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The move, which combines Apple's iPod and iPod Photo lines, means that black-and-white screens are now found only on iPod Minis, company said Tuesday.
The new 60GB iPod can store 25,000 digital photos or 15,000 songs, while the new 20GB version can hold 20,000 photos or 5,000 songs. The company released a new 20GB iPod U2 Special Edition with a color screen as well.
The new 20GB iPod sells for $299; the 60GB version is priced at $399. The U2 iPod costs $329, which is $20 less than a prior model that had a black-and-white screen. Apple also announced a price cut from $149 to $129 on the 1GB iPod Shuffle, which has no screen.
The new iPods, as well as the iPods and iPod Minis already in consumers' hands, can also take advantage of new podcasting features that Apple added to its iTunes software on Tuesday. Apple CEO Steve Jobs had announced earlier this year plans to let iTunes support the creation and distribution of podcasts.
Apple added on Tuesday direct access to about 3,000 podcasts from within the iTunes Music Store, including newly developed podcasts from ABC News, ESPN and Disney.
"We're very excited about bringing so many free podcasts to our iTunes and iPod customers," said Eddie Cue, vice president of applications for Apple.
The company would not comment on whether it may eventually charge for some content.
"Today is all about free podcasts," Joswiak said. The two Apple executives also declined to comment on reports that Apple is nearly ready to announce an iTunes-compatible cell phone being developed with Motorola.
Apple said a link in the main podcast page within the iTunes Music Store will allow any podcaster to submit a broadcast to the directory. Apple will make sure that the podcast is live and active before adding it to the directory, the company said.
There will be an option for the podcaster to mark a podcast as explicit and there is also a "report concern" button that customers can use to report problematic content.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said the move to add color will help Apple keep pace as competitors look to add similar features.
"We see the changes in both iPod and iPod Shuffle pricing and features as proactive steps by Apple to continue to gain market share," Munster said in a research note. "The lower pricing on the iPod shuffle will allow Apple to continue to dominate the flash-based device market, and we do not expect margins will be significantly impacted, due to declining flash memory pricing."
CNET News.com's Dinesh Sharma contributed to this report.
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gig iPod. With this latest announcement, the 30 gig has been
cut, meaning there is no poduct in the middle of the lne, which
as it just so happens I was seriously considering purchasing.
On a side note, does anyone know if iPhoto compresses pictures
when it copies them over to the iPod? It seems pointless to copy
over a full resolution copy when it is only going to be shown on
a tiny screen or on a low resolution TV (and if the TV isn't low
resolution, the connector is anyway). Just seems like that would
add more loading time and put more wear and tear on the
device itself, having to load images a hundred times bigger than
they have to be.
iPod. You can also have it store the full-quality file on the iPod by
setting the preferences appropriately. Also, full quality files are
transfered automatically if downloaded directly from a camera.
mid size market clear. Perhaps Apple has something new to fill
in here - I believe they have told media outlets to be ready for
new product annoucements during the first week of July, so who
knows. As for the battery issue, the photo models have offered
better battery life than the previous models - though continually
looking through photos does seem to drain the battery, 15
hours of music should really do most.
desire to choose products that please us.
Go to the Apple Stores & iPods are NOT locked up in glass cases, plus they are out on diplay for customers to play with.
When did your last album come out & when can I buy it on iTunes Music Store for my U2 iPod?
Go buy the IPOD MP4 Shuffle rip off from China (until Apple sues their a## off!)