Dark Ipod

Bloggers were quick to report the news coming from Apple Computer’s highly anticipated event on Wednesday, but if early reactions are any indication they may be slower to buy the new products.

For more than a year, many people have said it was only a matter of time before Apple released an iPod capable of playing video, despite the fact that CEO Steve Jobs himself claimed doing so would be a move in the “wrong direction.” But for all the speculation about when Jobs might reverse his opinion about the importance of adding a video iPod to Apple’s lineup, the final product met with a relatively underwhelmed crowd.

While many Apple fans praised the new iPod’s thin design and reasonable pricing, the prevailing sentiment online was that the video quality, show pricing and lineup of available shows offered on the iPod aren’t good enough to move people to adopt the device as their new medium for TV consumption. And the fact that videos can be downloaded only at a size that fits the iPod’s screen means few people will be buying them to view on their PCs.

The new version of iTunes came as a surprise to most people who blogged about or mentioned it in online discussion forums, primarily because Apple just released iTunes 5 a few short weeks ago. While many thought the addition of video to iTunes was a good move, the fact that videos are shown at such a small size diminished excitement for this new feature.

The iMac got a warmer greeting than perhaps either of the other products Apple unveiled Wednesday. Many blogs showed that the company’s move to bring the PC to the center of the living room piqued users’ interest–especially given that many analysts presumed the Mac Mini would take that role. But again, Apple seems to have fallen just short of making a slam dunk with the new product. More than a few bloggers who were excited about the iMac’s Front Row software also lamented that they wouldn’t move to an entertainment system centered on their computer until Apple offers more integration with television.

A shortage in the supply of NOR flash could have caused shipment delays and slow sales of Apple Computer’s of iPod nano in the past two or three weeks, according to sources at Taiwan IT makers.

Rumors that a supply shortage of certain parts has caused shipment delays and slow sales of the iPod nano have been circulating for a while. Apple and its suppliers have been tight-lipped about the issue until October 12 when CEO Steve Jobs, while unveiling the company’s lastest product, the video iPod, said that a parts shortage has made it difficult to say when the company will be able to build enough of the immensely popular MP3 player to fill orders.

Even so, Apple still not did identify what kinds of parts were in shortage.

Sources at local makers had earlier indicated that the parts in question would probably be either the adaptor or dock, but now they have pinpointed the shipment delays to a shortage of NOR flash memory chips, which are supplied by Taiwan-based Professional Computer Technology (PCT), the Taiwan agent for Silicon Storage Technology (SST) NOR flash.

PCT is supplying Apple with 4Mbit NOR flash integrated with a controller IC, the sources noted, adding that although PCT managed to ramp out about one million units of NOR flash in August and September, the output still fell short of demand.

Due to a shortage of NOR flash in the market, the prices of NOR flash prices are expected to be raised in the fourth quarter following a hike of about 20% in the third quarter, according to the sources.

The 30-second spot was shown during the company’s special media event, where Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled an all-new iPod and an updated iMac computer.

The commercial takes a new three-dimensional video approach to the “silhouette” ads popularized in Apple’s recent iPod television campaigns, combining an iconic effect with music video-style filmography.

Jobs told the crowd that Apple had been working on the ad concept for two-and-a-half years. “It takes our silhouette campaign up to a whole new level,” he said.

The ad was received well by the audience during Jobs’ keynote and was met by even louder applause than those following U2’s iPod video ad. Jobs played the ad twice for attendees, and said it would premier on television in one to two weeks.

The ad features Eminem performing his hit single “Lose Yourself,” a song that was at the center of another controversy involving Apple in 2004.

About 18 months ago, Eight Mile Style, the music publisher for Eminem, filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming it used one of Eminem’s songs in a television advertisement without permission.

The ad was one of the first to promote Apple’s iTunes Music Store, which launched in 2003. It featured a 10-year-old singing “Lose Yourself” while listening to his iPod. Jobs showed the ad alongside several other similar spots. The commercial initially aired on MTV in July 2003.

Eight Mile Style, the music publisher for Eminem, said Apple used song rendition without permission. The suit also named MTV parent company Viacom and advertising agency TBWA/Chiat/Day.

In a statement regarding the matter, a representative Eight Mile Style wrote, “at no time did Apple, Chiat/Day or MTV receive authorization or permission to record, reproduce, perform, transmit, copy, use or otherwise exploit the composition (”Lose Yourself”) for any purpose.”

Apple eventually settled the issue with Eminem/Eight Mile Style in early 2005 for an undisclosed cash sum.

It’s unclear what legal issue — if any — lead Apple to withdraw the new “silhouette” ad.

Eminem’s music is often the focus of much controversy, but “Lose Yourself” is regarded as one of his more tame tracks.

Although Apple has removed all traces of the commercial from its Web site, it can still be viewed as a part of the video stream of Jobs’ keynote.

In related news, the rapper left rehab yesterday, after receiving two months of treatment for a drug addiction.