‘Let’s Rock’ event rocked about as much as a Britney come back.
OK so no surprise on the new iTunes and the new nano looks just like the shots everyone has seen and clearly Apple considers the nano the new ‘standard’ iPod. One thing though…they sure are pushing the hell out of the Genius features in the iPod and iTunes. I’ve yet to find an application that can actually recommend music based on what you are listening too and actually get it right other than hitting the same genre or bpm.
However, the features to the iPod touch are what catches my interest.
1. Finally hardware buttons for volume like the iPhone. I cannot help feel they intentionally left it off the original to help drive later market sales.
2. A speaker, awesome for listening to podcasts in the morning while shaving and not needing some extra hardware kicking around. I am assuming it will have the mic features just like the new Nano (it damn well better!)
3. Software update to 2.1. If anyone is brave enough to install it after the last few disasters 
But…no increased storage sizes? Oh wait, that would be so they don’t cut into the iPhone sales and get in trouble with the phone companies and those so cleverly crafted contracts I’m sure.
What really makes me smile is that Apple is finally running out of catchy phrases because the best they managed for the iPod touch this time around was “The funnest iPod ever” not even “The fastest we’ve ever shipped”..my bad that is used on every Mac they ever release.
Overall I have to say I think the series of announcements maybe the most ‘blah’ that Apple has done to date, nothing really beyond what was expected or rumored and beyond the Nano nothing to announce really at all.
Is the iPod halo starting to dim a little…
One Comment
Given todays announcements, I do start to wonder if Apple is capable of doing enough to stay (so far) ahead of the competition much longer. We all know from seeing other tech companies that when you leap ahead with a product and then start to get lazy it comes back to bite you.
The one thing that prevents me from buying a new ipod touch right now is the lack of storage space. For any meaningful amount of audio, podcast, audiobooks and/or tv programs/movies you need the kinda of space that only the classic can offer when travelling.