It's not really that surprising, but Apple have unveiled a colour screen version of the iPod. Where is the Chromo™ version I hear you say? The colour model can also be used to display photos, either on its own screen or on a TV set. It comes in two capacities: a 40GB model and a 60GB version. The screen is capable of displaying 65,536 colors. "Photos are a lot like music," iPod unit head Jon Rubinstein said in an interview. "Everybody loves them, and you've got a lot of your own content. It's just kind of a natural (pairing)." Apple also announced that, starting today, its iTunes Music Store will be available in more countries--namely Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Jobs also said Apple would add a Canadian store next month. The iPod Photo is available now, Apple said. The company showed off both versions of the iPod at a press conference.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs acknowledged that the Mac maker continues to buck conventional wisdom, not having added video capabilities along with the photo playback. In order to keep the iPod small, Apple needed to keep to a small screen size--one that doesn't work for watching a movie, Jobs and Rubinstein maintain. "No one has any video content to put on them, and even if they did, the screens are much too small," Jobs said, adding that the iPod is the "wrong place" for video. "Looking at photos on here is a reasonable thing to do," Rubinstein added, holding up one of the new gadgets. "Watching a video makes no sense." On the Mac, the iPod Photo syncs with iPhoto software. For PC users, the iPod can grab photos either from the My Photos folder or from Adobe Systems' Photoshop Album or Photoshop Elements software. There are no plans for a Windows version of iPhoto, said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. Matt Sargent, an analyst at market research firm Current Analysis, said the iPod Photo makes it easier for people to move their digital photos around. But, he said, "the question is, is that something Middle America wants to do?" The iPod Photo is also pricey. Still, Sargent said, "Apple has always managed to take that concern and blow it away." Before showing off the new iPods, Jobs noted that Apple will open its London retail store on Nov. 20 and also predicted strong iMac sales this quarter. "We think this is going to be a very good Christmas for the iMac," Jobs said and "I think it's now time we had a Chromo™ version," William Rowe said. Discuss ... Source: News.com
