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Apple iPod nano 4 GB White (1st generation)
By: Apple Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 152
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 On: 2008-03-11
I bought this item for its great looks, form factor and the Apple interface, but Ive come to regret this choice as I primarily listen to audio books with this device. My primary issues with using this device for audio books are:
-1- Doesnt support DRM-protected Windows Media Audio (WMA) files!! That precludes me from downloading Overdrive books from my local library. Most devices at this price point support this feature and I wish Apple would too.
-2- I loose my bookmark whenever the unit is recharged (really inconvenient for books!!).
-3- I only get ~5 hrs of runtime between charges.
Also, the click-shift mechanism for selecting files is hard to work with, and there have been a few technical glitches whereby all content on the iPod spuriously vanished.
 On: 2007-12-21
Great product! It was exactly how it was described and I had no problems with the transaction at all. I bought this as a gift and he was very happy with it.
 On: 2007-12-11
I received my 4gb pink nano as a Christmas present last year and so far so GREAT!!! I have no complaints at all. My nano has withstood two teenage sons taking it from room to room, one 12 yr old daughter who goes horse riding listening to it and me, who takes it along to work and endures the bus ride home. Its always had a cover on it which I insist or they dont borrow it and for the longest time I kept the covering on the screen and dial but after 6 months my son removed them and still NO scratches and this nano is in pockets, purses, backpacks and sometimes just lying around, its been dropped I hate to say and still working like a charm. we love this little gadget of technology and this Christmas my 3 kids are getting their own so maybe mom can have hers back!! I would recommend it!!!!
On: 2007-06-08
The timing was great! The package was sealed, brand new like stated it would be. I received my Ipod within days! Thank you so much! I love it!
On: 2007-05-14
It is small, with a cool design, ideal for going to the gym.
The only thing that I dont like is that it hasnt got radio AM/FM.
On: 2007-05-12
I like the nano because its small and handy. The interface is also more efficient than others on the market. It has a lot of features and is versatile at organizing music.
With 4gb, I can store an awful lot of songs, but be aware that the way you rip your mp3s make a very noticeable difference to how many songs you can store. 192k mp3s are 33% larger than 128k mp3s, so you may want two versions of the same song - one for home, one for your 4gb ipod. When Im outside with the earbuds in, I cant tell the difference in quality so Id just assume have more storage.
I strongly urge anyone buying a nano to invest in a case. Because they are portable and will be going in pockets, backpacks, etc. they will be subject to all kinds of fuzz, crumbs, and grit and the case will help keep it out. Ive read also read how fragile others have found them to be, which is another practical reason for a case. I have had no issues with mine but its never had any real abuse from dropping or being sat on.
My largest complaint is that you are, for all practical purposes, married to iTunes. There are so many ipods out there, and iTunes is so bad that Im suprised its not getting better. I could write a small manifesto on why iTunes stinks, but this review is really about the ipod (which is good!)
Another small issue is that the firmware upgrades to the ipod (which you do through iTunes) are of varying quality. Sometimes they fix issues, sometimes they create them.
Other minor detractions:
* Battery life could be better, but I get around 8 hours
* Screen is difficult to see outside
* Wall/car chargers are not included (but cheap on amazon)
* Copy protection pieces (mp4, some iTunes features) are annoying
* More expensive than competitors
* If battery poops out, may as well buy another - $75 replacement is a ripoff
On: 2007-03-24
I enjoy the iPod Nano. Its light-weight and easy to carry. I have more than enough room for my favorite songs. I can use it to play songs from certain genres,singers, or bands. Im very happy with this product.
 On: 2007-03-22
I loved my Nano when I first got it. After a little over a year--and the warranty ran out--it suffered a catastrophic failure. Now Ive got a really expensive paperweight.
On: 2007-03-12
Just what I was looking for - couldnt find in the stores. Good price, good shipping policies, always receive timely. Its a joy shopping with Amazon
On: 2007-03-08
We had a problem within the 1st 30 days of purchasing the Nano but were able to return it very simply and had a new one before the old one even got sent back. Great customer service. Nano is now working perfectly 3 months later.
On: 2007-02-14
I am not the best in knowing about electronics technology, but I figured this out pretty easy. I had a different kind of Mp3 player, that was bulky, and hard to read the buttons, the nano is easy to use, and it is so small. The sound is great, hard to believe it comes out of something so small. I am sure once I get use to using the software and downloading more songs, it will become even easier.
On: 2007-02-13
I bought this for my husband and he loves it. I have listened to it a couple of times while running on my treadmill and I cannot believe how good it sounds. Now I want one. Great Product...
On: 2007-02-09
Great product,but not much for instructions. I had difficulty getting the set up done, plus how to order music from the ipod website was crazy....no info to go on.
On: 2007-01-24
I really like the Ipod I purchased. Didnt know how much I was going to use it. Now I wish I bought the 30gb!
mwj
On: 2007-01-22
it works great. my daughter loves it. the transaction was great with no complications. the shipping was fast. thank you A+++++ in my book
On: 2007-01-17
I like that small Ipod. I have the bigger one (60GB) as well, but for sports it is nice to have the smaller one.
The batteries really last long for that tiny thing.
On: 2007-01-16
I almost returned this item it took so much trouble to get it to work, I was about to give up. Apple support is web-only - unless you want to use your one -time phone call for support. Once it was up and running (took almost a week), the nano worked fine, but what a hassle - I cant recommend this simply because of the support issue.
On: 2007-01-16
After using many different brands of MP3 players I have stopped at the iPod Nano. The interface is very simple to use and the bright color screen helps tremendously. The touch wheel keeps that analog volume knob feel instead of a joystick that you hold up or down. Which also doubles as a scroll wheel to make selections.
My only complaint I can think of is the iPod is a recharge only system. Also you need iTunes in order to add or delete music from your iPod.
On: 2007-01-16
Great product. I really dont see why you would want to spend more on the new version. Other than being a bit skinnier the new version has nothing over this one. I actually think this one is nicer looking. Of course, the sound quality is awesome and the capacity is just what you need. Fully recommended!
On: 2007-01-15
I am enjoying my IPod as I type. This on one of my best personal purchases I made in a long time. THANKS Apple...
On: 2007-01-14
Sounds good, plays well, easy to pack around but rather fragile. My daughter put it in her back pack and when she pulled it back out the screen was unreadable (broken).
On: 2007-01-11
I loved it so much I bought 2 more as gifts. The earbuds are perfect... they stay in almost without being felt. The sound is great and I love having 500 songs at my fingertips.
On: 2007-01-09
Excellent!!! My wife loves it and it is very easy to use. It has a lot of memory to store books and songs. I highly recommend this product.
On: 2007-01-09
This arrived very quickly. My Daughter was thrilled the one she had gotten for her birthday was defection and this really made her day
On: 2007-01-09
Shortly after I bought this product, the screen became damaged and I was unable to use it. I subsequently learned that Apple has had various problems with the Nano screens. The replacement warranty service was very quick and efficient, but you have to go through Apple online, not Amazon and not at one of the Apple stores.
On: 2007-01-08
Wow! This is a great product. Granted I just opened it yesterday but have already uploaded 439 songs and they all play beautifully. I love this gadget! Its small enough to fit in my coin pocket on my jeans (the little one in the top portion of a 5 pocket pair) and rests perfectly in the palm of my hand. iTunes was nice and easy to use as well. Im very pleased with what Apples come up with, at least so far. I bought it to (a get rid of the hassel of all of my CDs, cases, players, headphones, and batteries....oh the money that Ive spent on batteries! and (b to help introduce myself to other realms of music without having to buy CD-R and burn songs. It may sound silly, but I think it will be a lot easier to experience other types and Im really excited about expanding my musical world. So exciting!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2007-01-08
Hay i dont have it i am saveing up for one Win you have a normal CD
Can you do something can you put those songs on your ipod???
Thanks
On: 2006-12-25
I never thought I would own an iPod or any other mp3 player. I always said that Id have one if I were younger (Im in my 30s)... To think of all those years I spent making mix tapes to listen to on my big old clunky walkman when I was younger... Who knew? I LOVE my Nano!
It is great at the gym with lanyard headphones or in the car played through my car stereo. Using iTunes, I was easily able to put all my favorite albums and songs from a pretty large CD collection, plus all the songs Ive purchased online, onto my iPod. Making different playlists was pretty simple, and the Nano also categorizes songs in alphabetical order by title, by album title, by genre, and by composer. I can always find the perfect music to listen to for any mood or activity.
Adding photos is simple and the extras, such as games, a calendar, and a stopwatch are pretty neat. The dial works with the lightest touch and is simple to use even without looking. As an added bonus, there are lots of great accessories made for the Nano.
I dont care to watch videos on my player, so the small and sleek Nano is perfect for me. I cant imagine living without it.
On: 2006-11-15
Great availabilty and shipping time. product has held up for 11yr old but it doesnt play as long as it advertised.
On: 2006-11-11
I bought this Ipod 4G to replace my 2G one that got stolen and chose more memory as the 2G got filled up too quickly. Can say that this is probably the best size in terms of memory. Otherwise, as usual with Macs, very easy to use, even for low-tech people like myself, beautiful design, small and light, not too fragile, just great on the go.
On: 2006-11-07
I can really recommend this Nano because of its size and its easy interface with I-tunes. I-tunes really makes it easy for my daughter to manage her music collection and synch it with the Nano. I personally have an iPod Video, as the screen is much bigger, however the Nano is better suited for kids.
 On: 2006-11-05
Dont waste you hard earned cash on this if you plan on using it with MS Windows. Windows recognizes the iPod but Apple iTunes does not. After 32 hours of trying to get it to work, Im giving up. My expience tells me that Apple still doesnt play well with PCs.
On: 2006-11-05
The Apple 4 GB iPod Nano is very easy to use and delivers great sound for such a small player. I use it all the time with my bicycle sound system, Cyclesound. These two products together give me many hours of listening pleasure.
On: 2006-11-05
I loved it! But if Ill buy now I would prefer 8 GB. Believe me 1,000 songs is not so much, as I thought.
On: 2006-10-20
I use my Ipod Nano daily. This product is wonderful because it allows you to bring your music or audiobook ANYWHERE. For example, I take it to work, I bring it home and put it into my Ipod alarm clock, I take it in my car and have the tunes broadcast to through my radio, etc....
I liked the Ipod Nano so much that I also bought a video Ipod so I can watch movies, film clips, etc.
Worth every penny, but you might want to get the video Ipod as well because it does everything that the Nano does plus video. I love them both!
by: Anonymous On: 2006-09-07
OK, it says that you have to be under 13 to do the kids review,
and I am older, but I didnt want to set up an account. Anyway,
this is an awsome product! Its such a cool thing to have. You can carry around music, pictures, (the pictures are small, it is, alas, a small screen)games, a clock, an alarm, TONS of stuff. The iTunes is easy to understand, and it is easy to get music onto your iPod. The only piece of information I have: Get a case. Yes, some are expensive, but some arent. This is a delicate little machine. A few scratches may not seem that bad, it doesnt affect the way it works in any way, but it would be so sad to see such a beautiful thing get scratched up. Also, get a white one, cause from what Ive heard, the scratches on the black one are very noticable. Anyway, great product, well worth the money. Enjoy your iPod!
On: 2006-09-04
Im a newbie to IPODs, bought this and the Bose sounddock. It took me a little while to figure out how to download music from Itunes but Im a happy girl today. Sound is great, Ipod is dinky but powerful. Highly recommend.
On: 2006-09-02
iPods are beautiful, highly crafted.
iPods dominate the market.
Apple sells million of iPods worldwide.
iPods are priced between $150.00 to $ 400.00.
iPods are not cheap.
Apples revenues are in the multibillion dollars.
Why then, why cant they include a nice plastic case for the earbuds?
Mind boggling isnt it.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-09-02
To start off, Im 14, but didnt want to make an account. But this item is a MUST-HAVE product because it does everything a cd player does but it holds 1000 songs, doesnt skip, and can fit in your pocket.
If you do decide to purchase this product,make sure you pick up the little 5 pack of like green and blue covers because this item is pretty fragile. After being dropped a couple times, the flipping iPod basically died and would NOT turn (now Im getting it serviced and that takes from 2-6 weeks) just as a heads up for all you shoppers who are thinking of buying this iPod.
Overall scoring:
Sound quality (with heaphones included w/iPod): 10/10
Picture: 10/10 I dont think it matters but the picture is very clear and gets a
Music storage: 9/10 If you have a large music library, it might fill up a little fast but Ive had mine since Xmas and it only has about 200 songs on it.
Durabilaty: 7/10 VERY FRAGILE, hold on to it and dont let it slip out of your hands.
Overall score 36/40
I DO recemend buying this product.
On: 2006-09-01
In the past Ive been fairly negative towards Apple, having owned 5 or 6 non-Apple MP3 players, but Ill never know why. This thing is awesome, small, and quite useful. It scratches easily, but Ive only had one other MP3 player that didnt scratch horribly within the first week I had it. 4GB is nowhere near large enough to hold my collection, but its more than enough space to load once a week and still be happy.
Id strongly suggest a case, and an armband if youre planning on using it while you run, bike or workout. Very easy to install iTunes and to connect the iPod - I was even impressed it arrived fully charged.
The screen is a little too small to effectively view pictures, but it doubles nicely as a portable hard drive to occasionally transfer larger files from one machine to another. My only regret is Apple hasnt released a larger storage version of the nano yet.
On: 2006-08-31
I bought the nano instead of the larger capacity Ipods because it can hold enough audio in the form of podcasts and audio books without having to worry about the delicacy of a hard drive mechanism. In less than a month Ive worked through four audiobooks on my one hour commute...some of them 15 hour reads. At a reasonably good sample rate, I can theoretically store nearly 600 hours of audio.
I ordered the Belken FM Modulator with the Nano. It works well for in-car listening with the bonus of picking up adjacent vehicle satellite radio listening on occassion...youd be surprised who listens to Howard Stern!
On: 2006-08-31
The original item arrived broken, another was shipped out but didnt arrive for several days. Other folks I purchase items from send replacement items via overnight shipping.
On: 2006-08-22
I am giving it a 4 due to the simple fact of battery replacement. I am not looking forward to the day that it simply doesnt hold a charge anymore. But, I am confident that by that time, some 3rd party smartie will have an aftermarket battery solution. Keeping my fingers crossed....
On: 2006-08-17
I have always thought that iPods were over-priced and that buying one was just like buying Nike tennis shoes for the name only. I saw a friends 2 gig iPod at work and realized that I was wrong. One look at the display was all it took. I have two other mp3 players and there is simply no comparison for looks, functionality, and organization of your music, podcasts, and audio book files, as well as support for many audio formats. If you buy one, immediately get a case to protect your iPod, especially the screen.
[...]
On: 2006-08-16
This is my first iPod. My wife (and kids) bought it for me for Fathers Day this summer. After six weeks with this thing, I wonder what I did without it. On a recent (long!) family trip, I set up a "mix" playlist that encompassed music that both she and I like (the kid had the dvd player). For the first time in our relationship, there was no argument over music!
I use it at the gym. I have a carabiner case, and it seems to hold up fine. I have an older laptop computer, so Ill probably run out of storage space on the computer before the laptop.
Again, Im just a newbie to the world of the iPod. My only regret is not getting an iPod sooner.
On: 2006-08-14
Were a 5 ipod family; a 20GB 3G one thats still going strong (recently supplanted by a 60GB video ipod because I needed more space); my kids both have Ipod minis, my wife has a shuffle, and now this new 4GB nano I bought her for her birthday.
The only (really minor) qualm is that Apple "cheaps out" on the accesories vs. when i bought the 3G one several years ago. That one came with dock, charger, 2nd cord for usb, nice case, caps for the connector, and a volume and pause control feature that hooked up in-line to the headphones. A recent visit to best buy showed that if i were to buy those similar accessories Id be paying about another $100. Still all in all another great product from apple and my wife loves it.
Mark
On: 2006-08-04
First off, let me just say that the nano was my fourth iPod; I have a second-generation 40GB iPod, as well as two minis (1st gen 4GB and 2nd gen 6GB), and was happy with all three until the batteries died. A side note--dont ever store your iPod in a third-party speaker set that also charges. Mine lasted not quite a year and now the battery dies after 20 minutes of play time.
Here is the problem with the nano. It looks cool, is lightweight, and for all intents and purposes, promises to be a great piece of technology. But it is just way too easy to break. My other iPods had taken some abuse over the years, but never showed any signs of considerable wear (except for a scratched screen on the 40GB). I managed to break the Nano two days after purchase on its first use, without any significant trauma to the casing. (I dropped it while sitting on the couch, and it fell two feet.) The screen cracked and the display is ruined, at a cost of over $100 to replace. Even after giving a polite explanation, producing a receipt, and enduring condescension from the manager ("Sometimes things break"), Apple wouldnt take it back.
I really cant recommend this product. There are better iPods out there, namely the Minis, which are more tightly crafted and likely to withstand the pressures of everyday use. Dont waste your money on the nano. It is flimsy and poorly constructed, and youre better off looking elsewhere until they improve their product.
On: 2006-07-25
I am very happy with the new iPod I purchased. Ive only had it about a month & already have 375 songs on it. No problems. Delivery was quick & easy too.
On: 2006-07-24
I love the size. Its perfect for jogging. The down side of these small devices is theyre hard to find if you misplace them. Im still learning all the ins and outs of this device. I took off one star because user-friendliness is not what I expected with Apples reputation. Guess Im just lazy and dont like having to go through the help menu. I maxed out on my free space, so I deleted songs to free up space. iTunes wouldnt let me add new songs even though it indicates that I have more than enough free space. I may have to restore and start over again.
One BIG word of warning. I installed the 6/23/06 update and my iPod stopped working. I spent hours and hours trying to fix the problem. Apparently others have run into the same problem. If this happens to you, go directly to the discussion forum to find the fix. The general fixes on their website doesnt solve the problem. I dont know why Apple is making buggy software updates available for downloads.
On: 2006-07-14
Overall a neat product but not as good as other MP3 players. It is great to have 4GB of portable music... Frustrating is that the battery discharges easily even if the iPod is not used. It is not possible to manage files, i.e. delete on the iPod itself whereas other MP3 players offer that flexibility.
On: 2006-07-13
This item came very fast in the mail and with everything that the description said it had. I was very impressed with the delivery service once again with Amazon.com
On: 2006-07-02
Excellent product. Excellent software. Im looking for a good adapter to play through car radio (Honda) that charges the Nano as well. Highly recommend the Nano.
On: 2006-06-21
I love the ipod nano. It started when my friend got one, so I did to. I just got it today, and listening to it right now (Everclear- Father of Mine) and I LOVE IT. The case that comes with it is OK for now.I recommend getting the largest version (Max storage)
On: 2006-06-16
The nano certainly delivers as promised. Its so small but packs a lot into that small package.
The thing that amazed me the most was the volume through the headphones. I have had a couple of other small MP3 players, but couldnt even use them for mowing or other yard work because they werent loud enough.
Not so with the Nano. Plenty of power for any occasion - including the car.
Also, my experience with the battery life is that it is more than adequate.
Great product. Glad I have one.
On: 2006-05-20
This gaget is a great way to take your entire library out with you when you exercise. Most people are aware of the plusses... I thought Id write up what I think are negatives.
-- I didnt like how you have to purchase a sleeve to carry the ipod in. Most mp3 players come with this accessory. (You also have to purchase other accessories, which I think is a racket)
-- Choosing which songs or playlist you listen to is difficult when youre on the move. My other players have buttons that are easy to feel and navigate once you learn where they are.
--For the same reason, its also difficult to change the volume.
When running, I actually prefer my older mp3 player that doesnt hold as many songs as my ipod. I think if I had known it was so difficult to search and change the settings while running Id have chosen a different player.
On: 2006-04-30
Ipods are like the king of the mp3s.They have good storage, great looking peices of equipment, and they soffisticated.The only problem with these ipod nanos, that can also hold photos,(which i think is very ingenius!), is that they can snap very easily.I know friends that have had these and they have snapped in two halfs, just from dropping them or something.Other than that a great little product that should bring apple some serious money!
On: 2006-04-21
Afar as im concerned this is the greatest mp3 player available in the market. Not only it looks totally good, but the sound is just amazing, very crisp and clear. Carrying this around is a dream because obviously this aint bulky! The only con is it scratches very easily (I dont recommend this for the clumsy hands...) and even though the size made this a phenomenon, it will break easily. One drop could be fatal for this little masterpiece..........
On: 2006-04-11
I recieved my iPod nano today as a late birthday gift, and let me say...no picture on here does justice to the impossibly smal enigma that is this gizmo. It is quite litterally, nano.
Beauty aside, this is a rather nice little toy...
The sound quality is wonderful, very crisp and clear.
The screen, albiet small if you show album art, is wonderfully backlit and very colorful.
People complain about the headphone jack being on the bottom of the unit, but this is not as inconvient as one may think. In fact, its easy to ajust too.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars in the first place is because of figuring out the updated iTunes. My original music library holds about 1 1/2 GB over the alotted 4GB, and so what iTunes had done is created a playlist of my "prefered" music...how exactly it recognized my prefereance is beyond me. Obviously, some of what it chose I didnt want, so I removed it. The trouble was adding some other music I DID want. I had a list of about 150 songs, unchecked a good number and attempted to load it into my nano. The checking makes no difference, apperently. You have to be willing to give a lot of time if youre picky like myself and HAVE to have certain songs and not others. But once you do get the program all straightned out, this is a wonderful, functional unit from Apple that deserves its rating.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-04-04
This was my first iPod, and I had wanted a mini for a long time. But unfortunately, the mini got replaced by the nano as soon as I was about to buy it. I was very unsure about the nano at first, but Ive become very happy with it. But, as with any iPod, there are some downsides.
Pros:
-Small, so it fits basically anywhere.
-Brighter screen than the mini.
-One of my friends has a mini, and the volume on the nano seems to go louder than the mini.
-Its able to store pictures and contacts, among others.
-The screen is colored, unlike the black-and-white mini.
-Ive read many reviews saying its very fragile, but Ive dropped it quite a few times and it hasnt broken (yet).
Cons:
-The headphones plug in at the bottom, which is kinda stupid and takes some getting used to.
-Its almost TOO small. Its very easy to lose.
-Fingerprints show up very easily on the back chrome side, as well as the front.
-It comes in limited colors.
-The acessories it comes with does not include a charger that plugs into the wall, only one that plugs into the computer.
-It scratches very easily.
Overall, I think this is worth 4 stars. Its a good first iPod for people who have not had another different iPod, because this would probably take a while to get used to after having a different one.
On: 2006-04-03
I have had my ipod nano since...I think late October, and since then, I have found myself unable to put it down! My little nano (OK, OK) goes with me everywhere; to Philidelphia, to school, in the car, to the movie theater and plays (yes, Ill admit it). Surprisingly enough, I havent lost it or left it anywhere (gasp!). My nano holds all the songs and books that I want, and Im absolutely ADDICTED to the built in solitare game.
My only complaint? The screen scratches at the slightest touch. I eventually got a fabulous iskin to put over it with a built in screen protector and that worked marvelously; definitly worth the extra $30.
In conclusion; this is probobly my most prized possesion-sad, I know. Worth every penny.
The nano is:
-easy to use
-easy to take anywhere
-color (!!!)
-holds pictures (no purpose whatsoever, but still fun)
-delightfully small and adorable
-comes in two colors, but I would suggest the white because you can get more of those cool cases like that (for cases, go to iskin.com and find the duo case-its what I have and its just great!)
If I havent made any sense due to all of my wonderfully crazy enthusiasm, Im sorry, youll live! Now, go, everyone, and get one of these, before its too late!!!
Thanks,
Riva (Micheles daugter)
by: Anonymous On: 2006-04-01
Apple says that the Nano lasts 12-14 hours on a battery charge. Dont believe it. Their high estimate is based on if you let the thing play straight through without manually changing songs, adjusting the volume, etc. Every time you do that you deplete the charge more than if you just let one song play after another. I just got my Nano 2 weeks ago and quickly loaded 900 songs onto it. I have the most fun putting the thing on shuffle mode and forwarding through songs that I havent heard in a while. Ill listen to all or part of a song or skip it entirely. Or adjust the volume. Every time I do this the backlight comes on (you can turn it off but then you cant see the display unless you are in very bright direct light). I estimate that if you like to fiddle with your Nano (Didnt your mother tell you not to fiddle with your Nano?) youll only get about 5 hours on a charge.
On: 2006-03-28
Im not a computer genius and I really hate spending hours going through instruction manuals, so I was a little reluctant getting an ipod. But when I held the ipod nano in my hands at the Apple store I thought Id give it a try. My primary purpose in getting one of these was not to download music off the net but to listen to songs from the 500 + cds that I have wasted so much money on over the years. The first thing I liked was that the manual was just a few pages long - everything you need to get started and actually use the nano. Very simple and easy to understand, unlike my digital camera instruction manual, which is the same size as a Stephen King novel. The advanced features are all explained on the website - which was also pretty informative and simple. You simply load the itunes disc that came with the nano. If you select the recommended option of automatically updating - your ipod will mirror exactly what is in itunes. Once itunes is loaded on your pc you will want to get your cds onto the nano. You simply put in a cd. If you are on the internet itunes will "read" the cd and come up with all the information - song title, artist, album. You select the songs from the cd that you want to transfer. This is what I like about the ipod - Im listening to the 1 or 2 great songs from cds that I havent heard in years. It took me about 1 minute per song to transfer to itunes. This is the time consuming part (you do the math on 1000 songs) but it is unavoidable and you dont have to do it all at once. Once you have enough songs for now you connect the ipod to your pcs 2.0 usb port with the included connector. The entire contents of itunes will automatically transfer to your nano in an incredibly short time. Once your ipod is charged (a couple/few hours connected to the same usb port) youre ready to play with your new toy. And this is the coolest toy youve gotten in quite a long time. The songs are easily accessible by song title or artist, or shuffle through everything (like a radio station programmed by you). Very easy to understand controls and menus. The sound from the nano is wonderful, clearer and louder than any portable cd player Ive ever owned. Ive had it for a couple weeks and have not experienced any problems at all. Recommened even for the technically challenged.
On: 2006-03-27
like that i can carry so many songs, but am disappointed that the battery lasts for only 4-6 hrs before it needs to be charged.
And when you charge it, it has to charged thru the USB port on my computer.
i thought the iPOD nano would have a longer charge life.
On: 2006-03-24
I am so very happy that I purchased the white Apple 4G iPod!
I have used it everyday since. It is so Easy to learn how to use.
I have downloaded 525 songs still have lots to go. Also I am a picture freak (I have 6 daughters!) and so happy that this one holds all my Photos!
Highly Highly recommend!
On: 2006-03-15
The iPod Nano is "THE" flash based audio player. The looks are amazing, I mean you dont really know how small it is untill you hold one in your hands. If you are worried about scratching the nano just buy a case, but me I dont really care if it gets scratches. I bought the iPod Nano for a portable audio player, not eye candy(which it does do a fine job at). iTunes is wonderful if you only have one iPod, if you have more than one you might run into some problems. However their is a remedy, 3rd party programs such as Anapod and many others work with the iPods just as good or better than iTunes( I say Better ). Buy one now!
On: 2006-03-14
This is the best music player out there. But there is good and bad with everyting
Good:
1.)portable- Great for trips
2.)compact- easyly fits in to purses and backpacks
3.)light weight- dose not weigh you down. You hardly know it is there.
4.) Great sound- Easy to hear what they are singing.
5.) Some what easy to use- once you get the hang of it. Thought it might take a little while. Just read the directions.
Now the bad...
1.) Easy to misplace- it is so tiny it is hard to find.
2.) Easly scrached- After a few hours my nano had straches all over it. HANDLE WITH CARE. It is not like a toy.
3.)Forgetable- I had a friend forget it was in his pocket and jump in a pool. It was done for.
4.) Confusing- Some times my nano will do funky things like not turn on or freeze in the middle of a song and not play. (with a full battery!).
5.)Easly breaks in half- A few people I know their nanos just snapped in half. I bought a case for mine.
6.) It can be dropped easly- It is kind of slick. I droped it a few times (luckly on carpet.) Then I bought a jelly case (shock absober) It is fine now.
7.) Pricey- All the things you need to keep it in good shape like a case, a jelly case, screen protecter, and other things (maybe just for fun like the FM transmitter) add up. Not to menchion the nano itself is like 200 dollars.
Over all this product is one of the favorite things I own. I would recomend it. Even though there are a few flaws it is still a great product!
by: Anonymous On: 2006-03-14
ipod nanos are the best!! for everyone that is thinking about geting one, dont pay attention to the people who say it cracks,if you get a good case its fine!!i would suggest going to [...] because they sell a invisa-case that i got. the invisa-case protects everything except the coners,and its really hard to see.i think the ipod nano rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On: 2006-03-13
I have a 20GB iPod and then bought Nano for my wife. Right now I am thinking about buying Nano also for myself. It is just great. Small, comfortable, with color screen and holds exactly the amount of songs I need (1,000 songs for 4GB Nano).
Definitely I recommend that to everybody!!!
On: 2006-03-12
Great music great radio but I hope the battery would be better than in my ipod mini.
On: 2006-03-10
First, Ill admit that I had my eye on the Nano from the instant I saw it was coming out, but I had to wait until the money was right. If you can imagine how small this thing is, then cut it in half, you may be close! It is unbelievable! Almost too small, it could easily be misplaced. I bought a clear plastic case that hangs on a lanyard or an armband, part for protection, part to make it harder to lose!
It is quite easy to use once you play with it a bit, sound quality is very good, I dont really understand some of the reviews that it doesnt.
The LCD screen is very clear, well lit, displays album art, lyrics, your pictures, contacts, calendar, even some games, although they arent much to write about! But hey, you buy an Ipod to play music, and that it does very well!
The supplied earbuds are decent, I dont personally like earbuds in general, but I an wear them and they sound good.
The complaints about the surface scratching are probably true but those people are really being babies, if you take a little care, get a case or skin, or even take a PDA screen protector and cover it, it will be just fine. Those people probably never wash their cars and then complain that the color shows the dirt too much!
The price is a bit steep, but once you put 1000+ songs on such a small thing, and can throw it on shuffle and never hear a repeat for like, EVER, it suddenly seems worth it!
As for which model, 1gb, 2gb, or 4gb, well, you really need to see what you will use it for. I am going on vacation for 11 days and will spend lots of time flying, waiting, lounging on a beach chair, etc. so I wanted a lot of various music, so I opted for the 4gb, but normally if I have my usual 100 favorite songs, and that was all, then I would go for the 1gb model. Think hard before you buy!
Itunes is an OK software, organizes well, rips good, but the playlists have me confused. I was expecting to put some songs from my ipod selections into playlists and it would just play those songs from in that order, but it wanted to duplicate the songs, kind of confusing but I finally got it. It is also odd in that you would think you could just check the box next to the songs you want and click, send to ipod, but it doesnt seem to work that way. And you cant sort by checked/unchecked either, but I did find a workaround online. Uploads quickly to the Nano though. Music store is super easy to use, as is most of the rest of Itunes.
Pretty good review from someone who really never liked Apple too much, but they sure can build a music player!
On: 2006-03-10
The 4 GByte Nano IPOD works well as advertised. Not having used an IPOD before it took a while to get the swing of the ITunes software. This device has to be plugged in to a USB port to charge the battery, so if you are using it in the car, on a trip, or away from the computer for any length of time, you will need to buy a charging accessory for it.
It did get scrambled in the car once and got into a diagnostic mode that we couldnt clear. The unit would not turn off. Two days later, after the battery had died we connected it to a computer and recharged it - the problem was cleared, and the memory was intact.
I downgrade it a star for needing a separate (unsupplied) charger and for not having an easy reset for when the processor gets confused.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-03-09
OK, so the black apple ipod nano. REALLY FAST, even with heaps of song on it, it still keeps up with your fingers. it is VERY EASILY scratched, so watch it! The sounds is fantastic! True story i was on the bus and i got told tp turn it down cause the people at the back could here it (SERIOUSLY) The screen is outstanding, the graphics are almost unbeliveable for such a small screen. The back light works great at night, but note to self: in day-light the screen is very hard to see. The photo storage part works "O.K" its a bit annoying to get used to.
I WOULD DEFINATLY recomend this ipod to anyone.
On: 2006-03-09
I bought my first 4GB iPod Nano in November 2005 - I wanted to migrate from a clunky 3-year old mp3 player to something which was easier to place in my pocket during my cardio workout.
In February 2006 I wanted to give my partner a 4GB iPod Nano as a Valentines Present and load it up with Broadway and movie soundtrack music (which I loathe - to me, this would be a better world if Sondheim were strangled with Webbers large intestine). I could not find any information as to whether you could hook up more than one Nano using the same iTunes software. I did find out that you can use the same iTunes on five different computers.
Well, the new Nano arrived and it worked like a breeze. I registered it, gave it a unique name different from mine, and then loaded it up. We can each charge our Nano and load/unload songs without disruption or weird configurations. I just wish this info had been available to me prior to making the second purchase.
My Nano is a bit scrtached only because I dont use the handy felt slipcover which now comes with the Nano. I also bought the white version since feedback had said that the black version showed scratches much more than the white.
We both love our Nanos and it is great to be, musically speaking, in the 21st century.
On: 2006-03-04
Thats the best name for the nano ipod. Apple make a great job condensing and MP3 player and photo album in and small gaget, they can do the dificult task of make and impressive descendence of the mini. If true that the display is very small, but the resolution put this in a side. The sound is excellent and the driving interface mekes easy, even for and small child, handle the device. The only compliment is there are no fm radio, but whit the new fm headphone this is past. Great choice for every one who look for MP3 player.
On: 2006-02-23
The new iPod Nano is a great improvement on my 2nd generation 40 gig iPod - battery life, color interface, size & weight, storage. Its delicate, so I highly recommend a case.
Only one thing is disconcerting (and its similar to my old 40 gig iPod): If the iPod is not used every day, when you turn it on, the screen remains blank for what seems an eternity. You panic, then the Apple logo appears but ever so slowly. Under everyday use, the iPod shows the Menu screen immediately.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-02-20
as I said in the title.....I am completely addicted to my nano!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if your gonna think about buyin one then......
.get the 4gb one(it holds 1,000 songs vs. the 2gb only holds 500 somethin songs)
.get a case for it (get one a.s.a.p. so it wont get banged up
.and download every song youll want!!!!!! (truth be told: im listin to mine right now!)
put it this way.......nanos rock and you shold get one!!!!!!!!
On: 2006-02-19
This is the first MP3 player Ive ever bought and I couldnt be more pleased. I dont really care for using iTunes with it but I use a third party software program to get around that.
Overall, the sound quality is great especially for a small player and the interface is easy to get around. It gets my two thumbs up.
On: 2006-02-19
Greatest Ipod ever! Ive had the choice of this and the Video, but this beats the Video by a mile. First of all the Video is huge and what is the point of having a video feature if it only lasts 2 straight hours on full charge. Secondly all my friend have the video and the response time on it is very slow. With the Nano i can skip and scroll twice as fast. Finally dont listen to people who say it isnt durable. I have tested this out. First to prove to all of my Video friends I threw it at the wall and it still worked. Tonight I faced a problem. I was walking to someones house and accidently dropped it. I didnt notice that i didnt have it for another 3 hours. So my nano was outside for 3 hours in 18 degree weather. When I eventually found it, there was ice on it and it worked fine. THE NANO ROCKS!!!!!!!!!
On: 2006-02-12
Just because this is the latest iPod in the market today and its seems that everybody has one and its beautifull and so great, be aware that this may not be for you. I reccomend anyone to use it before they buy it. This only comes in 2GB to 4GB max. (1GB is the latest model) + the nano scratched awfully easily and leaves fingerprints that are almost impossible to clean off. I recommend you to buy a cover for it. Also, if you get one of these be aware that you must be EXTRA carefull with it, as it can very easily brake. + you cannot watch any type of video/movie/motion on it, only pictures within a 1.5inch screen. However, the screen has beutifull colors.
I already reviewed this item previously so this is only a reminder. Read my full review if you want.
Little description of what you may want:
iPod Shuffle: tiny. Stores up to 512mb or 1Gb. No LCD. perfect for sportspeople who dont have time/want to choose songs in order. Everytime you play it it shuffles automatically.
iPod Video: massive storage capability, 30 or 60bg. pricey, however. can view videos/photos. nice
there are more iPods in the market but these are of significance. Please choose appropriately before your purchase or youll be dissapointed. these things donf come cheap.
On: 2006-02-09
Nano is incredible. I love it in so many ways. I soooooo dont miss carrying around over 100 cds in my car. The best thing about ipods in general is that you can shuffle your library, albums, or playlists. This way you dont have to "commit" to one cd when you get it out to play. Its like having a new mix of all your favorite music all the time. In regard to its durability... I say it is TOUGH. The reason is there are no moving parts in it, unlike the other or older ipods which do. They do scratch so silicon skin is a good idea (although I find them ugly) so what I did instead was cut out a protective screen cover designed for palm pilots and put in on. Ive had friends tell me "ipods are overrated." I say to them, until you have you, you cant say it. ipods rule!
by: Anonymous On: 2006-02-08
I got my ipod for my birthday and I love it so much!!! I thought it would be so easy to fill up 4 GB because i am such a music freak!! haha....but it really isnt!!! The only problem I find in it is that it is really easily scratched and fingerprints show up really well on it... Also, you cant use it on both mac and windows if youve already formatted it to one or the other - thats a problem, but other wise its great! So small and portable!
On: 2006-02-05
I got my iPod nano soon after I saw how beautiful and tiny it was at an Apple store.
After 4 months of almost every day use, I found it a delightful, fun, easy-to-use device,
with some flaws.
1. It is ultra ultra small. So keep it connected to a ear bud, or risk losing it.
2. On a 4G nano, I store 500-600 songs at 192 kbps, or you can store 1000 songs at 128 kbps.
3. I have a white nano, and its small color screen scratches (too) easily.
So, I never carry a nano in my jean pocket.
4. Contacts information can be stored and viewed on a nano.
But remember it is not a PDA, where information can be edited.
5. Local time, one per city, can be viewed on a nano, but this is often annoyingly off by one hour.
6. I lost my iTunes database, due to a computer harddisk failure.
I tried many different things, all unsuccessful, to restore the iTunes database from the iPod nano.
So, back up your iTunes database regularly, as a nano cannot serve as a backup device.
7. Playing .mp3 music using Windows Media Player sounds much better than Apples iTunes player.
So, I maintain two music databases, one for Windows and one for iPod, and turn off syncing to Windows player.
Highly recommended. Be advised, and enjoy!
On: 2006-01-29
I got a the 4GB white Nano about 3 months ago and it was my first iPod. In fact, it was my first real mp3 player.
The interface is incredibly simple and quick to use. I played around with my brothers Samsung Yepp-1UZ (which I also reviewed) and felt that the iPod is definitely ahead of its competition in terms of quality and usability.
The sound quality is great, but the battery life is a bit short. Im finding that I can get about 9-10 hours of battery out of it, but since I listen to my Nano mostly in my car, I usually have it plugged into the charger.
On: 2006-01-21
This beautiful and extremely functional gadget has my vote for the best gadget of 2005! I am eager to see what gadget can surpass it for this year since ipod nano is really a perfect blend of function and style.
Before my nano purchase, I have researched various mp3 players from Sony, Creative, iRiver and various others but they all come up short in one way or the other. iPod nano excels in the usability and style areas but pales in terms of pricing and reliability when compares to other players. My first nano lasts for only 2 months when the battery suddenly dies on me. Fortunately the Apple warranty still covers it and I got a brand new replacement. I think I got a lemon on my first nano since it has problems from day one with lots of skips and restarts.
The careful thoughts put behind the design of nano is admirable. Menus are conveniently and intuitively layout and the clickable wheel for navigation is great. There is a small but usable screen for displaying songs and I have used it to display various pictures which is real neat. Overall, in terms of usability, it earns an A from me. From a pure stylistic standpoint, handsdown, an A+. You will have to hold it yourself to believe it. It is extremely light yet have a robust feeling to it. Just beautiful.
I would highly recommend Nano as the mp3 player of choice but just be aware of the potential battery problem and the easily scratchable LCD screen.
Best of luck to your purchase!
On: 2006-01-16
Gave this to my son-in-law - he was delighted
On: 2006-01-15
FIRST I would like to respond to the person who thought that writing a review meant that he/she/it should begin by insulting people by calling them idiots. This is in response to C. CUI (Real Informatics) Yes the ipod is designed to work with itunes only. However you can rip music from any cd that you own and transfer it to your ipod. Walmart says that their music is not compatible with ipod or itunes. However, I have downloaded music from walmart and burned it to a cd. I was then able to transfer it to my ipod and listen to it in itunes. Theres probably a simplier way to do this but that has worked okay for me. I have not counted my hours of use but I know I get more than four hours of actual play time.
SECOND why is N. Bessie discouraging people from buying the ipod nano when she purchased the discontinued ipod mini? Shouldnt she be reviewing on the ipod mini review forum?
Lastly Marsha Mcginnis is reviewing before shes even gotten a chance to use the darn thing. Why would you buy a product then dis it before you use it.
My gosh now that Im through responding to the nonsense Ive just read let me say this, Im not a part of some mac lovers cult or anything. I just purchased my ipod after Christmas and Im pleased because it does what it says its suppose to do. When an item does what its suppose to do then what do you have to complain about? Yesterday I thought that I was going to become an angry ipod owner. For some reason unbeknownst to me my ipod would not come on after I removed it from my coat pocket. Ive been relatively cautious with my ipod but not overly. Ive dropped it a couple of times and I never put it in its sheath that came with it. The only thing Ive done to protect it is that I have not removed the plastic that came on the front of it (because it truly is prone to scratches). Well after taking my ipod back to The Apple Store today the mac genius who took a look at my nano informed me that the tape on the front of it was holding a button down and that was the reason it did not come on. Like I said Ive dropped my nano (actually I dropped it twice today, I dont encourage this however) and I dont go out of my way to protect it. But its still ok. Im going to eventually remove the plastic but not until I find the perfect protective case or sleeve. I believe that mac offers great service on their products. There was a woman in the store who had purchased an ipod two years ago, she wasnt on warranty anymore and she hadnt purchased the battery replacement plan but still they replaced her battery (actually they give you a brand new ipod) for only 60+ bucks. The mac genius didnt even ask me for a receipt before examining my ipod nano. There were about a dozen people in the store for one of their classes at the time that I was there. How many computer compaines offer service where you can just walk in and have your issues resolved or you can schedule an appointment to have them show you how to use your gadgets, or that allows you to walk in take a seat and sit in on one of their classes even after youve purchased th product?
On: 2006-01-15
Please read this review depending on your IQ rating
1-100
This is the MP3 Player especially designed for you! It is NOT compatible with ANY music service except iTunes and so you have only 1 choice! Perfect if you dont know what you are doing! Even if you do BUY music from iTunes, NOTHING besides iTunes can play it! It leaves no space for modifications! Perfect for people like you! :)
101-200
Im glad that there are still people will intelligence. As I already know, you are NOT planning on buying this iPod for yourself but for someone else. This does make a very good gift for the previous type of people mentioned. Do be careful, if you are going to give this as a gift, make sure you buy an iTunes gift certificate to go along with it.
Review for ALL people:
Sound (6/10) - Crisp treble and bass. No custom equalizer and no sound shift when you are sick and have hearing imbalances. No 3D surround sound or anything of that nature. Low noise produced.
Battery Life (1/10) - Battery lasts 4 Hours of use without navigating through songs. The battery life stated by Apple is complete bogus! Lasts 2 Hours time with photo viewing and flipping through music.
Looks (8/10) - Looks very nice and symbolizes simplicity. However, there is a little too much simplicity.
Ease of use (4/10) - Not exactly easy to use and lacks many needed controls
Overall - 4.75/10
Use if you are not so smart
On: 2006-01-10
Ive been using the ipod mini for around 4 years. From a lot of dropping and mis-handling, I managed to destroy the hard drive. So I set out to get a new ipod.
I bought the white ipod nano with a crystal protector (~ 10 bucks) from the apple store. The new ipod nanos come with a tiny leather bag to help protect your ipod from the elements. Its pretty, elegant and functional; you can control whats playing through the soft leather. Also on the battery, Ive been playing music for over 8 hours now after the initial recharge and it still thinks it has plenty of juice left.
Im not sure if Amazon sells the new line of ipods. Id find that out before you make this purchase here, or just buy one from an apple store. Make sure to get a plastic coating to protect your ipod from scratches--this is so essential.
On: 2006-01-10
Christmas Day, 2006. I RECIEVED my very own iPod nano. I thought I was in heaven! Until I figured out that this little gadget would cause me more pain and loss of sleep than anything else. On Christmas night at around 11:00pm I intalled the iTunes software onto my computer. No problems. THEN, I try to get my music on there. BIG PROBLEMS. >>Not letting me import files, and not letting me SAFELY disconnect from my computer. In order to SAFELY disconnect my iPod from the USB port I had to restart my computer twice. THATS NOT GOOD! >:(
I decided to check the clock. It was now 3:48am and STILL..no music. I decided to give up and try again the next day.
The next day after generous amounts of trying I FINALLY figured it out. To tell the truth, the sound quality is excellent. And the pictures show up looking really nice!
BAD THINGS: Battery Life (THEY LIE) it DOES NOT last for 14 hours. Its more like 4. If youre lucky
Scratches: It scratches..badly
Earbuds: They dont fit
>>WHY DOSENT THE LOVELY LITTLE THING COME WITH A WALL ADAPTER??!!
I havent even dropped it and it sometimes skips... which is weird..
I truly do love the little nano ,but..Everytime I want to SAFELY disconnect my ipod from the computer I have to restart it..which is bad :(!
I wouldnt reccomend buying this product. I give it a 3 stars because, sound quality is excellent and it has sharp design. But I am returning mine as soon as possible and buying an Ipod Video. Hopefully it works a little better.
Anyways, I hope this review was helpful to you.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-01-04
I got the nano immediatley when it came out. It is spectacular.
Pros:
- the click wheel, even though it is so thin, you still recieve feedback
-the color display is very vivid and clear
-sound goes very loud, if you put the volume all the way up, you may bust the speakers (it goes much louder than the mini)
-when you put photos on it, they come out very clear
-easy to keep organized
-lots of memory
-lots of accessories
-free version of iTunes
-guide booklet
-free headphones
-hold switch
-very small, fits in coin pocket in jeans
-calendar
-contacts
-stopwatch
-alarm clock
-audiobooks
-podcasts
-games
-displays album art
-superior sound quality
-can get engraved for free (apple.com)
Cons:
-gets scratched very easily, I reccommend buying a case online (not from apple), mine has not gotten a scratch on it yet because of my cover, and I dropped it under a crosstrainer and pedaled over it (on accident)
-runs out of battery life VERY easily, not very good for road trips, runs out in about 8 hours
-speakers get busted VERY easily
-can get lost easily
-??? No more complaints
by: Anonymous On: 2006-01-04
i got my ipod for Christmas and i can tell you...everything about the nano lives up to the hype except for its battery life. I understand that results differ from ipod to ipod (by reading others reactions) but id say that the battery has truely dissapointed me. I think mine on a full first charge (about half a day) lasted only about 2 hours
by: vibinc On: 2006-01-03
People, dont fall for this flawed product. I have the ipod shuffle, nano, and the 30gb ipod photo. The only reason I have three different Apple mp3 players were that they were given as gifts. I hate the nano the most of all of them. This thing will scratch no matter how carefully you look after it. Leave it in your pocket and after a week of regular use, the display will NOT BE READABLE. I learned this the hard way.
Already knowing how easy it is to scratch the Nano, I was conscious of making sure that I didnt keep it in a pocked that had my keys or my loose change. This in itself is a major hassel, since I was always rearranging the contents of my pocket so I would have an empty pocket just to store the Nano. Nevertheless it has scratched and the plastic gets so warped that it becomes difficult to read the screen.
Additionally the Nano cannot be recharged on the road unless you have a laptop with a USB port. Or you can buy the adaptor for a wall outlet that costs way more than it should. And you will find the need to recharge the Nano quiet often because in the real world where you like to skip songs or change the volume, it will not last 14 hours that apple is claiming. I get maybe 6-8 hours.
The biggest disadvantage to any of the Apple mp3 players is that it locks you in to buying songs via iTunes. I would much rather participate in a subscription service that gives me access to millions of songs such as those offered by Napster or Yahoo, but Apple has made their players compatible only with iTunes.
And since most of my mp3s which I encoded from my cds are at a bitrate of 256mbps I am able to fill it up with only about 550 songs. About half that of what Apple claims. Sure you can get 1000 songs, as long as you are willing to sacrifice sound quality.
There are a lot of diehard Apple fans going out to their way to defend this product. Its up to you to decide if they have your best interests in mind or are blinded by their loyalty to a brand name and by its "coolness" factor.
So in conclusion, my humble opinion is that the hype around this product is solely based on its smallness and chic factor. However in the practical world, this product will end up being more of a nuisance because of how much you have to baby it in order to keep it functioning.
On: 2006-01-02
People, dont fall for this flawed product. I have the ipod shuffle, nano, and the 30gb ipod photo. The only reason I have three different Apple mp3 players were that they were given as gifts. I hate the nano the most of all of them. This thing will scratch no matter how carefully you look after it. Leave it in your pocket and after a week of regular use, the display will NOT BE READABLE. I learned this the hard way.
Already knowing how easy it is to scratch the Nano, I was conscious of making sure that I didnt keep it in a pocked that had my keys or my loose change. This in itself is a major hassel, since I was always rearranging the contents of my pocket so I would have an empty pocket just to store the Nano. Nevertheless it has scratched and the plastic gets so warped that it becomes difficult to read the screen.
Additionally the Nano cannot be recharged on the road unless you have a laptop with a USB port. Or you can buy the adaptor for a wall outlet that costs way more than it should. And you will find the need to recharge the Nano quiet often because in the real world where you like to skip songs or change the volume, it will not last 14 hours that apple is claiming. I get maybe 6-8 hours.
The biggest disadvantage to any of the Apple mp3 players is that it locks you in to buying songs via iTunes. I would much rather participate in a subscription service that gives me access to millions of songs such as those offered by Napster or Yahoo, but Apple has made their players compatible only with iTunes.
And since most of my mp3s which I encoded from my cds are at a bitrate of 256mbps I am able to fill it up with only about 550 songs. About half that of what Apple claims. Sure you can get 1000 songs, as long as you are willing to sacrifice sound quality.
There are a lot of diehard Apple fans going out to their way to defend this product. Its up to you to decide if they have your best interests in mind or are blinded by their loyalty to a brand name and by its "coolness" factor.
So in conclusion, my humble opinion is that the hype around this product is solely based on its smallness and chic factor. However in the practical world, this product will end up being more of a nuisance because of how much you have to baby it in order to keep it functioning.
On: 2005-12-29
ok, so i got the ipod nano for christmas and its dec.28 and its great hold lots of songs, good sound quality BUT,its terribly scratched up and I dont want the same to happen to you. Dont let the stories of screens cracking 2minutes after purchases, all you need to do is LEAVE THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC OVER THE SCREEN!!!!!!!!!! Cut it so you can use the wheel, i know keeping the little plastic thing over the screen is not what you want to do when you open it( i tore pulled mine off first thing out of the box) but just leave it over teh screen until you can get a good case for it and even then be careful, and if you do not heed my advice do not put the ipod in your pocket, even if its only thing in your pocket. bottom line- great mp3 player, but the screen scratches easily so protect it.
On: 2005-12-27
I was given a white IPOD nano as a Christmas gift by my wonderful family and I have been using it for two days. This tiny machine will replace a portable CD player and the CD carrying case that I traveled with in the past.
Player
------
The player works as advertised with no glitches. Battery life is at least reasonable as I have not yet run down the initial charge (about six hours of use). The widely reported issue of durability may be overstated. I did heed the advice to put the nano in a protective plastic case. In the case, the player has spent two days in my jeans front pocket and shows no signs of wear. I cannot comment on longer term durability.
Earphones
---------
One minor issue is that the Apple earphones are impossibly bad and had to be immediately replaced. The sound is wonderful with my noise-cancelling headphones; however, these headphones are much bulkier than the nano, making its tiny size less important. I have learned that this issue is well known and widely addressed. I point it out here to clarify that when someone says that the Apple earphones are bad, it is not necessarily the opinion of picky holier-than-thou audiophiles--in fact, the sound is so badly warped by the Apple earphones that a user would be hard pressed to recognize songs from his or her own CD collection played through those things.
Software
--------
For the novice user, I recommend a full-scale surrender to the default options installed with the iTunes software. To the user who is willing to cede control of organization and management of his or her music files, the system is easy-to-use and intuitive. I imagine that expert users and people with time on their hands will find everything they need in the package as well.
--
UPDATE: I have been taking the ipod to the gym with the OEM earphones and have revised my initial impressions. The sound is really not nearly bad as I found it to be when I took the device out of the box. It is possible that I was doing something wrong, or I had the EQ set on some weird setting; but the sound of the headphones is not so bad, and not nearly as bad as I reported originally.
On: 2005-12-26
So handy, portable, cute, sleek - the iPod nano is all of these things and MORE. It makes the other iPods look bad. Its tiny, and when you take it out of the box, all you can do is GASP at how great its presented.
Its like the iPod - but soooo much better. Its got the performance, the handy-dandy clickwheel, the color screen, the hold switch - everything everyone loves about the iPod....but smaller!
Anyway, let me stop my rambling and get on with what I want to tell you about the iPod nano. It scratches E A S I L Y. So if you are someone who abuses their electronics, purchase something you can treat badly. Because this iPod demands respect.
Okay, maybe it demands TOO much respect. I mean, it scratches very easily. Im waiting for the iPod nano tubes to come out here in the Dominican Republic, but all of the stores are taking FOREVER to get them in. Its frustrating. :|> Anyway, yes, if youre going to get the iPod nano, get it a case.
About how it works - its great. The scroll wheel can be a little confusing for iPod beginners, but after a couple of minutes, youre used to it. And the little clicky noise is soooo cute. However, if you dont like it, you can turn it off (the iPod nano is great for letting you turn what you like on and what you dont off).
The color screen is great. Maybe the screen is small, but hey! You cant have a small mp3 player and expect a great big screen to view photos with. Ive heard everyone complain about the screen being too small for viewing pictures. Listen. The iPod nano is small. Its screen is perfectly fine.
Anyway, if your eyes are OK you should be able to see the colors wonderfully, and the photos are fine. Not the nanos best point but pretty good.
ALL IN ALL, the nano deserves 4.8/5 stars! ! ! ! !
On: 2005-12-26
Do NOT buy the iPod Nano! I wasted half my Christmas day fooling around with this worthless device, and as of 10:50 p.m. I still do not have it working. First, the software would not properly format the device. Second, when I thought I got the device properly formatted, it would not accept any downloads from a CD. As I sit here now, my computer wont recognize the device, and the iPod screen is frozen (yes, Ive tried to reset it according to the instructions). So Ive obviously got a defective unit or component. To add insult to injury, for the brief moment when I thought the device was formatted correctly, I was unable to successfully purchase anything from iTunes (a very poor, unintuitive website) because the session kept timing out. (Gee, Mr. Jobs, did you think about adding servers for Christmas?) I have no doubt that other people have had good experiences, but Im here to tell you the iPod is finicky and that iTunes is inferior even to first-generation P2P sites. I expected much, much better from Apple. The iPod is only for those who (i)have a need to have the cool, hip device, (ii) are technologically savvy and (iii) have the unlimited patience it will take to get your device formatted and working properly, and then to get your music into a format that your iPod will find acceptable. My advice -- look at the other MP3 players on the market.
On: 2005-12-22
The ipod nano is just perfect. This is the best gift I have given ever.
Highly recommended.
On: 2005-12-09
I ordered this item on Nov. 25, 2005. It was in stock at that time. I wish I would have known I would have gone elswhere as I am going to do now.
On: 2005-11-22
The newest, latest, hippest MP3 player on the market. The iPod nano is definitely the best MP3 player for its price and its size. Thousands of songs are available at your fingertips. Just a click of the button and music flows from your pocket right into your ears. Everyone should have one of these trendy little devices. They are affordable, useful, and compact.
Though price is a big issue when purchasing a music player, you will not find it a problem here. The iPod nano ranges from 199 to 250 dollars. It comes with a USB cable to plug into a computer to charge it. No other attachments are necessary to run this amazing machine. The 199 dollar iPod holds 500 songs, while the 250 dollar iPod holds an incredible 1,000 songs. I find the 250 dollar iPod to be a better investment for your money, holding 500 more songs for only 50 more dollars.
Anybody and everybody can use an iPod nano. To download songs all you have to do is hook it up to any music downloading computer. Within a matter of minutes hundreds of songs are ready to listen to. Since the battery life is a full fourteen hours, this machine is perfect for people on the go. Personally I find it essential on college campus. Walking around, between classes, even catching up on some studying I put the headphones in and time just flies. Office workers may use it to listen since no one else can hear it. It is great for people who love to workout and run. Since there is no skipping like a typical C.D. player, it can be easily tossed and jarred while still playing the music skip-free.
Most importantly for most people is the size of the MP3 player. This little gadget has all the rest beat. Weighing in at only 1.5 ounces and 3.5 inches long, this little device slips securely into any pocket. It has a full color screen that displays the song title and artist. "So your music looks as good as it sounds" Apple company says. The headphones can slip under a jacket or shirt to be undetectable. Apple also says that this product is meant to be worn and forgotten about. It is so light and compact that there are iPod necklaces made to fit it snuggly around a persons neck. The only person who knows you are listening to music is YOU.
The new iPod nano by Apple is unquestionably the best MP3 for your buck. It allows you to listen to music anytime and anyplace. Light and affordable, there is no reason not to treat yourself to this trendy machine. So slip an iPod nano into your pocket today, and get jamming!
On: 2005-11-16
Everything about this iPod screams "COOL!" Everything from the packaging to the extra (and useful) features in this latest installment of the iPod family is truely amazing. The iPod nano comes in an eleganty designed (like everythig apple makes) box with an actual-size photo of the iPod nano. When you open the package, youll find your brand new iPod nestled in the right side of the flip-book style box wrapped with protective plastic and the infamous "dont steal music" sticker on the screen. You really do have to see and hold one to appreciate the size and beauty of the iPod nano. On the left side of the box youll find documentation, software, a USB cable and those useless Apple headphones. The start-up instructions are very informative and consice. Make sure you install the iPod software BEFORE you plug it in to your computer. My iPod nano came precharged so I didnt have to charge it which is a plus. I have a pretty big music colection but I was listening to my favorite tunes on my new iPod in minutes. iTunes makes transfering music to your iPod super easy and intuitive. One thing to realize is that the advertized 4GB doesnt mean youll have 4GB available to upload songs. Mine could only hold 3.7GB of songs. That was expected as I know that the software thar runs the ipod needs some memory space. Nevertheless, I got about 970 songs to fit. The sound quality on the iPod nano is identical to my G4 iPod. The color screen, although small, is surprisingly bright and very crisp. As for the scratching and smudging, I expected that because my G4 iPod is completely full of them. Dont worry, its not as bad as some reviewers make it seem. Although it would be nice if the iPod were scratch-resistant, thats a small price most of us iPod lovers are willing to pay. The bottom line is, if you like music and being able to carry it around with you, the iPod nano is the best player you could ever purchase. Ignore all the fuss about the scrach-prone problem and buy yourself an iPod nano. You wont regret it!
On: 2005-11-15
I had an iPod shuffle I was pretty happy with, but a couple weeks after Apple released the iPod nano, I finished a job and got a chunk of money for it. To celebrate, I went out and purchased a nano.
The nano looks fairly unexciting on this page, but once you see one in person--most electronics stores will have one--youll understand the appeal. This device is incredibly small; I dont think they couldve made it any smaller without making the screen too small to read, the click wheel too small to use, and the ports too small to connect to. It feels practically weightless, and fits in the tightest pockets. If youve ever seen the iPod shuffle, the nano is about half as thick and twice as wide.
The screen is beautiful, with sharp text and vivid color. The click wheel has a slightly different texture from the surrounding plastic, which helps when using the device in the dark. The click wheel-based interface is very intuitive: when I took it out of the box it took about ten seconds to get used to the circular motion used to navigate the menus; after that, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. The menus are clear and well-designed, although not quite perfect; the placement of "repeat" and "shuffle" on the settings screen is particularly jarring.
By the way, the packaging is a work of art; you may not want to throw it away.
The nano was clearly designed for exercise; besides its size, it uses completely skip-proof flash memory and is the first iPod to include a stopwatch program. If youre using the iPod for this, Apple has several accessories that may be handy, like lanyard headphones and armbands.
The nano model shown here has 4 gigabytes of internal memory. As a rule of thumb, 1 minute of MP3 music takes up about 1 megabyte; since a gigabyte is 1000 megabytes, the iPod should contain about 4000 minutes of music. Apple advertises it as carrying 1000 songs, which is about right. Serious music fans with 10,000-album collections ripped at 320 kbps might scoff at that capacity, but the average person should be satisified with this--after loading mine up with every song I might conceivably listen to, its barely half full.
The nano isnt perfect. Like other iPods, it has an internal battery that wears out after 500 recharges. (Apple estimates thatll last 18 months, but it depends on how much you use it.) When the battery wears out, the iPod has to be sent back to the factory for a replacement, which costs a significant fraction of the iPods original price. iPods as a whole also lack a few features other players have, such as FM tuners--although with FM radios costing only a few bucks, that doesnt seem like much of a loss. Uniquely to the nano, the case seems to be very susceptible to scratching; the little scratches arent very noticable on the white model (the one I have), but I understand that many owners of black iPod nanos are very upset about this. The standard Apple earbuds are too big for many ears and dont have very good bass; I use replacement "In-Ear Headphones" ($40) which are much better.
But bear in mind that there isnt really a comparable player on the market right now. There are plenty of flash-based MP3 players, but they typically have either smaller capacities or larger dimensions, and usually black-and-white screens; there are plenty of higher-capacity MP3 players, but most use mechanical hard drives (which are prone to failure and skipping) and are much larger than the nano. The nanos 14-hour battery life is a bit short for a flash-based player, but increasing the battery life would require Apple to make the nano larger, and 14 hours is more than most people will use in several days. There is nothing else available with such a good combination of size, reliability, features, and price.
The iPod nano is designed to work with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store. iTunes is a wonderful piece of software for acquiring, organizing, and playing music; my computers (unusual) configuration doesnt support it, but I really miss it. iTMS, which is built into iTunes, is a pretty good bargain for music--you can buy songs for $0.99 and albums for $9.99 (prices vary by country, though), and the selection is quite good. Id be happy to use both of them.
Despite the battery and the scratching, Im extremely happy with my iPod nano. It has more than enough capacity to carry the portion of my music collection I actually listen to; it fits anywhere I might want to stuff it; its very easy to use; and it keeps going for hours and hours.
On: 2005-11-05
After trying the SONY NW-HD5 and Creative 40Gb Zen Touch, the iPOD NANO is the most practical plyaer you can actually put it in your pocket without feeling the weight. I had a little trouble setting it up initially (player froze upon connecting to my compter). After resetting the player and uninstalling and reinstalling the software, it worked flawlessly. It also displayed Chinese song information without any problem! The volume is loud enough that I usually set it at ~70%. I simply love it.
On: 2005-11-04
insted of buying a charger if you have a playstation 2 use the USB 1.1 port to charge. this is useful if you play games alot
i dont own a ipod but my friend and i have tryed it and it works
*note dose not save ps2 game data on ipod!
On: 2005-11-02
I bought 4GB nano a week ago and I used for three days. Everything works great and looks great. But my nano screen has 18 scratches. I did not use this nano roughly. I allways put it ina poche. Still It got so many scratches and screen looks ugly
On: 2005-10-30
The Nano has made me put my trusted 15 GB on the shelf. Sound every bit as good and same easy interface. Biggest surprise is that the control buttons are far more superior. The have a positive feel, no guessing with this one. I just love it
On: 2005-10-28
I am amazed at my Nano. The size. The weight. The functionality.
I love my 40G iPod and it will certainly have its uses, but it feels like youre lugging around a 20lb weight when you compare it to the Nano. As mentioned in my review of the 40G, it can be tough managing 7k songs. The Nano makes it a little easier to play w/the 1000-1200 it holds. The tough part is whittling down the 12k in my library to 10%, but it can be done.
The Nano seems smaller in person than it does in the ads - or even when I played w/it in the store. I had considered a Shuffle for some more everyday living iPod uses, but am glad I held off....the Nano was the right choice. I think having no screen at all (Shuffle) would have bothered me more than I realized. Nano is the good mixture of full iPod looks w/Shuffle portability. Some reviews here mention that there is no video capability and they were disappointed by that. I wasnt - but knew going in that was not one of the options - nor what I was looking for.
The screen is a little small for video features - and not even that great for album art features...though it soothes my OCD by loading them in anyway.
That being said - and as other reviewers have mentioned: its size will lend itself to being more fragile....though Im not sure as bad as everyone has led on. I can easily see the screen being scratched-up. Though Id hate that, it is kind of the cost of doing business. However, day one, I dropped it (accidently!) from a height of 4-5 and not a mark on it - and no issues with playing.
I had no issues loading things through iTunes 6.01 - though others I know had mentioned having issues loading music through 5.9. Perhaps just a timing issue.
Overall, I am very happy w/the purchase. Nano gets 4 stars for possible fragility and that Im much more conservative in giving any technology gadget 5 stars - though every Apple product Ive purchased has met or exceeded all expectations.
On: 2005-10-25
This is a fantastic ipod. I fell in love with it the moment I opened the box, which happens to be as attractive as the device itself (very classy).
To note, this is my very first ipod, so everything about it seemed amazing. Among other things, I found the click wheel to be an ingenious marvel of engineering. You can click it, or simply move your thumb around it in circular fashion and control the volume, or scroll. Its touch sensitive, and you barely even have to apply pressure to get any effect. It makes using the ipod a real pleasure. Its simple and effective.
In terms of size, I had seen many pictures, but it seemed twice as small. I still have fits of disbelief. Its hard to believe something that small can hold that much music, but it does. And its so light, I often forget Im holding it. For that matter, I have to be careful not to drop it.
Despite how small and flimsy it looks, it sounds like a giant stereo. I was tired of changing CDs all the time but my previous experiences with MP3 players have not been pleasant ones. The sound quality is exceptional though. It surpassed my expectations. I am, however, a bit disappointed by the apple headphones that come with it. I compared it with a Sony pair I have and they seem to dull the sound a bit.
I cant comment on the scratching fiasco people are experiencing. From what Ive read, the black version of the ipod is more likely to show them than the white. But if youre worried that much, like me, and you have some money to spare, invest in a silicone cover. You can find them all over the place now and theyre really useful for protecting it, even covering up scratches if youre a victim. The only drawback with most covers is that they dont protect the screen. The new iskin will solve that problem, and it should come out soon.
The point is, you shouldnt be put off by the idea that it may scratch. If you dont buy it because of that, youll miss out on a really amazing music player that really deserves some attention.
This is one ripe, sweet apple.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-10-25
I got an white Ipod nano about a month ago for my 13th brithday. I have been taking it EVERYWHERE with me and so far only ONE sratch near the wheel no big deal though. I have even droped it from about 4 feet high on my hardwood floors,still nothing.
The sound is AMAZING so far I have only put CDs on it, but they still sound great. I only have 45 songs on it curently but I have only used a very tiny bit of space on it.
It also includes 4 mini games "Music quiz"(It play clips from your songs and you guess what song it is),Brick,Parachute and Solitaire.
Its also VERY tiny. It makes my sisters 20GB ipod seem huge.
The apple earbuds are rather large though, they are slightly to big for my ears. So if you dont have really big ears count on buying smaller ones.
They battery life culd be longer,if you are playing the games on it it dies very fast.
The only other bad thing is there is NOTHING out for it other than from websites and Id rather get something from a store. Ive been to 2 Best Buys,2 Targets, CompUSA and Circit City(I live in the DC area) and still have not found ANYTHING other than those overpriced Ipod "socks" and Im NOT willing to spend 23$ on SOCKS for my ipod.
Overall its fantastic and well worth the money.
On: 2005-10-25
I have only had my Nano for a few days, but I LOVE it! My boyfriend got it for my for my b-day and loved it so much he got himself one!
I was so amazed with the small size and how incredibly light weight it is. So far I have about 700 songs downloaded onto it. I recommend getting the car stereo adaptor which I have and it is amazing!
Now, one reviewer said something about the Nano being flimsy and it will break if you drop it. Obviously you need to take care of this device and if youre clumsy and drop it then you deserve to have it break. As for the scratches on the screen, I have not removed the protective plastic that is on my Nano to protect it from well scratches. If you have removed that protective plastic, simply go to Radioshack or another electronics store and ask for PDA protectors. They come in sheets of 4 and you can cut them to if the Nano screen and vioila! Insta-scratch protector!
Like I said, I have only had mine for 5 days but so far I am in love!
On: 2005-10-24
This iPod is so light and small, if I didnt have the headphones connected, I would not know it was in my pocket.
The sound is incredible, using it with iTunes is a breeze, it recharges quickly, I love the shuffle mode.
The only small concern I have is that the plastic front does scratch easily. I make sure to not keep it in my pocket with keys or change and take great care to place it in safe locations when not in use. Still, somehow the front has scratched. I read an article on the web that using Brasso and a soft cloth will get rid of the scratches.
A friend told me that, unlike the nano Tubes, there are 3rd party protectors that do cover the screen with a clear film -- the screen is the most important area. Ill buy one and then the scratching problem is solved.
The iPod nano is an incredible leap forward in micro-technology and portable audio.
On: 2005-10-23
I purchase the Nano Ipod for my wife as an anniversary present. She loved it. For someone who has everything this was perfect.
On: 2005-10-22
I have joined a class action lawsuit against Apple because of how easily the Nano scratches.
For those of you who think this lawsuit is stupid, worthless and for those who think the iPod nano is made exactly the same as previous iPods, youre wrong. I suggest to those who believe this to read the filing that these two law firms filed. It suggests that Apple knowingly made these iPods with thinner materials, making them easier to scratch, to lower manufacturing cost. This is why this lawsuit is not stupid or "bull". A company who makes a bad product knowingly should be held accountable!
I have five iPods; iPod mini, a 20GB iPod, an iPod shuffle, an iPod U2 Edition, & iPod nano. All of them have gone into my hoodie pocket that contains nothing else (no keys, no pens, paper, etc.). All of them are scratch free except the iPod nano. I bought the iPod nano September 15, 2005 at Best Buy and took it home where I laid the box on my desk. It stayed there until Monday morning where I took it out of the box (for the first time) and loaded all the music I wanted onto it. I was leaving for vacation that day by the way. I put the Nano in my hoodie pocket, with nothing else in there, and left for the bus. A few moments into my trip and I took the Nano out of my soft cotton made hoodie pocket and it was scratched badly enough already that it is hard to see what is on the screen.
I feel I, and everyone else who has a scratched iPod nano, am entitled to a new iPod nano from Apple, however, all I really want Apple to do is admit that they have a bad product out there and I want them to fix it for future iPod nanos (which I have no doubt theyve already done). [...]
On: 2005-10-19
I would like to point out that while it is true that 128kbs is not quite CD quality, most people will not be able to tell the difference using their earphones, which is how most people use an iPod. In fact using iTunes and converting using AAC at 128kbs the sound quality is actually even better than 128kbs using MP3. I have downloaded more than 500 songs from the iTunes Music Store, all at 128kbs AAC and they sound great. I have also converted almost 500 CDs using iTunes, also at AAC 128kbs; they too sound great - much better than 8 track or cassette. Not even comparable, in fact. I listen to them using Etymotic ER6i earphones, which are much better than the iPod earphones and am more than satisfied with the sound.
So how many songs do I have on my 4gig iPod nano? I have 1010 songs on it as of today and I still have room for more. They average about 3-5 minutes each and were all converted at 128kbs AAC as mentioned before.
The only caveat I have to offer is to be very careful with the nano as its finish is much more sensitive to scratches than any other iPod before. The black nano especially is prone to showing scratches after a few days if youre not careful.
Other than that its a great product.
On: 2005-10-19
I love my nano!
im 13 and my mom ordered this off her account and im in love with it!
I just got it today and i got the white one and i like it so much.
there is a GREAT sound quality and its as thin as listerine!!! (im exajurating) but its really super thin!
Right now i only have 30 songs on it but i know im going to love it because of the great sound quality and just how mini this ipod can really get!!!
I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO HAS A GREAT LOVE FOR MUSIC!
good luck!!
On: 2005-10-19
10/27/05 SAFETY NOTICE
Wal Mart has pulled ALL Nanos from inventory! They are offering a full refund to anyone who has purchased a Nano from their stores. It seems there have been issues of a battery leak that can cause severe burns. I called Best Buy and Circuit City and both stores say they are looking into a possible product recall but are still selling the units.
Well, I was excited to get my ipod nano yesterday (10/17/05) and I raced home, got it out of the box, followed the directions step by step. Other than the DO NOT DISCONNECT message appearing ALL THE TIME when it is hooked to the computer, things went fairly smooth. I dropped 89 song on the Nano and let the battery fully charge.
The BAD NEWS! First thing you will learn is your 4G Nano is really only a 3.6G nano after format. So you chunk 400MB out the window. Next thing you learn is this device will NOT hold 1000 songs even in the recommended bit-rate of 64kpbs.
Let me explain further the bit-rate. 64bit-rate is the equivillent to the old records in sound quality. When you move to 128kbps, your getting cassette or 8-track quality sound. Only at 192kbps will you begin to hear some-what digital audio on this high tech digital device!! Unfortunatly for me, all my music is in 320kbps. In other words, the better the sound quality of your file, the LESS songs you get. You will be lucky to get 350 songs @ 320kbps quality (which is true cd digital audio).
Back to the BAD news!!! It boast a 14 hour battery life. Well, I have listened to 89 songs and the battery is nearly dead. I will guess I have had less than 5 hours of listening time. 1 hour last night and 4 hours today uptil lunch. Now maybe there is a way to get 14 hours, but I dont know how you would do it. I guess if you turn it on and leave it, dont search for songs, dont use random and turn everything off that is not required for the device to funtion. I dont know.
My over-all opinion is, this would make an awesome player for $100. But for $250 its a joke and most certainly the rip off of the century.
Something else you may consider, I have heard form several different sales people from different stores (best buy, circuit city, frys, conns and compusa) that ipod batteries are notorious to throw craps after a 1 1/2 - 2 years. BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!!!! It seems to be common knowledge that ebay sales of used devices have a battery issue. THE BATTERY CANNOT BE REPLACED, YOU HAVE TO TRASH THE DEVICE!!!!!
I am returning mine to compusa this afternoon. It has left me disappointed and with a bitter taste in my mouth with Apple. I would expect far more than an ad campaign of mis-leading information and it leads me to question the capability of the new ipod video.
Good luck and I hope this was helpful.
On: 2005-10-17
Cant say enough about this ipod. The size is perfect, my gfs mini feels like a brick compared to this. Sound is great, better than my ipod shuffle. Color screen is nice and great battery life. Yeah it scuffs up easily but no big deal. I covered the screen with a 1" strip of clear packaging tape to protect from scratches, works great and looks good. Other than that its pretty durable. Ive already dropped it off my desk several times and its held up nicely.
On: 2005-10-15
Okay this review is merely compiled from others reviews and i shall sum it up as much as possible you dont have to go through a million reviews to get tothe nitty gritty.
Pros---
Very small and incredibley convienent
Looks very nice and very readable screen considering its size
Decent sound (some others systems have better Zen, iRiver, etc..)
And very smooth song to song transition
Still has one of the best looks out on the market and has of course the innovative wheel
Cons--
Scratches very easily, buy case when available and take other measures to protect it
Fragile screen makes it so if you drop it from 2 feet it can break
Recharge not as fast as it should be considering the amount of other systems taht can charge much faster
Batterys wear out after a year or so and need to be replaced. (average ipod charges = 500)
Fairly pricey but thats not unexpected considering its a new product.
Apple is a huge pain when it comes to support. I mean HUGE!
Thanks for reading this review and i hope it helps.
On: 2005-10-14
Ive had my nano for about a week now, and so far so good. It really is amazingly small. Maybe a bit too small as I have been known to leave wallets/cell phones in my pockets before doing my laundry. But thats my own stupidity and I will be more than careful with this one. The sound is unbelievable from such a small device. Got rid of the "mug me white" headphones and picked up some Panasonic Shockwave earbuds in a cool red colour that matches great with my black 4 GB nano. The screen is incredibly crisp and legible - I was a bit sceptical as to whether or not the text would be too small to read but the guys at Apple have made it very easy to see. Like many other reviewers, the screen and the black surround scratch very easily. Even the matte grey wheel scratches too. Im surprised for the price Apple wouldnt include a small bag like you get with Oakleys. Im also surprised that Apple would not include an A/C adapter. For something designed to go everywhere, making us shell out $49 (Canadian) seems a bit asinine. Im heading to Europe in about a month and will have to buy a charger as well as socket adapters. It works great with the Monster iCarPlay, but because of the nanos small size, it is too thin for my vent-mounted cell phone holder, so its new spot is in my cup holder which looks a little ghetto. Im impressed with the storage capacity, but the most I could eke in was about 850 songs, which doesnt include many tracks over 5 minutes. But 850 songs is about 2 days worth of music so no complaints really. I must admit, all the "oohs" and "aahs" it gets from friends is pretty flattering. Ive held off buying an iPod for the last few years for the very reason I bought the nano. Its light, small, has no moving parts, and is perfect for what I need it to do - play tunes.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-10-08
I bought my nano about a week ago and its great product. You get exactly what the description says you will. The graphics are great, the color is beautiful. The album art feature is really nice. The sound quality is great. The nano comes with apple earphones, which are okay but hurt my ears as I am not used to them. I prefer to use my own headphones. It also comes with a very easy to follow guide, a USB charger cord, and the iTunes CD (another great program, by the way). When I first saw the nano I thought it was way too small (and it is very small) but after about a day I was completely used to its size. To me the regular iPod is huge now. As for some of the cons Ive seen in these reviews: sure, it is fragile, but if you take care of it thats not an issue. If you put it back after you use it, it wont get scrathed up at all. Naturally, if you drop an ipod on the floor it will break, but that isnt the nanos fault. It wasnt designed for people dropping it.
On: 2005-10-07
Ive had and enjoyed my mini for a year or so now. Just bought a nano and A/Bd the sound on the two; same songs, same headphones, same eq settings. The nano quality is so much better I could hardly believe it. I read the other reviews saying the same and thought to myself, "I doubt Ill notice much" but the difference is quite noticeable. Its still brand new, but so far I love it. Only disappointment is that the nano doesnt come with an AC adapter for charging (the mini does).
On: 2005-10-04
I love this iPod nano. Apple has done it again. Yall gotta get this nano iPod. i love mine. free shipping too. however, im getting another iPod nano, but this time its for free.
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On: 2005-10-03
I dont know what all the fuss is about. Ive had mine a week and do not have a single scratch on it. Ive had it in my (otherwise empty) pockets, dropped it a couple of times (from a short height onto carpet), and it still looks as good as new.
OK, I am paranoid about scratches until the nanotubes ship, so I handle mine as carefully as possible. But I fully expect it to be in great condition when the tubes ship next month.
Black will show scratches more easily than white, so think about that before you get a black one. I chose a white one for that reason.
I feel it should have come with a dock for $250, but I knew it wouldnt and I was OK buying it without. Ill get a dock later.
Some folks are leaving the plastic protective sheet on the front until the tubes ship. Great idea, youll have a perfect condition nano!
by: overthemoonamazonreviewer On: 2005-10-03
The iPods USB interface recharges from a computer USB connection only. This means if you want to go anywhere that does not have a PC available for recharging then you are left with a dead hunk of metal until you find a computer to power it up again. It takes about four hours to do a full recharge (and half a day to charge when out of the box, not 4 hours like it says in the manual), so I am not sure how you will feel about leaving your $300 iPod with an Internet Café while on holiday or away from home. You need to buy a USB power adaptor if you want to plug your iPod into the mains. Without the power adaptor, which costs an extra $30, you are limited to PC recharging only. So be prepared to pay more than just the cost of the iPod for these nitpicky add-ons.
The iPod is an amazing device on two counts. One is that there is absolutely nothing on the market that is this size and holds so much data. Palms can not compete for storage size, end of story. Even the low-end 4GB iPods are overkill for MP3 playback. The clickwheel at the front of the iPod is genius. You move your thumb in a circle to scroll everything in the menu or volume. It has an amazing blue ambient backlight for night viewing. There is a top switch for locking the menu buttons so you cant accidentally adjust volume. If the headphones jack out by mistake the unit pauses automatically. The iPod mini series can easily go undetected in your jeans pocket. The full version is a little bulkier but not by much more than already stated. The Nano series is nearly invisible. If you read the manual properly you can even store data files on the unit (in the notes folder etc.), so you can also use the iPod as a mass storage device for transporting files. As for extras, well it is quite smart. The software is updated by Apple over the internet, so you have calendars, address books, time-zones and an assortment of other extras that give the unit more class. However the alarm clock is just garbage because the device has a very limited internal speaker that is designed for just low-level `clicking sounds. The iPod is both PC and Apple compatible. The earphones are really well designed; the white cord plastic even feels nice with a respectable length that does not tangle. However the universal white nature and shape of the earphones makes it easier to identify you as an iPod user. Although there are claims that the iPod is scratchproof, this is absolutely not the case. My metal is already starting to show scratches after a month of use. The screen, for all intents and purposes, scratches the same as a mobile phone does. Whoever programmed the sound software deserves a Gold Medal. The only sound system that even comes close to matching the iPods sound quality is DOLBY DIGITAL or THX. The iPod is in that league. An expensive hi-fi system will not even sound as good as it.
The iPod file loading is not as easy as it seems. You must start working on your MP3 files before you can use it. This means right clicking the MP3 file (or group select) going into the files properties and inputting genre, artists, albums, so that the naming systems work when in the iPod. You load the MP3 files into the Library of the iTunes software and see if you have the lists alright before finally dumping the chosen library selections onto the iPods hard drive and taking your whole music collection for a walk on your hip. This could well be the FIRST MUST-HAVE APPLE PRODUCT that a PC user should own.
*Note - There is one major downside to the way | | |
