So I now have a new 15GB iPod. So far, so good. iTunes is filling it up right now. Some observations, so far:
The design, of course, is impeccable. This is why Jonathan Ive (and his team) receives so many awards. Like all good design, it's integrated with overall brand image. Just about everything out of the box (including the box itself) is beautifully packaged and presented. The iPod box is a cube that is two equal halves. Upon opening the box, you're presented with two white squares. The square in the right has a light grey text that reads "Designed by Apple in California" (vertically centered, aligned left). The left side is blank. Opening the left side, you're presented with a CD sized box with the single word "Enjoy" on it (vertically centered, aligned right). The CD sized box contains documentation (a quick reference and a full booklet) and, of course, a CD. Underneath this box lie the headphones, the remote, a 4 pin to 6 pin Firewire adapter, and a pair of dock connector covers. Also on the left half is a carrying pouch, which contains the belt clip. The belt clip seems surprisingly cheap in comparison to the rest of the delights inside. But there are plenty of good third party units out there for those that need one.
The iPod itself is even more beautiful than the previous generations, and quite a bit smaller. The only moving part on the outside is the Hold switch. All other buttons are completely touch based. It takes a little bit of getting used to, and the button placement is less intuitive than the previous generation iPods, but I imagine it's something that one gets accustomed to easily. A nice feature of the new buttons is that they get illuminated when the backlight is turned on. The text and symbols on the buttons is a pleasant dark silver color by day and a fiery sinister red color by night.
Another change from previous generations is that there is no longer a Firewire port on the iPod itself. Instead, it has a docking port on the bottom that is thin and wide. One annoyance of this is that I have to carry the charging/docking cable between home where it charges overnight or over a weekend, and work where the music library is. But there are many upsides to the new connector. There are new accessories like a battery pack (uses AA batteries, useful for long road/bus/plane trips) that plug into it. And I assume that dropping the Firewire port helped make the new units thinner. And then, there's the docking station itself. This is another delightfully minimalist unit. The new cable plugs into the back of the dock, and it features a line out - effectively making the iPod a super-miniature bookshelf stereo. The dock is weighted and features a very gripping rubber base. On the bottom are the words, again, "Designed by Apple in California".
It reminds me of a phrase I love so much: Aesthetics are the ethics of the few.