new iPod - is Less More?

Apple's zippy new iPod will play itty bitty videos, as well as music. Even Steve Job's is dubious about whether or not little video will fly, but boy this new 60gig thing in thin. a bid wide, in an almost high definition kind of way, but thin.

In fact, this new ipod is so thin, it only supports one connector type: usb2. No more firewire. But everyone has USB2, right? everyone has a new computer? right? (lest we forget apple did not add USB2 to its powerbooks until mid 2003 - that's what? two years and a bit ago? hell, who keeps a laptop for that long!)

The ipod itself is also so thin it seems there's no room for that extra bit around the earphone jack to support a remote control dongle.
Want to turn the volume down or change track? be prepared to pull the ipod out of your jacket, pack, bag, wherever to make this simple adjustment that just about every other mp3 player - including the previous ipod - supports.

400USD for no charger, no docking stand, and now, featuring no remote control - not even the option of one. But heh, you can still buy ipod Sox. That's great, eh?

I was thinking of bagging my old 2nd gen, not quite three year old iPod since it holds oh, about, 5 mins of charge now. But instead, i think i'll just get the battery replaced. It may not be anorexic, heroin super model thin, but it uses a regular firewire cable to hook up to a computer to get charged and transfer tunes, and even tho it came in a much bigger box that box accommodated an external power supply and remote control.