Apple's new iPod Photo models are competitively priced and introduce a much-needed feature.That confusing noise you're hearing? It's the sound of tens of thousands of photographers tripping over each other to purchase Apple's newly updated iPod Photo, while another 10,000 photographers who bought the first-generation model loudly curse Steve Jobs's name. Why? Because the latest iPod Photo models, available in 30GB and 60GB sizes, are much more affordable, and they finally give photographers the highly useful option, sorely lacking on previous versions, of uploading pictures directly from a digital camera.
Upside: Costing just AU$60 more than a normal, photoless 20GB iPod, the 30GB iPod Photo offers great value for the price. Similarly, the 60GB model is a whopping AU$349 cheaper than when it was first introduced -- we meant it when we said that people who bought the first one would be furious. With the optional iPod Camera Connector accessory and a software update (both available in March), photographers will be able to transfer images directly to their iPods without having to run them through iPhoto first.
Downside: Honestly, it's almost disingenuous for Apple to so drastically improve the iPod Photo this time around, since the lower price and the direct upload option are features that probably should have been there in the first place. Luckily for owners of the older version, the same firmware upgrade will allow their iPod Photos to behave like the new ones. It's also unclear if direct uploading will work with existing iPod media readers and digital camera connectors; if it doesn't, having to buy Apple's proprietary attachment won't sit well with consumers who already shelled out for "approved" photo peripherals.
Outlook: Apple appears to have gotten this one right, however belatedly. It bears repeating that the previous iPod Photo's inability to support direct uploading was a deal breaker for many potential buyers, not to mention the exorbitant price of the first models. With the 30GB version priced to move at AU$499 and the 60GB iPod Photo now at a mere AU$649 -- compared to the ludicrous AU$949 price tag it carried at launch -- these babies will likely start flying off shelves.
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