• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, September 9, 2009

Apple didn't roll out the Beatles catalog for iTunes at its much-anticipated Rock & Roll event today, but the company delivered on some of the other feverishly rumored new offerings. They include a new iPod lineup featuring a nano with a built-in camera, and an iTunes upgrade featuring expanded album content and integration with Facebook and Twitter.

And, oh yeah -- Apple CEO and master of ceremonies Steve Jobs himself was on hand in requisite black turtleneck and jeans to lead the presentation of the company's new products and services in San Francisco Wednesday. The event marked his first public appearance since returning from a medical leave following liver transplant surgery earlier this year. Here are the key Apple announcements:

• A new lineup of iPod touches, dropping the entry price below $200 for the first time and adding storage and speed in the two higher-end models. The 8GB version fell from $229 to $199 (which Apple referred to as a "magic price point"), while the 32GB and 64GB versions have replaced the $299 16GB and $399 32GB models at the same prices. Both are up to 50% faster, providing more bang for the buck. (None of the iPod touch devices sport a camera, as had been speculated.)

• A new iPod nano with a video camera and larger 2.2-inch color display that makes it easier to watch movies in landscape view. The new model also sports a built-in mic and speaker, FM radio with iTunes tagging features, pedometer and a polished aluminum and glass body. The 8GB version sells for $149 and the 16GB for $179. Jobs indicated that Apple took its inspiration for the nano's new camera from the success of the slim Flip camera.

• An updated iPod shuffle lineup that drops the entry price to $59 (for the 2GB model) while the 4GB model remains at $79. Both come in a range of new colors -- silver, black, pink, blue and green. Apple also announced a new 4GB special edition polished stainless-steel model, which will be available only through Apple's online and retail stores for $99.

• A new version of iTunes including support for iTunes LP, an enhanced format for select albums that provides expanded content and interactive features such as videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews, photos and album credits. It will launch with albums including Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited, The Grateful Dead's "American Beauty" and Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me."

  ITunes 9 also adds an organization feature that lets users manage iPhone apps right in iTunes and rearrange their home screens and move apps around. The Genius feature has also been expanded with Genius Mixes, which automatically generates up to 12 "endless mixes of songs" from the user's iTunes library that go together.

  Another new feature called Home Sharing lets people copy iTunes content among five authorized computers in their home using drag-and-drop, and can also auto-sync new music, movie, TV, audiobook, or application purchases across each computer.

• The revamped iTunes store providing one-click access to different parts of the store and letting users preview and buy albums and songs directly from the top charts. In a nod to social networking, people can also share links from iTunes on Facebook and Twitter. The feature allows people to broadcast their album purchases or music preferences to friends.

• Fun Facts: Apple has sold 220 million iPods to date and 30 million iPhones. The App Store now offers more than 75,000 apps, and 1.8 billion have been downloaded -- a total that doesn't include updated versions of apps. With sales of more than 8.5 songs in 23 countries, iTunes is the world's top music retailer. The iTunes Store has 100,000 accounts with credit cards, making it one of the Web's biggest stores.

  Despite the extravaganza Apple put on showcasing all of its iPod and other product upgrades, its share price fell $1.79, or 1%, to $171 over disappointment that the company did not add as many new features as some analysts predicted. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said investors may have expected Apple to add built-in cameras to more iPods, for instance, rather than just the iPod nano.

  Neither the public return of Steve Jobs or the surprise appearance of Norah Jones at the Apple event were apparently enough to cheer investors' hearts either.