The iPod

from the thinking-different dept

So, Apple finally came out with their super secret announcement, and it's a portable MP3 player, called the iPod. I just got to play around one briefly about half an hour ago, and it's pretty cool. It certainly has some neat features. My complaint with MP3 players in the past has always been that they don't hold nearly enough songs - but this solves that with a 5 gig drive. The interface is nice, clear and easy to use. The size is a little big, but very nice when you realize what you're getting. The firewire connection is nice if you happen to have firewire, and the iTunes connection is cool if you have a Mac. Analysts, of course, aren't so sure about it. They're not sure that Apple can compete effectively in the consumer electronics space, or that they'll make enough margin. They think the device is a little pricey ($399). However, some say that it may help to convince some people to buy a Mac instead of a PC, so that could make it worth while (though, I'd guess the number who are swayed just because of the iPod will be small). Of course, I'd bet that within 6 months they'll be plenty of copycat devices that work well with Windows (and which will probably be cheaper). Many Apple fans are not happy. They expected something a bit more revolutionary, and a bit more exciting. Perhaps they shouldn't have hyped it so much.