Beckism.com

Apple just released the newest member to the iPod line: the iPod Touch, and I just gotta say: wow. Expected, but still wow. It’s basically an iPhone without the phone. Very sleek.

Even if I had the loose change, though, I don’t think I’d get one, and here’s why: 16 GB is the biggest model. I’m sorry, but my music library alone is 16 GB (sure I only listen actively to about half of it, but still). Add video on top of that, and I’d fill the thing without bering able to buy a single video over iTunes Wi-Fi.

I wish Apple would stop making expensive gadgets that are almost perfect enough to buy without thinking about it, but not quite. It just means I sit staring longingly at my screen way too often.

I noticed a surprising and gratifying thing today: in Amazon’s Computer section, the top three sub-categories shown are Desktops, Laptops, and MP3 Players, and every single one of them has an Apple product as the picture (new iMacs, MacBooks, and iPod respectively).

I don’t really have anything acerbic to say about it; more like just a small “Wow.” Apple has of course dominated MP3 players for some time with the iPod, and I’ve occasionally seen an Apple product headlining an Amazon category, but never have I seen it so dominant. The Intel chip and Boot Camp may well have ushered in a new era.

Reassuringly, Windows XP was the pictured item for the Software category. So not all that much has changed.

What was strange about that was that I was tempted to buy it. I’ve had such damned terrible luck installing slipstreamed versions on my sleek new MacBook Pro that you wouldn’t believe. I can only hope that the time that I was in the KWCW production office trying burned CD after burned CD and swearing like a sailor that none of my shouting leeched out the door and made its way on the air. I really would rather not have the FCC come knocking on my door.