Apple's new iPod touch, nano and classic: Hands firmly on

The iPod classic. 80GB and a massive 160GB capacity, priced at £159 and £229 respectively. These refreshed video iPods now come finished in an attractive all-metal finish like the second-gen nanos, meaning they're probably less prone to scuffs and scratches too.

Apple has refreshed the menu and interfaces entirely. In addition to being able to browse albums with full-screen Cover Flow, album art floats on the right half of the screen as you navigate the standard list-format menus. The look and feel of this refreshing interface is seamless and impressive to say the least. No MP3 player has ever looked this good or functioned this well.

Battery life has improved significantly since the last edition of the iPod. The 80GB classic will play music for 30 hours while video will keep pumping for 5. In the 160GB model these numbers get more interesting: 40 hours and 7 hours for audio and video, respectively. This narrows the gap between competing manufacturers, such as Cowon and Sony, whose players are known for their impressive battery performance.

The iPod classic is available "immediately" -- the Apple site says they're ready to ship in three days. Before you rush out to buy one though, wait until you see what Apple has done to the world's most popular MP3 player, the nano...