Apple is God, not Google

Oh, how they laughed. "Video iPod? Who the heck wants to watch movies on a 2" screen?"

Yesterday's announcement of the new video-capable iPod was neat geek news for me, but I'm happy with my 3G iPod and I'm not looking to upgrade. But! This is still awesome in a very tangible way. See, if you use iTunes - and why the heck wouldn't you be? Get out of 1996, Winamp freaks - you can still download videos and watch them on your computer. Or, connect it to the TV and you've got the smartest PVR yet. Heck, if you get the new iMac, which comes with a remote and Apple's delicious-looking media center software, FrontRow, you're all set for a sweet widescreen experience.

I tested TV show downloads by getting the pilot episode of ABC's Lost. 42:29, 210MB, gorgeous H.264 encoding. With one click, it was downloaded over my cable connection in five and a half minutes. I can watch it on two computers all I want, free of ads. How much would you be willing to pay for this? Don't answer - it's $1.99. There are volume discounts, too - the 25-episode first season is $34.99.

Hey, I'm one of those annoying people who always say they don't watch TV. Damn, what's my excuse now?