Why we'll all grow to love the iPod Nano


Few people who know anything about anything would argue that the Apple iPod has revolutionized the music industry and taken the MP3 to a different level. Everything about the iPod screams class – the look, the sound, the features. Then there’s seamless integration with iTunes and other services. It really is a spectacular bit of kit.


Each new release is excitedly anticipated by the industry and public alike and whenever a new MP3 player shows up, it warps the curve still further. They’re rock stars in their own right. First they miniaturized the iPod with the iPod Mini, which they then went ahead and miniaturized, after which they removed the LCD screen and called it ‘The Shuffle’ which sold for pennies by getting rid of the LCD screen were able to offer the Shuffle for unheard of low prices for an iPod. Who’d ever considered an iPod for $60? Now they've gone to the next level - The Apple Nano. This will change everything and you know why? Well for one, everything Apple touches at the moment seems to turn to gold, but look at the two key features, the size and the storage.


You take the original iPod, boil wash it, stick it into the microwave, chip off half of what’s left, then sprinkle some magic shrinking dust on it and you have the Nano! Its as thin as your fingernail (well, OK, but nearly) and yet it has up to 4GB file capacity. Nothing else can touch it with a stick – you can store an entire record shop* (old-style) without a single scratch


Now all iPods sound great and the Nano’s no exception – not better, but just as good, the famous Apple click wheel is there (the mouse of the MP3 world) and of course you’ve got iTunes and all the other Apple goodies.


Special Nano Features
The full colour screen is nice, multiple image files in a high quality format, it also hooks directly into Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. But one thoughtful feature that will prove useful and shows that Apple have been listening to their customers, is the stopwatch and lap timer. Because it's small and flash based, the Nano is already ideal for working out, but the stopwatch can record several lap times and then give you shortest, longest, and average lap, as well as your overall time and individual lap times.


But arguably the most important selling point is the ‘Cool Factor’. The iPod Nano is overflowing with cool. It's small and sleek. The colors are hot. The navigation is excellent. It can play music or audio books, display pictures, or even do both at the same time.


So what has the Nano actually done?

Well, it's only the largest file capacity flash mp3 player ever made. It's added a brilliant color screen to display images and it's added tons of excellent new features previously unavailable on iPods. And it's done all this while remaining true to the original iPod concept: superb sound, navigation, and usability.
There’s not a lot to criticize about the Nano. At $200 and $250 respectively, the 2GB and 4GB iPod Nanos certainly aren’t cheap, but they’re unmatched as flash mp3 players and worth every penny if you want the coolest iPod around.



*Ask your dad what a record shop is.