(by far my favorite iPod ad)
You’ve already heard our two cents over the iPhone 3G and it’s SDK (oh here’s Pedro’s write up on dat SDK), so let’s look at Apple’s new update to it’s grossly popular iTunes/iPod lineup. I’ve heard a lot of rumors that past month or so. Some of them came true and some of them didn’t. Some features weren’t even rumors! Here are some of my opinions of Apple’s announcements (by product).
iPod Touch
One of the major improvements to Apple’s iPod line would have to be to its iPod touch. For one thing, it got price cuts which were needed after the 3G iPhone was selling for $100 less than the iPod touch (not including monthly bills of course!). So, for $229 you can get an 8GB flavor, for $299 a 16GB flavor, and for $399 a 32 GB version. One of the most surprising features to come to the iPod touch was the addition of the speaker and the volume control buttons. Nobody had even predicted either of those features for the Touch (unless you’ve heard otherwise). Gizmodo, in their write up of the new iPod touch, said that the speaker is decent. I think these features alone will help the iPod touch sell since there were so many complaints about the lack of speakers and a physical volume button on the previous version.
(picture property of Gizmodo/Gawker Media)
Also added to the iPod touch is a built in Nike+ adapter, which almost nobody saw coming. Whereas Nanos had a little extension that plugged into the iPod, the new Touch has it built in (how nifty!). Along with the volume control buttons, this will be very appealing to joggers, runners, and walkers who currently use the Nike+ program (and it will potentially attract even more to the program). Unfortunately, this feature will not be integrated (or work with) any previous generation iPod touches, iPhones, or iPhone 3Gs. If you don’t know about the Nike+ program, I’ll point you in the right direction!
The iPod touch also got a few minor cosmetic changes. It has thin edges and a thick middle section just like it’s mother iPhone 3G. The wireless sensor (aka WiFi radio) is now a little bit smaller and less noticeable (it’s that black thing on the back). You’ll also notice that the trim now matches the steel back instead of the old black trim (another thing that makes it look like the iPhone). Gizmodo reports that it feels a lot lighter than the 1st Gen, but of course, I can’t confirm this.
Overall, Apple did the right thing. By adding the Nike+ plus support, volume controls, and speakers, the iPod touch is now even more appealing to those who wanted the iPhone without the Phone and to athletes (or people who go on a daily jog, run, etc.). I rule this a WINNER!
iPod Nano
Along with the iPod touch, the Nano hardware has gotten a major overhaul, and the UI has gotten some tweaks as well. As you can tell, Apple ditched the “fat Nano” design and has gone back to the tall and skinny version. Although the screen may look smaller, just turn the 3rd Gen Nano horizontally and you’ll see that they have the exact same screen. I also think this has to be the most amount of color I’ve ever seen for an iPod line. It also is curved all around (like a long oval if you look at it from the top. Here’s what I mean:
This should be more comfortable in your hand, but I don’t have one so I’m just guessin’ it is.
One of the most striking features of the Nano has to be the accelerometer. Nobody had guessed this feature (until early today), so really nobody even expected it. So, if you turn the iPod horizontally, you’ll go to cover art, just like the iPod touch. Not something that we needed, but nice none the less. To go along with the iPhone/iPod touch-esque cover flow, they’ve made the “now playing” screen look a bit more like its iPod touch brother as well (see picture above). Another cool feature is if you hold the center button, you can choose a number of various option such as a Genius, Add to On-The-Go playlist, Browse album, and Browse artist option. A very nice shortcut alternative to the menus. So, if you have a song in a playlist by an artist you feel like listening to, you can just hold the center button and choose “Browse Album” (see picture below). 
Of course one of the most noticeable features to come to the Nano has to be the Genius feature (now in iTunes 8). By holding the center button, you can start the Genius mode. Whether your listening to a song or just browsing through your songs, you can activate this feature at any time: iTunes sends your play history to the iTunes Store servers, which recommend music that “works well” with your current selection, presumably based on “other people who bought your stuff also liked this” type data gleaned from years of iTunes Store operation. From there, it creates a Genius playlist which will let you save the playlist (on your computer) in case you like the songs it chooses. If you don’t like it, you can refresh it and it will come up with more songs. So, if you’re in a certain mood and you’re listening to a song which matches that mood, this is a great feature which no other PMP player offers (that I can think of).
Overall, a nice improvement to the Nano. I rule this a SORTA-WINNER (I’ll explain why later).
Click Here to watch the Nano Quick tour.
Other Minor Things
The iPod classic doesn’t have anything new. It does have the genius feature, but nothing else. Oh yeah, except for the fact that they got RID of the 160 GB option! I think Apple took a step in the wrong direction with this one. While I’m sure most people don’t have a huge movie/video collection, I’m sure some people in the world do. Although Apple probably wasn’t getting as many orders for it as the 120 GB model, I don’t think that means it needs to be canceled all together. Just make less. By having a 160 GB iPod, I think this looks more appealing to consumers with large video collections. This was nice for Apple since they really didn’t have any competition in that memory market. Now that the 120 GB version is directly competing with the Zune (which now offers a 120 GB flavor), the consumer has to make the choice between Apple and Microsoft. Sometimes, it might not always be Apple (gasp!).
Not a huge deal (though I make it sound like one), but something worth noting. I rule this a NOTHING REALLY CHANGED LOSER! (not as a bad as a straight up loser. Like a 3 out of 5 star thing)
Oh, the shuffle got some new colors. (exciting, huh?)
iTunes 8
If there’s one thing I was severely disappointed by from this announcement, it has to be iTunes 8. For one thing, it should not have been iTunes 8. To me, this looks more like a needed upgrade to iTunes 7. Sure it’s got the Genius feature, a new visualizer, and a new album art viewing option, nothing else is really new. No new UI changes, no new icon, no memory management fixes (we all know how much freakin’ memory iTunes hogs), and no new (whatever else you can think of). I mean c’mon, you could’ve added a new icon color! I was expecting some UI tweeks, but Apple gave us almost nothing with none. I think the Genius feature is nice on your iPod, but I’ll leave Pandora to choosing the songs I like while I’m at home (well, that is if it holds up). I was also hoping for a new music management feature: the ability for iTunes to detect new music files that has been added to your music folder. I also would’ve liked to see some better memory management which should have been on the top of Apple’s To-do list for iTunes. Overall, not too happy.
Except for one thing: NBC. FINALLY IT’S BACK! Ughhh! How much I missed my Monk, the Office, Psych, and more… Comes in both SD ($1.99) and HD ($2.99) flavors (yum!)
Remember, that’s MY opinion, I’m sure many of you thought that the new features were fine and that’s cool to.
What Apple Needs to Do Next
When the iPod was announced 6-7 years ago, the scroll wheel had to be one of the newest and greatest features of the time. Since then, it has evolved into the click wheel. While at first it was innovating and easy to use, as Gizmodo shows us, it’s not that fun anymore. Take a look at the menu comparisons:
(property of Gizmodo/Gawker Media)
Yeah, your thumbs hurt in no time. Though they have the iPod touch, which has no quick wheel and an extremely easy and fun to use interface, what about the rest of the line? Sure, the new center button thing is an improvement, but I think it’s time to reinvent the iPod, for the iPod’s sake. While this is no small task, I am hoping that the new iPods have many new and intuitive features for input. I think the accelerometer in the new iPod nano is a definite sign that something is going to come in the future. I can’t even dream of what Apple might come up with, maybe the iPod brain? A new iPod which sticks into your ear and analyzes your moods to find you the perfect song. Probably not, but still, Apple needs to give people another reason to use their PMP devices.
Apple needs to reinvent the iPod.
Spiderman's Web 
I’m not diggin’ the new Nano. Is it really necessary to have Genius on it? I mean are people so lazy they can’t even match their own music up properly? Maybe I just don’t understand the power of Genius, “accelerometer”, and oval shape. Even if it’s more comfortable to carry in your hand, how awkward would it be to be walking down the street with a tube-y round thing in your pocket. If yallz are dudes and wear tight pants, it’s probably worse. Still, they’re better than the last generation. At least they’re not stupid like the little, stunted iPods. 😛
Yeah, I agree. I’m not to big on the whole oval shape either. I never thought about wearing down the street though. I think it would feel kinda weird in your pocket since we’re so used to electronics being square.
I will say that sometimes a lot of people don’t even realize that some music goes great with other music. So, I’m betting a lot people probably like this feature. The accelerometer isn’t really necessary, but Apple really wants to push Cover Flow and make people use it. Although, I don’t think cover flow is that great for people with large music libraries. But if you have a nano with only like 4-8 Gigs of music, it’s a nice way to browse your music.
Plus, in iTunes, it recommends music that you haven’t bought, which will probably lead to people buying music they otherwise wouldn’t have known of or thought to buy.
Coverflow just makes the UI more intuitive. Instead of tediously going to the cover flow menu item, you just turn it, instead of going to the shuffle menu, you just shake it. Holding the button to get options for browsing other songs by that artist, in that album, etc is a pretty big step forward as well because it allows you to jump across the menu hierarchy, instead of going up the ‘tree’ and then back down like you had to before, which was annoying. So yeah, I think it’s a step forward.
when I said coverflow in the beginning of the second paragraph I meant the accelerometer. oops.
Genius is the best thing that ever happened to my playlists on my ipod. I spend a ton of time organizing my music and I occasionally ‘borrow’ music from friends for review or backup (of course). But, I dont have time to review it all and then sort into play lists. I love that I can pick a song and get a group of music that is similar, I agree that it is doesn’t always produce what you expect or want. But, overall it has made my life infinitely easier.
As a side note, I have only once used the Genius in iTunes. I use it primarily on my iPod.