Last September 7, Apple's Steve Jobs announced the demise of the iPodMini. Normally, this would shock a lot of people. However, Jobs announced a new iPod line to replace the Mini - the iPod Nano - toeveryone's surprise!
I am sure that you have read the numerous reviews scattered all overthe internet already so I will not bore you with another review here. What I will do is to give you my own rants and raves about the Nano.
I just received the Nano this afternoon - thanks to Nor of Apple Centre, SM North EDSA. She made sure that I got my unit the moment the Nano becomes available locally. At first I thought that there was no 4GB black iPod Nano since the ones presented to me were white. Either I get the 4GB white or the 2GB black one. Good thing that there was ablack one on display! Whew! :)
The moment I got home, I fired up my powerbook, opened the Nano's box,got the USB cable and then connected it. The first thing you'd see is the iPod getting optimized for the Mac. Actually, it is being reformatted to the native Mac OS X file format. It comes shipped and pre-formatted for Windows.
Just like any new iPod, iTunes will run and then ask you to name your iPod. The rest of the steps are pretty standard. If you have more than 4GB of music, iTunes will create a playlist for your Nano and then load it automagically. You can configure it later, of course.
This is my first iPod that supports photos so I had it sync photos from my iPhoto library. I bet that the current full-size iPods also provide the same functionality. Unfortunately, the Nano does not support the camera connector that allows you to transfer photos from any USB-compatible digital camera. I wish that it will support it in the future with a simple firmware upgrade.
You all know how small the Nano is - incredibly small! As described on the website, it is no thicker than a pencil. In fact, it is thinner than my old Motorola Razr! It is smaller than my Sony Ericsson K750i. It's just a tad bigger than your cigarette lighter.
The K750i has one of the best small, portable device screens in the market today. However, the Nano's screen is far better than the K750i. I wish that I can compare it against the Playstation Portable, too.*hint* *hint* Mr. Editor. Photos are sharp even with just 1.5" ofscreen real estate. Heck, it is even clearer than my digital camera's LCD screen!
With 4GB of storage, it definitely will not be able to host all of my music collection, not that I have a huge collection. Anyway, who listens to more than 4GB of music on a single day? I just select the albums that get transferred to the Nano.
Podcasts are different. Podcasts are unpredictable. Some shows have fixed duration just like regular radio shows. However, most of the podcasts that I subscribe to do not follow any set duration. It is agood thing that the shows do not 'air' on the same day or else I am in deep trouble. Imagine catching up with more than 20 podcasts on a single day!
Music and podcasts are coupled with Audible audiobooks, too. I have several audiobooks waiting to be 'read'. I know, there is nothing like reading a good book but sometimes, I wouldn't be bothered bringing abook while on the go. Think of carrying the entire Harry Potter series on your iPod! Having owned one of the first few stocks of a new product comes with its disadvantages.
First, your unit becomes the demo unit for friends and family. Everyone would want to have a look at it, touch it, play with it. Heck, some will even have the nerve to borrow your earphones!Unfortunately, this is unavoidable.
Second, accessories are scarce. I'd like to have the lanyard headphones and the Nano tubes to protect it. Right now, I am looking for a way to protect it from scratches and smudges. C'mon Apple Centres, bring in the accessories!
Lastly, you pay a premium. In a few weeks, the prices will drop. With the iPods, however, price drops are not that drastic unless Steve Jobs decides to kill the product, just like he did with the Mini. Yeah, had a difficult time disposing my Mini but it found a new home at almost the same time I got the Nano.
Now that I have the Nano, where will I put my loose change? I normally use that small jeans pocket for loose change. I guess I will have to re-organize my pockets then. One to store my cell phone, another for the wallet and another for the iPod. Sometimes I carry a compact digital camera, too! I have to separate it from the other gadgets since its silver metal back scratches easily - just like its bigger siblings! So do you have any suggestions as to where to store it or how to carry it?
