Anyone who has read the news since yesterday knows about Apple’s new line of iPods. For some it was a big deal, new iPods mean new gadgets to salivate over, for others the announcement was disappointing… I include myself in the latest. Here’s my take on this:
iPod Shuffle
Meh…
iPod Nano
I never liked the nano. Not only it packs a small amount of storage but also because it’s very tiny… now even more. You’ll get the idea when you try to watch some videos in a screen as small as that. Still the new Nano is a great improvement over the old one, if you like tiny stuff, that is…
iPod Classic
I have a 5.5 iPod or the “iPod Video”, the model that the iPod Classic comes to replace, so I was hoping for a lot more, much more. Actually, I was expecting that the iPod Touch would replace my current iPod. The iPod Touch would be a hell of a gadget if it packed a 30Gb or even 50Gb HDD. But I digress. Besides the CoverFlow, the revamped UI and expanded storage, the iPod Classic doesn’t offer anything new. It’s suitable for the audiophiles that want to carry their entire music collection with them. Same as the old one. Nothing new here move along… If Steve Jobs was a nice guy, he would tell Apple to release a new firmware for the iPod Video with CoverFlow and the new UI 🙂 Apple wouldn’t lose customers, I’m sure no one with an iPod Video is going for the new iPod Classic just because of the new UI.
iPod Touch
I’m reading Malcom Gladwell’s Blink. One of the concepts talked about in this book is the first thought that comes to mind when one is experiencing a situation. My first thought on the Touch was “Crippled”. Take an iPhone, remove the phone features, remove the camera (why Steve?) and you have the iPod Touch. What’s Apple’s point with the iPod Touch? It’s for people who already have a phone? Well, that’s stupid because the tendency is to get an all in one device for this kind of stuff. Sure the Touch is a multi functional gadget, use Safari to surf the net with an Wi-Fi connection, you can buy tracks from the iTunes Wi-Fi Store, watch videos, photos and… listen to music. Ok, there’s the complimentary Calculator, Contacts and Calendar, but where the Email app? The iPod Touch would excel if it had at least 30Gb, a photo camera and a few more useful apps.
So, between this and the iPhone what’s the advantage? Oh it comes in a 16Gb flavor, but wait a few more months and you’ll have the same amount of storage in an iPhone, or do you think the iPhone 8Gb price drop is just a way of Apple saying thanks? Indeed, the best part of the Keynote was the new price on the iPhone, now I’m sure that a 16Gb version is in the oven… Maybe Europe gets that version when the iPhone is released here…
The Rant
Apple blew it. Sure the Nano was asking to be updated, but not that small! Sure the World wanted an iPod Touch, but not a crippled one! The Apple fanbase needed an iPod Touch that would give more bang for the buck… For me, I’m still waiting for something else…
What I really would like
Well, I would like an HSDPA enabled iPhone with a removable battery, application and removable flash media card support (or at least 30Gb of storage). Oh, and a second camera on the front, you know, for video calls 🙂 Think of it like Newton’s spiritual successor with iPod features. Thanks Steve!
[tags]Apple, iPod, iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Classic, iPod Touch, iPhone[/tags]
