“Although it scarcely seems possible, we think the Apple iPod Mini’s design surpasses even that of its photogenic older sibling. Its stylish, anodized-aluminum shell is so tough that we felt as if we could stand on the device without consequence. Apple constructs the body by hollowing out Mini-shaped aluminum tubes so that there are no seams in the construction, then applies the color during the anodization process so that it can’t scratch off,” Eliot Van Buskirk reports for CNET.
Van Buskirk reports, “The tastiest design treat to our palate is the revamped scrollwheel. The play, menu/back, fast-forward, and rewind functions that the white iPod assigns to four touch-sensitive buttons are now located on the scrollwheel (or, rather, the clickwheel). We prefer this approach because it offers physical feedback when a function has been activated. In addition to the new functionality, the touch-sensitive clickwheel still works perfectly for scrolling through lengthy song lists with speed and precision. As with the white iPod, the unlabelled button in the middle of the wheel functions as Select. The only other control on the player is the sliding Hold key on top, which locks all functions.”
“Apple claims the internal battery takes three hours to rejuice and lasts eight hours on a single charge. Our tests outperformed this rating, usually by about an hour. The battery is nonreplaceable, but if you’re unhappy with its resiliency after a couple of years, Apple will swap in a new one for $99,” Van Buskirk reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Van Buskirk gives Apple’s iPod mini a rating of 8.7 out of 10, noting the lack of FM tuner and “nonreplaceable” battery as issues detracting from a perfect score. One question, though, if the battery is supposedly “nonreplaceable,” as Van Buskirk describes, how can Apple “swap in a new one for $99?” The only way the battery could be considered “nonreplaceable,” Elliot, would be if you had to throw out the iPod mini when the battery no longer held a charge. But, you know this, don’t you Elliot? So why did you include the word “nonreplaceable,” when the battery is indeed replaceable? Please, let us in on your addled thinking and twisted reasoning.