Say Hello to Your New iPod

As expected, Apple released their new line of iPods today.  There is a completely new iPod Nano, a slight update to the exterior of the iPod Touch, a spec change in the iPod Classic, and new software for all.  The Nano is by far the most changed.  The combination of a bigger screen, taller overall design in a much thinner frame, and a new collection of available colors makes the Nano a more attractive choice for buyers.  The Nano comes in 8gb and 16gb capacities for $149 and $199 respectively.

The iPod Touch got the same treatment as the iPhone 3G, in terms of physical design.  The iTouch has the same curved design but is much thinner than the iPhone.  Other features include dedicated volume buttons, a
speaker, and integrated Nike+ syncing. The software is very similar to the iPhone 3G as well, with the App Store, Google Maps, and Mail program.  (It's essentially an iPhone without the cell tower connection, i.e you have to be connected to a wi-fi hotspot to use most of the features)  The iTouch is available in 8gb, 16gb, and 32gb for $229, $299, and $399, that's a hundred dollars cheaper than the previous generation iTouch.

The iPod Classic received no appearance changes, only size and option changes.  The iPod Classic is now only available in the 120gb capacity for $249.  This is the same capacity as offered by Microsoft's Zune player.  It seems strange that Apple would downgrade it's 160gb iPod to a 120gb, but i'm sure they have their reasons (to keep costs down for sure).

The software introduced is, iTunes 8, the newest installment of the iTunes line.  iTunes is rapidly becoming the center for your digital rather than just organizing your music collection.  iTunes 8 continues to bring the trend of making music more image oriented by using album and artist art to browse music rather than just having an alphabetical list of files.  Look for a more indepth review of all the new features and how to use them by the end of the week.