iPod - iDisappointed
If you haven’t already heard Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, announced Monday the release of the 4th generation model (excluding the iPod Mini) of the industry leading and cultural phenomenon iPod MP3 player.
Unlike previous release announcements, which thrilled most fans including the Hamster, by introducing new body designs, compatibility with Windows, and solid state “touch sensitive”scroll wheels, Mondays announcement left me lacking any anticipation or excitment for this new release. For one there has not been any huge design change besides a slightly thinner case at .57” (for the 20 gig model) just a fraction bigger than the .5” iPod Mini. What has been changed is that the button layout/functionality from the iPod Mini has now been incorporated into the new model replacing the entirely “touch sensitive” buttons of the last generations design. Considering howsensitive these buttons have been on my 15 gig model it is a welcome change and one that does give this design a leg up on its predecessor.
Next, and more importantly, Apple listened to the public outcry over the 3rd generation models anemic battery life and returned the new model to the near 12 hours of play-time that the earliest iPod’s previously touted. The 8 hours the model on the shelves now is capable of is far too under powered considering you can carry enough music for a month on the device but have to recharge every 6 or 7 hours when listening to it (The 6 or 7 hours is indicative of real world usage conditions). I am glad Apple at least got that right!
There are also a few other additional features such as "improved playback" and a more customizable "On-The Go" Play-list as well as faster menu access to key functions, none of which gives the Hamster any goose bumps.
In fact none of the wish-list items of countless iPod fanatics, improved battery life aside, were incorporated into this new model. Things like a built in AM/FM tuner and/or transmitter, Bluetooth headphones, larger capacity drives (as previously leaked by Toshiba) or color screens with video playback capability, etc…made the cut for the 4th generation Pod’.
Now the Hamster has never been a fan of the idea for a "Video Pod" and probably would not shell out the extra dough for a model that has that functionality but come on Apple! Are you telling me I waited over a year for a new button layout and a return to the battery life I had on my 1st generation model?!?!! Are you serious?!! This is what your crack engineering team has come up with to entice your legions of iPod users to save up their milk money to trade in their current iPod for the latest model? Well not this Hamster! You could have made it a bit more appealing by including at least one or two new features that your user base has been clamoring for since the release of your last model which would also help it stand out from earlier generations.
The Hamster will most likely be skipping this model in the hopes that a follow up release is not too far off in the future, hopefully with a few more of the added extras that will make shelling out another 3 or 4 hundred dollars for a MP3 player worth my while.
The new iPod comes in only two flavors this time, 20 or 40 gigs and will be available immediately according to Apple, so expect to find it on shelves in about a week or two.
For more details on the new release check the links below:
Article in Newsweek on the new iPod.
Newsweek article examining the impact of the iPod on the music and technology world.
Pictures of the new iPod, its packaging and contents
- AH