Apple iPod Nano
One of the products in the electronic world that needs no further introduction is the iPod. Well, a few more information would be needed to distinguish our product feature. We are specifically reviewing the iPod Nano among the line-up of portable music players from Apple. The iPod Nano is one of the iterations of the famous PMP that is true to its core functionality—that is—a music player with a slashed price tag. Apple has decided to cram a lot of functionalities on this player and given the low, low price—this package makes a compelling case for the inner techie in you.
The biggest deal on this iPod Nano is the touch controls. Just like users of iPod touch and iPhone, iPod Nano owners can also touch their music which is very convenient compared to the wheel controls that comes with the iconic design of the original iPod.
The iPod Nano is able to cram almost 4,000 songs which to most people comprise their entire music library. Not that every people can be able to listen to that much music; the number of songs is enough for a casual walk to the park or a stroll through the mall. It also can store photos and videos, which is great making it a total PMP. Waiting for a surprise from Apple and there is no disappointment here after knowing that it would take 22 minutes to transfer about 10GB of data, filling the 16 GB capacity.
The video looks solid never mind if the screen would not give you that cinematic feel. Well, if you are looking to view videos on a cinema—you are looking at the wrong screen. Apple never intended the video viewing to be monumental on this gadget. If you are just after a quick video fix, then iPod Nano delivers just that.
The sunlight legibility is quite impressive and it is bright enough to watch videos in the dark. The video on the iPod Nano is way, way clearer compared to other PMP available in the market with similar video playback features. It is really nice to have a pocket-sized video player for that casual playback among friends or co-workers during breaks and hobnobbing around the water cooler.
The feel and the weight are just right—light and tiny and snug in one’s palm and don’t feel flimsy or anything that you could lose easily. The build quality is superb and it does not feel that is built with cheap plastic. It is just right.
The FM tuner is still there and the Nike+ pedometer is retained. You can use the headset as an antenna which is pretty much how other devices with built-in FM tuners are being used. Knowing Apple the FM tuner’s inclusion is worth of a “Bravo” for the people at Cupertino. You can also save songs from broadcasts presumably for listening later. The exercise data on the pedometer can be uploaded later to the Nike website which pretty much how you can use iPod for fitness. The iPod Nano’s form factor is not exactly favorable to be used as fitness equipment. If you owned a different iPod, like the original one, you may need to buy new connectors to make your latest iPod Nano to work. Oh, Apple why do you have to create products that will not be compatible to your own but older products. Okay, okay you still need iTunes to transfer the music—I know what a drag that is but hey that is a problem shared by other iDevice users so get used to it by now. There is no denying that iTunes has become bloated as a software it is no longer fun using it. It is too slow and you can’t use it with some Linux OS.
With the newest iteration of the iPod the verdict is a very favorable one. It has very little downside. Well, the downsides are the staples so we are not surprised about it. Apple just needs to address the capacity issue first. No sweat. It is a great buy for those who want a feature-packed PMP. It is also recommended to those who want a straight up music player without much fanfare. If you want to run apps, it is better to get an iPod touch instead.