Apple’s new iPod Photo features either a 40GB or 60GB storage capacity and promises up to 15 hours of music playback (up to 5 hours of slideshows with music). The iPod Photo weighs in at 6.4 ounces and measures 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.75 inches, regardless of hard drive size. In contrast, the iPod “Classic” 20GB and 40 GB models each feature different weights (5.6 ounces and 6.2 ounces respectively) and dimensions (4.1 x 2.4 x 0.57 inches and 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.69 inches respectively).
The iPod Photo supports the following audio formats: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, Audible. And, because, it’s a Photo iPod, it also supports iPod-viewable photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG formats. The iPod Photo’s display is a 2-inch (diagonal) transflective, 65,536-color liquid crystal display with white LED backlight with a 0.18-mm dot pitch 220 x 176 pixel resolution.
Of note for Windows users, Adobe Photoshop Album 1.0 and 2.0 SE are supported by Apple’s iPod Photo, but they import only photos to iPod Photo and do not support collections for slideshow viewing. Mac users, as usual, have it better: iPod Photo works in conjunction with iPhoto on a Mac and iTunes 4.7 lets you transfer images from your photo library to iPod Photo supporting collections for slideshow viewing. Connect iPod Photo to a projector or TV and you can give slideshows complete with your music.
iPod Photo lets you turn your television into a digital picture frame by connecting it to iPod Photo with the included composite AV cable that sends out Composite video and audio through your headphone jack or line out on the iPod Photo Dock.
Unlike all other iPods, iPod Special Edition: U2, and iPod mini which feature up to 25 minutes of skip protection, the iPod Photo specs state up to 17 minutes of skip protection.
Apple today also debuted the companion iPod Photo Dock which is the iPod Photo’s home base for charging and synching with your computer or for connecting to your home audio system. For US$39.00, it is scheduled to ship in Mid November, and features the usual Dock connector along with audio and composite video output and S-video output.
Apple’s iTunes 4.7 also released today autosyncs Album Art. The Album Art downloaded when you purchase music from the iTunes Music Store is transferred to iPod Photo along with the music. So while iPod Photo plays your tunes, you can view the Album Art on the Now Playing screen of your iPod Photo.
Not to be overlooked is that fact that everything on your iPod will now be in color: your calendars, your notes, Solitaire, etc.
More info about Apple’s new iPod Photo here.
“Haven’t you heard of Podcasting? Sync to internet broadcasts from RSS feeds stored as MP3’s on your computer and listen to them on your iPod at your leisure.”
But you can’t listen to the broadcasts live.
“Join the new Century or buy a $10 FM tuner with ear buds that runs on an AAA battery from Sony.”
You can’t control it from the iPod interface.
“I wonder if it would be possible to run keynote or PowerPoint slideshow presentations (lectures) from an iPod Photo. Not just music or photos in your pocket but also lectures”
Powerpoint and Keynote can export to QuickTime movies. Now we just need the iPod to be able to play them. As for small screen, that’s what the TV output is for.
MS Blaster-
If the new pod can display photos it can display graphics saved as jpeg,gif etc. So if you wanted to you could save your PP show as individual sequentialy numbered jpegs or whatever and the pod should just play them like regular photos.
MS Blaster –
Oh yeah check out Bad Boys post, he explains it better
“If the new pod can display photos it can display graphics saved as jpeg,gif etc.”
And if the new iPod can display images sequentially, then it can display animation and ultimately, video.
Be honest, everyone. If Apple eventually produces a video iPod, will the same video detractors dismiss the idea like they do today? Or will they do a complete turnaround and start praising Apple for it?
Go to the following Apple web page:
http://www.apple.com/mpeg4/3gpp/
Here, Apple is clearly promoting the idea of playing video content on handheld devices such as cell phones, some of which have screens just as small as the iPod.
By promoting video on handheld devices with small screens and at the same time totally dismissing video on the iPod, is Apple “flip-flopping” and sending “mixed messages”?
Relax. The photo pod is just a stepping stone to video pod. You just have to wait till tis time next year. And hopefully it will be 80 or 100gigs.
People are reacting viscerally to the iPod Photo, often in the negative. Every time that has happened, starting with the very first iPod, its been successful, often wildly.
Guess it doesn’t matter if our reactions are positive or not, reactions = sales. I’m big on delayed gradification and have wanted and waited for my iPod for some time (while buying them for family, friends, clients, and vendors). With my entire library now ripped at 192 AAC and color album art to match, I’m ready.