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Apple's "Let's Rock" Event: What's New With the iPods?
Introduction
Apple's latest media event was full of the "funnest" new releases from Cupertino we have seen since the iPhone 3G launch earlier this summer. The refresh was across-the-board for the iPod lineup; new nanos, new Touches, new first-party accessories, and minor updates to the Classic and Shuffle lines - all of the big dogs were present and accounted for. We already went over the new goodies in iTunes 8, and now we are going to take a look at the good, the bad, and the technicolor for the fresh goodies that Apple sent to retail this week. Nano 4G: All Growed Up  The addition of an iPhone-like accelerometer lets you activate cover flow mode by rotating the nano on its side. You can also shake the nano to shuffle tracks. That sounds kinda cheesy, but I'd probably make a fool of myself shaking it all the time if I had one. All accounts have said that the interface runs a lot faster than previous generations, and that is a good thing. A couple of my friends returned previous-gen iPods because of the laggy interface that debuted with the 3G nano and Classic. Just like the iPhone before it, the nano has received the new hotness that is curved edges. It's a more tapered curve than the 2G nano - very sleek. There are nine (seriously?) colors available. Silver, black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and pink casings can be ordered in either capacity. The casing is cut from a single piece of aluminum, just like the 2G nano and the iPod Mini before it. Those have always been my favorite designs, and I'm happy to see it return again for the new nano. It's the same thickness as the previous generation at it's thickest point, but the rest is a bit thinner because of the tapering. The entire body curves, including the screen, so you get a nice, comfortable feel in the hand. All in all, this seems like a mostly evolutionary update to the nano. The new case design is top notch, and the choice to rotate the screen looks to be a big improvement over the old style. The new interface is exactly what Apple should have done with the Classic / nano from the beginning. Let's hope that move makes it to the Classic sometime in the not-too-distant future. Round out the update with Genius playlists and a voice recording app, and you have a pretty attractive music player on your hands.
Page 1: Introduction & Nano 4G: All Growed Up
Page 2: iPod Touch: Feature Creep & Classic: Keep it Simple Page 3: Grab Bag: Accessories, Style & Entertainment and Conclusion 
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