A Gaunt Steve Jobs Hails New Features for iPods, iTunes

Apple CEO/co-founder Steve Jobs appeared underweight, but he was energetic at the company’s new music-feature launch for iPods and iTunes Sept. 9 in San Francisco. “I feel great. I probably need to gain about 30 pounds, but I feel really good,” Jobs said afterward.

Apple started selling ring tones Sept. 9 on its iTunes site for $1.29 apiece-in exactly the same manner the company sells MP3s.

iTunes 9, launched Sept. 9, sports a new, easier-to-navigate layout that makes it simpler to find and download new applications.

iTunes 9 enables users to drag-and-drop single songs or lists of songs into the upper left-hand corner of the page to create new playlists, to share songs or groups of songs across up to five home computers, and to get fast access to accompanying videos, artists’ backgrounders and lyrics to go with the music.

In this Dave Matthews album, users can see the album cover, play individual songs (or the entire album in sequence), watch a video of Matthews in concert or doing an interview, or follow the lyrics of the song-all at the same time. All a user has to do is click on any of the options.

Apple’s Phil Schiller explains the new pricing on the iPod Touch.

A new iPod Nano-now available in nine colors-includes a built-in video camera, FM radio-even a voice recorder. It also features a larger (2.2-inch) color display. It is available in two versions: an 8GB model for $149 and 16GB for $179.

Apple, always aware of product perception, shows off the new colors available for the new iPods.

Phil Schiller puts video-game application stores into perspective: Sony has 607 games for its PlayStation; Nintendo has 3,680 for its device; and Apple boasts more than 21,000 for its iPhone.

Grammy winner Norah Jones closed out the Apple event by performing two songs, “Come Away with Me” and “Young Blood,” for the approximately 750 people at the event. Jones has sold more than 36 million albums on iTunes.