3G iPod nano review roundup
By Nilay Patel 
posted Sep 8th 2007 6:48AM
posted Sep 8th 2007 6:48AM
Read - PC Mag
Read - CNET
Read - ZDNet Australia
Read - iLounge
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
I just saw some dude on the street about 2 hours ago with one. I have to admit there not bad looking in the wild, well not as bad as those first leaked photos seemed to make them out to be. Im still holding out for the Touch personally though.
the awkward angles can be easily fixed by sweating a lot so your neck is well-lubricated. and then you can use the torrents too because torrents are for sweaty people.
what's a touch ipod for anyways? The big boom on touch screen tech came with multi touch capabilities.... name 3 actions involving two different fingers on screen... besides zooming in 3 different photos!
Personally i don't get it with the iTouch.... it just needs time to evolve
What are the the unique actions a multi touch screen does that a regular touch screen doesn't do? iphone and such could've been around much earlier, my thought.
Ya, maybe I'm crazy, but of all the announcements from apple, the 160GB classic got me the most excited. Even though the touch has every feature everyone wanted it to have (web browser, wifi music store), I still kinda feel like it was a let down. Dunno, maybe I'm just crazy.
I have a new 4gb iPod Nano and am not happy with it at all. It constantly locks up and has to be reset. When I called Apple, it took an hour for them to tell me they really couldn't do anything about it and that it was because the pictures that were uploaded to the iPod came from my external hard drive. HUH? So, I am stuck with $150 piece of Apple Trash.
This shorty, placed beside the iPod Touch reminds me of Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzeneggar. What a pair!
Sorry but did endgadet not rubbish a picture of this design at the start of the week saying it was paintshopped? I will try and find a link and post it
Yes they did.
But you have to realize that Engadget isn't going to disparage a real Apple product and risk losing that apparently important fanboy viewership that they and Gizmodo are fighting over.
And how do you do that? Praise EVERYTHING from Apple.
It's pretty obvious that they are talking up something they HATED just a week ago.
I think you might be talking about this post
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/22/apples-3rd-generation-ipod-nano-revealed-in-spy-shots/
Some of the comments are quite interesting
"I have a hard time believing Apple would release a product so aesthetically unpleasant."
"These would be the ugliest products Apple's put out since the first gen iMacs. This is total BS."
"There is nothing Apple-like about those pics. Complete BS."
You gotta feel for Creative, their new ZEN has more features, better codec support, better screen, expandable memory, better sound quality and, in my opinion, a much nicer design yet they get completely ignored over that monstrosity pictured above.
uh huh, sure thing Alan......
Alen, Not completely ignored. I have been following the Zen and waited for this new Nano to be released. Now that I can compare both, I will be getting the Zen. I am sure there are many others that will independently decide. Both look like great products and it is a HARD choice!!!
Not to mention cheaper than the nano. I was thinking of getting the new Zen, since I'm looking for a flash player to replace my clunky, slow hard disk based Vision: M (it's still better than the 5G iPods by far, with a better UI and more features, I just don't like HDD based PMPs), but now I'm leaning more towards the iPod touch, though not until it drops in price. No way am I spending £270 on a 16GB PMP, even if it does have tons of flashy features. Christmas can't be too far off right? ;)
How much does Creative pay you, really?
But you can't use iTunes with it, and iTunes is half of iPod. Anyway, I doubt the firmware is anywhere near as good, and the Zen you are referring to is bulkier, but has the same screen resolution.
I wish Creative would start paying people to advertise their players. FFS Creative, why the hell do you make such badassed Daps and then not advertise them? How much is Apple paying Creative to NOT advertise?
Same goes for you Archos.
But then again, the iPod has smashing battery life, a more durable design (with the metal instead of fingerprint inducing glossy plastic), and is smaller and thinner. And the price is also very competetive for the target market.
Features vs. Overall Package really.
"has the same screen resolution"
Same resolution but 16million colours for the ZEN compared to 262k for the iPod
"the iPod has smashing battery life, a more durable design, and is smaller and thinner"
The ZEN, according to the spec sheets, has a better battery life. Let's wait and see how many Nano screens start cracking before talking about durability and i think the ZEN is smaller although not thinner.
Read the CNET of the new ZEN, "but the maximum onboard storage capacity of 16GB is rather limiting for a PMP, especially if one is planning to store mainly video files." Do they crticise the Nano for only having 8GB? Nah, they just tell us that it's a "must-have for the holidays".
The lack of features caused CNET trouble to find something to talk about, infact in their six-paragraph 'first take' review on the new Nano they dedicate the longest paragraph to talk about how you can now access the shuffle feature from the 'Now Playing' pane. Great!
Good thing Apple would never use anything as cheap as fingerprint-inducing, glossy plastic, eh shaliron?
I'd use a Creative player if they supported Mac better. I have to use an app coded by someone in their bedroom to maintain my old Zen Jukebox Xtra - it was one of the reasons I opted for a Nano, that and the damn thing skipping when I dared walk with it in my pocket.
Even though I'm an iPod 5G user, looking at the Zen Vision W I would have to say it would be more practical than an iPod Touch for viewing movies since there is support for many codecs and has far better capacity. Whether the Zen is equal in quality to the iPod or the interface works as well I do not know. But if it works as advertised the Zen Vision W would be a better choice for me. And I wouldn't doubt if there are other players as good if not better than comparable iPods. But as you know, Apple has marketing clout and that's enough to keep it in the forefront and most other players out of the running. It's up to people to look around and try other products that are suitable for them.
I dont want Archos advertising, I like being the only one in my whole city with a powerful media tank. As for creative, the audio quality rocks, even on the older players, but they have been doing sound cards for ages, so i think they have it down.
If the only thing keeping you away from an iPod is iTunes, then wait for the guys down at rockbox to hack it. Personally, id stick to an Archos, as archopen.org has a NES emulater, and ive got tons of roms for it, so it could do pretty much everything.
@dev, probably not as much as the money hat to Engadget by Apple.
Hmmm..im getting a red one :) it looks pretty ok,but aint anywhere near the second gen..
iPod > Zen. :]
Please tell me how; because I'm lost :]
iPod - Nice and Shiny.
Zen - Big and Bulky.
:)
OMG, another one of the masses, well, whatever.
BTW, The new nano is not shiny ;)
Yup, another person that enjoys a fantastic product.
P.S. Turn it around. ;)
Zen > nano ;-)
Does anyone know if you can make the ipod Touch retrieve files (music,photos, videos) over the net from Western Digital's world book HDD? What a great device it would be if you could do that. Who would care about storage size of the device if you could get online access to all the stuff you keep at home.
Apple streams their movie trailers to the iPhone and iTouch (and I was able to stream the Jobs September keynote), so one can stream to these devices, but the files may need to be mp4s, and potentially video files. I would think a web server or Quicktime streaming server are also needed (although I think the Quicktime server is free). Probably just a matter of time before streaming to these guys is even easier.
I love how PC world mentions its competitors but no mention of the Zen which wipes the floor with it.
Talked one of my friends into buying one for his girlfriend yesterday. They're less ugly in person, the screen is amazing, and they're so thin I'm starting to wonder about structural integrity. I have a hard time believing that something that size can have a 24 hour battery life. (So did one of the Apple store employees). On the other hand, I find it hard to believe something that small can hold over 1500 songs and play video — yet it can. Gotta love technology.
It is a little disappointing that Apple didn't make a 16GB Nano, but it's probably a wise business decision in terms of not taking business from the iTouch, etc.
All that said, it's your money, get the player that works for you. I like Apple products, but the Zen is cool, and I even know someone who bought a Zune and likes it.
No, really.
If you check the small print for battery claims, from any manufacturer, they usually have a few impratical qualifiers such as turning the screen off, using only the supplied headphones, listening only to music encoded at a certain rate, in a certain codec, at a certain volume, turning off all EQ settings and not manually skipping tracks. Also the claims only apply when the battery is brand new.
@ clint
that may be the best ending to any comment I've ever read. ever.
@ clint
that may be the best ending to any comment I've ever read. ever.
I stalked the apple stores in my area within hours of ol' Steve's announcement. Unfortunately I had to wait till Thursday morning to get one....I LOVE IT. This little gem of a gadget it incredibly built and designed. I haven't this excited about a toy since I got my 3rd gen iPod. I watched a view TV Shows on the Nano...not the best size...but the clarity is amazing. Battery is fantastic...Another hit by the geniuses at Apple.
I was at the apple store yesterday playing with the new nanos and I have to say I was impressed as well. When I first saw them in real life, I was worried about how small they were for watching videos, but then I started watching school of rock on it, and wow, they really nailed the size of that screen perfect.
When Steve announced the iPod Touch, I had to drive to the nearest store and check out the iPhone. I fell inlove after about 20 minutes. I could not wait for the Touch and ended up with an iPhone. Sure it only has 4GB but with the iPhone its not about capacity, its about functionality. This thing is just AMAZING!!
My 30GB 5G is going on eBay tonight!
This message was sent from my iPhone.
Did anyone had a look at the new iPod colors in real-life?
On the pics at apple.com the iPod Nano in Red looks more like an iPod Pink.
However, I saw some self-shot pics and videos in the last days and there it's looking quite like the previous one.
A few stores received the new shuffles yesterday, but that's it. They had all colors except the cranberry red.
iPod Nano [69.8 x 52.3 x 6.5mm] = 23,728.51mm^3
The Zen is [55 x 83 x 11.3mm] = 51,584.5mm^3,
iPod Classic [103.5 x 61.8 x 10.5mm] = 67,161.15mm^3
The Nano is less than half the volume of the Zen? My point isn't that the zen isn't as good. it's that they're in totally different categories!
Choose for yourself AND accept others will have different choices.
The Zen isn't as small would be a more accurate statement.
smaller != better
The 4gb and 8gb models, of the Zen and Nano are priced the same which suggest that they are in the same categories.
Ok so the Zen has a whopping 27856mm^3 more volume.
It also has a 2.5" screen, a mic/ voice recorder, fm radio, and lets not forget the SD/ SDHC card slot.
Alan - I understand your comments on the Creative Zen, and on paper you have a fair arguement, but you did not address what is ultimately the most important factor - user experience. Ok - so your Creative product might have better this and better that, but give a random person both products to play with and then choose from, I see the vast majority of people choosing the ipod, unless they have a pre-harboured hate for Apple. Apple's products just seem to appeal far more sexy and fun to use to most people. (notice the 'most') It's all about INTERFACE. Something your little list of features completely misses. This is something that no feature list can address, nor can the story really be told on paper. Apple are simply the best at making products that people want to have - and that's all it really comes down to. Creative need to realise that the media player game isn't just about giving their products the best features - they need to be fun to use and hard to put down - something that Apple seemed to have spent far more time on than any of the competition.
My point wasn't about what people should like or dislike it was the inherent bias in reporting the new media players. Heaping praise on Apple for minor enhancements (see CNET's review), and even praising them for making the screen smaller than the iPod video. Compare the languge to how they recieve the new ZEN. Eg CNET criticising the ZEN for 'only' having 16GB yet does not do the same for the iPod only having 8GB, PC World not even mentioning the ZEN in the comparison to alternatives, Engadget's hands on with the ZEN (http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/31/hands-on-with-creatives-zen/) etc etc
Uhh, Apple copied Creative's interface. Not sure what you have there. The Creative Zen is much more better than an iPod, but does it get as much coverage as this? Nope.
Oh god yes, if only Creative would stop putting stupid things like 'features' and 'functions' in their players maybe they'd finally sell some units.
"they need to be fun to use and hard to put down"
I'm sorry, but that statement is likening an iPod to an exciting adventure or "experiance" that everyone needs to have. Which is just ridiculous in my mind. It's an mp3 player, not a jungle safari.
As for user interface, lets not forget the 100 million dollars Apple paid Creative for its copyrighted user interface infringement. People pick Apple over other brands because "it's an iPod". No other reason than brand name. And I applaud Apple for being able to achieve such a fanatic fan base. It's good business. But I sometimes get the feeling that there's nothing more than a lemming effect with iPod.
I was updating engadget just like everyone else to see what new things had up their sleeve. The iPod classic caught my eye, simply for the storage size versus price. But everything else just seemed to be a gimic to me. I mean, they re-released the iPhone without a feature or two, and everyone still "oooooo'd and ahhhhh'd". Everyone hated the leaked Nano photos, but now that it's official, people compare it to the second coming. I was eyeing the new Zen and wanted to see what the new Nano had to offer, simply because I want my next player to flash based. I don't want an iTouch Pod, because I'd rather have buttons, and something a little easier to fit in my pocket. The 16GB storage (which the nano doesn't even have), the SDHC slot (for all your nonbelievers, it IS SDHC, I have the email from Creative to prove it, which equals infinite expandability), the better screen, equivalent or slightly better battery life, and sleek design sealed the deal for me. Creative's product is just better IMO.
I think that too many people think Apple can do wrong. I mean, there really was nothing inovative here. A nerfed iPhone, an ugly iPod nano, a re-released classic, and the shuffle. Oh, and expensive ringtones. So, what's the big deal?
"Uhh, Apple copied Creative's interface. Not sure what you have there. The Creative Zen is much more better than an iPod, but does it get as much coverage as this? Nope."
Er, you do realize that the patent only applied to the hierarchal menu system, and no other part of the UI, right? That's a bit different than 'copying Creative's interface". The Zen is nice, but call me when it has a scroll wheel, and we'll talk about who's UI is better.
Exactly. I had a Creative Jukebox Zen Extra and that thing had AWFUL UI and even worse client software. I'll never again make that mistake! I got that thing about 80% off retail price and I still didn't use it because it was so damned frustrating!
Apple products get far too much hype and love, especially from reviewers. If you insult an Apple product, you're going to have a legion of Apple fans telling you how you're being too harsh, and "the user experience" this and "thin" that. What's so amazing about any of the new iPods? iPod touch - gimped iPhone. iPod "Classic" - bigger harddrive. iPod nano fatty - uh.... for the people who can't afford normal sized pockets but can afford an iPod? Why is it so important to have such a small player? If the damn thing fits in my pocket well enough, that's good enough for me, and that goes for the Zune, any Creative product, or my own 5.5g iPod.
k-karcher- I don't really have a problem with your comment but 99 cents is NOT an expensive ringtone. Plus you get to choose which 30 seconds of the song you want. Sure you have to have bought the song from itunes, but even then its 2 bucks for a song and ringtone of choice. I wasted too much money buying 2.79 ringtones with a crappy 12 seconds of a song for my old RAZR.
Actually, I hated the Apple's interface because it is really too stripped down. My first player was the Creative Nomad Jukebox that looked like a CD player and had tons of buttons to do all kinds of stuff. I could go to the main menu, repeat track, everything without have to scroll back and forth the stupid menu on the iPod.
But I do agree that iPods are drool worthy, and I went onto the 'white'side from 3G on.
i'm having a hard time calling it a nano. it's thin but not very small. i think they should've called it the ipod sumo. haha. or at least the ipod lil' sumo. =)
Why does PC World think the Nano has a widescreen display? It is clearly 4:3.
"Sporting a bright, two-inch widescreen that shows video in the highest pixel-per-inch density of any iPod, the nano is an entirely new beast."
I was wondering the same thing.?..
I bought one yesterday to complement my 4th gen iPod. I also have a 5GB first gen iPod - so I have been with Apple all along on this.
The new interface is not as simple to navigate off the bat as the old one - but once you are used to it I find it really impressive. I'm definitely smitten with the little thing and can't wait for the accessory market to catch up... I am getting an armband, but I would also like some sort of small case (think iSkin) for when I throw it in my laptop bag for work and such. Definitely another winner from Apple in my perspective, but I'm a fanboy (and an Authorized Apple Tech.. not for Apple though), so I may be a bit biased.
I bought one yesterday to complement my 4th gen iPod. I also have a 5GB first gen iPod - so I have been with Apple all along on this.
The new interface is not as simple to navigate off the bat as the old one - but once you are used to it I find it really impressive. I'm definitely smitten with the little thing and can't wait for the accessory market to catch up... I am getting an armband, but I would also like some sort of small case (think iSkin) for when I throw it in my laptop bag for work and such. Definitely another winner from Apple in my perspective, but I'm a fanboy (and an Authorized Apple Tech.. not for Apple though), so I may be a bit biased.
im not sure if i should get one of these...i need an ipod and i want it but steve is just gonna release a new one next year HMPH
I'll admit I was initially tempted by the nano 3g's bigger color screen, but I suspect the brighter, bigger sharper 3g screen will only suck up juice and shorten the battery's life all that much faster. Nah, I'll stick with my 2g.
Something that stumps me to no end: Why is it that reviews tend to avoid examining nano audio quality? I mean, presumably fidelity should be at least one of the yardsticks any audio player is judged by, no?
sure the zen is a better product, in your dreams buddy, am not saying that they are they worse but, when it comes down to support and adressing issues in the future if you get any issues your screw with them, and the other hand apple is real good adressing issues if theres any, one other thing is owning a ipod its like having money in the bank in some countries you probabily get double or more if your in need of quick cash, try that with a Zen people will laugh in your face
An iPod would be worth twice as much as the Zen...in your dreams, buddy. Ever hear of periods?
you would not know unless you leave the states, am not saying every where but in some countries in the middle east it does because they are hard to get
Ok, making an analogy about an mp3 player being an alternative form of currency is just ridiculous. Fine, you win. Yes, I agree that iPod's go for more than Zen's in the Russian black market. Congrats.
And as for Creative support, I have a 5 gb zen micro. The hard drive stopped working, I called Creative support, and within a week I had a new mp3 player in my hand, no cost to me. HOW is that bad support?
I adore the comments that state things like "Engadget and Gizmodo love anything Apple, and are pandering to the fanboys of Apple products." Granted, that's phrased a little better than most of the schlock that ends up in the comment sections on either, but you have to really laugh at the irony.
I mean, do the anti-Apple folks really think that they're in the minority on these sites and that they're some sort of underdog? Ha. Read remarks by your fellow commenters, and check out the "ratings." make a disparraging remark about Apple and, no matter how poorly written, there's a good chance you'll end up "Neutral" or "Highly Ranked."
It's absurd. Almost as if the Anti-Apple-Fanboys think that there's no way on earth they could possibly be anywhere near as annoying as the actual Apple-Fanboys.
Dude I can get a 80gb iPod now for less than I can get a 30gb zen, and let me tell you my local apple store never took more than 3 days with my iPod and all my software issues get fix with a simple software update you can't even compare the zen the zune, well they both are kind of big though and not fun at all to use,
and yes people every where call them both fake iPod LOL that's wolwide too
Not interested in any of Apples supposedly new devices but I'll have to agree that Creative really needs to get on the ball about marketing (maybe I'm a Creative vs. Ipod type commercials) because they have a vastly superior product. I'm also interested in what Microsoft has in store for the Zune 2. I guess we'll see over the course of the final months in 2007.
The Zune 2's going to be interesting. Part of what made the original Zune great (and it wasn't the PC software, that's for sure) was the build... which wasn't Microsoft's. If they go ahead and build their own Zune the same way they went about building the Xbox 360, then there might be problems. As it stands, the Zune is accidentally one of the best sounding players (audiophiles love it) on the market, but Microsoft may totally botch that when they take a stab at making one of their own.
Am I the only person who doesn't like the new colors? They're kind of weird.
i just love the new nano!
I think the i-pod classic is much better that the nano, and its so much bigger than the previous nano.
i purchased a black 8gb last night. its absolutely super. i've watched some south park episodes on it...its amazingly clear. some small writing on the show's scenery is hard to make out, but its usually not that important or the animators would have made it more visible.
the music quality is the same as would be expected
the new UI is kinda unnerving at first (the split-screen), but it works the same so its easy to adapt
the new games are a BLAST. music quiz2 is a lot of fun, but i suspect that game is one of the reasons that the nano's formatted capacity is only 7.4 gb (i was pretty disappointed with this)
coverflow is pretty good, but it takes a little while to load the images if you scroll through very quickly
overall im very pleased. i upgraded from a gen1 4bg nano..its like night and day. I wish that a larger capacity model was offered though...thats my only real complaint (but i knew this before i bought the device)
I was of the first people that whent out a brought a zune, well we brought 2 of the because I'd was suppose to have wifi, well big suprice there, can you believe I was a able just to browse what my wife had on hers and then if I wanted to get any songs from her i would actually had to go and ask her to beem it to me, and the worse part is if i wanted to keep it i will have to buy it again, wow thats when they when on ebay the next day to try to compensate my loss, microsoft needs to scapt the whole zune thing and start fresh, and maybe start investing some of the share holders money right by hiring capable people, they have the money so why don't they use it the right way, am maybe start by firing there CEO that every time he opens his mouth share holders loose millions, i could care less if any of these companies see daylight tomorrow because i buy stuff i like no matter who makes it, you think iphone or ipod sucks? Dont try to copy it just make something better and you can have my money anytime
I don't think you have a wife. Enjoy your zunes.
While the reviews are semi-interesting I can't wait to see Ars' stress test on this version of the nano. I can't imagine it will fair too well - it's magical porportions are sure to betray it when it comes to structural integrity'
Also, does anyone know if the screen is glass or plastic? I was considering buying one with my store credit but I don't want to if I have to go back to babying my mobile device for fear of it scratching.
god... bestbuy needs to get them in so i can take my "broken" 1st gen nano in and use my 150 dolla gift card i got since i had insurence on it.... does anyone know when the stores will have them in???... bestbuy.com sais it will b between the 11th and the 18th but im not shure if the stores might have them in b4 then
Looks like the ipod NANO just gain weight. You wouldn't catch me with that ugly little thing. The first ipod nano is still the best looking one.
Another positive review ... with video:
http://threebase.com/node/41
so adding video capability makes the nano smaller? interesting.should have added that in the first gen instead of being the big money grabbers that apple inc is.
I saw the term "3G" and thought there was an iPod nano phone now. Be careful about mixing tech terms like this.
They're not "mixing tech terms." 3G, whether in cellular technology circles or here, is shorthand for "third generation." When AT&T says a phone is "3G," they mean that its data processing chip meets global standards for the third generation of wireless uplinks. The actual technology is HSDPA, UMTS, EV-DO, etc., not "3G." In this case, this is the third generation (3G) iPod Nano, unless you focus on its descent from the iPod Mini, in which case it's 4G...
Do the new Nanos have the issue with the headphones like the iPhone does? I have some Westone UM2s and they have a right angle connector that doesn't work with the iPhone. Hope it works with the 3G nano.
I'd buy one just so I could tell everyone I had a fatty!
just got one too cool
pffff, I'll stick with my ZUNE. Although many people hat the zune, my halo zune has had 0 problems for me. It has plenty of space, it looks nice. It has much better battery life than my old ipod, it has a bigger screen, and I dont miss the click wheel one bit. Everyone was alos talking about the bad software. From my experience, It is really good software. I have it sync my zune with selected folders from my pc and it does this just fine. If i want to add more music files, i can have it search for more files. I dont see the huge deal over iPods. Yes they are stylish and ill admit I have wanted an iPhone because of how sweet it looks, but my Zune is just as good as any other iPod i have seen.
I thought you could "never be too thin"?
I bought one Friday. This thing is amazing. Slivk, responsive. CoverFlow works great, even with the clickwheel (I had my doubts). Video playback is great.
I was concerned about the form factor - I liked the way the 2G fit in my hand - but really I got used to the new shape very quickly.
I wish they would make the Touch Nike+ compatible. Even though it's large, I would have run with it.
At $200 - %50 LESS that the 2G 8 gig - this thing is great.
I saw the new Nano at apple store yesterday... man.. it is gonna rock the world!!! The new iPod Nano gonna out sell all other music player in the history... its simply awesome.
Well I reckon that everyone's got their own opinion.
Some like the iPod because of many reasons eg: the functions or just because it's an "iPod". This shouldn't really be a big deal. You can just choose the product you really want to get and love it for what it is. :D