Steve Jobs’ return to the public eye on Wednesday stole some of the attention from Apple’s products announcements which, if not earth-shattering, weren’t exactly chopped liver either.
The company unveiled new, cheaper iPod touches and affordable iPod nanos with video cameras. It also showed off the latest version of the iTunes software with new bells and whistles likely to cheer music lovers, including iTunes LP, which offers additional content such as liner notes, making a downloaded album a bit more like its vinyl predecessor.
Analysts liked the new nano most of all, although some wondered why the touch didn’t also receive a camera, as had been rumored.
Gartner analyst Van Baker said “it was nice safe choices for Apple, iterative improvements in the product line. I think the nano is going to do extremely well in the holiday.”
He said the nano could emerge as something of a threat to the Flip, the wildly popular mini camcorder.
