Apple’s iPod nano
It's a device so cool that I've had people grabbing it out of my hand to get an up-close look. It's as small as an open book of matches. It has excellent sound quality and a great 14-hour battery life. It's Apple's new iPod nano.
Like other iPods, the nano's main purpose is to be a music player, and it retains the easy-to-use navigation wheel and simplistic design that made iPods so popular. The 2GB model (for $199) holds 500 songs while the 4GB (for $249) model has room for 1000 songs.
The nano also has other impressive functionality. You can download and listen to audio books and podcasts (the latest type of home-grown Internet radio). You can also download contact information from your Outlook, Outlook Express, or Macintosh iCal address book. You can display small but recognizable photos on its 1.5" high-resolution color screen, display the album covers from your music, and create slide shows with music and transitions. You can use it like a portable hard drive to transfer files from one computer to another and view text notes downloaded from your computer. There is also a world clock, calendar, and stopwatch, and, if your eyes are sharp and hands nimble, you can even play solitaire and several other games that come pre-loaded (it was too small for me!).
To accommodate the nano's small size, several changes have been made. This is the first iPod to use flash memory rather than a mini hard drive. This is a plus since it makes the player more skip-proof. The headphone jack is on the bottom of this iPod rather than the top. This also is a plus because you can purchase a lanyard-type headphone that lets the nano hang around your neck, which enables you to view the nano from the proper position when you look at it. Unfortunately the remote control and the remote control connector that is on the full-sized iPod has been removed from the nano. I used the remote on my iPod all the time, so for me, this is a big loss.
The standard iPod connector port is still available but has been placed off-center, so some accessories created for iPods may not work with the nano. Also, accessories that used the remote control port will obviously not work with the nano. However, Apple includes a plastic insert that allows you to insert the slim nano into iPod docks, which makes it useable with accessories like speakers that use the dock for their iPod connection.
The nano connects to the computer via USB rather than the faster firewire. Since the capacity is smaller than some other iPods, this is not a problem. Songs transferred quite rapidly with my USB 2 computer connection.
The nano comes in shiny black or stark white. Both have the traditional iPod silver backing which makes that device feel and look very substantial. Most iPods are prone to showing fingerprints and the nano is no exception. In fact, no matter how meticulous you are, both the front and back constantly look smudged. Unfortunately, the nano's screen is also prone to scratches. After just two weeks of normal use, the screen on my nano had at least thirty small scratches. While this did not affect readability, I would suggest that anyone purchasing a nano also invest in some type of protective case.
While most reviewers are raving about the iPod nano, I have three negatives: I hate the loss of the remote control, the screen scratches too easily, and my shiny black iPod came with white headphones. Yet, its small size, great sound quality, color screen, excellent battery life, and expanded functionality has made me a believer. I give it a thumbs up!
Specifications
Product: iPod nano
Manufacturer: Apple
Price: 2GB for $199, 4GB for $249
URL: http://www.apple.com/
Additional Resources
Information about Apple's iPod nano on Wikipedia.org
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