First look at the new iPod

The new iPod is now in the Apple store Birmingham, though curiously the only model on display is the 30GB white even though they claim to have the 60GB too. The first thing to say is just how damn thin this thing is; its more prominent curves sit nicely in the hand, and the proportions make the screen seem a lot wider than it actually is. The picture is bright, the frame rate good, and in the Apple store lighting it was easy to see - we'll need to get one outside to know what it's like in daylight. Other than that there's not much to say about the device itself; it's an iPod first and foremost and doesn't mess with that formula. I think that's still a good thing, though you can find any number of people who disagree. The new Universal iPod Dock is good news too; for me because it'll work with our household iPod minis, nano, 3G (and the inevitable 5G); for Apple because I'm bound to drop £25 on the dock and another £20 on the lovely Apple Remote. Ah well. As for the iPod itself, I've been waiting a while for a smaller model with more than 40GB to hold my audio library (currently at 35.6GB over 7519 tracks), my photos, and some space for audio recording. The specs on the new model include stereo recording at CD-quality, but there are no microphone input adaptors yet. I'll be waiting for those to hit market, then I'll bite.

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