Yet another HUGE product announcement from Apple this morning. First of all, it's just so incredible to watch Steve on stage presenting these products. He's just so good at it! It gives me goose bumps every time to see all the amazing stuff Apple whips out, time and time again. I really can't work anywhere else.

This announcement was advertised as "One more thing" indicating there was something else after the very recent announcement of the Nano and ROKR. "One more thing" was something Steve would often do at the end of a keynote to bring out once last surprise product. Today's announcement was a 3 part "Act" after which he said he had "one more thing." Who would have expected it!? One more thing at an event that was itself "one more thing." I just can't handle all this excitement :)

Act I
iMac is revved. Besides the basics of it being faster and thinner, the main features are:

Built in iSight camera. This is huge. Now people like my dad will buy a mac, open the box, and they are SET for worldwide *free* chat, audio, and video conferencing. They have the computer, the account (free AIM or .Mac), the software, the camera, and everything else ready to go out of the box. This is the first step in making video chat much more common.

Front Row: You have to see this one to believe it. They did a home media center RIGHT. It's so simple. A tiny 6 button remote for your imac. Hit one button and in a cool 3D whoosh your desktop is gone and you have 4 icons for music, movies, photos, and DVDs. Hit music and you have an iPod like interface to select what you want. From movies you can select from all the movie trailers online by clicking on a movie poster. It's really amazing when you see it in person. If this moves down to the Mac mini, you have the PERFECT home media center.

Act II
The ipod. New hard drive based ipods. 30 and 60gb, significantly thinner, huge screen, and it plays VIDEO. There are two new commercials including an AWESOME half color half sillouette feating Eminem, one of the best we've ever done.

Act III
iTunes: New version of iTunes that supports downloading videos to the iPod. You can buy music videos and Pixar shorts for 1.99. There's also a new recommendation system called Just For You. Apple fell into the Beta craze and released this as beta. It's the first time (in my memory) we have done this. I hope it's a one time thing :)

One More Thing
The fun couldn't stop there. Besides watching music videos on your ipod, you can watch TV SHOWS. Apple got a deal with ABC/Disney for 5 shows to start including Desperate Housewives and Lost. $1.99 per episode, available the day after it airs. So awesome. I wasn't planning on buying a TV after I moved from my current apartment, and if they add the 2 shows I watch (Scrubs and Arrested Development) I definitely won't get a TV.

Of course, all this is high quality, commercial free.

Encore: Wynton Marsalis plays for the audience

I'm sure these are all just a start to much bigger things. Apple has started the move to get mainstream content available for purchase, and i'm sure more and more people will jump on the wagon. Maybe one day we'll be able to buy all the TV shows and movies we want right online!

Steve is really incredible at creting all these products, making the deals, and presenting them to the world. His keynotes are really amazing and my summary here doesn't do justice to the excitment and fun of watching it happen. You can watch a stream of it here

Steve announces iPod Video