desk, eyes tightly closed, white earbuds firmly in place, resisting the future with all of your might.


6 Comments

krye said:

It's true what Woz says. All good things must come to an end. Especially true when it comes to technology. The iPod will eventually die out and and be replaced with whatever new technology comes along.

It is my firm belief, however, that the only one who can outdo the iPod is Apple.

October 7, 2008 9:40 AM
Donn Author Profile Page said:

"He's a maverick."

You may take a dr--oops, wrong topic.

October 7, 2008 9:48 AM
Andre Da Costa said:

iWatch?

Clearly Mr. Woz is out of the Infinite Loop.

October 7, 2008 11:46 AM
SP said:

Why do people still care what woz says? Yes, he was that great engineer behind the original macs, but that was a lifetime ago. He seems to spend his entire life now giving interviews about what he would do so much better than anyone else...if he still actually did anything of substance in the technology industry. Who cares?

October 7, 2008 11:52 AM
Moe Author Profile Page said:

Woz is an ass. Of course the iPod will die. He's just mad because he wishes his segway played music, music, podcasts. Saying the iPod will die is like saying computers don't need more than 2mb (Billy, I'm looking at you).

Yes, the iPod will age and get replaced. But whatever comes next will be even better. I see the iPhone as the next generation digital device. Soon enough, the iPhone will replace the iPod. Of course, this means that the iPhone will have to grow up and become a more complete product. All I'm hoping is that we get an advanced effective longer battery in a thin package.

October 7, 2008 12:00 PM
jonathan said:

I never thought of Steve and Steve being that bitter now days. I would have thought that since they previously had such a close friendship, they would have rekindled it.

Jonathan
Editor
www.thetechlunch.com

October 8, 2008 11:02 AM

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