Review: iPod Nano 2nd Generation (2G)
Finally, Apple has fixed the problems with its iPod nano and produced a worthy upgrade to the iPod mini. With up to 8GB of flash memory, and an estimated 24 hour battery life, and redesigned case, it makes a great portable music companion.
As an owner of the 2nd generation iPod mini, which had a 6GB hard drive and 18 hour battery life, the 1st generation Nano, with only 4GB of flash memory and an approximate 14 hour battery life was a disappointment to me. On top of that, the original nano was very scratch-prone and plasticky. Well, all that is changed now with the 2nd generation iPod Nano. The new iPod Nano is ultra-portable at 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.26 inches and 1.41 ounces, has a durable aluminum tube case (similar to the iPod mini but shrunk down in size), and a great 24 hour battery life, and storage sizes of 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB. This is what the original Nano should have been!
Currently, there are several versions of storage size and colors:
2GB - Silver only
4GB - Silver, Red, Blue, Pink, Green
8GB - Black, Red
I purchased a black iPod Nano, as it was what I considered to be a true upgrade to my 6GB iPod mini. In terms of features, it has the same familiar iPod interface and menuing system. There are some minor software improvements such as search-by-letter, and gapless playback. Also, the new Nano can support high quality audio recording with the purchase of additional microphone accessories. The screen is still the same 1.5 inches as the original nano, and has a 176x132 resolution. You can view pictures on the Nano, but, it does not play video.
The new aluminum case is much more scratch-resistant than the previous design. I have been carrying around my G2 iPod Nano in my pocket (carefully though, without other metal objects in the same pocket) for a few weeks now and it still looks great (unlike my 5G video iPod which quickly developed major scratches after the first day).
The Nano is beautifully designed and a pleasure to use. Apple has a habit of not being on the cutting edge with their MP3 players. They lag far behind their competitors in technology (for instance, they still don't have a built in FM tuner, they still don't support bluetooth, they still don't support WiFi, they still don't have a built-in recording microphone, and on and on). However, Apple has beautiful designs and great integration with iTunes, which is a great music store, music manager, and podcast manager.
See Also:
TopicPoint.com 5G iPod Video Review