Speculation was rife leading up to today's iPod announcement -- would Apple finally pull the trigger on an video-capable iPod, to compete with units like the Creative Zen Portable Media Centre? Some kind of iPod-Phone hybrid? The answer to both of those was no (at least for the time being), but what Apple did unveil was still definitely enticing -- the Apple iPod Photo.
Upside: The big addition to the iPod's capabilities is the inclusion of a colour screen capable of displaying photos, either on the iPod itself or out to any nearby handy television set. Combine that with a bump in storage capabilities -- in either 40GB (AU$799) or a whopping 60GB (AU$949) capability -- and you're talking a portable unit that can carry around an immense number of photos, not to mention all your favourite music. The colour screen also adds a nice visual touch to the unit's music playback and calendar features, all of which are of course coloured in the very familiar Apple style.
Downside: Many Apple fans may be smarting that the latest iPod is only photo-capable, but those are scars that will undoubtedly heal with time. In one sense it's no great step to take photos with you -- an existing iPod plus a data cable is a perfectly good repository for digital photos, albeit ones you can't access without then transferring out to another PC. That does bring up another point, though, which is that in its standard configuration there's no inbuilt capability to transfer photos from your digital camera to the iPod, so if you're thinking of using it as additional camera storage, you'll need to invest in some additional iPod accessories to do that. At 181g, it's also Apple's heaviest current-generation iPod, for what that's worth.
Outlook: Apple continues to improve on the basic iPod functionality one baby step at a time, and while some iPod fans may have been looking for more, at the prices and especially the capacities announced, the iPod Photo offers exceptional value and style in a compact package. Look for our comprehensive review soon.
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SleepWarrior
29/04/2006, 02:05 AM
Dont do it!!!!
I had my 60Gb beauty for 8 months when she suddenly died. I treated her like my lil princess too... never dropped her and she has the pristine corners to prove it.
Claiming under the Apple 12 month limited warranty is very difficult. Apple Customer Service (if u can call it service) is THE WORST!!! Just Google "Apple Service under watch".
When she did work, I found the screen too small to view photos properly, the colours really werent enough for photos, it was very slow to use as a removable hard drive and saving photos directly from a camera took forever and half the battery. Music player was great despite the poor quality white earphones.
Save your money. You wont get what u pay for and u wont wanna deal with Apple (trust me)
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Unknown
12/12/2005, 04:53 PM
Great design with colour
The iPod photo is really superior to other mp3 players that are out there. You can look at photos and listen to music at the same time. The addition of colour makes it a very appealing product
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30/10/2005, 05:30 PM
Crap EQ sound
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30/10/2005, 02:56 PM
the only thing going for it is the scroll wheel
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28/10/2005, 04:50 PM
meh
lack of good sound quality and custom EQ bring this and all i-pods down...
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Gigabeast
30/09/2005, 07:41 PM
Screen To Small
Screen is to Small and wrong resolution to use as a photo viewer.
Also not worth the money, when there are equivalent products for cheaper prices.
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14/08/2005, 06:25 PM
good but just get a 20gb
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AK
03/08/2005, 12:30 PM
Compact music that allows choice and entertainment
This is the most unique product for those who can and do two things at once. It is also a private way of being entertained in a busy household where intrusive noise in not always welcome.
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antman
14/07/2005, 02:15 PM
Great Unit
Nice and easy to use and worth the money go 60
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Holly_the_Dolly
06/06/2005, 07:16 PM
Why pay so much for 60GB? 30's fine!!
I think it is a great idea to buy the 30GB ipod photo, it being only $60 more than the plain jane normal ipod, but paying $649 for the 60GB version is far too steep. So i say yay to the 30GB and nay to the 60GB!!!
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