In 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. Despite a huge pool of reputable competitors, for example Sony and Dell, who manufacture their own slick mp3 gizmos, the iPod is still the most well-liked 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 immediately became referred to as the smallest member of the display-bearing iPod family members 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 means no moving parts inside (decreased wear-and-tear and breakage prospective), higher durability, and no sound skips whilst jogging, biking, or stumbling house right after happy hour. Given the growing capacities and capabilities of flash drives, I wouldn’t be surprised if some day Apple starts implementing this technology into a lot more of its major products. But that is for 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 tiny pocket of my jeans may now finally serve a higher purpose. The Nano measures three.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 really a gorgeous-looking small machine due in no little 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 (particularly on the black version of the Nano). Weighing in at only 1.five ounces you could conceivably move the Nano across a flat surface by sneezing on it, although I do not suggested this for wellness factors.
The principal attributes: Like all other iPods, the Nano is primarily designed to play digitized music like mp3 files. And like its relatives, the Nano excels when doing what it does best. According to my research, the Nano uses the very same sound chip as the Mini, and as mentioned just before, overall high quality is outstanding. The included earbuds do a decent job delivering the sound, though I would prefer higher-end headphones to take full benefit of the audio encounter. Fiddling with the included equalizer settings also seems to create noticeable sound adjustments, so fickle sound connoisseurs may have some thing to smile at here.
Owners of prior iPods shouldn’t have a issue navigating the interface, as selecting 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 obtainable at Apple’s site, the 2GB iPod Nano holds 500 songs while the 4GB version stores about 1,000, assuming that the average song is 4 minutes lengthy and compressed at 128 kbps using 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 along with the exact same photo capabilities as the top-of-the-line iPod Photo. This may have been a “just simply because we can” concept cooked up by the engineers over in Cupertino, as I received some strange looks although sharing my latest pictures on a screen that is barely the size of a postage stamp. But I admit it is a fun feature to be included on such a little device. Total with the usual organization alternatives, you might be able to create slideshows (with music and transition effects) and categorize your pictures any way you need. The Nano recognizes images inside 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, used for transferring pictures 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 are not at present compatible with the Nano.
There are also functions that exist exclusively on the iPod Nano, like the World Clock function, which permits you to see the local time anywhere inside the world. Once you select a region (or main 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 pals in Egypt at 3AM local time? The iPod Nano can assist! (Needless to say, I don’t condone this sort of behavior- use this feature to make sure you do not 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 mixture to prevent others from going via your music and photos. This would appear like an efficient approach of deterring would-be thieves (or nosy exes), but since I already have so several passwords and codes in my life to bear in mind I can do with out it. Besides, such a pricey gadget like the Nano should be kept in a safe place anyway. The stopwatch feature is pretty neat, and permits you to record your best lap times or to maintain 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 using 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 along with a half to reach 80% capacity, and 3 hours to accomplish a full charge. At present, the iPod Nano isn’t firewire capable. In my analysis 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 will be updated as it’s found.
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: Fantastic sound top quality, simple to use, beautifully stylish, extremely lightweight, portable, and durable. Nice color display, handy extras such as photo viewing and international clocks. Flash memory style prevents skipping, integrates easily with iTunes. Mac and Windows compatible.
CONS: High cost for relatively 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: Regardless of the fairly hefty price tag for its storage capacity, the new iPod Nano by Apple is certainly a cool device for most gotta-have-it gadget-philes and for those that just want a reliable, easy-to-use high quality mp3 player. Should you desire to play your favorite songs although relaxing or running, the Nano and its few extra functions will make you pleased. Those who are large on a lot more complicated functions could be disappointed with the present lack of features available (no support for FM transmitter, camera connector, firewire, etc.). But its ease-of-use, intuitive interface, style, and quality make this a extremely challenging gizmo to resist.
4 stars out of 5
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