The iPod casts a huge shadow. It is perhaps the most important device Apple has ever made. Why? Well, it revived the dying company's fortunes. And like it or not, the iPod's ease of use helped usher in a new way to pay for content via iTunes software. In fact, the music industry should also be lauding the iPod for helping it avoid a similarly disastrous fate as a non-iPod Apple. With that said, now Apple is the most valuable technological company in the world by a huge margin, due in large part to its diminutive music player. But with declining iPod sales it seems that the iPad and iPhone lineup are pushing out their elder statesman for good.

Yet the iPod touch was recently given a new shade of gray, Space Gray to be specific, as part of a hush-hush, cosmetic upgrade by Apple Inc. Interestingly enough no spec changes were part of that upgrade. The venerable iPod classic on the other hand hasn't had a new anything since 2009! It still has the same screen, click wheel, storage space and battery life. 160gb of storage is great and it holds 40,000 songs, 25,000 photos and 200 hours of video in your pocket, but spending $249 for a 2009 device is nuts. The recently released iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display both come close to matching the Classic's storage with 128gb versions. Of course, these models come with exorbitant price tags, but they do a lot more then just hold your stuff.

Dropping the classic model would likely have little impact on Apple's bottom line. After all, Apple has moved on from music players and is focusing on its so-called "Post PC era" of mobile computing. So far that move has been wise as the dominance of the iPhone and iPad lines continue to break sales records year in, year out, despite a tidal wave of competition. Nokia, Microsoft, Google and nemesis Samsung can continue to build up fan bases, but none of those companies can lay claim to the premium touch and feel of the iPad and iPhone.

The iPod Classic will probably continue to sell on Apple's Online Store until it is simply too dated. In fact, the entire current iPod lineup consisting of the Touch, Nano, Shuffle and Classic is kind of uninspiring, at least from an Apple design perspective. The iPod Touch is the only one still kicking and screaming its way into consumers' pockets, but it has the power of a 2-year-old iPhone 4s, and an array of sparkly new colors won't save it forever.

But is the iPod line dead?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section!