Obviously, the next developments will be the iPod Color, then the iPod Advance (with no backlighting) and then the iPod Advance SP (with fold-out screen, but no headphone jack).
Back when it was rumored they would cost about $150, it was a cool concept.
For $250, you're wasting your money.
iPod's still have a long way to go before they are equal to my Archos Multimedia Jukebox (20 gig storage (plus can take memory cards), plays MP3s, movies (Built in backlit color screen), and displays images, can record from a DVD directly, can be used as an external hard drive, has a remote control (And I don't mean a wired remote control, I mean a REAL remote control), can be hooked up to a television and gives full onscreen menus for playing MP3s and movies, has an attachment to let it function as a camcorder... well, it pretty much rocks all around... is comparable in size to an iPod (It's about the size of one of those 8mm tapes for camcorders), and costs about the same too...), so I'm not all that concerned
Regarding the battery: the latest firmware update is supposed to have taken care of any battery life problems. The update should already be installed on any iPods you buy today.