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We've seen regular revisions of the iPod since it was unveiled in 1999 but, until now, most have concentrated on improving ease of use or increasing capacity. The iPod Photo goes one step further by incorporating a colour display and the option to view digital photos.
Getting images onto the device is straightforward. Pop the pictures you want to transfer into a folder and iTunes 4.7 will synchronise them with the Photo every time you connect it to your PC. It can also turn your Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 and Photoshop Album 2 collections into slideshows.
One major omission is that you can't copy files directly from your digital camera. Another oddity is that only one computer can be used as a source of photos. Connect the Photo to a new PC and it will ask you if you want to replace all the images currently on the unit.
Viewing pictures is just as intuitive as listening to music. You can cycle though a 5 x 5 grid of thumbnail images using the touch-sensitive click wheel then view pictures at a resolution of 220 x 176.
The iPod Photo doesn't let you rotate, zoom or pan images on the go. It also lacks other features found on rivals; for example, the Archos Gmini 400 can display full-length movies.
Overall we were satisfied with the quality of the colour screen, although it isn't as bright as the displays on some devices. You can connect the unit to a TV or projector to view images while listening to music, but you'll need to get the optional iPod Photo Dock or AV cable.
Apple's latest iPod is still an excellent music player, but we can't recommend it to serious digital image hobbyists or anyone looking for a complete all-round multimedia device.
See also:
All Multimedia Players
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