Why don't they make a dedicated iPod just for...

Right - but I feel like I'm paying for something that I won't be using. Also, isn't it possible that an all audio version would have a better DAC than an audio/video version?

Holy cow, where to begin? You're paying for a 30/60 GB hard drive. When you buy a hard drive for your computer, do you look around for one that CAN'T be used for things you don't need???

As for the DAC, get over it. Really, really good DAC chips cost less than $1 apiece when purchased in the quantities that Apple does. And the DAC in the iPod is a really, really good DAC. Don't take my word for it. Take John Atkinson's: "The iPod's measured behavior is better than many CD players."

Well, I feel that if it weren't for video I could get something smaller in physical size (and price) while still having a large capacity for music files... Also, it appears that the iPod John Atkinson references is an older model (i.e. not the video iPod). Perhaps the DAC has changed given the different models?

Also, when I'm paying $400 for a 60gb hardrive you can be sure that I'm certainly going to take into consideration things that I don't need and won't use...

Thanks though! Anyone know if Apple has any new iPod releases in the near future?

You're out of luck. The video is a big selling point for the iPod and it's a very safe bet that any large capacity new model will prominently feature the video capabilities. If it's that important, then the iPod is not the product for you.

These websites will report any seismic ripple when the Apple rumor mill starts rumbling.

www.macosrumors.com

www.appleinsider.com

www.thinksecret.com

www.macworld.com/news

It used to be that new product lines or model updates were launched at Macworld San Francisco [January] and Macworld New York [July], but these days Steve Jobs has been dropping bombs on us when we least expect it.

This may come as a really big surprise to you, but I don't think they see the market quite the same way that you do...

Consider if you will that they just sold 20M units in Q42005 - there is probably no real sense in Cupertino (where corporate HQ is) that they are missing an important segment of the market. I don't have the numbers to back it up but my educated guess is that the adoption rate of the iPod for the first 5 years is ahead of the CD, the DVD and most certainly DVD-A, SACD and HD in household penetration.

Which might lead you to the conclusion that the hi end audiophile market is not a particularly rewarding one - especially since what it appears you really want is the same thing for less... BTW IMHO a 60Gb Nano without a screen would be pretty much useless

As Onhwy61 points out, Apple is going to continue to push the video angle because video capability is a key to a new revenue stream - downloaded video. First the iTunes store, next the iTV store though I am sure they will have a catchier name LOL

Yes they do change DACs - they did from the Gen4 (Photo) to the Gen5 (video) The real issue is not the quality of the DAC, its everything in the circuit that comes after it. If you haven't, you should use the line out from the dock not the headphone out - big difference. Don't know if this is any consolation to you but Steve Job is a perfectionist and he hangs out with a lot of cool people who know audio (Bono for one) - he will always put the best DAC he can in the device

I would guess that they are on a 3 or 4x per year introduction pace right now. They seem to be intent on leveraging their lead and fragmenting the market to make it ever harder for anyone to come in and gain a foothold - kind of a float like a butterfly strategy - I'm here, I'm there and you mr competitor don't have the marketing budget to be everywhere I am at once

One thing is for sure, its never dull