The new iPod Touch

If you've been waiting to buy an iPhone 4 or an iPad, do head over to Apple's web site and take a look at the new iPod Touch. Announced at a special event by Steve Jobs himself.

It is everything that an iPhone 4 is, but its slimmer and doesn't make calls. Has the same processor as the iPad. Of course, a smaller screen. Record HD video and edit it on the iPT itself. Anywhere

Price is 
8 Gb $ 230 - about Rs. 15,000
16 Gb $300 - about Rs. 20,000
32 Gb $ 400 - about Rs. 26000
and available now. No unlocking no jailbreaking. Works over wifi.
It doesn't have GPS, but does an approximate map location based on wifi location. Just like on an iPad non-3G.


Great gaming platform too.


Another announcement last night was that iOS 4.1 will solve some bugs of slow performance on the old iPhone 3G. And iOS 4.2 will offer new features to iPads and multi-tasking and bring all iPhone devices to a common OS. Available in some months.


120 million iPhone devices - iPhone 2G, 3G, 3Gs, 4, iPad, iPad G, iPod Touch - sold so far.


A new AppleTV was announced too. Is just $100 but has no storage. Only streaming. With Internet speeds like we have in India, it might be challenging to watch movies online, except for YouTube. Of course if you have another Mac in the house, this is a great device to watch your movies and photos on your TV set. over wireless.

Why the iPad will succeed

A lot has been written for 'industry pundits' and columnists about the new Apple iPad. Some slam it, many give it a lukewarm review, and few hailed it as the next big thing. But universally, most are circumspect about announcing it as a failure - or a huge success.

As a product, the iPad is not going after 'market share' as this is a whole new product maybe a whole new market even. But it will definitely eat in to the sales of netbooks, PCs laptops, even Macbooks, and iPod touches.

It just occured to me that it may well be a huge success in numbers for another reason. I'm not sure of the numbers, but Apple sells more iPhones and iPod touches than it sell any other computing device. And a very large percentage of these iPhone and iPod touch owners do not own a Mac laptop or desktop.

So, for these people who have a iPhone or iPod touch, but not a Mac, the Mac vs PC argument means little. Even the OS in their hand held device matters little. For such users - of which there are millions -  who also own many AppStore apps, the iPad represents a device which...

1. runs all their existing iPhone/iPod touch apps.
2. allows them to surf the web on a larger screen anywhere.
3. allows them to see movies on a larger screen anywhere.
4. make documents, spreadsheets, presentations with a 'touch'.
5. may one day allow them to buy and comfortably read books on a hand held device.
6. play a variety of games on the go.
7. listen to all their music.
6. costs less than their iPhone (in many countries).

Now that sounds like an attractive device.

That's how it will appear to a large percentage the 75 million or so iPhone or iPod users especially outside the US in countries where the iPhone sold even for about US$ 700-900 and was still lapped up.

For techies and media pros, there are additional uses...

1. browser for manuals

2. logging media

3. jotting down tech notes

4. viewing media on the go - maybe even dailies

5. making presentations

6. sketching layouts even circuit diagrams

7. vnc over wifi

8. writing continuity

9. emergency clap or slate