New and Noteworthy: Apple 5G/Color iPod 20/60GB Review; The mobile phone threat to the iPod

Apple 5G/Color iPod 20/60GB Review iPodLounge has a review of Apple's fifth-generation, color-screen iPods, saying "Apple's best iPod yet, with a color screen and user interface, photo display through itself and TV sets, and 17-hour battery life. Great audio quality and overall experience. An affordable, substantial improvement on the fourth-generation iPod released less than one year ago." More.

The mobile phone threat to the iPod A SmartMoney article analyzes the threat posed to Apple's iPod by a bevy of mobile phone competitors. "Handset numbers overwhelm the iPod's. While optimists think Apple could sell 45 million iPods next year, mobile-phone makers will be selling more than 750 million handsets. All those handsets could weigh on the iPod's growth prospects ? and Apple's premium stock valuation. Cellphone users won't need to lug around a second gadget to have their music. By next year, a standard feature in many new handsets will be the software, circuitry and data storage for portable music. Handsets will be able to "side-load" songs from a personal computer, like the iPod. But in addition, they will be able to download music over-the-air, using the fast transmission speeds of the third-generation wireless networks that cellular carriers are now deploying around the country. The cellular firms are upgrading to third-generation, or 3G, technology, in large part so they can sell their voice customers stuff like music." More.

Previously on MacFixIt:

• iTunes 4.9 (#2): MP3s/AACs treated as QuickTime files; Old help version; "This computer is not authorized..."; more
• Microsoft releases Virtual PC 7.0.2

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