Okay, so it's a day later-- now that everyone's had time to kick it around a little (metaphorically speaking, of course), what's the buzz on the iPod? Well, based on the feedback we're seeing, at least, we'd have to call the reactions "mixed." Or possibly "sharply divided." Maybe even "break out the brass knuckles, Mabel, 'cuz there's a brawl a-brewin'." To put it as plainly as we possibly can, some people say "iPod good!" and some say "iPod bad!" (Reactions to "fire" were pretty universally negative, however.)

It's true; the vitriol in some of these letters is actually a little frightening. We get the distinct sense that a certain segment of the Mac-using community is just itching to carve Uncle Steve into bite-size chunks for releasing an MP3 player in this depressed economy with the eye-popping price tag of $399. (However, given the pre-release speculation orgy, we imagine that at least some of that anger may be misplaced frustration that yesterday's "breakthrough device" isn't a $19.99 handheld wireless color QuickTime player with Game Boy Advance compatibility, an anti-gravity module, and the ability to steal free cable porn. Some people are never satisfied.) A fair number of people, such as Shane Anderson in his scathing article for the MacEvangeList, seem to be expecting the imminent replay of the dreaded "Cube Syndrome." So will the iPod be yet another "insanely great" Apple product tanked by a price that's just plain insane? After all, a Nomad Jukebox has four times the storage capacity for the same price, right?

On the other hand, there are also people looking at the iPod like it's the Second Coming and calling for Steve's immediate canonization. (Given that he'd wind up dead either way, perhaps that's not such a great thing, at least from Steve's perspective. Oh, well.) iPod enthusiasts seem to be a little more cognizant of the whole "miniaturization costs" issue; that Nomad may have four times the storage, but it's also four times the size, volumetrically speaking. Personally, we'd rather have a 5 GB player that fits in a pocket than a 20 GB one the size of a CD player. Apple is presumably banking on the fact that most Mac users will be of the same mind.

The entire iPod itself is narrower than a standard laptop hard drive; according to Go2Mac, Apple must be using a rather rare 1.8-inch drive mechanism, hence the iPod's slightly hefty price tag. (Toshiba's 1.8-inch 5 GB drive sells for $499 alone-- although that's with a PC card interface.) We contend that when you think about what goes into it-- FireWire, a super-teensy 5 GB hard drive, 32 MB of solid-state memory, and Apple's famed fit and finish-- $399 for an iPod starts to look positively cheap.

Unfortunately, just because the price may be eminently justifiable doesn't mean that people are actually going to pay it; if someone offers you a brand new dual-800 Quicksilver for $50 cash, the fact that it's a great price doesn't mean squat if you still don't have the fifty bucks. We're noticing a disturbing number of glowing reviews of the iPod (or at least of its specs) that conclude with the sentiment, "I'd preorder one right now if I could afford it." Indeed, faithful viewer Chris Stout contends over at PEST that Apple is intentionally positioning itself as a luxury brand. Faithful viewer dissimilation picked up that ball and ran with it, cranking out a dozen or so proposed iPod slogans along the lines of "With your headphones powered at 30 watts per channel, you'll never be bothered with the sound of your creditors calling."

Still, whether you think the iPod is groundbreaking, wallet-busting, or just plain embarrassing, you have to admit that it's got people talking. Remember, Apple's goal here is not to sell an "MP3 player"; it's to prove that a Mac should be the hub of your digital world. And when a preview of the device in a PC-oriented publication like IGN's Gear (pointed out by faithful viewer vandenberg) includes such choice quotes as "Days like today make me wish I were a Mac user," well, something tells us that the iPod may be Steve's secret weapon to convert the masses. Let's see what happens this holiday season, shall we?