By most accounts, today's Apple event wasn't exactly action-packed. In fact, most of the surprises revolved around what Apple didn't announce, rather than what it did. The biggest surprise at the event, however, was also one of its most minor announcements: FM radio.
Sure, much of the event revolved around the iPod nano, but it was the expected addition of a camera to the rear of the device that caused the most commotion. Steve Jobs more or less glossed over the addition of an FM radio tuner to the device--maybe because he's finally eating crow.
Apple, of course, is far from the first company to add the feature to a music player--in fact, it's become something of an industry standard on players, save for the iPod. Over the years, Jobs has skipped the feature, time and again. So, why the big change? Why now? I like the theory Joel Santo-Domingo tried out on me earlier today: Maybe Jobs started going to a gym that required an FM tuner for its TVs.
My guess is that Apple needed to add as many features as possible to keep the thing interesting--hence the pedometer. Or maybe someone high up decided it would be a good idea while Jobs was on sick leave. Either way it's a welcome, if relatively minor feature--after all, in the age of the iPod, radio needs all the help it can get.
The radio is bolstered by the ablility to pause live radio, DVR-style, a feature the company calls Live Pause, which also likely helped change the minds of some of those hesitant to include FM. The radio also has song and artist tagging for iTunes (ka-ching) The features, able says, "make listening to the radio nothing like listening to the radio." Take a second to wrap your head around that.
Personally, I'd love to see an FM transmitter on the thing, for long car rides. My guess is that the Belkins and Griffins of the world will lobby to bar that for as long as humanly possible--not that Apple is a huge fan of third-party feedback.
http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/
Steve Jobs talks iPod nano with camera, iPod touch without
By Katie Marsal
This interview talks about Steve health status, the growth of apple in the market and the breakthroughs of the new itouch and Ipod Nano.
In a new interview, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs discusses a number of issues, including the new lineup of iPods, the Amazon Kindle, and his own health and weight.
Jobs spoke with David Pogue of The New York Times, and explained that the iPod touch, unlike the iPod nano, was not given a camera because the company wanted to focus on portraying the device as a gaming machine. Jobs said that the company's main goal was to lower the price of the iPod touch as much as possible, and he believes it achieved that with a 8GB model for $199.
"What customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine," Jobs said. "We started to market it that way, and it just took off. And now what we really see is it’s the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that’s the big draw. So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don’t need to add new stuff. We need to get the price down where everyone can afford it."
Third-party cases with camera holes and even photos and video of an alleged prototype of a third-generation iPod touch with camera existed well before Wednesday's event, leading many to assume such a product would be announced. While Jobs said the reason was intentional, AppleInsider received word earlier this week that the camera was removed due to bad hardware.
The chief executive went on to explain that the iPod nano can record video, but cannot take still pictures, because the sensors required for pictures are too thick to fit into the .02-inch thick device.
He also vaguely hinted at products coming in the future. He said his absence from the company for several months did not prevent them from working on new products, and that Apple has "some really good stuff coming up." Among those products is expected to be Apple's long-rumored 10-inch touchscreen tablet device, expected to debut in early 2010.
Jobs also discussed his health, as Wednesday's appearance was his first official in public since receiving a liver transplant earlier this year. The executive told Pogue that he's eating "a lot of ice cream" to put on weight, and he probably needs to gain about 30 pounds.
The Apple co-founder also took a jab at Amazon's Kindle e-book reader. He said "dedicated devices" like the Kindle will always remain niche products, while multi-purpose devices "will win the day." Jobs noted that Amazon doesn't announce how many Kindles it has sold, suggesting the market for e-books is very small.
"Usually, if they sell a lot of something, you want to tell everybody," he said.
Jobs' return to the stage at Wednesday's keynote was a welcome surprise for Apple fans. He had returned to work at Apple full-time in June, following his liver transplant. In his introduction at the iPod event, he thanked members of the Apple community for their concern, and also expressed gratitude toward co-workers who filled in, in his absence.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/10/steve_jobs_talks_ipod_nano_with_camera_ipod_touch_without.html
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