Video iPod

Nick Ross funtests Apple's latest icon of cool.

Well it’s all change for Apple again. If you bought an iPod Photo recently (only it wasn’t called an iPod Photo towards the end as all the other iPods had been discontinued so it was just the iPod at that point – though arguably the 5th gen iPod) will feel most miffed as this new iPod (officially called the ‘iPod’ on account of all other large-capacity iPods having once again been discontinued, but commonly referred to as the Video iPod and represents the 6th generation of high capacity iPods) costs the same but sports more features.

It still has the same footprint as previous generations but the screen has been stretched from 50mm to 6.4mm. The scroll wheel has also decreased. Gone has the svelte rounded corners of the front – though the chromed rear is the same as before. The new facia is like the new Nano – a thick piece of perspex with angular edges. Personally we feel this spoils the feel of the iPod which has remained the same since generation three, but we’d still want this one.

With nothing else installed 30GB equates to about 75hours of video and watching on the screen is certainly a pleasant experience. Some people complained of occasional pixilation but most were impressed at the smooth motion and lack of lag. We can see many people happily watching stuff on their commutes to work.

It comes out with yet another version of iTunes – version 6. This offers videos from the online store. However, choice is very limited at the moment. There are music videos, Pixar animation clips and little else – the sort of things you wouldn’t expect to pay for, let alone $3.39 a pop. TV programmes are listed it’s currently a broken link – the idea of watching the latest episode of 24 because you missed it, isn’t a bad idea for just a few dollars though – when and if it happens.

You can output to TV, but only if you buy the optional cable. The bundle is increasingly sparce – only the headphones, USB charger cable and, thankfully, a leatherette white wallet for protection.

Audio playback is slated at 14hours (poor compared to offerings from Rio, iRiver, Sony and previous iPods for that matter). But this is just an example of the direction the iPod is taking – it’s no longer about just playing your music – it’s going full on multimedia – and the intrinsic link with the lucrative iTunes Store and all it’s restrictive DRM heinousness is getting ever tighter.

If you want a high capacity MP3 player though, it’s still the best – not least because most of the competition seems to have given up. However, it still won’t play WMA files – so check with your music library if you’re wanting to buy into iPod for the first time. Otherwise, it’s another neat, unexpected upgrade from Apple.

Pricing: $449 for 30GB; $598 for 60GB