“While Apple’s updated fifth-gen video iPods are not as widely available as expected, the new second-gen iPod nanos began arriving in the United States in somewhat limited quantities on Wednesday,” AppleInsider reports.
“Each new nano ships in a completely translucent, hard plastic container that elegantly showcases the player while neatly tucking away the few accessories it includes,” AppleInsider reports. “Along with the iPod, Apple packs a pair of headphones, an accessory adapter, USB cable and iPod nano Quick Start booklet. The player no longer ships with a protective sleve.”
“Although the new nano is precisely the same height and width of its predecessor, Apple has conveniently (for its margins) offset the dock connector by about a millimeter, making the new nano completely incompatible with the first-generation iPod nano dock,” AppleInsider reports.
“Similarly, users will also have to plunk down extra change for a new pair of iPod nano lanyard head phones — the new nano’s headphone jack is spaced further away from the dock connector,” AppleInsider reports.
AppleInsider has many very nice close-up unboxing photos here.
Related articles:
Apple intros new iPod nano with new aluminum design in five colors and 24-hour battery life – September 12, 2006
Sweet… FIRST POST!
As much as I like Apple, I wish they’d quit mucking with the connectors and standardize on one configuration. It sux to have to buy new extras when you buy a new iPod.
This feels more like the return of the iPod mini.
The only downside I see is that the 8GB nano is ONLY available in black.
BLACK? BO-ring!
Mensch indeed….
The relocation of the headset jack is indeed a kneebiter if you have a full stock of the old nano accessories.
In fact, compatibility between the various generations of iPod accessories has usually be vexing. One reason why I don’t like these boomboxes and other speaker solutions that totally “swallow” the iPod to mount it.
It’s a status thing. I have the Black nano, I’m bigger than you [look at all those gigantic SUV drivers out there!]. It’s great how Apple is taking advantage of the monkeys among us.
Hmm return of the iPod Mini indeed. I may be the only one, but I don’t like the looks of the new Nano too much really. Too much Mini-like for my taste. Like the previous model mucho better. I ‘ll go and run to get one at discount now!
B-Sabre –
I love the iPod HiFi for a similar reason – it accepts the universal mounting fitting that comes with ever iPod so I can upgrade iPods and feel comforted that it will work in my HiFi.
(Plus the sound blows the Bose away IMHO)
To those complaining about compatibility:
You’re forgetting about the universal dock. Check it out on Apple’s website. You don’t need to buy anything else, but you do need to make sure that any accessories you purchase comply with Apple’s universal dock system (many do).
Messing around with how accessories connect to iPods actually helps the accessories manufacturers – they get to make new stuff that people will have to buy for their new iPods – and everyone makes money (while the consumers grumble about backward compatibility)
However, aren’t all those backward compatibility issues the major fly that has kept M$ mired in crap for so long? And why Vista won’t be the “revolutionary” update that it was originally purported to be and is instead just going to be a warmed-over WinXP SP3…? Yup – I think so.
In my experience, Apple retail store sales people are generally great, but last night I saw retailing “crime” being committed at an Apple retail store.
An elderly lady, clearly without much knowledge of Apple or tech. but very pleasant and well-meaning, came in to the store and asked if the sales person could show her some accessories to purchase for her niece’s iPod. The sales person, in a terrible bored tone and with half-closed eyelids, waived her hand at the store wall and said: “Well, all we have is up there, and all we have is skins.” Then she said I’ll be back and walked away for a few minutes. The customer didn’t want to buy a skin and looked lost, so I pointed out (nicely) that the saleswoman was wrong and they did have some other accessories on the wall, including the earphones with the remote and FM tuner. I also mentioned that she could buy a song gift certificate on iTunes that her daughter would no doubt appreciate because she could buy whatever songs she liked. At this point, the saleswoman returned and the customer asked her about the song gift certificate. The saleswoman responded that iTunes songs were $1.99, which struck the customer as fairly expensive. I couldn’t restrain myself and pointed out that iTunes songs were only $.99. Then the idiot saleswoman adopted a nasty tone and insisted that I was wrong because on Tuesday, Apple had just introduced the “jukebox” and that my information was outdated. At that point, I just told the customer that iTunes songs were still, in fact, $.99 and walked away. If I hadn’t walked away, I would probably have just lost it.
Jake
P.S. This was at the Bethesda, MD, min-store.
Man, those old iPods are ugly.
I knew I should’ve bought a nano before the new gen. I liked the miniature version of the larger iPod more than this rehashed mini.
The plastic box is transparent NOT translucent!!!
Translucent = some degree of opacity.
FYI: irregardless is not a word.
Completely translucent is an oxymoron.
I have a nano – and since I am having trouble with it syncing I was goign to get a new one with this upgrade. Not going to do that anymore. The new ones aren’t nearly as attractive as my pretty black one (I cut a PDA shield to fit, to keep scratches away). and having to buy a new lanyard – I wear mine all day long, nope. If I have to get a new Ipod, I will end up getting video and a shuffle so I will ahve a wearable one, but for now, i will keep restoring it, when I want to sync.
Hey Jake, I feel your pain. The Peabody Mass store has always been very much like you describe. It’s funny that these pee-on minimum wage retailers tend to display hubris because they “work for Apple”. What a bunch of hooey. They are just glamorized Wal-Mart rejects. What’s more, the naming scheme that Apple applies to their positions adds even more snobbiness. I’m sorry, but from Peabody to San Diego, there has never ever been a “genius” anywhere near the “Genius Bar”. These folks think they are the shiznit, but they don’t know a fraction of OS X as someone who actually works with it, and pulls it apart as part of their sysadmin job (such as myself). They are just glorified phone support with a checklist that they rarely deviate from. It’s so hard not to scream when I hear the crap these guys feed the customers.
me
having a bad life are you?
Chill dude, does making other people feel bad make you feel good? Hum let me try …you are an idiot
Oh, you’re right I feel so much better – thanks
for those who don’t like the look of the new nano . . . my guess is that the next iPod (6G) will look more like it. looking at a picture of the current ipod, new nano, and new shuffle you can easily tell which one sticks out.
that’s my prediction.
Yesterday, Steve was bragging about how the smaller packaging would save a bunch of fossil fuel ‘moving these things around’ (hauling them from China).
If Steve wanted to reduce the carbon footprint of Apple’s packaging and marketing they could replace the plastic with cardboard. It takes a lot of oil and energy to make the plastic for the package.
Greener, but not green enough.
Plastic packaging takes less energy (i.e., ‘fossil fuels’) to produce and ship than cardboard packaging. Unless, of course, you think cardboard is more “green” because it is unattractive and customers couldn’t see the nano, therefore buying a lot fewer of them.
Duh!
Bob from MN
Is it just me, or is this just the iPod Mini repackaged?
mdn magic word “returned” as in The iPod Mini has returned.
“Plastic packaging takes less energy (i.e., ‘fossil fuels’) to produce”?
Wow, that’s news to me.
Steve is using the green angle as a marketing tool. Paper is easily recycleable AND biodegradable, unlike plastic. The real reason the packaing is smaller now is because it no longer has an instalation CD (which coincidentally saves them money), I guess Apple expects people to download the SW from the Web, or it’s included in the Nano itself.
miserable,
I wish you had turned that saleswoman in to her store manager. Who knows if the manager would have cared but it would have been worth it in case the manager did care. I would have complained. Unbelievable.
If I were running that store and caught my employees pulling that crap I’d fire them on the spot.
this new nano is perfection. go out and see one for yourself.
the old ones looked cool on the internet, but they scratched too easy. they didn’t feel rugged either.
Mr. Reeeeeeeeeeee…
Did you say the black is BO-ring? Didn’t you mean BOINNNNNG?