Although Apple usually holds an iPod-specific launch event to introduce new models ahead of the Christmas buying season, this year it chose to lump the iPod refresh in with the iPhone 4S launch.
Yep, as expected, there's an iPhone 4-esque new iPod Touch with Facetime and Retina Display, there's a snazzy new iPod Nano with a multi-touch screen (leading me to wonder when new Nano apps might come), a less exciting new iPod Shuffle and a new version of iTunes that refuses to introduce tabbed browsing.
Apple has never been scared to kill off products - even when they seem to be successful. When the iPod nano was introduced it resulted in Apple killing off its highest selling line - the iPod Mini. So, with iPod sales in decline, will Apple put the axe to the goose that has laid so many golden eggs?