Sounds like a thin batch of Cupertino cider today, judging from the testy coverage of Apple's hyped "rock and roll" press conference today.

Silicon Alley Insider: "Good to see Steve again. But a snooze fest for any Apple fans expecting new, must-buy products."

Engadget on the new iPod nano: "We came and we saw ... but there's not much to say. It's exactly the same save for that new coating, bigger screen (which does help), and tiny little camera around back. Video quality looked decent, but you really can't tell on the small screen. If you've ever held a nano -- this is the same experience."

Engadget on the new iPod Touch: "We just got done handling the new model, and really, there's not much to say. It's a little snappier, but we didn't do any heavy game playing, and otherwise it's exactly the same. We thought it seemed thinner, but the cold hard specs stopped that idea in its tracks."

Gizmodo: "I don't expect Apple to deliver on rumors. After all, most rumors are crap, even John Gruber's iPod touch camera prediction. But that doesn't stop me from asking questions: Why the hell there is no camera on the iPod touch?"

Ars Technica: "All of the updates are unsurprising, and for the most part keep the various iPod models up to date. The nano obviously received the bulk of the attention this time around, making it arguably the value leader among the various options. We are still scratching our heads over the ho-hum refresh of the iPod touch, though. Despite the bump in speed and capacity, ignoring the other possible upgrades, especially the camera, seems like a very un-Apple-like blunder."

9to5 Mac: "Having rushed back from the European briefing, got to say the general consensus is that while the new improvements in iTunes look good, and while the iPod nano has been given some great new features, most felt a little underwhelmed."

I wonder if the off-put pack of gadget journalists will find anything to love in the redesigned Zune launching on Tuesday, or if you they won't be satisfied until MP3 players finally get 12 megapixel cameras, 4G wireless and terabyte flash drives.

Meanwhile, the new $150 nano+video camera is probably going to top holiday wish lists of well-off kids across the nation.