The September even is one I’ve never been particularly interested in. I’ve never owned an iPod (other than a Shuffle) and usually can only take away iTunes from the entire event. But this time was different. This time not only did we get a new version of iTunes, new iPods, the much rumoured Apple TV, but we also got it in a live video stream.

I’m shocked that Apple managed to pull it off, save for a few snags here and there. I’m surprised my 256kbps internet connection managed to keep up with it through the entire keynote. But mostly, I’m surprised how indifferent I’m feeling towards the otherwise useful liveblogs which have now gone practically extinct.

As for the event, there are obviously new things we’ll uncover throughout the week, but for initial impressions, here’s what happened.

New iPods

It’s a given that every Fall Event brings in Apple’s “best lineup of iPods for the holiday season”. Nevertheless, we have a few surprises. For one, the buttons are back! It seemed like an ingenious idea to have a buttonless Shuffle, but using it is a different experience altogether. I’m glad they’re back, and it now sort-of looks like the previous generation iPod Shuffle, priced at $49.

The big surprise, though rumoured, was the Nano. It loses its clickwheel, and brings in the multi-touch user interface on a 1.7 inch screen. It sports some sort of embedded operation system (I don’t think it’s iOS), with a weird user interface for that form factor. It’s like iOS, but looks like a well done knock off from the chinese market. The list items are awfully large (they have to be tappable), and controlling the device via touch is going to make it difficult for in-pocket playback control. I’m not sure about the usability on this one, though it does make for a really cool gadget to own. I love the packaging on both the Nano and the Shuffle.

The touch gets the obvious stuff. Retina, HD video recording and FaceTime with front and rear cameras, low quality stills, A4 processor, and a refreshed design which stands even thinner, at a mere 7.2 milimetres thin. Soon we’ll be able to cut things with one of these.

New iTunes

What’s with the new icon? It’s like something you’ll see on DeviantArt, and not in the popular section. Perhaps it will grow on us (it will), and in a way, that’s the only way that they could maintain the brand while getting rid of the CD. iTunes 10 (not X) brings a last.fm killer new social network centered around sharing music, called Ping. It’s got all the follows, the sharing, and you can follow your favourite artists. Everyone already knows I love Coldplay, right?

iTunes 10 also brings in some of the weirdest UI shifts we’ve seen from Apple: the close/minimize/maximize ‘traffic lights’ are not presented vertically. For what reason? It allows them to shave a few pixels off the top (it also loses the name ‘iTunes’), like they tried with Safari 4′s tabs on top. Truth be told, I can’t remember the last time I used those three buttons in iTunes, so it’s probably for the best.

AppleTV

Not iTV. And not iTunes.com. But it’s a much smaller AppleTV (as rumoured), and supports subscriptions (+1), and cheaper (+1), but runs the same old AppleTV user interface built on top of Mac OS X. It’s not the iOS AppleTV people were hoping for.

I can’t speak much for rentals and prices, since we don’t even get those features out here in India. I’ve just used an AppleTV once, and besides its coolness, I don’t have any opinion on the device. It’s cool.

iOS 4.2 for iPad

AirPlay. I like the fact that Apple is working on getting media seamlessly moving across devices. They started it with iTunes bonjour sharing, and now you will be able to stream music from your iPad, onto your AppleTV, wirelessly. This won’t allow you to stream your Mac’s content onto your iPad, like you can with Air Video, but it’s a useful feature nonetheless. Along with AirPlay, Apple announces iOS 4.2 for iPad shipping November 2010. It’s got all the iOS 4.0 stuff (implemented in very much the same way as the iPhone), wireless printing, and a few small enhancements here and there.

Coldplay

This ‘feature’ of the keynote probably won’t get as much play, but I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Chris Martin was going to be the performer. I know Chris isn’t the best live singer, cracking on almost every occasion, but you can imagine what this keynote must have been, for an Apple fan, and an Coldplay nut.

Magical.