Apple IPOD Nano 4th Generation: A Review

The iPod hasn't become a fad, it has become an epidemic. One walk through a college campus and you will see why. Recently, Apple released its newest version of the Ipod Nano line. The new version comes in 8GB and 16GB versions and has a 2 in. (diagonal) display with a blue-white LED backlight, and 320 x 240 pixel resolution. This is a comprehensive review of the newest 4th generation Ipod Nano.

Ease of Use/Functionality 9/10

The functionality of the new Nano hasn't changed much from that of older versions. One of the main features to the new iPod nano is the Genius Playlist. This basically puts together a lot of the songs on your iPod that sound alike and creates a playlist to fit that theme. So whatever mood you're in, the iPod is ready to satsify! Besides the fact that iTunes is sometimes a nightmare, the Ipod is rather easy to navigate. One thumbroll and you can go from A to Z. Also, the Accelerometer has come to the 4th generation nano. You can tilt and turn your iPod Nano to the side and watch clips, scroll through pictures, or scan your albums. The new nano is also touch sensitive, meaning that they respond to the way to move the iPod. This is similar to the iPod Touch, in which you can play games by just waving your iPod around. You can even shake your iPod to shuffle to a new song!

Sleekness of Design 9/10

The new Nano's design is what distinguishes it from older versions. With a huge new array of color choices ranging from blue to lime green to orange to purple, 9 different color schemes is more than enough to choose from. It has also reverted back to the old 1st and 2nd Generation designs by becoming slender and rectangular rather than square shaped like the 3rd generation nano. It seems that this design was the most comfortable way to fit inside of the palm of your hand. The overall design is not too clunky and not too light. The weight of the nano feels like something cool and firm in your hand.

Pricing 8/10

The 4th Generation iPod Nano 8GB version costs $149.99 NIB (New in Box), a rather modest price considering that the price of a new 8GB iPod touch costs $229.99.

Durability 8/10

The iPod used to be known for its various small bugs here and there. It seems that those were in the Beta versions of the product, as the product reviews have increased exponentially over the years. It's so popular, so Apple must be doing something correct, right? Personally, my iPod has been dropped many times and has still survived without any bugs, although very rarely it will crash and I have to reset it (You can reset your iPod by holding down the middle button and the Menu bottun simultaneously). Each iPod i have bought has lasted me until the new version came out, so I could resell mine for a pretty good price. It might also be a good idea to get a case for the ipod to protect all of the minor scuffs and scratches that the iPod might incur over its lifetime.

The one main problem many people have with the iPod is its battery life, and it applies to the iPod nano as well. After you take it out of the box, you can have up to 24 hours of music playback time or 4 hours of video playback time. The iPod can be charged with a wall charger or through the computer by plugging it into the usb port. Either way, the iPod's battery charges pretty fast (up to 80% in about 2 hours). The only problem is that since it is a rechargeable battery, the life of the battery will slowly deteriorate over time and with use. Try not to charge it when you don't need to. If it is at half battery power, wait until it is lower to charge it, because every charge incurs a "cycle," and the battery will slowly be juiced out. So to get the most out of your battery, charge it only when you need to.

All in all, this is a great product, and if you really like high tech gadgets with a lot of fluff and intriguing capabilities, the iPod nano is for you. It is a picture album, mp3 player, mp4 player, video game system, and radio all in one. But if you want just a simple song playing mp3 player, this might not be the product for you.

Overall 8.5/10