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[glynor]

In case you didn't see it, I'll give you a quick review.

• iPod Shuffle -- 1GB, new colors (red), $79
• iPod Nano ("Fat" Nano) -- video, cover flow, 4GB & 8GB, $149 & $199
• iPod Classic -- similar to old design (but all metal), hard drive, same as nano UI, 80GB & 160GB, $249 & $349
• iPod Touch -- almost identical to iPhone (thinner), wifi, flash-based, includes Web but not communications (no email), 8GB & 16GB, $299 & $399
• Wi-Fi Apple iTunes Store -- accessible for purchase from iPod Touch and iPhone, syncs back to iTunes next time you plug in.
• Ringtones -- bend over for an extra $0.99 just to use the song as a ringtone, only certain songs, doesn't include $0.99 purchase price of song
• Some Starbucks Wi-Fi stuff (free Wifi on iPhone/iPod and fancy purchase thing)
• HUGE iPhone PRICE DROP!!  Discontinued 4GB model.  8GB model now $399 (that's -$200 for those not paying attention).
  

More here:

http://www.arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070905-live-ars-technica-coverage-of-todays-apple-event.html
http://www.arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070905-apple-unveils-new-ipod-touch-fat-ipod-nano-at-special-event.html
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/apples-beat-keynote-liveblog-here-296608.php

[jgreen]

If I understand this, they did NOT increase the capacity of the clip-on shuffle?  That I've been waiting a year to get at 2gb?

[glynor]

If I understand this, they did NOT increase the capacity of the clip-on shuffle?  That I've been waiting a year to get at 2gb?

Correct.  Shuffle is still 1GB only.  Fancy new colors and a special red one that donates to charity (Global AIDS thing) is all.

I gotta say though, for $149 the 4GB new Nano looks pretty darn sweet.  Still small (though not clippy of course), but much more feature packed than the shuffle.

I mean... It really is pretty small:

[benn600]

Oh how I dislike the iTunes Store revolution.  They are destroying high quality music!  And why can't you make a ringtone from unprotected music?!  Well, that was never specifically specified but it is probably a reasonable assumption.  Maybe there will be a work around.

[skeeterfood]

And why can't you make a ringtone from unprotected music?!

A better question...  Why can't you make a ringtone from any music on your IPod?!?  Is playing a portion of a song to alert you that someone is trying to call you really such a unique situation that it needs it's own type of license?  I guess I need a special license if I hook up a CallerID modem to my PC and play a song whenever the phone is ringing?  Oh wait, I don't.  Darn that fair use...

And yet people will pay an extra buck for the "unique experience" of listening to the same darn song every time someone calls you...

-John

[BartMan01]

I've been waiting for the 'touch' iPod, and must say I am a little dissapointed.  Why didn't they just make the thing thicker and drop a proper HD in there.  I love being able to haul 60gb of stuff around, and never got the 'video' iPod since it had such a small screen.

[prod]

Yeah it's a pity the touch screen only has a max of 16gb, tho I'm interested in the ability to download tracks on it. It'd mean I wouldn't need to have iTunes installed to buy tracks. (Not that I do at the moment, I'm still buying CD's)

It'll be interesting (and probably disappointing) to see how different these iPods are in terms of ease of syncing with MC.

[lOth]

16Gb for a widescreen device is really a no go. I'll wait on that one. So I got myself a little 8gb fatty which I'm sure is going to treat me well. Now, I'm wondering, when is MC going to treat my fatty well? Whatever the answer, I can't wait.

[SwellGuy]

We will need the descriptions, model #'s and the last three digits of the serial number to identify the new iPods correctly - so as you come across these new iPods please scrape and share this information with us. Thanks in advance, we appreciate it very much.

[benn600]

Yea, someone buy each product listed here.  Everyone take a product and confirm here that you're buying one.  Then tell us how it works with Media Center.  I wonder if iPod Touch is like the iPhone in that it won't sync with MC as it is now or if it is more like the iPod.  I think it's crazy that the touch iPod doesn't have Mail, Maps, etc. on it.  I mean you can use all that over WiFi!  Although I think you get free use in Starbucks so they probably don't want those bandwidth hogs (like maps) on there.

I read that you can re-order the dock or something on the Touch so I wonder if the iPhone update coming up here will let you do that.

WATCH THE KEYNOTE.  it's on Apple's site.  It's 90 minutes!  I watched it last night and had to stay up much later because of it--thanks Apple!

Good thing they didn't release a 16GB iPhone or I would have been ******** *** ** ** * * * * *.

[glynor]

I've been waiting for the 'touch' iPod, and must say I am a little dissapointed.  Why didn't they just make the thing thicker and drop a proper HD in there.  I love being able to haul 60gb of stuff around, and never got the 'video' iPod since it had such a small screen.

I agree wholeheartedly.  It's obviously coming, but we'll probably have to wait until next generation.

My, completely not-based-on-evidence-at-all, guess is that the OS underneath the iPod Touch/iPhone won't run anywhere near as smoothly when loading from a hard drive, and is too big to fit into the cheap small amount of onboard RAM they build into the "classic" iPods.  Therefore, there only choice for Apple to provide a "touchy" hard drive based iPod would have been to include both flash and hard drive storage (a hybrid solution).  I'd guess, since the true hybrid hard drives are still coming into the market (and still command early adopter sized prices) that this was not a possibility from a cost benefit perspective.

That's why we now have the iPod classic.

I bet next gen will eliminate the classic (unless they sell super-well) and have a flash-based iPod touch, and a hybrid (small amount of flash + big hard drive) high-end iPod touch, in addition to the fatty nano and shuffle lines.

[benn600]

$100 store credit to almost all previous iPhone purchasers.  Not the ones who already got $200 back from complaining.

[rjm]

I just watched the keynote. Very nice products. Which one I buy will be primarily determined by which models JRiver supports. I like my iPod but I like my MC even better .

[datdude]

Yeah it's a pity the touch screen only has a max of 16gb, tho I'm interested in the ability to download tracks on it. It'd mean I wouldn't need to have iTunes installed to buy tracks. (Not that I do at the moment, I'm still buying CD's)

It'll be interesting (and probably disappointing) to see how different these iPods are in terms of ease of syncing with MC.

Well actually you might have to, since currently MC can't connect to this version of ipod (since right now there is no API) and you need Itunes to get it off of the ipod.  You likely can't just drag a folder and move your tunes to a new hard drive, but I could be wrong, maybe Apple didn't think like a corporation this time.

[datdude]

One thing I really like about the ipod touch interface is how the cover flow works where you can choose an album, and it flips it over to reveal the songs.

If MC could somehow incorporate that into album thumbnails, that would awesome.

[jgreen]

I just checked my "Top Hits".  I have 692 songs rated "5", and another 740 rated "4".  That makes roughly 1500 tracks that I would condsider "essential".  And the current shuffle will hold ~200 of them?  How would I ever pick who gets into the lifeboat and who stays behind?  Steve Jobs, are you completely without pity?

Looks like I'm sticking with my portable MusicBrick--my 2G iPod. 

[benn600]

No one responded to the $100 back.  Doesn't anyone here own an iPhone?  What do you think of the credit coming back?  Any ideas on how we'll get it back?  Will it be mailed to every iPhone owner with their AT&T bill?  Too bad they couldn't only give it to people who ask and then give $200.  Then, the people who are in the loop would get more money back and those who don't know nothing wouldn't get anything back.  I'm sure there is a huge number of people who have NO idea whatsoever that the price has gone down.  But the techies like us know and some of them are blowing it out of proportion.

What about when D-Link starts a rebate on their wireless media player?  It sells for $150 and I saw a $50 rebate.  That's 1/3 price drop!  Do the people who bought it days before the rebate complain?!  Probably not!  I mean honestly people!

[glynor]

No one responded to the $100 back.  Doesn't anyone here own an iPhone?  What do you think of the credit coming back?  Any ideas on how we'll get it back?  Will it be mailed to every iPhone owner with their AT&T bill?  Too bad they couldn't only give it to people who ask and then give $200.  Then, the people who are in the loop would get more money back and those who don't know nothing wouldn't get anything back.  I'm sure there is a huge number of people who have NO idea whatsoever that the price has gone down.  But the techies like us know and some of them are blowing it out of proportion.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070906-early-iphone-adopters-receive-100-credit-from-apple.html

[benn600]

yes but still no responses from forum members!  I've read articles by journalists--yippie.  I want to hear from normal people like us.

[prod]

Well actually you might have to, since currently MC can't connect to this version of ipod (since right now there is no API) and you need Itunes to get it off of the ipod.  You likely can't just drag a folder and move your tunes to a new hard drive, but I could be wrong, maybe Apple didn't think like a corporation this time.

Yeah I think I had a momentary lapse of pessimism. Of course they'll make it as difficult as possible. I'll just give it time - I'm quite happy with what I've got at the moment. Besides, I'm sure benn will be queueing up in his sleeping bag on the first day and report back .

[benn600]

Lol.  I got the iPhone because I want ONE device.  Now how smart would I be if I went and bought a standalone iPod?

[BartMan01]

currently MC can't connect to this version of ipod (since right now there is no API)

AFAIK There is no 'API' to the original iPod either.  Just smart people at JRiver.

[datdude]

Well they have to plugin to it somehow, so I guess they just made their own API up.  In anycase it is looking very difficult to do with the current iphone, and I would assume the ipod touch as well.