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September 12, 2006
"It's Showtime"
If you haven't already had a look at Apple's website today, you should probably head over there to check it out. Today's "It's Showtime" event left us with more than a few new products to digest, along with a Woz + Segway appearance and the marked absence of a widescreen iPod.
First up, we've got iTunes 7, and along with it a name change for the iTunes Music Store, now to be called simply the "iTunes Store." This name change is the result of Apple's decision to sell movie downloads through the store, with back-catalog flicks going for $9.99 and new releases priced at $14.99. Currently the store has around 75 feature-length films available by various Disney subsidiaries, although it's no secret that if these sell well other studios will be hopping on the bandwagon.
Films on the iTMS iTS will be available the day that they are released on DVD at "near-DVD" quality (640 x 480, or VGA). There are no rental/subscription fees, and the movies never expire, very similar to Apple's model for selling music.
To accompany this new movie download capability, Apple has announced a Wi-Fi media streaming device, code-named "iTV," which will sell for $300 in the first quarter of 2007. iTV is shaped like a thin Mac mini, and sports analog video/audio out ports as well as a high-definition HDMI output. This means that users can place an iTV in their living room and browse their computer's stored media through an interface on their TV by using an Apple remote control.
Back on the topic of iTunes 7, several new features have been introduced to the application itself, including a new retro blue icon. One of the major features is "Album Flow," a new way to browse your music, using a 3-dimensional wheel of album covers that you can spin back and forth to find what you're looking for. iTunes 7 also features a significant update to iPod management, combining iPod-related options, iPod software updates/restores, and disk usage statistics into one panel in iTunes, rather than spread out across multiple preference panes and helper applications.
As if that all wasn't enough, Apple also made major revisions to their nano and shuffle lines, and minor changes to the standard iPod. New iPod nanos feature aluminum cases in a variety of colors, and capacities of 2, 4, and 8 GB for $150, $200, and $250 respectively. The standard iPod is now available in 30 and 60 GB ($250 and $350), and implements a new search function allowing users to enter queries letter-by-letter, as well as support for games downloaded from the iTunes Store. Both the iPod nano and standard iPod now come with 60% brighter screens and have significantly improved battery lives.
Last up is the iPod shuffle, which received a significant overhaul in Apple's round of updates. The new shuffle is contained within a one-inch square aluminum case featuring an integrated clip for easily attaching it on-the-go.
All of the products Apple announced will be available today, excluding the iPod shuffle (ETA: October), and the iTV device (Q1 2007). Now just one major question remains: Buy an iPod now with their new capacities, features, and price points? Or hold off just a little bit longer for that widescreen iPod that you know just has to get here before the holidays...
Posted by Alan Joyce at September 12, 2006 10:40 PM
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