Video iPod in 30/80GB versions with brighter screen & games play

Apple's range-leading and video-capable iPod - the succinctly named, er, iPod - has been replaced by a model said to have a 2.5in screen that's 60 per cent brighter, yet offers longer battery life. Versions in two hard-disk capacities (30GB/80GB) are available now and each can be ordered in white or black.

The 30GB model (£189/$240) is reckoned to run for up to 14 hours playing music and 3.5 hours playing video. Figures for the 80GB model (£259/$349) are 20 hours/5.5 hours. Apple makes no mention we can find of battery life when playing games even though iPod games are now available to buy and download from the iTunes Store, the first being Bejeweled, Cubis 2, Mahjong, Mini Golf, Pac-Man, Tetris, Texas Hold’em, Vortex and Zuma. Price is £3.99 each or £35.91 for all nine - a saving of precisely, nothing.

Other new features include Search and Quick Scroll - claimed to make it easier for the user to find the right files - and Auto-Sync technology said to automatically downloads digital music, podcasts, photos, audiobooks, movies and music videos onto the iPod and update them whenever it's plugged into a Windows or Mac PC that's running the new version of iTunes (V7) or later.


The supplied earphones are also of a new design reckoned to provide "superior comfort, fit and sound quality".

Apple says that the iPod requires a computer with a USB 2.0 port and running either Mac OS X V10.3.9+ or Win XP (SP2) or Win 2000 (SP4), along with iTunes 7.0+. Check out the iPod's full specs here.

Oh, and just in case you hadn't realised - TV programmes are still only available to download from the north American iTunes Store - and Apple gives no clues when that will change or when movies, which started to come available in the USA yesterday, will be available for download from any other iTunes Store.

Check out Apple's iPod press release on page two, then share your thoughts with us in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.

HEXUS.links

HEXUS.community :: discussion thread about this article
HEXUS.lifestyle.opinions :: Apple movie downloads (US only) & network media player (yawn)
HEXUS.lifestyle.headlines :: Apple iPod shuffle MkII - cheaper, way smaller and wearable

External.links

Apple UK - iPod home page
Apple UK - iPod specs