Mac attack — Among iPod changes, Apple offering new and revamped products

Brace yourself for another Mac attack.

From new color schemes to entirely new products, the iPod line received a major revamping last week — and without major price changes.

Most notably, Apple released the iPod Touch, which is essentially the iPhone minus the phone. But it also revamped their popular Nano line, and updated their Video and Shuffle products.

Strangely, the iPod announcement was accompanied by one of the few public relations blunders that Apple has committed in recent memory. They announced a $200 price cut to the iPhone that brought fury from customers who had purchased the iPhone at the higher price and even elicited an apology from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

But thanks to a $100 store credit for those buyers (many of whom were Apple faithful and felt betrayed) that controversy has somewhat subsided. Now in its wake, the new iPods are now garnering more attention.

And that has local Mac dealers excited — even if they were not having trouble selling the previous incarnations of the iPods.

John Youngberg, assistant branch manager for Simply.Mac in Cottonwood Heights, said that the new products will help keep Apple on customer's minds and people coming into their stores.

"They always like to stay on the forefront," Youngberg said about Apple. "Because of the iPhone and the new Touch, they wanted to reform the whole line of iPods."

Here are the highlights of Apple's latest reformation movement, from the major to the cosmetic:

iPod Touch

Looks the same, feels the same, operates the same as the iPhone, except that it does not have phone, texting or mail capabilities and it lacks a camera. What it does have, however, is WiFi access to the Internet, syncing with offline applications, an amazing video screen, a music player, and most of the other bells and whistles that makes the iPhone noteworthy.

It also comes with a relatively attractive price, starting at $299 for 8 GB or $399 for a 16 GB. It is expected to ship Sept. 28.

iPod Nano

Of all the existing iPods, the Nano got the biggest boost in performance. Unlike previous Nanos, owners can now play games on it. Also, the interface has improved greatly, giving a "coverflow" option comparable to what exists in iTunes and showing a user a picture of the album if they are scrolling through playlists.