iPod nano 1GB

Apple iPod nano 1GB review

The Apple iPod nano was introduced, just in time for the holiday season in September 2005. It replaced the iPod mini, which up until that point had been Apple's best selling variety of iPod. The Apple nano 1GB is the latest and cutest iPod on the block. Yet, despite what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in quality and value. Compared to the current largest iPod - the 60GB iPod with video. The nano lacks video support but very little else. The 1GB nano will only hold about 240 songs but in most situations the iPod nano's diminutive size and weight are a real advantage when compared to it's larger siblings.

Small but perfectly formed

Yes, size matters and when it comes to personal music players, size is everything. Will it fit in your pocket? A regular iPod will in most; a nano will fit anywhere. It is lighter than helium, but there is nothing light weight about it's feature set. It will play back audio of the following types: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF. So it will keep music producers and regular listeners happy. Audio quality is excellent, compared to a 60GB iPod video it may be not quite as well rounded and polished, but there is not a lot in it. For such a lightweight device this is an audio heavyweight.

What's in the box?

No dock or charger - just like the iPod Video but not such a great surprise as this is a lot more affordable than a 60GB iPod video. The nano comes with a slim vinyl case, ear buds, ear bud covers, usb lead, iPod dock adapter, stickers, quick start guide and CD installer.

Now Playing

Despite the nano's impossibly small form factor I found it very easy to use ergonomically. The 1.5 inch display is a delight, showing 176 x 132 crisp and clean pixels. When lit, the display is bright and clear; otherwise it's very difficult to read. In actual use though I found it to be lovely and surprisingly vivid. The nano is a brisk little performer too. It seems faster loader and updating than the 60GB video iPod. This is probably due to it's solid-state flash memory of the nano. Regular iPods use a miniature Hard Drive, like a smaller version of the one inside your PC or Mac. These use moving parts and are susceptible to failure. The flash memory should prove very reliable on the nano, and it is this technology that has made it possible to make such a small but powerful music player. It uses less power than a mini hard drive, hence the iPod nano's small footprint.

Sporty Pod

It is also useful for the lock feature and also for the Stopwatch function, which seeing as the nano is so small and light, could make the nano the choice for anyone who is into sports: athlete, cyclist, or anybody who likes to time something.

iPod nano 1GB conclusion

The 1GB iPod nano is currently the smallest and cheapest variety of nano. It will only hold about 240 tunes but this is not too much of a problem as you can always make your own playlists to "Auto-Fill" your iPod with the best music on your iTunes library. It doesn't have the shuffle's Autofill option though, which will as the name suggests, ll your iPod with it's max of songs automatically. I prefer to create playlists though, and this slight drawback in comparison to the shuffle is it's superb screen. The nano is altogether prettier and more expensive looking to use than the shuffle. The shuffle is a pure out and out music player. This minimalism could very well agree with erm, minimalists and purists but I prefer having to option to see what was playing, view my contacts, calendar, pictures, and play games, read notes and books.

iPod shoot out

If money is tight, then a shuffle is the best iPod, if you can stretch to a nano, you get a lot more of the whole iPod experience with one. What it lacks in features is more than augmented by it's ever so lovely size and lack of weight. Arguably the best iPod Apple make is the nano. It won't hold all your tunes, play videos, record audio and other cool things that a 5th generation iPod will allow, but it's trump card is it's size. It's perfectly small but not throwaway like a shuffle, it could be your new best friend.