Metropol

It's that time of year again, with Steve Job's obnoxious keynote, unveiling updated iPods. Usually I'm indifferent, but this year some of the changes are utterly absurd.

iPod Nano 2009:
iPod Nano 2010:

Case in point, the iPod Nano. Last year the nano was updated with a video camera and FM radio, along with the typical audio/video playback. However, this year it has been reduced to the size of a Shuffle, with a minuscule touch screen, while eliminating video playback, the video camera, and the scroll wheel. Admittedly, I wouldn't want to watch a video on a 1.5 inch screen, but this is definitely a case of form reducing the functionality of a device, especially when the device is the same price as the previous generation.

I don't think the device itself is awful, but I think it should have replaced the iPod Shuffle. I think I'll find myself hanging on to my trusty 5th Generation iPod, especially because it looks like the Classic is being phased out.

I don't really know why I find this irritating, what are your thoughts?

Apparently it's a skinned version of the old software, with a bit of multitouch from iOS thrown on top.

Edit: Also, if it was the size of, let's say the 3rd Generation Nano, all screen of course, it would have been much better.

What in god's name would you need multi-touch on a 1.5" screen for anyway? It's utterly ridiculous, I think I'll be hanging onto my Nano 4G now, tbh. Either that, or get a Touch.

jsm wrote:It's that time of year again, with Steve Job's obnoxious keynote, unveiling updated iPods.

Yeah, who does he think he is, ANNOUNCING products and BRAGGING about success, an American CEO or something?

Makes me sick to my stomach.

Believe me, I'm not completely against Apple-I have a Mac, but surely one must find it strange that there seems to be a cult of personality centered around his products and Jobs himself. Where else are CEO's keynotes covered on TV Newscasts (presumably just here on the US)? What it comes down to is the fact that iPods are consumer products-good products at that, but they're still just devices, and nothing more than that.

jsm wrote:Believe me, I'm not completely against Apple-I have a Mac, but surely one must find it strange that there seems to be a cult of personality centered around his products and Jobs himself. Where else are CEO's keynotes covered on TV Newscasts (presumably just here on the US)? What it comes down to is the fact that iPods are consumer products-good products at that, but they're still just devices, and nothing more than that.

Surely the desire for the media to cover Apple's product launches is a sign of Apple's success rather than it's failure. After all, considering all the free advertising it gets - Steve Jobs is hardly going to say "Oh no...don't turn up. I'll just issue a press release with some pictures. It launches next week."

At the end of the day - love or loathe them, Apple reach a lot of people and the amount of people in the UK that has a product created by them is surely rather high? I'm not saying every move they make should be covered but why else should it be different that Apple gets coverage to when Microsoft release a new version of Windows or Virgin Media up the speed of their broadband. It also doesn't hurt that Apple deliberately makes these events very media friendly, while releasing precious little else beforehand - this ensures that the big boys will be there to find out and make sure they're not missing out on anything.

I must admit, I sort of feel the same way about the Apple machine and the fuss over product launches.

Successful, sure; but I tend to believe its an engineered event to launch revised products that contain improvements they probably could have released with their earlier models.

Call me a cynic...

A friend of mine bought me a Nano this summer. I'm glad he bought it when he did, not impressed by this update.
The new touches are nice, as are the shuffles, but the nano doesn't quite sit right with me.

I do like my 5G one though.

I love the look of the new one, but wholly agree with the comments here, the Nano name should have been dropped and a new type name used for the new model.

Must admit though the iPod touch is now quite a beast and is tempting me. I can't really justify based on my call volumes an iPhone.

Gavin Scott wrote:I must admit, I sort of feel the same way about the Apple machine and the fuss over product launches.

Successful, sure; but I tend to believe its an engineered event to launch revised products that contain improvements they probably could have released with their earlier models.

I noticed that the beeb were running a report today about iPad rivals being launched in Berlin, in particular the Samsung Galaxy tablet. It made a nice change from the usual 'there is nothing else but Apple' approach

Of course it has all the things that people complain are missing on an iPad such as a camera, but of course when Apple finally catch up in 6 months time it will get far more publicity.

LaSeandre wrote:What in god's name would you need multi-touch on a 1.5" screen for anyway? It's utterly ridiculous, I think I'll be hanging onto my Nano 4G now, tbh. Either that, or get a Touch.

The mention of multitouch got a big cheer too, bizarre