Apple’s iPod-focussed media event, an annual gathering hosted by the iPod-maker, will be held this Wednesday, September 1st.
While the rumour-mill is churning out reports of a smaller iPod nano, a 3G iPod touch with front-facing FaceTime camera and a new iLife package, the one product not mentioned in most of these blog posts is the fate of the iPod Classic.
Now, while many people across the globe have fallen to the charms and gadgetry of the iPod touch, or the so-called convenience and “cuteness” factor of the Nano, I have remained a devout Classic fan. In fact, my first (and only) iPod, and introduction to the Apple family, was a 5th generation iPod video.
There’s just something about the iPod Classic that resonates with me. Perhaps it’s the media powerhouse’s distinct design that just says “iPod” – an iconic landmark of the 21st-century, it’s amazing capacity (even though it’s a physical hard disk, and not solid-state), or that famous click wheel. The iPod Classic has always been the iPod for me.
And now, I fear, its time has come. Ever-decreasing iPod sales, Apple’s continuous focus and push of the iOS platform, the release of the iPad and the success of the AppStore all point to one thing: a discontinuation of the iPod Classic line. It’s a sad prospect, really. It marks the end of an era in digital music.
And I sincerely hope that the void created by this move will be filled by something that truly honours the legendary greatness of the Classic – and not some wannabe gadget like the Touch. Sorry, but that’s just the way I see it: the Touch cannot live up to the iconic feel and solidness that is the iPod Classic.
Yes, the Touch may have fancy bragging facilities like a multi-touch interface, humorous apps, and iBooks, but the Classic does what an iPod was originally meant to do, and it does it exceptionally well: allow you to carry your entire media collection with you, and access it with stylish ease.
So, that’s my take on what this all means if the iPod Classic were to be cancelled on Wednesday. What’s your opinion of it? Share your ideas in the comments section below!
Life in Pixels 
I totally agree with you, even though I own an iPod Touch and not a Classic! I feel that although technologically speaking the touch remains the platform on which the future will be built, the iPod Classic is undoubtedly the physical symbol of Apple’s iPod line – it possesses the shape and design which was originally built to be enjoyed by the world, and has since become synonymous with the word “iPod”. The death of such a wonderful icon should indeed be lamented, and we can only hope that as Apple continues to innovate and refine the iPod into modern standards as with the Touch, that the original function of the device – storing music, and not browsing the web or downloading apps – remains its true focus.
@Bryan totally agree there! Let’s hope, then, that Apple could even fuse iOS functionality into the Classic line, and thus still keep it going… We’ll have to wait until Wednesday to find out, though!