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Apple's "Let's Rock" Event: What's New With the iPods?
Grab Bag: Accessories, Style & Environment
The rest of the announcements were relatively minor compared to the nano and Touch upgrades, but they are still worth mention. Apple released two new sets of headphones for the iPod crowd: a $30 pair much like the basic headphones, and an $80 set of dual-driver in-ear monitors. Both headphones feature a new in-line microphone/control that looks like an evolution of the included iPhone headset. The control has a volume rocker, a track control button, and a microphone for use with the new voice recorder on the nano. Sadly, neither pair is compatible with the iPhone. The spendier of the two is Apple's attempt to capitalize on the headphone upgrade possibilities that have been handled by the likes of Shure, Sony, Ultimate Ears, and V-Moda so far. I can't wait to hear them; that price puts them between the basic Sony IEMs and the low-end Shure/Ultimate Ears IEMs. If they are up to the task, Apple may have quite a winner on their hands.  Last, and least, the Shuffle got a few new colors to match (some of) the new nano colors. Yay, Shuffle. You're still cool, but stop pretending to have new features. It doesn't work. Conclusion Apple events are like prime-time news broadcasts - the folks spittin' the story always try to make it much more exciting than it really is. In this case, we did end up with a few winners that are worth taking a look at if you are in the market for a new music player. The nano line is new and improved with some great feature additions and a whole rainbow of available hues, and the new Touch is curvier and more functional than the last. Genius playlists are everywhere, and they just may make you happy when you want to listen to a good selection without putting too much work into it. The new headphones have a really cool multifunction control built in, and the nicer of the two pairs is (pending review) a jump in sound quality from the bundled 'phones. The Classic and Shuffle are the same, but who was complaining about them in the first place? Apple continues the push from "Red Delicious" to "Granny Smith" with its environmental efforts, and that can't be a bad thing. If anything else, you don't have to be too nervous about purchasing a soon-to-be upgraded iPod during the holidays. Well, maybe there will be another capacity increase or price drops announced just in time for Black Friday, but I wouldn't expect anything major. Go check out the new goods at your local Apple Store or electronics Brick 'n' Mortar and make the decision for yourself.
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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