Tech Watch

The iPod mini, introduced last month, is the size of a business card, comes in five brushed-metal colors, has 4 GB of song storage (enough for 1,000 songs) and works the same way its larger cousin does (a special version of which Apple agreed last month to make for HP). But even Mac fans might balk at the new digital-music player's price: $249. The cheapest regular-size iPod is a mere $50 more but boasts 11 extra gigabytes of storage. Apple's Steve Jobs, never at a loss for words, has an answer: "It costs a lot of money to make these things."

He thinks a lot of iPod owners will buy a mini for the gym. On this point, his instincts may be correct. Strapped to your biceps with the optional armband, the mini could be this year's must-have workout accessory.