iPod nano is the small iPod with one very big idea: Video. Now the world’s most popular music player lets you enjoy TV shows, movies, video podcasts, and more. The larger, brighter display means amazing picture quality. It features an anodized aluminum top and polished stainless steel back. It’ll wow you for hours. Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on a single charge. iTunes provides music, movies, TV shows, games and more. All those features within a wafer-thin, 6.5-mm profile makes iPod nano a tiny big attraction you’ll just love carrying around! 2-inch (diagonal) liquid crystal display with blue-white LED backlight; 320-by-240-pixel resolution at 204 pixels per inch Compact and lightweight - Unit Size 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.41 inches (103.5 x 61.8 x 10.5 mm)/ Weighs 4.9 ounces Photo support - Syncs iPod-viewable photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats Internal rechargeable battery delivers up to 24 hours audio or 5 hours video per charge / Recharges in about 3 hours (1.5-hour fast charge to 80% capacity) Includes Earphones, USB cable, dock adapter

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4 out of 5 stars Apple improves the Nano and delivers an enjoyable player.

Apple’s new nano is designed to improve upon the past models and add some functionality. The improved video, smaller thinner body and updated firmware are enough to make it stand out. The slighly lower price tag is also sure to help sell more units.

Pros
- Small size - so thin!!!!
- Nice design - shorter, fatter form factor for more reliability
- Many color options - Silver, blue, green, black, etc.
- Brighter screen with better contrast than previous generation
- Great video option is a nice to have for sample TV shows, clips, etc
- Very nice size option of 8GB for a video capable media player
- Works with most traditional iPod accessories (except old A/V cable)
- Slightly lower price tag than 2nd Generation nano
- Unlike iPod classic, all flash memory means less failures and breakage
- Flash memory also awesome for running / working out
- Slightly better sound quality than 2nd generation
- Apple reputation is highly deserved

Cons
- New design not ideal for very big hands due to smaller click wheel
- Universal dock now required for video out (no more A/V cable)
- Slightly shorter battery life than other iPods
- No expandability or SD card slot like Sansa View or Creative Zen
- iTunes software with limited native formats (MP3, AAC)
- Coverflow still buggy / slow
- Competing products offer more capacity and features such as FM radio & built-in voice recording
- Competing players now available at 16GB flash at similar size

The Looks

First the aesthetics. Some people will prefer the gen2 nano’s longer body with the larger click wheel. Apple shortened the body in order to limit breaks due to the former generation flexing in people’s pockets and bags. The longer nano was prone to bend (and sometimes break) when people put them in their pocket and sat down or moved around.

Another change motivated by durability is the metal face. The old clear composite face was a magnet for smudges and scratches. The new brushed metal face holds up nicer. Be warned though; it does chip and scratch some more, so get a cover.

Apple does lose some points for the smaller click-wheel being awkward. It’s a trade-off.

The Sound

Sound quality is not significantly improved from previous models. The slight improvements touted in Apple’s marketing are exagerated. However, let’s be fair to Apple here. They are not alone when it comes to high cost MP3 players with only moderate fidelity sound.

Almost no MP3 players are actually designed for audiophiles / musicians / sound engineers; i.e., the people who could tell the difference between good sound and great sound.

Keep in mind also that MP3 is a compression technology that does experience quality loss. Particularly, with a lower bitrate your MP3 files will lose more and more of the sound integrity from the original recording. Combine that with the fact many people rip from CDs that are not digitally mastered, and you would get inferior sound quality with any device.

Features

Other than the changes in the body design, few new features are noteworthy with this device.

There are some changes in the components and software that do make the screen brighter and allow you to do more things, including watch videos and play games. Some complain there isn’t enough memory for video. But you can still get enough on here for a cross-country flight. It’s a nice extra even if these nanos don’t have tremendous memory.

The flash memory in this device could have been a higher speed. However, the main advantages of the flash player are still here: less risk of hardware failure associated with a hard disk drive player (better for running or working out).

The device does seem to have a slighly shorter battery life than advertised. Perhaps there is a trade-off with the shorter form factor. Few users will notice this as they are still likely to get a day’s worth of use from a full charge.

Apple’s software is still a weakness with very limited direct control over your device library and few file options. However, most users have limited needs and will not notice. Apple hits the minimum compatibility needs of most of the market. And all formats can be converted using iTunes or another software.

Coverflow is little more than a gimmick. It’s still buggy and covers tend to blank out if you scroll quickly. Cover art has been downloaded with previous software versions and most other video players, so the ability to scroll covers is not really a breakthough.

Keep in mind that the iPod actually still has less features than most competitive devices. It doesn’t have a built-in FM radio tuner, voice recorder, bluetooth, WMA support, and an SD card expansion slot. Both the Creative ZenCreative Zen 8 GB (Black), which is much thicker, and the Sansa ViewSanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player, which is taller, have those components built in. Additionally, the Sansa View comes in a 16GB size for the same price as the 8GB nano. Keep in mind that the Creative Zen has been somewhat buggy, and the View doesn’t have as long a track record only being released in November 2007.

Still, what the iPod nano does, it does very well. There’s also a 4GB version for $50 less. Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)

Overall this device is an improvement. Apple really wins with sleek design and a wealth of accessories. This unit is no different. While it is not perfect, none of the competition is good enough to overtake it any time soon.

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