Apple Music Special Event: The Good, The Bad, The Missing

Let's break out the Sept. 9 Apple Music into three parts: The Good, The Bad, and The Missing:

The Good:

Steve Jobs Appeared: While people are sure to continue to speculate on his health, the bottomline is, he was there, and he is actively involved with the company.

iPod Nano: A decent update, staying a step ahead of the competition, at least in terms of "bang for the buck." New shape means new cases, which means even more revenue for Apple, and accessory manufacturers. As a former Apple retail worker though, I feel bad for those who will be dealing with customers looking for specific colors. It sounds harmless enough, but look for another post shortly on why it can be hell.

iPod Touch: A curved shape is nice, and a price drop is swell, but the speaker is probably the biggest feature to propel the touch forward, and sells a lot more apps.

HD TV shows: Great for those who want HD on their computer/Apple TV

NBC Shows Return: More content is always better.

The Bad:
$79 Earphones: Let's hope Apple learned its lesson with the HiFi speaker. If these earphones don't stand up to the other $79 options, then don't put them out there.

The New Nano Look: When the 3rd gen "fatty" Nano came out, some people hated it, some loved it, and some were won over. It looks like the new Zune-esque screen will garner equal love and disdain.

Audio DRM Still Kicking: More the labels fault than Apple at this point, but let's let the music go free. Are there any statistics to indicate the iTunes Plus tracks have been pirated in any great numbers?

The Missing:

Music Subscription Service: Two major advertisers during MTV's VMA's were Rhapsody and Verizon, both peddling subscription music plans. No iPod/iTunes ads at all. Apple needs to get in on subscriptions before it's too late.

Apple TV: No news on company's biggest "hobby." No sales figures either.

CPU Updates: While not expected at a music event, the fact remains several Macs are due for updates on the surface, and under the hood.