klier

Wrong. The new iPod as seen above is completely based on the iPhone. From the touch screen to Mac OS.

The old iPod had the famous click wheel and a completely different operating system.
So, if anything, this new iPod is an iPhone without phone, technically.

And, again, I like what Apple is doing. This looks fantastic again. 8&16 Gig is laughable though.....I'll wait for a model with 100 Gig memory!

Centurion

That's what it's perceived to be. Apple is all about user interface. The click wheel is a master piece and the multi-touch screen is the successor.

Touch screen DAPs have been around for a while and inevitably Apple would jump on the wagon as well. Even if Apple didn't decide to launch the iPhone we would have seen the iPod Touch in the form it is today. It's the new generation iPod.

After all Steve has said that the iPod is more important than the iPhone which is why the iPod Touch does everything the iPhone can except allowing calls. Everything revolves around the iPod.

Amo

I really think Apples products are hyped up to be more than what they are nowadays. Dont get me wrong, I think the products are really nice-I own an iPod, but its all just graphics and looks. 16gb max for an iPod touch is pretty useless in my opinion. I'm sure there will be model upgrades as soon as everyone has bought the latest model. I wish Apple would stop being such dictators with their products and put expandable memory slots etc.

Remy Zero

i think it's stupid of Apple to launch an iPod with such a small memory. 30 gig would have been ideal for starters, but 16 bloody gig? i'd rather get the iPhone.

Centurion

Don't worry in 4-6 months we will see a 32GB iPood touch for $399 or $349. A 32GB iPod Touch would today have been priced at around $500-600.

Using the iPod Touch Apple will usher it's consumers into high capacity flash DAPs. In 1-2 years the capacity will have been doubled to 64GB.

Remy Zero

well, i'm expecting the new iPhone to be here by around this time next year, at least.

ZicZachZo

iPhone without the phone. ATT has terrible reception/quality at least I know in my area. So this is exciting.

monster

Now my question for everyone is will the Iphone and the Ipod steal sales away from each other?Will diehard Apple fans purchase both items?

Remy Zero

u have a point. to me, it's only logic to buy the iPhone, and NOT the new iPod.

Osnabrueck

I think it's funny how some folks (like you, Lu) in the internet opinionsphere project sinister motives onto Apple's marketing, product launches and overriding motive to develop a profit. But all the while - We're German Car Fans! On one hand Lu, we drink at the trough of premium branding, product hype and conspicuous markup, but then are offended by the practice when its applied elsewhere.

You have it backwards. The iPhone is the premiere technology. With the iPhone Apple has serious growth potential and the lucrative upshot of residuals on AT&T phone contracts. For every month you pay your iPhone bill, Apple gets a part of the action. Without the iPhone Apple's business has plateaued, with only incremental growth to look forward to in desktop and laptop sales.

To say that there wasn't much riding on the iPhone is ludicrous. The iPod touch alone can't make a business case for itself - it's just a nice way to repurpose off-the-shelf parts for a different consumer, not unlike taking a Sedan and lopping-off two doors for a coupe variant. There would be no way to justify the development of either the hardware nor the underlying mobile OS for sales of what's - for the time being - a niché product. All the R&D that went into developing the iPhone was riding on the fact that Apple would have another stream of income in the form of cell contracts. The revenue genrated by retail sales of the hardware alone don't cover the R&D or P&A costs.

The iPod touch makes perfect sense for people who loved the iPhone, but either don't need the phone part, or don't want to be shackled by the phone part. Afterall, if you buy an iPhone and don't want to create a contract with AT&T you're out of luck - you'll have to spoof a pay-as-you-go account. I see the relatively low storage of 8 and 16GB as stumbling points, but I have no doubt that the touch will find its way to the specific sliver of consumers it's seeking out.

As for the price drops - I think it's been funny how so many have been pissed-off by such great news. In retaliation, that cold-hearted Scrooge Mc Duck of a $teve Job$ is now giving $100 Apple gift certificates to anybody who was an early adopter. Who does he think he is? Jesus of Nazareth?

The price drop worked on me - Instead of holding out for another year I'll probably buy a phone in a couple of weeks. I'm holding out to see if the T-Mobile unlock can be used, but AT&T is alright with me if I'm left with no choice.

And speaking of the price drop - I defy you to name another phone that approaches the iPhone's level of aptitude at the $399 price point.