Well it seems Apple have done it again. At their “One more thing…” keynote event today, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company’s latest product lineup.
By far the most exciting product revision is the fifth generation iPod. The “white iPod” as it has become known has led a rather interesting life. It started off as a clumsy brick-like music player with lots of moving parts, then came the touch wheel, then the click wheel, then colour screens and photos, and now it even supports video. There are some really cool things about this latest iPod, but there are some obvious problems that aren’t really apparent on first glance.
Naturally, the good things are video and the new large screen. Oh and just like the nano, it now comes in black as well as white. It is capable of playing back both H.264 and MPEG4 and due to the small screen size, doesn’t need much space to hold the video. The downside is that you need to convert video to one of the above formats to be able to play it, and also scale the video down to the correct size for the iPod’s screen. The other major gripe I have is with the total lack of accessories. When I bought my third gen about two years ago now, it came with everything you would ever need. The new iPods don’t come with a Firewire cable, a dock, a belt clip or even a power charger. But at least all my old ones should still work.
The other new addition to the Mac family is the latest iMac G5. Sent into the marketplace to take on Microsoft’s Media Center PCs, the new iMac sports Front Row, an on screen menu that allows quick access to rich media on your computer. The iMac now ships with the new Apple Remote Control. Not to be confused with the software, this six button remote allows you to take command of your media experience from your couch.
The new iMac also comes with a faster processor, built in iSight, more hard disk space and an Apple Mighty Mouse. Surprisingly the product is still reasonably priced. The 17-inch model will set you back about $1,800 which is a bargain when you take a look at all the features it packs into it’s sleek little package.
Apple have managed to dive head first into the online media market with this new product lineup. The real question now is… Black or White?
October 14th, 2005 at 10:11
I say Purple…..
October 15th, 2005 at 18:18
Addo: I say Fish!…………… No really, i went for Bad-Arse Black.
October 15th, 2005 at 21:30
Hey! I love your site!…. Its hot! I have started updating mine slowly over at blogspot.
Yeah on the subject of IPod’s I am pissed off about this, they need to do something to expand the battery capacity or something, and black all the way.
My Ipod, is still in 3rd Generation B&W screen 20gb, which so needs to be updated, which is fully raunchy on many levels. Mariah and Madonna are my most played artists, with WE BELONG TOGETHER being most played son standing at 172 times played since FEB this year. Keep up the good work. XX Coley
October 17th, 2005 at 21:39
Addo you are becoming so… one-worded lately.
October 18th, 2005 at 12:52
When are they going to bring out “Titanium Silver” ones? That way it’ll match my hardware ;-)