[Eugene]

Omg Omgomg

[709]

'The Complete U2?'

[FFL]

http://www.apple.com/ipodphoto

wowza

[Luca]

Damn! Not first!

Ah well, the details:

40 or 60 GB
Color screen
15-hour battery life for continuous music, 5-hour for continuous photo slideshows
AV cable
iTunes 4.7
Import photos from a folder, iPhoto, Adobe Album or Adobe Elements
$499 and $599

iPod U2 is $349 for a 20 GB

No 60 GB standard iPod - you must buy the photo one.

[sCreeD]

Wow, they did a good job at Aquafying the interface.
However, no "cube effect"!?
WTF up with that!?

Screed

[psmith2.0]

Hahaha...they did it. All you "no photo iPod" naysayers can hereby suck it.

[curiousuburb]

Longer Battery life and colour screen!!!1! :surprised:

Enjoy Improved Battery Life Whether you’re on a transcontinental flight or an extra long hike, if you plan to listen to music for hours and hours, iPod Photo has you covered. Fully charged, it lets you enjoy up to 15 hours of continuous music; or up to 5 hours of continuous slideshows with music. Use the FireWire or USB 2.0 cables to quickly charge the batteries. Or use the iPod Photo Dock that comes with both 40GB and 60GB models.

[Crusader]

Wow, I was 14 minutes behind, thanks UMBC Wireless!

Nice screen, better battery life, and only what .8 ounces heavier? Good times.

[kscherer]

The interface appears much nicer than I expected. But the price is WAAAAAY high and I smell picture confusion. I think an iPhoto sync would have been much cooler than doing it through iTunes.

U2 iPod is about what we expected. Actually a great deal considering the $50.00 gift certificate. I think it is limited to U2 music (crap!). But overall a good deal. U2 fans will crap themselves over the autographed rear end. Red button is OK, but not that great.

No Flash iPods (told you so! )

Three frowns. Said it wouldn't be that much excitement. Photo lovers will be happy. Now if they can just make it so you can download pics right from your camera, I'll take one! That would be WAAAAAY cool!

[Messiahtosh]

Very awesome, I want one.

[usurp]

not too impressed with the ipod photo. i mean its just a colored screen which isnt that important for listening to music. the u2 ipod impressed me although i am not a big u2 fan. but the idea that maybe one day they might come out with a Smashing Pumpkins or Pearl Jam version loaded with all there songs is cool

[onlyafterdark]

Very good new all around. Cant wait to play with these puppies when they start shipping to local apple dealers.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Hahaha...they did it. All you "no photo iPod" naysayers can hereby suck it.

Wasn't the crux that there would be no *video* iPod?

[psmith2.0]

How many iPods are you going to buy in one year, Chris?

Here's what I've learned from Stevey Milunovich's 10 page thesis...

"While Milunovich is quick to note that a photo iPod "makes sense" and that Apple executives he spoke with did not reject the idea of such a device, he doesn't expect Apple will release such a device until the first-half of next year."

K. So, no 40GB or 60GB photo ipod to rock Apple's holiday sales. Good to know.

"Milunovich dismisses the notion that a video iPod may follow after a photo iPod, echoing previous sentiments from Apple executives. "In our discussions with management about usage patterns, it is clear that a Video iPod (for playing movies) gets the thumbs down," he writes. Apple simply doesn't see a strong a device that would require users to view a movie on a small screen for an extended period of time."

Okey dokey. Based on that rock solid iPod photo info, I won't expect that Apple went to all the trouble of making that special dock with the S-video connection on the back... but it won't work with video down the line (as in a whole DVD collection on your iPod.) Definitely not plausible.

"Lastly, Milunovich writes that Apple is comfortable with its AirPort Express offering and doesn't see a need to expand into Media Center PCs."

Well, if he says so. After all, he's just right right right, all over the place.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Eugene Wasn't the crux that there would be no *video* iPod?

No. There were tons of people saying either a) there would be no photo iPod (battery life and all) or that b) "Apple won't do it...doesn't make sense...screen too small...makes no sense".

The "suck it" stands.



I never even believed in - or championed - a video iPod, so I never engaged in any threads or discussions on that topic. But I've always believed a pPod could exist, would work with iPhoto, sport a color screen and somehow "work", etc. Just seemed like a no-brainer, even a couple of years ago (remember my mockup with Jamie Lee Curtis, Jodie Foster and Gillian Anderson?).

I think this will sell really well. Comes at a perfect time, with all the digital cameras getting ready to go into overdrive from Thanksgiving until New Years!



I said a few weeks ago: go to grandma's house, with all the family around, and instead of setting up a projector and assembling a screen, just take your iPod, plug it into the TV and voila...easy slide show for all to enjoy. That's gonna be a great feature to many.

[curiousuburb]

Now ships with Solitaire for the PC crowd.

Play Games You know what they say about all work and no play. Navigate to Extras and you’ll find Games: Music Quiz, Solitaire, Brick and Parachute — four popular, not to mention colorful, games you can play anywhere (like when you’re waiting for the movie to start at the multiplex)

[kscherer]

I like the little Apple's on the playing cards.

This thing really doesn't work with iPhoto, even though I believe it should. According to Apple, iTunes will import your photo albums from iPhoto, but not work with it directly. You must create your photo albums in iPhoto, then launch iTunes and possibly it syncs automatically? Not that this is a terrible stretch. There is just no DIRECT syncing. But a good first shot.

[Bill M]

Sooooo... should we have a separate "who ordered an iPod Photo" thread? I am about to click buy on the 60gb version. I am sold on its capacity, battery life and, most importantly, the photo slide show capability. Our entire family picture library available for TV displaying without a computer rocks! This shall save my wife's iBook from often trips to my in-laws. Kudos to Apple on a very exciting product.

[dfiler]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 No. There were tons of people saying either a) there would be no photo iPod (battery life and all) or that b) "Apple won't do it...doesn't make sense...screen too small...makes no sense". The "suck it" stands. ... I said a few weeks ago: go to grandma's house, with all the family around, and instead of setting up a projector and assembling a screen, just take your iPod, plug it into the TV and voila...easy slide show for all to enjoy. That's gonna be a great feature to many.

I refuse to suck it!

And I stand by my anti-vidPod rhetoric.

A color screen is a nice feature and I wish I had one. Yet I say this in the same way that a Rolls Royce is nice and I wish I had one.

Certainly, as technology marches on, the tradeoffs involved with a color screen are continually changing. Just as Rolls Royce was first to have many luxory features, color screens ARE coming to music players.

The argument has always been about WHEN that tradeoff makes sense.

Mostly... I'm now pissed because the LE iPod matches my car interior better. But hey, I'm no murbot, so I guess I'll live with my ghetto white 40 gigger

[psmith2.0]

See?

I agree, Bill. You're one of thousands who will buy one for those reasons! It'll really make a mark, I think.

Some specific info seems to not be easily found at Apple's site, however. I'm kinda fumbling around, trying to find out more about the dock and TV-connecting stuff.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by dfiler Mostly... I'm now pissed because the LE iPod matches my car interior better. But hey, I'm no murbot, so I guess I'll live with my ghetto white 40 gigger

colorwarepc.com and some other shops will offer to paint it if you prefer only the audio Clash over design ones.

[Gizzer]

Originally Posted by kscherer I like the little Apple's on the playing cards. This thing really doesn't work with iPhoto, even though I believe it should. According to Apple, iTunes will import your photo albums from iPhoto, but not work with it directly. You must create your photo albums in iPhoto, then launch iTunes and possibly it syncs automatically? Not that this is a terrible stretch. There is just no DIRECT syncing. But a good first shot.

Ok, I'm not sure I see any downside to the syncing: Whenever you plug your iPod into your Mac, you expect it to fire up iTunes and sync. The only difference is your piccies will also sync across at the same time. If you are in iPhoto, make an album, then plug in your iPod, iTunes will still fire up, and sync without you having to do anything.

Surely that doesn't qualify as "a good first shot" but rather a "bang on target!"

I actually see it as iLife working together just as you'd expect...

[murbot]

Holy shit that's expensive. $250 CDN extra to get the 20GB Photo edition. Yikes!

800 bucks for the 60GB!! Whoa. 80% the cost of an eMac. heh heh

I think even murbot is passing on these. Might have to start the gigolo gig again.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by murbot I think even murbot is passing on these. Might have to start the gigolo gig again.

At two bits a pop, you'll be busy for a while.

[Gizzer]

As an additional point: I'm really glad there was no video playback too. I honestly do not see the point.

As any friend of mine will attest, I am the "Gadget Man", and have to have everything..... But...... Why the hell would I want to attempt to watch a film on a two inch screen?!

I'm guessing 90% of all iPod usage is either in the car, or walking, with the rest of the time being spent on public transport/sat at home. Would you seriously want to pull out your vPod and sit on a tube/bus watching (squinting) at the latest Tarantino flic?!

C'mon all you pro vPod'ers... get real!!!

Finally...the idea of taking a vPod around to your mum's house to show them your latest iMovie of your 1 year-old's first steps on her tv screen, well that's just plain nasty. Pay 50p for a blank DVD-R and give her a DVD of the poor kid so she can watch it more than just when you are visiting!!

[BarracksSi]

Yeah, I didn't think that a color iPod would show up today, not after hearing so many people say that it shouldn't be expected until next year.

I'll have to see one in person to know how usable the color screen really is, especially in bright light. Also, since they went with a video out for slides, I'd like to see actual video & presentation capabilities in the next revision. Then, I might have a reason for upgrading.

In a way, it does "sync" with iPhoto, but you have to use iTunes to make it choose the iPhoto folder. However, because it will also read an album created by Adobe Album or Adobe Elements on the PC, going through iTunes is really the best way to make it work. Let iTunes serve as the link between the iPod and its host Mac or PC.

[curiousuburb]

"Who would want to watch pictures/video on a two-inch screen?"

I would have said the same thing a few years ago, now I'm amazed at how ubiquitous camera phones are, and most digital camera users seem content with quick previews on their wee LCD.

Few serious users would watch the video on their 2 inch screen regularly, but video out? Sure.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Gizzer I actually see it as iLife working together just as you'd expect...

You are right about the working together thing. I suppose, eventually, we may see an iPod App that fires up when you plug in your Pod. Then, the app syncs with iTunes, iPhoto, iWhatever. That App could even have a backup folder and other folders you could create. Plug in, everything syncs. No hassles. Good to hear different input.

Nicest thing about this: In a year or so, iPod Photo will be down around $299 and minis will likely go color in their next incarnation. Possibly even those Flash jobs we've been discussing in that other post.

[Gizzer]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb "Who would want to watch pictures/video on a two-inch screen?" I would have said the same thing a few years ago, now I'm amazed at how ubiquitous camera phones are, and most digital camera users seem content with quick previews on their wee LCD. Few serious users would watch the video on their 2 inch screen regularly, but video out? Sure.

I was actually talking about video rather than photos. I quite like the idea of photos to browse through & store. More as as backup rather than anything practical, but it would be like a virtual family-picture-in-your-wallet too, so that's neat. But with video, as I say.... what's the point?