New iPods for everyone. Macworld NY has proved to be an exciting event for all iPod lovers. You can imagine how happy the iLounge crew feels. Now that Apple has officially released an iPod for Windows, we hope to see an influx of new Windows readers at iLounge.com. The following is a snapshot of all things new for iPod fans.
The New iPods
So we’ve got 3 new models in the iPod lineup; the 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB. All models are new inside and out, some more than others.
The 10GB has been reduced about 10% in depth and claims to be lighter as well, while the 20GB looks to be a bit larger in depth to accommodate the larger capacity Toshiba hard drive. We suspect the solid state scroll wheel without the extra mechanical parts allows the 10GB model to be slimmer.
The new touch-sensitive scroll wheel is solid state, meaning it does not have any mechanical, moving parts. Think of it as a trackpad for your iPod. But, it’s only available on the 10GB and 20GB models.
A new plastic FireWire port cover has been added to all new models. The flip lid port cover provides protection against dust, grime and grit.
The Hold switch also received a minor redesign to its grip.
The Earphones have been redesigned with new Neodymium transducer magnets to enhance your listening experience. Better bass, better midranges and accurate highs. They are also smaller in size. Many of our readers didn’t like the old earphones …uncomfortable and too big.
The New Accessories
Along with changes to the iPod itself, we have finally got our wish for an iPod remote control. The remote features fast-forward or rewind, play, pause and adjust volume. It’s incased in a slick chrome finished case and can clip to your collar or lapel. The remote control is being sold with the earphones set for $39. The earphones attach to the remote via an 1/8” mini plug.
I know many of our readers in our forums complained that Apple should have included a case for the iPod. The new Apple iPod case is black and features a belt clip. The case is very basic and does not provide access to the scroll wheel. There are definitely better cases being made from other manufacturers.
The new case is being sold separately for $39 for 5GB and 10GB iPods with mechanical scroll wheels.
The World Travel kit consists of a set of six AC plugs with prongs that fit different electrical outlets for those times when you want to charge your iPod in other countries. The kit is being sold separately for $39
The New Software
iTunes 3 brings a whole new suite of features and support for the iPod. You now have more control over how you create and manage your playlists and then download them to your iPod as usual.
Sound Check
Now you can normalize all your sound levels for your music library via Sound Check. It automatically adjusts the volume of your MP3s to be consistent when played back.
My Rating
You can rate your songs with a 1 to 5 star rating system, which comes in handy when setting up rules for the Smart Playlist feature.
Smart Playlists
Now you can create Playlists by adding rules for your songs. Say you want to play 50 songs, with a rating from 4-5 stars and you want only songs played in the last 1 month. iTunes will create a new playlist based on your rules and then download that playlist to your iPod as usual. Now we have even more control over our playlists.
Smart Playlist attributes include:
- Album
- Artist
- Bit Rate
- Comment
- Composer
- Date Added
- Date Modified
- Genre
- Kind
- Last Played
- My Rating
- Play Count
- Sample Rate
- Size
- Song Name
- Time
- Track #
- Year
Clock
It’s nice to have a clock, but it’s also there for a reason besides telling time. The clock puts a time and date stamp on all your songs, so that your Smart Playlists can use that information to filter your playlists based on attributes such as Time and Year.
Audible.com added support for iTunes 3 so now you can get the latest best seller on your iPod with ease.
