Rumor: Large-screen iPod in the works

Think Secret, an Apple-focused rumor site that has had some notable hits and misses, is reporting that Apple is "nearing completion" of a video iPod that would have two significant enhancements.

The new iPod will reportedly sport a 3.5-inch display, a substantial boost from the current 2.5-inch screens. Some of the extra real estate needed for such a roomy screen would be freed up by eliminating the scroll wheel--sort of. Instead, a digital click wheel would be used, "one that overlays the touch-sensitive display and appears when a finger touches it and disappears when the finger is removed," Think Secret reported, citing "sources who have seen the device."

When can we expect it? Late March or early April, according to Think Secret.

One thing that wasn't addressed in the posting was how the iPod would be oriented. The current models with 2.5-inch screens aren't large enough to hold a 3.5-inch screen when held vertically. So would the iPods get larger or would people need to learn to hold them horizontally, like the Sony PlayStation Portable?

And what about fingerprints? If the Nano is plagued by scratches, as many have complained, imagine the potential disaster that could result from requiring people to navigate by touching a screen that they also use to watch videos.