14 DAY TRIAL // There must be a big leak somewhere in Cupertino because iPod nano rumors are coming in like a flood, and with each new one, the details of the new models become clearer and clearer. It looks like the redesigned case, bigger screen and video playback are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the new iPods.
Once again, next month's media event is reported as the time when Apple will unveil the next generation of digital music players. The new iPods are reported as being drastically redesigned, with the biggest changes being on the inside: OS X. It looks like Apple's multi-year effort to transition OS X to post PC devices is about to come to an end. The company has already transitioned legendary operating system software to the Apple TV and iPhone, and the iPod is the final link. After the iPods are released, Apple will have effectively scaled the Mac OS across its entire product matrix, and we can expect any new Apple products in the future to also run it.
Although this is not the iPhone sans phone that people were expecting, and the iPods will retain their click wheels, the devices will take a radical step forward. AppleInsider sources familiar with this year's plans report that "Apple's iPod roadmap for the fall now calls for as many as four new models -- most, if not all, will employ NAND flash -- including major evolutions of both the flagship video iPod and iPod nano lines."
Despite still making use of a click wheel, the new iPod will have a radically different interface, videos of which have been leaked, and then removed, but that can still be found floating around the Internet. Although the core of the interface has remained unchanged, the extra screen size and the added power of OS X gives it an entirely new dimension. With this change, Apple will have expanded the userbase of OS X to many millions more than what could have been achieved with only computers, and knowing Apple this is likely just a first step.