The Exciting New Video iPod Has Arrived!

Apple Computer introduced the highly anticipated video iPod back in October of 2005. This new introduction revamped the lineup of iPods so that now minimalists can choose the iPod shuffle, those wanting some premium features but not too concerned about storage capabilities can go with ipod nano, while those consumers desiring lots of storage for photos, information, and videos can now purchase the video iPod.

Questions, Questions

With the release of the new video iPod, new questions arose. The tech crowd was curious – what kind of video would it play? What about the iPod photo? How will this affect the popularity and sales of the iPod nano? What kind of battery life would the video iPod need? Would it be really feasible to watch movies and TV shows on such a small screen?

Lots of Features

The new video iPod has a wider screen that initially puts some people off. It’s a tweak to the original sleek look of the original iPod, and it gives the impression that the entire unit is wider, which is not the case. Once you hold it in your hands, you realize that the width of the video iPod is exactly the same as previous models of the iPod. The illusion is due to the smaller touch wheel and the wider screen area.

The screen on the video iPod now measures 2.5” – a half inch more – which gives a surprisingly positive effect. It just seems so much bigger. And the scroll wheel is the first one designed in-house at Apple.

The shape of the video iPod case is different too. The unit is much sleeker than previous generation iPods, and while the previous iPods all had rounded edges, this new video iPod has a completely flat case. The screen is made of a clear resin instead of plastic, and this gives it a lot more clarity.

One feature noticeably missing is the FireWire support. Some believe this was omitted due to a lack of space for the FireWire chip.

But Can You Watch It?

The big question, of course, is whether or not the video iPod is worth watching. Is it a pleasure, or is it a painful experience? Realistically, the answer is that it is somewhere in between. The video is sharp, crisp, full of detail. The quality of the video is surprisingly good.

Some music videos are awesome, and others came across as so-so. This seems to be related to the age of the videos.

Overall, when you use your video iPod to connect to your TV, the results are very pleasing.

What About Scratching?

The iPod nano caused a big uproar regarding scratches. The video iPod comes with a soft carrying case, which is a clue that it’s designed to protect the iPod from scratching. Scratches are more noticeable on black than on the white units, too.