This is because Apple has discovered something that has eluded the competition — for all the talk among futurologists about convergence. punters want devices that do one thing well. and Apple has the human interface experience. and the award-winning product design department to deliver the good-looking goods. To put it another way. what the il’od am 'I do is as key to its success as what it can do. Novice users enjoy the fact that they can plug and play. instantly and intuitively grasping the way the player works. (ieeks. or. in the current jargon. prosumers. see limits as a challenge to tweak and hack (the latest fad being replacing the il’od's onscreen icons with custom images). The il’od‘s limits have also spawned an after- market for companion products. often released within hours of each new incarnation of the player. (iriffin leads the field here. with its iTrip. which lets you listen to iPod output on an I'M radio. and iTalk. which turns the device into a dictaphone. l‘or home listening. Altec Lansing has cornered the market with its lnMotion range of speaker systems. and even competitor Sony offers ice-white portable speakers for sale on Apple’s online shop.
For those with considerably more money than sense. there are esoteric accessories too. The Solio lets you power an il’od with the sun's rays. The l"endi Juke Box is a gilded carry-case for a down il’ods. liven Apple‘s own il’od Sock — yes. it's jtist a sock to put your iPod in — has been a bestseller.
The iPod Shuffle and Mac Mini take this liking for limitation a step further though: it‘s not just the technology that‘s stripped back to a minimum. it‘s the price. Apple has. in a single stroke. cast off its image as a bespoke alternative to the PC world. without dropping the ball when it comes to making pretty products. It remains to be seen whether the Shuffle. which lets consumers buy into the desirable iPod brand for affordable £69. will be the nail in the coffin for competing MP3 players. or if the Mac Mini. a £339 bargain. will tempt enough PC users to have Bill Gates fretting about his dominance of the home computing market.
One thing is certain. though: the naysayers dismissing the Shuffle as a marketing con trick and the Mini
as an underpowered error of
judgement should look to the iPod. which was written off by commentators and weblog pundits alike when unleashed on the world. for clues to the likely outcome. ln short. everyone loves limits. and simplicity sells.
MUSIC
The Internet Movie Database is one of the
best webSites around (wwwimdbcom)
Reviews
EA‘JECUEE PAPER MARIO: THE THOUSAND YEAR DOOR
(Nintendo) 00..
Oh that dumb Princess! She's ()rtly gone and got
herself kidnapped again,
Why does Mario bother"? She must do something special to that plumbers pipes. Whatever it is. he is off again. leaving the safety of Mushroom Kingdom for the nefarious badlands and badseas surrOLinding Rogueport. Half way between a role playing game and a platform adventure. The Thousand Year Door is as delightfully crafted as its feather—Wielding. cloudjuriiping brothers. Each misSion that branches from the central Rogueport is a joy to explore. There is the usual RPG system of experience gain and skill learning but the real draw. as ever, is the unapologetically over- exuberant fun. Perhaps that is why Mario keeps gOing after the Princess instead of finding himself a more prudent woman. He knows that once you find something good you go all out not to lose It. (lain Davidson)
PC SID MEIER’S PIRATES (Atari) on.
There is a strange mental tWitch that gamers have when in- game trading is discussed. If a game asks you to buy and
set to .‘.‘r‘s:ae' it‘a'ke‘. ‘QNE‘S. 0&0". gamer ‘.‘.‘i "minintarilv shout Vea". but is it as .i as E .‘e " it's me trainier ’lfiutettfis Swan‘s»: 8‘ PM; SJ 'v'e‘r" Cities, 1." ts T'ee’c'm e". "V‘tl‘wll that ai is. but". lastanllv l‘lldt“. and 'ioriest trading, (“thtfs‘lflt‘ ut‘ to the hegenrtah. spare traairitt gari‘e'.‘ ‘.‘.’eil. as unfair as that tiuestiori is. the answer is no. Yes, the trading is ‘un .iritf sinipl, guiding your strip through the trai lr' \.‘.'ill’}§k takes a good deal if practice but is as ft?‘.‘.’itl(llllt} as it is (‘lléllitflttlllltl lf )lli'i, it
was a bit bigger, a bit
more involved. this could have been a hugely memorable title. Yet again that gaming twrtch remains uncured. (lain Davrdsoni
XBOX
BLINX 2: MASTERS OF TIME AND SPACE (Microsoft) 000
Here goes that kitty cat again. trying hard to corivnice us that he has complete temporal control of the universe. Except. of course. he doesn’t. He didn't have it in the last game and despite some polishing and tidying. he still hasn't got it. Yeah sure. you can still pause. revvind. etc but these devices are still only used as perfuricton; solutions to unimaginative 3E) adventure nozzles. When the imagination is sparked by such a
CRIME
Live webcam linked to the Anderson COUflty Sheriff's Departrrier‘it jail. Bf;
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH (Electronic Arts) 0...
Hattie a v 'i :1 ref i'r" ar‘ttiall, llt‘llit‘fl ll. the players For ).‘.it'(ll it» ~t flit) l' :Vr,‘ ()3 “it? fi‘lf‘g“. ll|l()(_]\, If ‘.<)tl krii the races. are fariiiliar .'.".li their (tririiliat prowess and haul,- an .lflll.‘: iriiagiiiatioii tiieri lill‘. HTS allows (.reate the ‘.'.’ll:’lf."il
.riiilo
battles in tantamlariri 6’ follows the lh’l‘d’i (l(llll()£tl(]ll structure at most les‘ titles, but tlii- addition of tlie lolkreri niythr i, sets it apart from its peers. ll also looks great. l)f:€tlllll'lll,' l(:(1f(télllllf} the general (lefagri of the (WIN: ,. So if you are a far» of real time strategief, tiieri give it a ‘.'/lll.’l for
‘$f)lllf,‘llllll(} a little
different. If you are :1 RTS rio'no‘: theri tliii, it the perfect iritrorfuetiori ilairi Davidson)
warned: instances of '/l0l‘:flC‘: or sexually inappropriate benavroor by detainees may occw. \/l€'.‘/‘;.’ ri‘iscretion is adwsed. This is a Jail. not a simulation' We're still .vaiting for sorrre CeI/ B/ock H-style action. www.tnacso.net/cont/jailcam.shtml
wrth all the background you need on pretty much every mowe ever made. Well. Ultimate Bands List attempts the same fOr music With news. biogs. discographies and links for nearly every band you've heard and several thousand yOu haven't. www.ubl.com
104 THE LIST 3—‘ " Feb 3005