iDon't get it

Much to the consternation of a great many pundits Apple have yet to produce a video iPod, despite the many rumours of the device's existence which have been circulating over the last few months. Wait, I know what you're thinking: didn't Apple just realise a video iPod? Well, kind of. They produced an iPod capable of playing video, but only on a rather titchy little screen. The rumour is that the new iPod will feature a larger screen covering nearly the entire face of the device, with all controls handled through a "virtual" click wheel on a touch sensitive screen.

My initial reaction was (and still is): Meh. Much like pocket televisions in the past, it'll produce a number of column inches in the media, and probably gather some generally positive publicity for Apple, but I'll be tremendously surprised if it sells well. I certainly don't expect it to displace sales of the more conventional iPods. Ignoring battery life issues resulting from the larger screen, the biggest problem with the video iPod is that it's likely going to have to ditch one of the iPod's greatest success - the click wheel.

It won't be the first time that Apple have produced an iPod with a completely touch sensitive interface. We've seen it before on the third generation iPods, which featured four touch sensitive circles above the circular scroll pad to serve as buttons. It was a neat looking design, but the buttons weren't terribly practical for one important reason: No tactile feedback. There was no way to feel that a button had been pressed. It may seem like a minor gripe, but it made using the iPod considerably more difficult that it should have been, and mistakes, such a double tapping a button by accident, were all too common. The development of the click wheel on subsequent iPods rectified this flaw and it remains the interface by which all other mp3 players are judged (although I find it ironic that many companies are still trying to ape the 3G iPod's touch sensitive interface). But for all it's sins, the 3G iPod featured a recessed scroll pad and buttons so they could at least by distinguished by touch alone. The video iPod won't ever offer that.

Ultimately, I find it difficult to understand exactly why so many people are so excited by the prospect of the video iPod. The interface will almost certainly be lacking, a lower battery life - never one of the iPod's strong points - seems inevitable and it'll inevitably cost more.

Is there an upside that I'm not simply not seeing, or am I finally developing immunity to Steve Jobs' vaunted Reality Distortion Field?