Talk about an uninspired product launch from Apple.

What would Steve-o announce? Would it be a new Apple Tablet? Would it be the rumored Airport Video? Would it be a new iPod? Nope, it was a bunch of bullshit.

A $99 iPod case? I don't give a flying fuck if it's leather, $99 for a freakin leather case that you still have to pull your iPod out of to use still is just ridiculous. It's not like it's a couture case or anything, it's a leather version of the vinyl version that used to be free. Hey, they give you a pull tab thingy to pull your iPod out.

Then there's the Apple iPod Hi-Fi. I love their marketing spin on it: "iPod Hi-Fi delivers crystal-clear, audiophile-quality sound." Yeah, "crystal-clear audiophile-quality sound" from your crappy MP3s ripped at 128kb CBR. As an audiophile, why in the fuck do I want to replace my $3000 or so of audio equipment with this thing? Are there not enough similar offerings already from other companies that don't cost as much as a brand new iPod? It's a fancy iPod dock with speakers. Hey, that's novel. Go Apple.

I'm getting worried that they are starting to really lose any inspiration or drive with their iPod line if their big product launch is an accessory that I can never see myself wanting or needing, and something so ridiculously overpriced and useless, that I wonder who thought it was a good idea. I'll leave it up to the reader to decide which item each sentiment refers to.

I won't go into the new Mac Mini, since that's no real surprise (hey a refreshed Mini with a CoreDuo, didn't see that one coming), but I still don't think it's anywhere close to being a serious threat to the Media Center market. Maybe in a couple of years.