Before you dash to your nearest Apple Store, consider these facts about the fifth-generation video-capable iPod:

• The black model’s face is made of the same polycarbonate as the iPod nano, making it obscenely susceptible to scratches. To say that the black model is a scratch magnet is an understatement.

• This model does not come with a power adapter, and does not support Firewire syncing. Apple has dropped Firewire for USB 2.0, but previous iPods would still transfer over Firewire even though the cable was not included with the unit. The video-capable iPod, however, will only sync over USB 2.0. The unit will have to be charged through your computer’s USB ports, unless you seperately purchase a USB iPod power adapter.

• The unit does not include a power adapter. Video iPod will ship only with a usb cable, a case, and the typically sub-par Apple earbuds.

• The battery is only good for up to 3 hours worth of video playback.

• While you will be able to encode your own videos to sync to the iPod, keep in mind that encoding to iPod-friendly mpeg-4 format is painstakingly slow.

• Content available through iTunes is lacking at best. How many time do you need to watch Desperate Housewives?

• Finally, how many times have you absolutely had to have portable video on demand?

• Video-capable iPod is still hard-drive based. The iPod nano utilized fixed flash memory, making the nano less susceptible to skipping. Hard drive-based iPods are susceptible to drive damage due to more moving parts.