Apple Event: iPod Touch, Wi-Fi Music Store

At last, the touch-screen, Wi-Fi iPod is here. Dubbed the iPod Touch, it's basically the iPhone without the phone, although predictions of hard-drive storage appear to have been off-base. Oh, and one more thing...the iTunes Music Store has finally gone wireless.

Available later this month in 8GB ($299) and 16GB ($399) versions, the Touch looks almost exactly like the iPhone, except with a slender 8mm girth, according to Crave. The touch-screen interface will be nothing new to iPhone owners, and you'll get many of the same features, including calendar, contacts, and calculator apps. The big news, of course, is that the iPod Touch comes with Wi-Fi, along with a full version of Safari, the iPhone's YouTube app, and...wait for it...wireless access to the iTunes Music Store, meaning you'll be able to browse, search for, buy and download tracks while you're on the go. You'll also be able to browse the Wi-Fi iTunes store for free over any Starbucks wireless connection, thanks to a newly inked deal.

Oh, and don't worry, iPhone users—you'll be getting Wi-Fi iTunes Store access too, thanks to a major iPhone update coming later this month. (Hmmm...what else will be in that update, I wonder? Flash support for Safari, perhaps?)

It all sounds pretty cool, although I'm disappointed that the Touch doesn't come in a hard drive-equipped version for storage above the modest 16GB mark. There's also no word on wireless syncing of your Touch tunes with your system, and no sign of the rumored wireless radio service (no big shock there).

Related:
Live from Moscone Center with Apple [Crave]
Press release [Apple]