[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ost people know that I'm an Apple advocate. Not an fan, just a supporter of the corporation's principals and beautiful products. That changed after today's event. iPhone 5 wasn't that bad, but Apple successfully killed the iPod today. The new Nano line is ugly inside and out. Its user interface is nothing better and reminds me of the PlayStation Vita. The iPod touch is now one of the tackiest, plastic-looking devices I've ever seen. And lastly, the earbuds have lost their design with an overly-modern look. Today, Apple did the impossible: it over-designed its latest products. It's as if the corporation wanted to end the iPod. If so, why not just let it die? Why must the device go like this?

In the past, I've never been let down by an Apple event. There's always been something good to look forward to with the release of new software. Today, this was not the case. I closed the many live-blog tabs that I had open to remember everything I'd just read -- in sadness. Down to iTunes, Apple has overdone things, either with simplifications or design. I've lost my respect for the corporation in a short hour and a half. How is that possible? They tried too hard.

Apple describes the new iPod Nano as being "Completely renanoed".
Maybe my expectations were too high and maybe I should just be quiet. I feel like Apple lost something on the road to today though. An important element of that company has changed (its design) and no, I'm not suggesting it had anything to do with Steve Jobs. Apple today became tacky and that makes me sad. There's only one word to describe what today's event was and as much as I hate to say it about my once-favorite Cupertino-based corporation, I was disappointed.