iPod nano

The nano is the iPod killer other pretenders to the portable audio throne only wished they had dreamed up. By switching from a hard drive to flash memory, Apple has turned the portable audio world on its ear again with a player that weighs less than two ounces and measures a mere third of an inch thick. It’s simply the slickest design in all of portable audio, one that sounds as rich as the full-sized iPod and that syncs with everyone’s favorite music software and online music store.

Apple’s site has been touting the nano’s size by comparing its width to that of a number two pencil. The actual compact nature of the new iPod doesn’t quite strike you until you get the opportunity to hold in your hand or slip it comfortably into your jeans pocket. It’s fairly easy to forget that you have the nano with you, making it perfect for trips to the gym sans pocket bulge, which is exactly where the flash-based memory comes in handy. Like the smaller capacity Shuffles, this player can be bumped, jiggled, and jostled about without worrying about skipping.

The nano’s screen is half an inch smaller than that of the full-sized iPod, and a little more than a tenth of an inch less than the now-discontinued Mini. What the screen lacks in relative size, it more than makes up for with brightness and colors. Even with a smaller screen, you can view album art and photos imported from your computer. The battery will last you around 14 hours, but it isn’t removable.

All of the usual iPod buttons are intact: the Click Wheel with Play, Pause, On/Off, Forward, Backward and Menu controls, the Hold switch on top, and the dock connector port on the bottom. The only exception is the headphone jack, which has been moved to the bottom. We were initially a bit miffed by the move, which seems to be targeted at users who want to hang their device around their neck, Shuffle-style, but once the nano was safely stowed away in our pocket, the change was essentially rendered moot.

Apple launched iTunes 5, the same day as the nano, with a good deal less fanfare. It isn’t vastly different from previous versions, but the update is streamlined visually and features syncable karaoke-like lyrics, parental controls, and playlist folders. Users can sync their nano’s calendar and address book with Outlook when using a Windows PC.

Unfortunately, Apple has stubbornly refused to add on a voice recorder or an FM radio. (Both of which MobiBlu recently proved can fit onto a much smaller device. See our review on page 46.) The nano is a bit steep compared to the many comparable players that have sprung up in the Mini’s wake, including the 4GB Creative Zen Micro, which will run you about $20 less than a nano with the same capacity.

If there’s one thing that Apple has proven in the past, it’s that their fans are willing to pay for quality. Despite the staggering number of companies currently vying for their stake of the portable audio market, there’s still no touching the iPod.