Editors Note - The review that is presented here of the 15GB iPod was completed before Apple announced that they were going to revamp their iPod line up by dropping the 15GB iPod and replacing it with a 20GB version. The new iPod line up moving forward will be 10GB, 20GB, and 40GB models. Since the review was already finished and in the pipe line, we choose to publish it as the new 20GB model that replaces the 15GB version is in fact the same as the 15GB unit except with a larger hard drive.

When a company creates an award winning product, the next evolution of that product can present quite a challenge: how do you improve a product that is already nearly perfect? Such is the case with Apple's iPod MP3 player. We reviewed the Apple iPod 5GB model previously in our article, The Apple iPod For Windows Begins A New Legacy . Nearly one year later, we now review the next generation of the Apple iPod. With both a THG Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice awards under its belt from the first generation iPod, it might be very difficult for Apple to top what they achieved with their initial iPod product.

The iPod jolted awake the computer peripherals industry with its elegant style and range of functions. We have yet to see a product that gives the iPod much serious competition. Both Creative Labs and Philips have recently introduced new MP3 products to attempt to shake Apple's dominance in this product space. Creative is hoping to attract attention with its new NOMAD Jukebox Zen NX, which it bills as "the pocket sized MP3 player without compromise." Philips has just introduced its new HD100 Portable Audio Jukebox, which is a very slick looking product. While we will reserve judgment on the quality and performance of these products until we review them, the sexy looking designs in these products have incorporated some of the innovative styling and form factor first seen in the iPod. We look for additional products to invade this product space, although these may be nothing more than clones of the iPod. What remains to be seen, however, is whether any of these companies will target the Macintosh in addition to the PC market space.

The ongoing, single biggest gripe from PC users about the Apple iPod is its price. It is true that the iPod price has remained in the "expensive" range for most MP3 media users, but it has retained this premium price because it is so good at what it does. If another manufacturer is able to gain traction in the "function" areas that the iPod dominates, Apple may consider dropping the retail price; but until then, consumers can expect to pay a premium price for the iPod. Competitive pricing is further hampered by a limited distribution network: Apple has been very selective as to the retail outlets that offer Apple products, which means that you won't find the iPod in the same types of retail locations as iPod's competitors. Recently, however, Apple has begun to expand its distribution of the iPod, which we think will sell more iPods and help bring the price down.

Apple does not release specific details on the number of iPods sold or which flavor (Mac or PC) the sales were. It is probably safe to say that the iPod has gained a serious foothold in the PC arena, which may come as a surprise to some PC users. It should not come as any surprise, though, that Apple has targeted the improvements in its new iPod at PC users, as this is where the lion's share of retail PC peripherals sales are.

An ongoing "sore spot" with PC users of the iPod is that the 'iTunes' MP3 management software is not available for the Windows OS. While it has been rumored that Apple will finally port iTunes to Windows to make it available for PC users, it would appear that this rumor may have been circulated so that Apple can better promote its iTunes Music Store: an online store that allows users to purchase music from well known artists for download at what most users consider to be a reasonable price. While we will not open this potential can of worms as to whether this was Apple's intent or whether it is a good strategy or a strategy gone haywire, at least for the moment, iTunes is not an available option for PC users. While MusicMatch Jukebox software continues to be overhauled and updated, it is clear that iTunes is in the lead in the "ease of use" department, and would be a welcomed addition to the PC platform, assuming it is done right.

Improving the iPod, an almost legendary product that represents the model of proper product design and performance, is not an easy feat. Let's dig into the new generation of the Apple iPod and see what they have done.