Thu - Apple announces new music gadgets

Apple Computer yesterday unveiled a much-anticipated Motorola mobile phone that runs Apple's iTunes music software, as well as a sleek new music player that is thinner than a pencil.

The new music player, the "iPod nano", replaces the "iPod mini" and is seen to raise the bar for competitiors trying to topple Apple in the digital music player market.

The iPod nano comes in two models, with the higher end one priced at $249 and stores up to 1,000 songs or 25,000 photos.

Analysts seem to like the move "they just changed the rules of the game completely. Rival players are going to look big and clunky by comparison," said Van Baker, analyst at Gartner.

And lets face it things are looking pretty good for Apple as it is. Apple has sold almost 22m iPods as of the end of June and has captured 74% of the US digital player market. The company's iTunes online music store has sold more than 500m songs and controls more than 80% of the US market.

Perhaps Apple has learnt a bit since they allowed the PC market to get taken from them in the '80's by Microsoft, Intel and IBM. With such a stranglehold on this fast growing market they look hard to shake. So, Mr Jobs when will you launch the vPod for the soon to emerge digital video download market?!