At this point, I’m sure we’re all aware that new iPods were announced on Tuesday. And in fact the fourth generation iPod Nano and second generation iPod Touch have already hit my local Apple Store, as you can see from the pics. Some were underwhelmed by Steve’s announcements, but both these devices receive solid updates (software and hardware) over their predecessors and the iPod line should continue to do well this holiday season (despite the turbulent economy).
Prior to the show, there was some talk that the click wheel would be retired permanently. Fortunately, those prognosticators were off. It’s still the most efficient way to operate an iPod, and I actually prefer it to the touchscreen iPhone ‘iPod’ interface. Leading to… My favorite iPod of all time was the second gen Nano, so I’m pleased to see Apple return to the the vertical orientation – now with accelerometer. Regarding the Touch, it’s a very attractively priced multimedia Internet tablet. The new speaker doesn’t add much value (for music or video), but the addition of physical volume buttons corrects an earlier usability oversight. Directly integrating Nike+, no dongle required, was a surprise. And it gives me hope that my iPhone might one day support this service as well. Heck, the 3G iPhone wouldn’t even require using a footpod, tracking your movements via GPS. Of course, if they can’t sell you hardware accessories they’ll make it up with a $20 App Store fee.
iTunes 8 also saw an overhaul this week, with a variety of interface changes – including more use of album art and a spruced up visualizer. Neither do much for me, as I listen to my Smart Playlists in the background. Of course, the “Genius” features are getting most of the attention. The opt-in Genius Sidebar recommends similar iTunes songs available for purchase. It’s essentially, the (former) MiniStore rebranded and relocated. Genius Playlists dynamically group similar songs – at least they try to. I’ve had mixed results. Perhaps my experiences are due to (current) limitations in Apple’s cloud db, perhaps it’s limited due to my music collection. Regardless, under no circumstances should Metallica and Flock of Seagulls continue to appear together. What wasn’t announced: I’d been hoping for an iTunes music subscription service (See ZunePass), but it wasn’t meant to be. This time. Guess I’ll be sticking with Pandora while Apple leaves money on the table.