Apple never said the iPod was a music player

Friday 11 September

iPod nano: now with added video camera

Apple’s latest move to equip the iPod nano with a video camera is a pretty clever move. It seems like an odd match at first – like putting a fax machine in a vacuum cleaner – but then Apple never said the iPod was just a music player.

It’s simply a portable device, which until now has had the ability to play digital music. Over time, its feature set has expanded to encompass digital photo viewer, movie player, portable web browser, games console and even mobile phone if you include the iPhone.

The iPod is no more just an MP3 player than a desktop PC is merely a way to send email. Sure, it can perform that one function incredibly well, but it can do much more beside that.

By adding video capture capabilities to the nano, Apple has simply made it a more versatile personal portable computer. It concentrates on the core functions you need when you’re not near a PC – like listening to music or capturing video – and it does them extremely well.

Apple’s move is not only good for the consumer, who can now shoot video without having to carry another device around with them, but it stops the likes of Flip from muscling in on its pocket space.