By now, iPod users have learned not to get too attached to their devices, because a new, better player is invariably around the corner.
Apple Computer announced the latest batch of upgrades to the ubiquitous digital music player on Tuesday (September 12), including an 80GB iPod with a brighter screen, a revamped Shuffle and a Nano with 24-hour battery life.
The other big change announced was the addition of 75 major motion pictures from the Walt Disney family of movie studios to the iTunes store, including such hits as "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "The Princess Diaries," "The Incredibles" and "Toy Story."
The big news, though, was the new devices. The fifth-generation iPod comes with a screen that is 60 percent brighter and an easier-to-use search-and-scroll feature that speeds up music searches. The new iPod comes in a 30GB model ($249) with up to 14 hours of battery life for music and an 80GB ($349) that holds up to 20,000 songs or 100 hours of video and has 20 hours of battery life for music. The 80GB comes in white or black.
"The world's best digital music player has evolved into the world's most popular portable video player too," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in an announcement.
The new devices will also play a number of games designed specifically for the latest-generation iPod, including "Bejeweled," "Pac-Man," "Tetris" and "Zuma," priced at $4.99 each.
The most recent iPod, the Nano, introduced last year, has already undergone a makeover, with a new aluminum design that comes in five colors (silver, pink, green, blue and black), a 24-hour battery life and twice the music capacity for the same price as the first-generation Nano. It comes in a silver 2GB model ($149); a 4GB ($199), which is available in all five colors; and a new 8GB in black ($249).
The new iPods will all work with the latest version of iTunes, which has added a feature called "gapless playback" that allows users to play albums the way artists intended them to be heard, without any additional space between tracks.
The seventh version of iTunes has also added 75 Disney-related movies, which can be downloaded to iPods, computers or flat-screen TVs using the upcoming iTV player application. New video releases will be available on iTunes the same day they are released on DVD for $12.99 when pre-ordered and during their first week of availability, after which the price goes up by $2; library titles will be available for $9.99. In addition, a new control called "Cover Flow" allows you to browse your entire collection by cover artwork.
Jobs also unveiled a redesigned Shuffle, which takes the gum-stick design of the original and squishes it down to a smaller half-ounce square that comes with a built-in belt clip. The 1GB device holds up to 240 songs, is cheaper ($79) than earlier models and has a 12-hour battery life.
For complete digital music coverage, check out the Digital Music Reports.
