Apple Computer on Wednesday unveiled its long-rumored video iPod, as well as a new iMac and an updated version of iTunes that lets users buy music videos, TV shows and movies.
The iPod has "been a huge hit for us, so it’s time to replace it," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said as he showed off the new video-capable MP3 player at the San Jose, Calif, event. "Yes, it does video."
The music players, which come in black or white with a 2.5-inch screen, will be available in a 30GB model for $299 and a 60GB version for $399. The new devices hold up to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos or more than 150 hours of video, Apple said.
Jobs kicked off the event by revealing a new iMac G5 desktop computer that will be similar to the current model but thinner. The 17-inch 1.9GHz goes for $1,299; the 20-inch 2.1GHz model is $1,699. The iMacs will have a built-in, Web-cam style iSight camera with still and video capabilities, and a new bundled Apple remote that lets users watch music, photos and video from 30 feet away.
At the gathering, Jobs used the tiny white remote control like an oversize iPod Shuffle to play a Black Eyed Peas video and an "Incredibles" DVD and also to play home movies and photos.
The new lineup of features for iMac and iPod point the company at last more directly at the living room space that Microsoft has attempted to carve out with its Media Center edition of Windows. Jobs introduced the new remote control and Front Row multimedia functions of the iMac, saying that it would allow people to experience music, video and photos "from the sofa."
For now, the differences between the two platforms remain striking, however. Media Center PCs plug directly into a television or a television input device such as a cable TV box. That allows the devices to record television shows much like a TiVo device, for example.
Many of today’s Macs (and the new iPod) have a TV-out connection, but not a a TV-in connection. Jobs highlighted only the ability to watch video on the iMac and iPod, without mentioning watching the programming on a television at all.
Indeed, for now, the video highlighted by Jobs is best suited for small screens, although Apple’s software enhances the quality significantly for watching on a large screen. The 320 by 240 resolution can be expanded to watch on a full-screen LCD TV or computer monitor, but it will not have the quality of a DVD.
The cost of content Then there’s cost. With the new version of iTunes, unveiled just five weeks after the debut of iTunes 5, consumers can buy non-burnable music videos for $1.99.
Tim Deal, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said he’s unsure how consumers would take to the per-video cost.
"While I can appreciate the cool-factor of portable video content, the price is a little difficult to digest," he said. "I think consumers are accustomed to seeing music videos for free from services such as Yahoo Launch and Comcast on Demand. Apple should give the videos away and charge for exclusive content only.
"This will, however," he added, "be a real boom for video podcasting and provides another distribution channel for independent content."
In addition to music videos, users will be able to purchase TV shows one day after their initial broadcast. Offerings will include ABC television’s "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" and the Disney Channel’s "That’s So Raven." It will take 10 to 20 minutes to download an episode, said Jobs. Each will cost $1.99 and will be ad-free.
Disney Chief Exectutive Officer Robert Iger took the stage Disney Chief Exectutive Officer Robert Iger took the stage with Jobs to introduce the sales of Disney- and ABC-owned TV shows through iTunes.
"We believe this is a breakthrough," Iger said. "This provides a great opportunity for consumers to stay connected to their favorite programs."
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