Apple’s iPod nano
After years of waiting, this is basically the iPod I have been waiting for in terms of form factor and functionality. The size is somewhere in between the iPod Shuffle and the now dead iPod Mini and they’ve managed to add a color screen to the mix.
Available in 2GB and 4GB sizes and in black and white colors, the iPod nano is more of a shrunken iPod Photo than it is an iPod mini. It sports a 1.5” LCD with an LED backlight (all the rage nowadays) and supports all your favorite iPod compatible audio codecs (MP3, AAC, Audible, etc.). At 1.5 oz., it’s very light and it’s slim size will make it easily fit in any geek’s gearbag.
The one thing I’m down on is the less than stellar battery life of 14 hours especially when my Sony digital audio players get 18-50 hours of battery life. I would have liked to see them up that to 20 hours even at the expense of a few ounces of weight.
One other thing that sucks is that the cradle is extra. I don’t see why they don’t just include it since most people are going to want it in the first place. Also, I’m not too sure about having the headphone jack on the bottom of the unit. It seems like it would be awkward especially when using the armband accessory.
At any rate, this product will go on my droolworthy list since the pricing is decent, the design is excellent, and it’s a testament to Apple’s ability to produce a refined and mature product. I’ll also bet money that an 8GB version will be available later this year or more likely early next year which would be the perfect capacity for this killer device. Prices start at $199 for the 2GB version and $249 for the 4GB version.
More info can be found at http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/
