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Apple attempts to make the Nano the must-have tech toy
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Sept. 12, 2009 – An iPod with a radio sounds a note of irony for me. I remember telling a friend once that I prefer Creative media players to iPods not just because they sound better, but because they have more amenities like a voice recorder and radio. His response was that the "no radio" thing actually was part of the iPod charm.
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The Nano '09 family comes in a rainbow of colors
Wow! Look at the Nano now.
When the Class of '09 iPods were announced at the Apple event this week in San Francisco, the iPod Nano was unveiled with exactly the features some of the faithful had thumbed their noses at – a voice-recorder, speaker and, yes, a built-in radio. At least Apple got the radio right and added the ability to tag songs you hear for purchase later.
Even more revolutionary, though, the Nano now has a video camera – somewhat of a first for a media player – and can also function as a pedometer. The 640x480-pixel camera records at about the same quality as a Flip Mino camcorder.
But the advantage is that now you have a device that plays music and records video, too, cutting down on the number of electronic gadget to carry around to do the things you love. That perhaps is how Apple hopes you see things as it tries to convince you at a time that MP3 player sales are sagging and the economy sputters along that maybe you need just one more media player, a Nano.
The Nano, which has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor and comes in a rainbow of colors, sells for $150 for the 8GB player and $180 for 16GB.
But the Nano wasn’t the only news this week from Apple, whose beloved founder and pitch man, Steve Jobs, took the stage for the first time since he announced he was ill more than a year ago at the San Francisco event.
iTunes got a mini makeover , but the iPod touch only a few got some nips and tucks.
To the disappointment of fans who had hoped for a camera, Apple gave the Touch a processor upgrade and support for the next generation of WiFi. One consolation is that its processor is now more powerful than even the one in the iPhone. Apple also dropped the 16GB model and now offers the 8GB, 32GB and 64GB models for $200, $300 and $400 respectively. But I'd hold off on getting one just yet. I don't think Apple is quite finished with it and, according to specs, a camera is still a real possibility.
The iTunes tune-up gives the popular software the ability to bundle “extras” with albums you buy at the iTunes Music Store the same way that the Zune software does. How about some lyrics, artwork, liner notes or photos to go with that album?
You can also now transfer your music and video between up to five authorized computers thanks to iTunes9's new "Home Sharing" feature.
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