Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday announced that it had merged the iPod and iPod Photo lines of its popular MP3 player. The decision to merge the lines is a way to streamline the line-up offered by the company, Apple executives said.
“We are simplifying the line-up,” Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPod Product Marketing, told MacCentral. “We think it’s a great next step – people have loved the color display and to be able to make that available across the white iPod line is going to be an exceptional feature for our customers.”
The new iPod lineup features a 20GB model, holding up to 5,000 songs priced at US$299 and a 60GB model, holding up to 15,000 songs priced at $399. Apple is also offering a new 20GB U2 iPod, which will cost $329 and the company reduced the price of the 1GB iPod Shuffe to $129.
Through a software update available from Apple’s Web site, iPods will now offer a Podcast menu, including bookmarking within a Podcast and the ability to display Podcast artwork in color.
“The hardware/software integration is a strength our competitors can’t match,” said Joswiak.
For more on the iPod, please visit the iPod Product Guide.