The rumour mills were right. Though really not a new idea per se (portable digital video players), the great iPod, all of the sudden, gains video-playing capabilities. Launched at an Apple Special Event in San Jose, California, USA – starring marketing maestro and Apple head honcho Steve Jobs(damn you Steve, again!), the event also saw the launch of iTunes 6 and a new iMac G5, featuring Front Row (a software and Apple Remote media solution).
Hail the new iPod. Music for your eyes.
With the new 30GB and 60BG iPod, Apple streamlines its iPod product line further with the exit of the iPod mini, iPod Photo and iPod U2. Joining the successful iPod shuffle and evolutionary iPod nano in its quest for world domination, the iPod revolutionises, yet again, the way we experience media. It is no longer “just a digital music player”. Think music. Podcasts. Games. Photos. Video. And more.
Imagine bringing your favourite tunes, photos and music videos with you. How compelling! When you look at the big picture, Apple, the master of convergence, is now heading towards the “master of digital media’ crown. It brought digital music downloads to the masses and now, from the looks of it, looks set to do the same with video. Your personal music video collection, from USD1.99 a pop. Wow. At this juncture, the ITMS has a collection of 2,000 downloadable music videos and TV shows, joining the collection of 2 million songs available online.
Now, if only we, poor Malaysian sods, have our own iTunes Music Store. And an AppleStore to call our own. I feel so… insignificant. Unimportant, unwanted.
Bastards.
Rants aside, the iPod just gets better and better. Powered by an incredible 1.8″ Toshiba hard drive, the new iPod is not only slimmer but also lighter than its predecessors. Just when I thought the nano was the best thing Apple ever did for the digital music players scene, they show the world what innovation is all about. Until the iPod transforms into a full-fledge PDA-phone-media player hybrid, this is the de facto media player on the planet. Period.
Aarrghhh. Decisions, decisions, decisions!
LatestApple Malaysia pricing (correct at press time):
- 30GB iPod for RM1,599
- 60GB iPod for RM2,099
Availability is unknown.
