The New iPods
8th of September, 2007
The brand new iPod touch seems very un-Apple like. Similar to Vista’s many versions, the iPod touch is artificially crippled, if it can run Safari and YouTube, it can run address book, it can run maps, it can run notes, it can run mail. I’m not saying it should run all those apps — I think it shouldn’t exist.
Just under two years ago, including colour and size variations, there were only 9 unique iPod options. As of yesterday, there’s now 17 possibilities (18 if you include the iPhone). One of the best and most distinguishing features of the iPod was that it was easy to choose the model that was right for you. No more.
In the keynote Jobs cited customers request for iPhone-like touch screen and navigation in regular iPods as the drive behind iPod touch. If you want an iPod with a wide, touchscreen, buy an iPhone. I can’t believe Apple created a bastardised iPhone for these people. Just look at it.
It comes in the same storage capacities as the iPhone with the same iPod interface, same Safari, same video interface, same YouTube application. Then there’s a bunch of slight inconsistencies — iPod touch is a little smaller, the home button is smaller, the dock is modified, it has a thicker edge, less space below the screen. It has a small subset of applications. With the iPhone price drop there’s only a $100 difference between the two.
The extra features in the iPod touch are the equivalent of more lowly extra features in competitor players. For a long time Apple’s been ignoring things like FM radios and voice recorders. Then, they give an iPod features like WiFi, Safari and YouTube videos. Really, YouTube videos? They’re at home on an iPhone, a real multipurpose device, but the iPod is a music player.
It reeks of the almost-the-same-but-slightly-different range of MP3 players and phones made by other manufacturers.
I agree with Dan Benjamin about the iPod touch name. I might add that just about every one of their pre-keynote predictions were spot on.
As for the bitches complaining about the $200 price drop — shut up. No one forced you to buy an iPhone for $599, like Gruber said “if you didn’t think the iPhone was worth $599, you shouldn’t have bought it”.
