Apple have unveiled the latest addition to the IPOD family – the Ipod Shuffle.
CEO Steve Jobs showed the world the new product from the annual Macworld event in San Francisco, syndicated live by satellite to Paris.
The iPod Shuffle is the smallest iPod yet, and is Apple's answer to the growing range of compact 'Flash' digital music devices.
Barely the size of a packet of chewing gum, the iPod shuffle dispenses with a screen display, instead playing its music on constant shuffle mode, or by a pre-set playlists, determined via the iTunes interface.
It features the trademark iPod click-wheel, comes with a 12-hour rechargeable battery, built-in USB port, works through PCs and Macs, and is worn round the neck with a built-in lanyard.
But the most appealing thing about iPod shuffle will be its price. One model holds 512MB (120 songs) of memory and will retail at $99 in the US, with a 1GB (240 songs) model costing $149. The iPod shuffle will be shipped from factories today. Models in the UK cost £69 and £99 respectively
Highlighting the cultural dominance and market share of the iPod, Jobs announced that over 10million iPods have now been sold, 8.2million of them in 2004. 4.5million of those were sold in the Christmas quarter, compared with 733,000 in the same period of 2003.
Meanwhile, the iTunes Music Store has now sold 230 million songs, boasting a 70% market share.
Jobs also announced that the first generation of iTunes compatible mobile phones – produced by Motorola – will be available in shops within the next six months. Additionally, Mercedes, Nissan, Volvo, Sion and Ferrari join BMW in manufacturing cars with iPod inputs.
Compact was the theme at this year's Macworld – which showcases all of Apple's new products for the forthcoming year. The other headline-grabbing product is the Mac Mini, the smallest, most affordable computer Apple has ever made. Just big enough to house a CD drive, two different capacity models will cost $499 and $599, starting at £399 in the UK.
The Mac Mini comes without a keyboard, mouse or monitor, but is compatible with most industry models. It will be shipped to retail from January 22.
