Within this age of transportable music, the iPod has downloaded itself into the public consciousness where it won’t be leaving any time soon. Not that we mind. In spite of a large pool of reputable competitors, such as Sony and Dell, who manufacture their own slick mp3 gizmos, the iPod is still probably the most popular and best-selling of the bunch. Just think of buying an mp3 player, and I bet your knee-jerk reaction will at least be to consider, if not choose, the iPod.
When Apple Computers’ CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPod Nano in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, it instantly became called the smallest member of the display-bearing iPod family line and successor to the iPod mini (the updated version of which was released a mere 7 months prior to the Nano). Compatible with both Mac and Windows-based computers, the iPod Nano comes in two colors, white and black. You also have your choice of a 2GB version ($199) or a 4GB version ($249), which is a bit steep given the fact that the iPod mini held the same price tag for the 4GB and 6GB models, respectively. The iPod Nano’s storage drive is flashed-based, which indicates no moving parts inside (decreased wear-and-tear and breakage possible), greater durability, and no sound skips although jogging, biking, or stumbling home following happy hour. Given the increasing capacities and capabilities of flash drives, I wouldn’t be surprised if some day Apple starts implementing this technologies into a lot more of its key goods. But that’s for yet another article.
The very first factor one is likely to notice is that the Nano, as its name implies, is tiny. You’ve to really hold one to see just how astonishingly tiny this device is, and my initial thought was that the small pocket of my jeans might now lastly serve a higher purpose. The Nano measures 3.5″ long, 1.6″ wide (smaller surface region than a credit card), and just .27″ thick (thinner than a AAA battery). Sleek and serene, the Nano is characterized by the easy elegance familiar to Apple fans. Yes, it undoubtedly is a gorgeous-looking small machine due in no tiny part to the shiny, thin layer of acrylic applied to its surface. But the downside to the finish is its susceptibility to scratching and/or fingerprints (especially on the black version of the Nano). Weighing in at only 1.5 ounces you could conceivably move the Nano across a flat surface by sneezing on it, although I do not advised this for well being factors.
The principal features: Like all other iPods, the Nano is primarily developed to play digitized music for example mp3 files. And like its relatives, the Nano excels when performing what it does best. According to my study, the Nano uses the same sound chip as the Mini, and as mentioned before, overall top quality is outstanding. The included earbuds do a decent job delivering the sound, though I would prefer higher-end headphones to take full advantage of the audio experience. Fiddling with the included equalizer settings also seems to create noticeable sound adjustments, so fickle sound connoisseurs may possibly have something to smile at here.
Owners of previous iPods shouldn’t have a problem navigating the interface, as choosing songs, play-lists, as well as the like utilizing the touch-sensitive click-wheel is still as user-friendly as ever (but I hate leaving behind those darn fingerprints!). Setting up and connecting to iTunes on both Mac and Windows machines was smooth and straightforward too. Based on information accessible at Apple’s site, the 2GB iPod Nano holds 500 songs whilst the 4GB version stores about 1,000, assuming that the average song is 4 minutes lengthy and compressed at 128 kbps utilizing AAC encoding. And like the larger iPods, the Nano recognizes songs encoded within the following formats: mp3, AAC (and protected AAC format from the iTunes Music Store), AIFF, and WAV.
Unlike the iPod mini, nevertheless, the Nano sports a color display as well as the exact same photo capabilities as the top-of-the-line iPod Photo. This may well have been a “just simply because we can” concept cooked up by the engineers over in Cupertino, as I received some strange looks whilst sharing my latest pictures on a screen that is barely the size of a postage stamp. But I admit it’s a enjoyable feature to be included on such a little device. Total with the usual organization options, you might be able to develop slideshows (with music and transition effects) and categorize your photos any way you would like. The Nano recognizes images within the following formats: JPEG, GIF, PSD (Mac only), TIFF, BMP, and PNG. I’ll take this time to note that the camera connector for the iPod Photo, employed for transferring photos directly from a digital still camera to the iPod Photo, will not work with the iPod Nano. Also, other present third party devices like voice recorders and FM transmitters aren’t at present compatible with the Nano.
You’ll find also functions that exist exclusively on the iPod Nano, such as the World Clock function, which allows you to see the local time anywhere in the world. Once you pick a region (or key international city), a clock will appear on the display. The clock graphic will darken or lighten depending on what time of day it really is at the other region, which is handy for frequent travelers. Feel like prank calling your friends in Egypt at 3AM local time? The iPod Nano can help! (Of course, I don’t condone this sort of behavior- use this feature to make sure you don’t accidentally call your pals in Egypt at 3AM).
Other Nano-exclusive functions include a screen lock and stopwatch. The screen lock enables you to produce a 4-digit combination to stop other people from going via your music and photos. This would seem like an effective approach of deterring would-be thieves (or nosy exes), but given that I already have so many passwords and codes in my life to keep in mind I can do without having it. Besides, such a pricey gadget like the Nano ought to be kept in a secure place anyway. The stopwatch feature is fairly neat, and allows you to record your finest lap times or to keep track of how long tech support puts you on hold.
Battery life: The iPod Nano claims 14 hours of music playback, although battery consumption increases when making use of the photo slideshow functions with music playing in the background. Charging via the included USB 2.0 cable, which connects to the dock connector on its underside, it takes the Nano about an hour as well as a half to reach 80% capacity, and three hours to accomplish a full charge. At present, the iPod Nano isn’t firewire capable. In my study I’ve also learned that the Nano’s battery appears to be permanently soldered into the unit, which leads me to question the feasibility (or even possibility) of future battery replacement. Details regarding this can be updated as it really is discovered.
Included items: – USB 2.0 cable (backwards compatible with USB 1.1). This connects via the dock connector underneath the Nano. NOTE: Don’t confuse the dock connector with the dock itself. The iPod Nano dock is an accessory that costs an extra $29. Over USB 2.0, the Nano transfers music at about 5 mb per second.
- iTunes software (Mac & PC)
- Earbud headpones: They’re white, (even for the black iPod Nano).
PROS: Excellent sound high quality, easy to use, beautifully stylish, very lightweight, portable, and durable. Nice color display, handy extras for example photo viewing and international clocks. Flash memory design prevents skipping, integrates effortlessly with iTunes. Mac and Windows compatible.
CONS: High cost for comparatively small drive space (compared to other iPod models), lack of more advanced iPod features/support, no present firewire capability, surface smudges and scratches easily if not protected.
OVERALL: In spite of the fairly hefty cost tag for its storage capacity, the new iPod Nano by Apple is definitely a cool device for most gotta-have-it gadget-philes and for those that just want a dependable, easy-to-use high quality mp3 player. In the event you wish to play your favorite songs while relaxing or running, the Nano and its few extra functions will make you pleased. People who are big on much more complicated functions may be disappointed with the present lack of functions available (no support for FM transmitter, camera connector, firewire, etc.). But its ease-of-use, intuitive interface, style, and high quality make this a really hard gizmo to resist.
4 stars out of 5
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