Criticizing the new iPod ...

It looks like now that some hands-on perspective is coming into the light, the new iPod isn't all candy hearts and roses.

The new iPods (30GB and 60GB) are both smaller than the smallest of the previous generation's smallest unit (the 20GB), but this appears to come at the expense of battery life. This is a crazy compromise to make when you've just added several features that will do nothing but drain the already small battery. In terms of value, you'd be a fool to buy anything other than the 60GB unit, since you not only get double the storage space (important when you're storing video as well as audio), but better battery life as well.

There has been some speculation that like with the iPod nano, Apple has removed FireWire connectivity from the new iPod. We're getting mixed signals here, but removing FireWire support from the high-end iPod doesn't make much sense. Despite the higher theoretical bandwidth of USB2, those extra 80Mbps will never be seen, and the CPU utilization on USB2 is higher as well. FireWire may be slower on paper, but it's faster in practice, not to mention that it's an Apple technology that you'd think they'd be evangelizing more with their flagship product ... not less.

Finally, Apple is apparently covering the new iPod in the same clear plastic as the first generation models, and ... wait for it ... the iPod nano. Which means scratches, making the inclusion of a soft case all the more obvious. That's why I'd opt for the white version, as the scratches tend to show up more on black, as the nano has proven.

All of these push me even more to believe that we'll see a full-fledged iPod Video by year end. For portable video to work, you'll need better battery life and a larger screen (preferrably a widescreen format), as well as something that can transfer large files quickly and stand up to a larger amount of handling. Video products don't just sit on the dash or in a pocket when you use them ... they're actively out and exposed to potential hazards. That's why in my speculation from yesterday, I suggested that removing the click-wheel in favor of a touchscreen with a "virtual" click-wheel would be the logical progression towards "ruggedizing" the device.