Thurrott: Apple iPod nano is almost perfect

Recently, Apple announced “its unbelievable iPod nano device, which replaces the iPod mini. And although this might not seem possible, Apple’s control of the digital music market is now even more secure than before. And there’s nothing—absolutely nothing—that Microsoft can do about it. The iPod nano, dare I say it, is almost perfect,” Paul Thurrott writes for Connected Home.

Thurrott writes, “The first thing that strikes you about the iPod nano—and you really need to see it in person to appreciate this—is how small it is. It’s barely wider, and actually quite a bit thinner, than the iPod shuffle, but it features a gorgeous full-color screen and a standard iPod scroll wheel. It fits in the palm of your hand like a tiny, beautiful jewel, and it gathers stares and comments from onlookers like no other digital device.

“Both [the 2GB and the 4GB iPod nano] devices feature the wonderfully simple color menu system that the high-end iPod uses. However, the iPod nano also includes some extras you won’t find anywhere else, including a multiple-time-zone clock, a stopwatch (perfect for you music-loving athletes), and a few new games. Apple has also added the ability to synchronize Microsoft Outlook contacts and calendars, making the iPod nano a handy PIM replacement, as well,” Thurrott writes. “Battery life is exceptional… Sound quality is superb, thanks to enhanced audio circuitry that first debuted in the iPod shuffle.”

“As I said, the iPod nano is almost perfect. Apple cheaps out by not including a carrying case or lanyard for the device; either would prevent you from simply tossing the device in your pocket and subjecting it to abuse from coins, keys, or other paraphernalia. My test unit is already scuffed up pretty severely, despite my attempts to baby it. And I’ve got real concerns that the skinny iPod nano could be easily killed by inadvertently sitting on it. The device is that thin,” Thurrott writes. “These are all quibbles, of course. The iPod nano is that rarest of tech devices: Immensely useful, beautiful, and desirable—all at the same time. We’re getting to the point at which most new iPod purchases are probably coming from repeat customers. So, whether you already have an iPod or not, the iPod nano is a great device to consider. It just doesn’t get any better than this.”

Full article here.

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Ars Technica drove a car over an iPod nano (twice) and it kept working, so concerns about iPod nano “being easily killed by inadvertently sitting on it” would seem to be unfounded. In fact, as Ars reported, “Our first test consisted of placing the iPod nano on a solid wood chair and sitting on it, as people are prone to do from time to time. As you can guess, this ‘test’ yielded basically zero damage results—so little, in fact, that we didn’t even take pictures.”

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