iTunes 5 is out...

...and it still doesn't support hierarchical playlists. Instead, they've added "playlist folders" which can contain playlists, but not tracks. The "search bar" is a step backward too, if you ask me. Color me unimpressed.

Download here.

Being that the only iPod I own is a shuffle, can someone else answer if this new "folder" thing gets synced to an iPod? While the folders can't hold tunes, they can hold playlists and folders, allowing a somewhat odd hierarchy.

Smart Playlists now know about podcasts, so I can finally have auto podcast syncing to my Shuffle.

The new look, I think was more of a way to show not much has really actually been added to justify the 5 version, but they ran out of 4.x versions.

Somewhere I missed the iPod nano. Is it just the next iteration of the iPod mini?

Yes. The iPod Nano is the replacement for the Mini. It uses flash chips from Samsung to get the 2 and 4gb sizes. Samsung is aparently offering Apple a great deal on the chips.

I'm actually tempted by the Nano, as my biggest complaint with the Shuffle is the lack of a screen. It's not a big deal on the motorcycle (where I need a flash based player since hard drives don't like the 5-7k rpm vibrations of my motor), but I have been using the Shuffle a lot for Podcast playback in the car, instead of bringing the empeg inside to sync podcasts to.

They also released the Motorola ROKR phone. It's not very attractive, holds 100 songs, and has no memory expansion. No thanks.

I'm rather suprised by the nano. It's a very nice device.

Yup, the ROKR seems like a real let down. I'd love to see apple's interpretation of a RAZR, for instance. What I have no use for is a plastic brick that plays DRM encumbered AAC's. The damn thing meets all my requirements(gsm850, edge, bluetooth) but it has nothing to make it desireable beyond those features that are checkboxes for me.

This would have been the perfect launch event for Apple to launch bluetooth headphones that pair with the ROKR and your mac, let take cell phone calls, let you ichat and listen to itunes. Beoynd the obvious, wouldn't it be cool if the phone took over playing the music as you left the coverage area of your computer? It's all possible, but instead apple chose to liscense out their DRM to Motorola and apperently gains nothing but cash.

Matthew

I've become one of those "Mac people". I refreshed my Apple.com tab every minute while the press conference was happening. I ordered a black 4 GB nano immediately after it was available on the site. And I mean immediate. Since they already have all my account info the order was completed in about 15 seconds. So that makes the maximum delta 00:01:15 from availability until my order.

Where oh where did I go wrong? I make fun of people like me.

Quote:
The damn thing meets all my requirements(gsm850, edge, bluetooth)

I don't think the ROKR has EDGE. It looks like it is a rebadged E398. It does have a transflash slot for more memory, though. Also, it looks like the bluetooth doesn't support stereo headsets.