Forbes Reviews iPod, Calls It A "Winner"

Forbes has published a review of Appleis new iPod that offers a fairly glowing look at the MP3 player. Forbes, a mainstream financially oriented publication, is not always known as being friendly to Apple, and this review is important in that it reaches out past the built in market of existing Mac users. The piece, literally titled "iPodis A Winner," starts off glowingly:

When it first comes out the box, one might be forgiven for being afraid to touch Apple Computeris iPod digital music player for fear of getting it dirty. It looks that good.

Appleis first device that isnit a computer since the ill-fated Newton personal digital assistant is the hit of the holiday season. Their lucky owners instantly generate envious sighs wherever they happen to be seen using it. Weive been lucky enough to have had one for about a month.

When first announced, the critics piled on. The five-gigabyte hard drive isnit big enough, they said. It doesnit work with a Windows-based PC, they said. Both are valid criticisms, but easily explained by the fact that the iPod is a brand-new product in Appleis lineup. Already excellent for what it is, if it sells well, subsequent revisions can only make it better.

It then goes on to praise Appleis use of FireWire, explaining the benefits in the process, and touts its ability to be used as a hard drive. On the negative side, the article criticizes the hard drive size, comparing it devices that use a different drive mechanism. This is a somewhat unfair comparison in that there are not yet any larger capacities available with the iPodis drive mechanism. Other criticisms include the lack of cross-platform support in the device.

Nonetheless, itis a positive review from a mainstream source, and that should translate into increased sales for Apple. Check out the full review for yourself for more information.