Credit: Apple Computer

(First Look) – Speculation after speculation after speculation, we are finally seeing the video iPod from Apple. In addition to introducing the video iPod (which is simply known as the video-enabled iPod, there’s no special name for it), Apple also launched a corresponding version of iTunes called iTunes 6, which mainly supports music video and shows. Apple hasn’t touched the iPod in any other way except to work on the battery life; it has also added video playback capability and made it thin to maintain a sleek appeal, especially after the Nano release.

Instead of touching on the entire feature list, we’ll take a quick look at the newly announced features with the video iPod. The video iPod comes in two different flavors – 30GB and 60GB with a 2.5" vivid screen that supports a native resolution of 320x240 and 260K colors. According to Apple, the 30GB version is 30 percent thinner than the 20GB it’s replacing. Similarly, the 60GB model is 12 percent thinner. The 30GB and 60GB versions carry a price tag $299 and $399, respectively.

The 30GB video iPod is rated for 14 hours of audio while the 60GB is specified for 20 hours. Please understand that these specifications are for audio only, which means that actual battery life for video playback would be significantly less. The iTunes 6 will launch with 2,000 video clips initially, including TV shows such as Lost. The interesting thing about TV shows is you’ll get the previous seasons (cost per episode, not per season) in addition to newer episodes, which would be uploaded the very next day after the TV version of the episode debuts. For instance, if Lost’s latest episode airs on Monday, it’ll be available for download on Tuesday, a very rapid upload rate.

All video clips are currently priced at $1.99 and follow Apple’s digital right management; meaning video clips would have the same license requirements as audio files. The updated video iPod will be available in both white and black.

Next