So, it looks like the smart money was right, Wednesday’s product launch by Apple was, indeed, a video iPod. Kinda cool. Kinda not. Kinda cool because it is an iPod and so has mind share, a hot brand, and nice packaging (hopefully without the broken screens and easily scratched case of the first batch of iPod nanos).
Kinda not because the screen is too small. With a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels and 260,000 colors it sounds good but the 2.5″ display is just way too tiny for movies and my aging eyes. I guess watching the Daily Show would be OK (talking heads usually work fairly well on a small screen) but Stars Wars? I think not.
Now there is a video out jack that provides a composite signal but if you show a 320 by 240 QVGA image on a regular TV you aren’t going to enjoy it.
Oh, and there’s no fast forward or rewind! No slow mo! And no DivX support!
So, I don’t plan to buy one for its video capabilities just yet. On the other hand if someone comes up with a snap-on camera and turns it into a decent video recorder …
Check out this commentary on Engadget.
