Apple planning to dominate a new category
Apple's missing "Home on iPod" feature resurfaces in filing Dubbed "Home on iPod," the technology was once destined for Apple's Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, before it was abruptly yanked from pre-release builds of the operating system back in Oct. of 2003. "Ever thought you could carry your home in the palm of your hands or in your pocket? You can. Panther's Home on iPod feature lets you store your home directory - files, folders, apps - on your iPod (or any FireWire hard drive) and take it with you wherever you go," Apple had written in a blurb on its Panther preview website that was eventually removed. "When you find yourself near a Panther-equipped Mac, just plug in the iPod, log in, and you're 'home,' no matter where you happen to be," the description continued. "And when you return to your home computer, you can synchronize any changes you've made to your files by using File Sync, which automatically updates offline changes to your home directory." Apple never offered an explanation for the feature retraction and popular speculation was that it would eventually resurface in a later iteration of the Mac OS X operating system. It never did.
Brilliant! Wait until you have been awarded patent until you release the next category killer. How many iPods have been sold, how many cell phone? Many more then the classic PC sales. PDA sales are still a blip. This simple idea will define a whole new way of thinking about computing. Yes, Apple will introduce it as iTunes in you pocket and deliver it via video/TV on the go. That is just the start. Storage capacities are increasing and getting cheaper. WiFi coverage is becoming more complete. That G7 iPod in your pocket will be collecting your email, vmail, document updates, vcasts, and vendor offers as you walk by network proxy nodes. Google and others will soon interconnect enough regions to make electronic billboards possible. Billboards that can recognize your bluetooth or WiFi signal and present a message just for you or deliver email++ to your G7 iPod. The timing is right for this old idea and now one of the basic concepts is owned by Apple.
