New iPod Stuff

After a bit of investigation into the specs of the new iPods, I will say that Apple has done beautifully with its recent upgrades. They look great, have awesome storage capacity, and the pricing is better than any previous release to my knowledge.

The iPod Shuffle is somehow smaller than ever before by an impressive margin, and the new color really will go with everything, as they say in their copy. Making it into a clip was also an inspired idea. And at $79 for 1GB, the Shuffle is definitely an awesome, awesome stocking stuffer.

The iPod Nano is also completely redesigned, now implementing a UI consistent with the main line of iPods, and eschewing the glossy plastic of the previous model, for a case that brings back pleasant memories of the iPod Mini - with a full line of colors, to boot! It's up to 8 GB now, which is pretty sweet. Also, a 24-hour battery life?! Seriously? Amazing.

Of all the new releases, this is the one I'm most considering to replace my 10GB Gen-2 iPod (affectionately referred to as "ghettoPod"). I've been pretty happy with the amount of space I have on it, even though my iTunes collection is approaching 60 GB, so I'm not sure I need to upgrade to the full sizer, even though the video addition would be kinda cool. I'm just not convinced that I'm gonna want to/have time to watch movies on my iPod. Without movies, I can listen to my iPod while reading (or pretending to read), which seems a tad more productive for the morning and evening commutes.

The new full-size iPod has changed the least of the three. Aside from a larger storage capacity and some cool new search features (Spotlight!) and games, it's pretty much the same. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess. But the lack of major changes for this makes me wonder if there's not something much, much bigger in the works.

The new iTunes app and Store are also looking great. CoverFlow was an awesome program before, and now that it's been purchased by Apple and integrated into iTunes, it is pure candy. CoverFlow is a great mode for parties, where folks can browse through the discs jukebox-style, and it solves the dilemma of post-digital cover art withdrawal. Apple's offering full-length movies, too (currently only by Disney, but I'm sure more will get on board, soon), and CoverFlow is implemented in the iTunes Store browsing, just like walking through Blockbuster. Only about 300 times cooler.

All in all, nothing life changing, but some pretty cool updates. Keep up the good work, guys.

A couple pictures:




The iPod Nano - "Completely Remastered"


The iPod Shuffle - "Put Some Music On"