neo1980 posted this first on our BackPage forum so he gets the credit ;)
Apple Computer will unveil a new iPod at Macworld Expo Tokyo that comes with a 10GB hard drive and optional software that will let consumers use it as a digital organizer, sources said. In addition to the new iMac, Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple will show off a high-resolution 23-inch flat-panel monitor.
Presenting the new iPod: The first MP3 player to pack a mind-blowing 2,000 songs and a 10-hour battery into a stunning 6.5-ounce package you can take anywhere. Now with a choice of a 5GB (@ $399) or 10GB (@ $499) iPod, you can take your entire music collection with you wherever you go.
The new iPod has a Contacts feature that lets you view names and addresses downloaded from applications like Microsoft Entourage, Palm Desktop and Mac OS X Address Book* for easy access to your personal information, wherever you happen to be. The iTunes software gets an update to 2.0.4, which adds expanded AppleScript support, and improved stability and performance.
One neat feature available on the Apple store now, is the ability to customize your new iPod, with laser engraving, including adding a simple two line message, for an additional charge of $49.
Apple also introduced a new 23-inch (viewable) thin film transistor (TFT) active-matrix liquid crystal display supports an astonishing 1920-by-1200-pixel resolution.
The word "huge" doesn"t begin to cover it. Attach the new Apple Cinema HD Display to your Power Mac G4*, and you"re looking at over 2.3 million digital pixels — more than enough to display high-definition (HD) content in its native format, with acres of screen real estate to spare (and yet it takes up very litttle space on your desk, thanks to its small footprint). The cost, #3499!
Other Apple news, it is rumored that they will unveil a new recordable DVD drive in some of its computers. Pioneer, which provides Apple with recordable DVD drives, announced a new model Wednesday.
Additionally, Apple also said that due to significant increases in component costs for memory and LCD flat-panel displays, the company will increase the price of all new iMac models by $100 (US).
Apple will honor all existing reseller orders and Apple online store orders as of today at the original pricing.
"Rapidly increasing component costs is an industry-wide issue right now. Since the new iMac"s launch in January, memory costs have tripled and flat-panel costs have increased twenty-five percent, with little relief in sight," said Philip Schiller, Apple"s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
"Some manufacturers are de-configuring their models in response to these rising costs—reducing memory and disk drive capacity, for example. We"ve chosen to raise prices by $100 and stick with our three fully-configured new iMac models."