iPod classic: Hello Big Hard Drive, Goodbye, Iconic Color

Along with the rest of the iPod announcements yesterday, Steve delivered the news that the iPod as we know it was actually getting a formal title: iPod classic.

The original iPod has always been known as just that—save for the occasional dabble with iPod video, or iPod color monikers. Steve seemed happy just to call it iPod (especially without “the” in front of it!). To him, it was the music player that started the digital revolution, and it needed no other fancy name.

However, with all of the incarnations of the iPod since its inception in 2001, it has evolved dramatically; most notably with the introduction of the iPod touch. Now the iPod classic, as it is known, has kept the look of iPods past, but the white color that the iPod was known for has morphed into a sleek, aluminum enclosure.

Apple has made a shift away from the white plastic enclosures they made famous in the past few years, and the recent release of the aluminum iMac signaled that there was more to come. I, for one, never liked the white plastic, but everyone can agree that it became a signature look for a revolutionary device.

iPod classic comes with both 80GB and 160GB hard drives, and retails for $249.99 and $349.99, respectively. Nice price, same tried-and-true iPod design—Apple has deemed the newest metal iPod a “modern classic”.

And as for the name… the iPod will always just be “iPod” to me; there’s no need to distinguish it as iPod classic. Maybe it’s all about the marketing, though somehow I think its successor, iPod touch, will be a tad more successful than say, new Coke!