When it seems everyone has an MP3 player of some sort, it's difficult for a new product to stand out from the pack. With the introduction of Apple's fifth generation iPod Nano, however, the company has truly made its mark.
The first generation Nano was introduced in 2005 to replace the iPod Mini. Since then, each model has included new features and designs. The fifth generation brings drastic changes to the Nano feature-wise, while only altering the design slightly.
Retaining the classic rectangular frame, the tiny Nano shares the same dimensions as its fourth generation sibling — an economical 3.6 inches tall by 1.5 inches wide with a depth of 0.24 inches — although it is 0.02 ounces lighter (1.28 versus the fourth generations 1.3 ounces) and its 2.2 inch screen is also a miniscule (though noticeable) improvement over the last generation's 2 inches.
The new Nano comes in nine bright colors (although two, the red and the yellow, are only available at the Apple Store) and sports a polished aluminum finish instead of the previous matte metal.
The new features of the iPod Nano are what really set it apart from the rest of the competition. Most notably, the Nano now sports a camera that captures full color video at up to 30 frames per second. This may seem unnecessary, as most cell phones and digital cameras already have video recording capabilities, but after experimenting with the iPod's camera, it makes perfect sense.
Users can record many hours of video on the device and quickly and easily upload them to websites with user-generated content, such as Facebook.com or YouTube.com. Bundled with the camera are 15 special effects filters, from faux-thermal vision to sepia tones, black and white and classic film grain — all a lot of fun.
While the video is good, the built-in microphone only captures audio with any quality at close range. This means the iPod can double as a fantastic voice recorder for interviews and memos, but could prove useless for long-range functions, such as recording concerts or class lectures.
he Nano comes in two sizes, eight gigabytes (GB) and 16 GB. The eight GB version runs $149, while the 16 comes in at $179, making it a much better deal: double the storage space for $30 more? It's a no-brainer.
Also new with this version of the device is a built-in fitness program that links to the Nike+iPod website, and a pedometer that can count steps whether the iPod is powered on or off.
The iPod Nano is, and remains, the gym enthusiast's device of choice. Unlike its larger cousins, the iPod Classic and iPod Touch, the Nano uses a solid-state drive (as opposed to a hard drive), which means that it can be shaken without any damage. To cash in on this feature, the new iPod includes a shuffle function: just shake the iPod and it automatically — with a cool sound accompaniment — shuffles to a random song. This can be irritating if the user doesn't lock the iPod while it's engaged, as a sudden stop or jump can make it change songs.
In case a one's personal music library gets boring, those in possession of this version have access to the radio. The latest iPod features an FM radio with DVR-like capabilities, meaning that one can rewind and pause live radio for up to 15 minutes. The radio is a nice feature, but the pausing and iTunes tagging — the ability to save a song's information so one can purchase it from iTunes later — are somewhat superfluous.
Since Apple comes out with new generations of products every year, it's difficult to decide which ones are worth purchasing. The most recent incarnation of the iPod Nano may initially seem gratuitous, but in hand its appeal becomes very clear: the fifth generation iPod Nano is simply a lot of fun. The camera is entertaining, the radio is cool, the shake-to-shuffle interaction feels good and the device itself is very, very shiny.
For those with no MP3 player, the fifth generation iPod Nano is a great way to enter the world of digital music. For all of those who already own an iPod, $180 is a small price to pay for a new 16 GB backup device.
