Mini iPod: Size, Style Do Matter
I was totally underwhelmed when Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPod mini at the MacWorld Expo in January but now that it's actually on the market, and after playing with the new device, I'm starting to understand its appeal.
My first reaction was "big deal." Apple had already impressed me and much of the world with its first three generations of iPod music players. After all, creating a device that enables music lovers to carry not just "a tune," but up to 10,000 in the palm of their hand is indeed an impressive accomplishment - perhaps the biggest contribution to portable music since Sony invented the Walkman back in 1979. But the latest iteration seemed like a tiny step backward.
At 3.6 ounces and measuring 3.6 by 2.0 by .5 inches, the new iPod is about 40 percent smaller and 35 percent lighter than the 15 and 20 gigabyte iPods. But, at $249, it's only $50 cheaper than the ($299) 15 gigabyte model that holds more than four times as much music. Apple's 20 GB model costs $399 and the whopping 40 gigabyte - 10,000 song - version sells for $499.
But, after installing the iPod, filling it up with music and taking it on a couple of long walks, I'm starting to see what all the fuss is about.
Specifications don't tell the whole story. You have to see and feel this machine to truly appreciate it. A half-inch thick and otherwise the same dimensions as a business card, the iPod mini is a truly elegant accessory.
It's not just smaller than its predecessors. It's prettier, more elegant and even a bit easier to use. Instead of a white plastic case and silver colored aluminum back, the iPod minis are surrounded by an anodized aluminum shell in your choice of five colors: silver, gold, blue, green and pink.
Personally, I'm not all that picky about the appearance of my portable electronic equipment, but I recognize that a lot people are. Deservedly or not, possessing an iPod has become something of a status symbol and the prettier and more elegant the status symbol, the better.
To me, the size of a portable music player doesn't matter much because I mostly use it on airplanes and in the car. The larger iPods and the even larger music players from Dell, Gateway, Rio and others are still small enough when carried in a briefcase on an airplane or sitting next to the cup holder on my car's center console.
Size matters a bit more when I take the music player on a walk. I'm not a jogger but I can see how it would matter even more to those who like to listen to music while running up the street. Fitness buffs who jog, walk or take to the treadmill will appreciate the optional ($29) arm band that puts the device, literally, at arm's length yet out of harm's way. The iPod mini comes with a belt-clip.
Apple also improved the interface just a bit by taking a positive step backwards. Like all iPods, there is a scroll wheel that you control with your thumb to select options and play the music. The current generation of larger iPods also has four buttons - menu, back, forward and pause/stop - but these are now built into the scroll wheel, as they were on previous generation iPods that are no longer available.
Like all iPods, the mini plays MP3 files as well as the AAC files created by Apple's iTunes music downloading service. Music players from other companies typically play MP3 as well as the WMA format endorsed by Microsoft.
I don't have a preference between WMA and AAC but it's worth noting that there are numerous download services that offer WMA while Apple is the only major vendor offering AAC files. In other words, once again there is a tower of babble between Apple and the rest of the world.
Other than file format issues, the only drawback of the new iPod is that it won't hold my entire digital music collection - which at the moment adds up to about 12 gigabytes. All other iPods have more than enough capacity, as do hard drive portable music players from Dell, Gateway, Rio and other companies.
Speaking of other company's machines, for the last several months I've been using a 20 gigabyte Rio Karma (street price about $270) which works and sounds great but every time I use it, I have to take a few minutes to re-familiarize myself with the controls. I haven't used an iPod in about three months yet it took me no time to re-adjust. Apple has developed an incredibly intuitive interface that makes every other system feel clunky by comparison.
If the iPod cost $199 instead of $249, it would be an excellent value despite its relatively low capacity. At its present price, it's definitely an expensive alternative to lower capacity memory-based music players as well as some hard drive systems from other companies.
Still, as buyers of luxury automobiles have long demonstrated, there are plenty of people who are willing to pay a bit more for elegance and style.
A syndicated technology columnist for nearly two decades, Larry Magid serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."
By Larry Magid