Apple’s new lineup has been announced: A new iPod touch with a Retina display and dual cameras, a bite-sized touchscreen Nano, a sandwich-sized stream-only Apple TV, and updates to both iTunes and iOS, improving their social and gaming capabilities.
We’ve got the news in about 20 separate posts, sure, but we have yet to apply our keen blogging sense to the announcements, rooting through the specs and pricing like trained truffle-hogs, and emerging gorged with opinion. Only then, our blog-thirst sated with Coldplay and turtlenecks, can we resume normal coverage of non-Apple news.
John: Everything is great in the land of Apple gadgets. They amazed everyone with both a Nano and Apple TV you could ingest by accident, as well as an iPhone for my mom (the iPod touch with Facetime). However, as I said before, the format lock-ins required by these devices may start to upset some folks but will probably not matter to a vast majority. In general, Apple is running the PMP space and everyone else is just hoping for the crumbs that fall from their table. While not the BEST.KEYNOTE.EVER (the iPad update would have been a welcome addition right about now) it was one of the better ones.
Devin: The new iPod touch really is a killer all-purpose device, especially if used properly (read: jailbreak it). it’s a shame they’ve limited the still photos to such a low resolution, though; I wonder if the video quality will suffer too? The Nano is an amazing little device, too. I think they’ll be very popular. As far as the Apple TV, well, I think they undershot it a bit. There’s room for a lot more functionality that could have been added without complicating the device, and I think that’s going to be clear in comparisons with existing and new set-top boxes over the next few weeks and months.
Matt: Sigh. Oh, Apple TV. How I wanted to like you. But I don’t. You’re not for me. I’m sure you’re a fine device in your own right, but you’re just too closed-minded to fit my lifestyle. I wanted something like you that brought all my media to my HDTV in a wife-friendly manner, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the Boxee Box. Besides, where’s your QWERTY remote? Apple clearly doesn’t love you. Hopefully some enterprising devs can loosen your chains and let you run free.
Dave: I like the new iPod touch (I use my 2G all the time), the new Nano looks to be at the perfect price point to me. Don’t care much about the new features in iTunes, as the artists I listen don’t generally don’t communicate via social networking. I find the new Apple TV a bit limited, other then as a Netflix streaming box, and there are others out there. Again, Apple is trying to keep us in that lovely walled garden of theirs, and while it might be pretty inside, I’d rather have the ability to choose where and how I get my media. I guess I’m not really the target market for their media services.
Kyle: iOS4 look like a fun upgrade, but I’ll do it and think nothing more. However, we finally get streaming over Airtunes, I mean Airplay, from an iOS4 device. The new shuffle clearly restates, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” I think people will be happy to have their buttons back. The new Nano excites me; I’ve been meaning to get my girlfriend something to use for running, and this fits the bill. The new iPod touch is cool but of no interest to myself, nor to the Verizon customers that might buy them – if you want iOS4, you can wait until January. Apple TV is cool, but I’m not sure who will buy it, I want to stream my own videos, not rentals.
We’ll have comparisons and breakdowns over the next couple weeks as the new devices are reviewed, torn down, and put side-by-side with competing products. In the meantime, sound off below or join the conversation in one of the numerous news posts.
Thanks for tuning in to/tolerating our Apple coverage, guys. We love you so much.