Tuned In

Which iPod Now? What Should iDo?

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So a few weeks ago, my iPod–my ancient, pre-video iPod–broke. Stared making clicky sounds and showed that picture of an iPod with cartoon X’s for eyes that is the most adorable way imaginable of telling you that you need to buy a new piece of electronic equipment.

I decided to hold off buying a new one, because the iPhone had come out, and I assumed that Apple would soon release a new iPod with a touch screen and widescreen video. Sure enough it would. And has. Behold the iPod Touch, now at apple.com–widescreen video, wifi, Safari, all those goodies. I could replace my iPod, and watch iTunes TV episodes on the subway in style.

Problem solved, right? Wrong. First, the Touch maxes out at 16GB–not enough to hold my iTunes collection plus video. The problem is, I use my iPod as a stereo component, keeping it hooked to the stereo at home, so I’ve gotten used to keeping all my music on it. Second, today Apple also announced the iPod Classic: 80 or 160GB of storage, but a small, old-fashioned 2.5-inch screen and no WiFi.

So what do I do now? Choose audio over video and get the Classic? Choose video over audio with the Touch and figure out a workaround for my music? (Maybe an Airport Express to stream iTunes from my computer to the stereo?)

Or do I now need to get… both?

Damn you, Steve Jobs! Damn youuuuuu…!

[Update: My colleague Leverus drops some nerdology on the subject over at his blog.]