So imagine our concern when Mr Steve Jobs of Apple announced that the Ipod was to be upgraded! For without any shadow of a doubt Apple have created the MP3 player market that today thrives in the UK.

The Ipod is credited with continuing the turn around of Apple, since the iMac the Ipod has been keeping the brand flying high as a bastion of desirable electronics, but like all good things they either come to an end or get remoulded into the "new" must have item. So just what are the differences in the 4G Ipod due in the UK this August and are they worth waiting for or are the Tech Savvy picking up bargain 3G Ipods right now?

First there is the appearance, while not dramatically different the changes to the jog wheel to make the Ipod more like its brother the Ipod Mini set the 4G apart from the 3G and therefore make enough of a statement for those in the know, which lets face it will be everyone even vaguely gadget aware. The 4G retains the 50 / 50 split between the polished chrome back and the pure white simplicity of the face of the Ipod, the row of four buttons on top of the 3G dial have gone and have now been integrated within the Jog wheel making for an even sleeker design.

In terms of function the click wheel as its now known takes the few buttons that were outboard of the old wheel and shoehorns them into north, east, south and west points of the wheel, the touch sensitive scrolling ability of the Apples wheel remain and it is perhaps easier to navigate with the new layout especially if you only have one hand free.

The 4G measures 10.4cm x 6.1cm x 1.4cm which is a full 1mm slimmer than the 3G and almost exactly the same weight, so don't be expecting your new 4G to be anything like the mini, but then there was nothing much wrong with the current Ipod which sits so well in the hand and has enough weight to give a certain sense of quality.

The Ipod screen has changed too with a new blue text rather than the 3G Ipods black, purists may say that this is a move towards the plethora of "blue backlit" gadgets, but we can honestly say its easier to read and an improvement in terms of accessibility. Apples now familiar user interface remains in its entirety and is testament to one of the best GUI's of the last decade, simple to navigate and yet able to convey information within a very confined screen area. Perhaps a negative point is the lack of illumination of the buttons which are embedded in the click wheel, this makes night time use a little more tricky but once used to the click wheel we're sure it would become less of an issue.

The big changes are deeper down within the 4G Ipod, the controversy that hit late in 2003 regarding the battery life of the Ipod seems to have hurt Apple, so much so that the 4G Ipod has a battery life of 12 hours, but sadly they haven't gone the whole hog and given us user replaceable batteries so it will still be a return to Apple when your Ipod finally runs out of juice.

In firmware there have been a few changes to the structure of the interface but the main changes allow you to create and save playlists on the fly and to randomize song playback.

Apple are promising better value to with the new 4G models having a  lower staring point, the 20gb is priced at £219 and the 40gb £299 with a rumoured jump to a 60gb version this side of Christmas, the 20gb version still lacks the Ipod dock which is a shame and means an essential upgrade for those who don't want or need a 40gb Pod.

The Apple Ipod 4G is a genuine evolution of the product rather than one of these facelifts that seem to work for the car manufactures, sure its not much more than a nip and a tuck but when the 3G was so nearly perfect there wasn't that much to do. Unlike the comeback of Duran Duran the Ipod has aged gracefully and with a few extra tricks and a shiny new wheel to make it more accessible to its baying public we're sure it will manage more than a few nights at the Shepard's bush empire.

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