January 18, 2005

APPLE`S ``Mr iPod`` Stan Ng has ruled out a video-capable version of the music player anytime soon.

Mr Ng, a founding designer, and now director of iPod marketing worldwide, was in Sydney last week for the launch of the iPod shuffle.

``There is no legal way today of taking a DVD and making it viewable on a portable device,`` he said.

``There are issues with video, and no infrastructure for acquiring that content.

``For a player with a 3 1/2-inch screen, you have to wonder if it would be worthwhile. You can`t watch video while you`re jogging or mountain biking.``

Already available is the iPod Photo, which allows users to carry a digital photo collection along with music.

Unlike competing devices, notably Creative`s Portable Media Centre, the iPod Photo will not play any kind of compressed video.

``Fundamentally, at a corporate level, we`ve been clear about our involvement in music and photos - we`ll see what happens with video over time,`` Mr Ng said.

The big news for iPod fanciers is the shuffle, a flash-memory-based version, about the size of a pack of gum, in 512MB and 1GB models that will retail here for $149 and $229 respectively.

Unlike many flash-based music players already available, the shuffle has no screen, not even one line of scrolling text.

``We wanted to create a whole different way of experiencing music with a small player,`` he said.

Mr Ng said the shuffle should be seen as a portable extension of iTunes, the music management software that came installed on all Macs, so songs could be arranged before uploading to the device.

``A prime example is someone who will use the shuffle for workouts - they want faster music, so they don`t want their show tunes to come up,`` he said.

Users can choose shuffle mode, which randomly plays material on the device, or ``play in order``.

The random effect applies also when selecting songs within iTunes with an autofill feature.

Apple also previewed the Mac mini, an entire computer not much larger than a CD-ROM drive, which will be available locally late this month.

At $799, the Mac mini will be sold in ``barebones`` mode, without a display, keyboard or mouse.

The Australian