CBS News: Apple iPod, iPod mini ‘make every other system feel clunky by comparison’

“I was totally underwhelmed when Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPod mini at the MacWorld Expo in January but now that it’s actually on the market, and after playing with the new device, I’m starting to understand its appeal,” Larry Magid reports for CBS News.

“My first reaction was ‘big deal.’ Apple had already impressed me and much of the world with its first three generations of iPod music players. After all, creating a device that enables music lovers to carry not just “a tune,” but up to 10,000 in the palm of their hand is indeed an impressive accomplishment – perhaps the biggest contribution to portable music since Sony invented the Walkman back in 1979. But the latest iteration seemed like a tiny step backward,” Magid reports.

“Specifications don’t tell the whole story. You have to see and feel this machine to truly appreciate it. A half-inch thick and otherwise the same dimensions as a business card, the iPod mini is a truly elegant accessory,” Magid writes. “It’s not just smaller than its predecessors. It’s prettier, more elegant and even a bit easier to use… Apple has developed an incredibly intuitive interface that makes every other system feel clunky by comparison.”

Magid opines, perhaps forgetting that Apple has over 100,000 pre-orders for iPod mini before it even ships, “If the iPod cost $199 instead of $249, it would be an excellent value despite its relatively low capacity. At its present price, it’s definitely an expensive alternative to lower capacity memory-based music players as well as some hard drive systems from other companies. Still, as buyers of luxury automobiles have long demonstrated, there are plenty of people who are willing to pay a bit more for elegance and style.”

Full article here.