 The iPod nano is a combination of the iPod shuffle and the regular iPod that blends the best of both worlds. It is amazingly small, yet incorporates a color screen and photo capabilities like the larger iPod. It also uses flash memory like the iPod shuffle, so the music never skips or stalls.
To truly understand how small the iPod nano is, you have to see it in person and hold it in your hand. It is roughly the size of a business card, and to be honest, it is not a whole lot thicker. It is amazing how small Apple was able to make the device, especially when you consider all the parts that are packed into it. One of these parts is a battery that lasts up to 14 hours, which is more than enough for the avid runner. The flash memory in the iPod also holds anywhere from a couple hundred to one thousand songs. I chose the 2GB nano, which holds up to 500 songs, but you can also get a 1GB model that holds 240 songs or a 4GB version that holds up to 1000 songs.
The interface on of the iPod nano is just like the larger iPod, with a solid state scroll-wheel that is used to scroll through playlists, songs, settings, and to adjust the volume. Four buttons are placed on the scroll-wheel, which include back, forward, play/pause, and menu. The menu button is used for going up a directory, while the center button inside the wheel is used for opening directories and selecting songs.
The scroll-wheel is a bit smaller on the iPod nano than the regular iPod (remember, the whole thing is about the size of a business card), so the scroll-wheel can be a bit hard to control at times. However, after some practice, it becomes relatively easy to operate. I especially like how the scroll-wheel is acceleration-sensitive, meaning it will scroll through items exponentially faster, the faster you scroll your thumb or finger around the wheel. This makes it possible to scroll through 1000 items in only a few seconds.
The sound quality of the iPod nano is also pretty incredible. In fact, after comparing it to my regular iPod and iPod shuffle, the iPod nano produces a slightly cleaner sound than the other models. This says a lot, considering the other iPods also have great sound. The iPod nano also gets much louder than I need, which means I never have to crank up the volume all the way. It is amazing how much sound such a small device can produce.
Besides playing music, the iPod nano can also sync your computer's address book and calendar (Address Book and iCal for the Mac and Outlook for Windows), which is a great way to backup your list of contacts and daily schedule. It can also hold pictures (for both Mac and Windows users) which allows you to bring photos with you that you can share with your friends. iTunes, which syncs your audio playlists, also makes transferring contacts, calendars, and photos to your iPod a simple process.
The best thing about the iPod nano is that it is so small, you don't even notice it. It is even smaller than a cell phone, which most people have become used to carrying around wherever they go. Whether you are running, walking to class, or taking the bus to work, you can have high-quality music playing without bogging down your pockets or purse with a clunky device. If you have been considering an iPod and don't need to store more than 1000 songs at a time, the iPod nano is a great choice. |
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