“Fans of Apple Computer Inc.’s portable music players will find the new, video-capable models of the iPod and its miniature counterpart, the Nano, clearly worth the wait,” Dan Scheraga reports for The Associated Press.
“As with previous iPods, the Nano now comes in a variety of storage capacities and colors, not just silver and black. There’s green, blue, pink and — starting last week — red, each holding 4 gigabytes of music, or roughly 1,000 songs. Silver is available in 2 GB and 4 GB configurations, and the black model holds 8 GB,” Scheraga reports. “The first thing I noticed is that the new Nano is tiny. Very tiny… so discreet, slim and light, at 1.4 ounces.”
“The battery life of the Nano is impressive. Apple rates it at 24 hours, and my own testing of an 8 GB model supported that. It charges quickly, too, powering up to 80 percent capacity in 90 minutes while hooked up to your computer using the included USB cable,” Scheraga reports. “The Nano’s display is 40 percent brighter than the first-generation models… Priced at $149, $199 and $249, respectively, for 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB models, the new Nano models pack a lot of punch into a small package at a small price.”
“I wish I could say the same for the new iPods,” Scheraga reports. “Obviously, the big draw here is the iPod’s video capability, something not available in Nanos. The display, though rather small at 2.5 inches diagonally, is beautiful, crisp and 60 percent brighter than its predecessor. However, video images tend to pixelize in areas of low contrast, probably because of the data compression necessary to squeeze video down to iPod size.”
“The iPod I tested exhibited other strange behaviors, once freezing my entire computer as I tried to sync it with my music library. It even seemed once to confuse audio with video. When I asked it to play one album, it rapidly cycled through a series of movie images instead,” Scheraga reports. “No doubt Apple will be quick to smooth these kinks out of new iPods rolling off the assembly line, but it was disappointing to encounter them at all.”
“The iPods are reasonably priced at $249 for the 30 GB model and $349 for the 80 GB model, though the value is not quite as compelling as it is for the Nano,” Scheraga reports. “Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all is in the earphones. Usually a cheap freebie with other portable audio devices, Apple resisted the temptation to pinch pennies here and instead gave them a complete reengineering with the new models. The result is probably the most comfortable set of earphones I’ve worn, and they seem never to fall out. The sound quality is great, too…”
“Consumers can feel comfortable laying down their credit card for either one. Another option is the new iPod Shuffle, which Apple is introducing this month. Barely larger than a cufflink, the Shuffle is designed to be worn, with a clip that fastens onto your clothes,” Scheraga reports. “It holds only 1 GB of music and has no display, making song selection difficult. But at $79, it’s attractive for people who intend to use the iPod while jogging or working out. For my money, though, the Nano is the best bet. I went out and bought my own after my review…”
Full review here.
Related articles:
Apple announces iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition, iTunes (PRODUCT) RED gift card – October 13, 2006
Apple iPod games reviewed – October 06, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s new iPod+iTunes are ‘better products at better prices’ – October 04, 2006
The Washington Post: ‘New competitors can’t measure up to Apple’s iPod’ – September 30, 2006
Computerworld review: ‘Apple’s new iPods are better than ever’ – September 27, 2006
Review: Pac-Man for iPod – September 27, 2006
PC Magazine’s 19th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards for MP3 players: Apple iPod line – September 25, 2006
Thurrott reviews Apple’s iTunes 7: ‘the best software-based media jukebox I’ve ever used’ – September 22, 2006
USA Today reviews new Apple iPod nanos, updated iPods, iTunes 7 (each earns 4 stars out of 4) – September 21, 2006
CNET Editor’s Choice: Apple fifth-gen updated iPod – ‘best, most attractive iPod to date’ – September 20, 2006
Disney sells 125,000 movie downloads via Apple’s iTunes Store in first week – September 19, 2006
PC Magazine review: iTunes 7 ‘Apple’s best effort yet’ (4 stars out of 5) – September 15, 2006
CNET Editor’s Pick: Apple’s new 2G iPod nano – ‘sure to be top choice among wide range of users’ – September 14, 2006
Analyst: Apple ‘s iTunes+iPod+iTV model ‘the gold standard for the digital home of the future’ – September 12, 2006
What’s new in Apple’s iTunes 7 – September 12, 2006
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Apple intros new iPod nano with new aluminum design in five colors and 24-hour battery life – September 12, 2006
Apple unveils new iPod shuffle: world’s smallest digital music player – September 12, 2006
Some of the kinks he describes sound like iTunes 7.0 quirks on Windoze.
There’s an idea: Shuffle as cufflinks!
Shuffle… “It holds only 1 GB of music and has no display, making song selection difficult”
Uh…that’s because it is designed for “shuffling”…they always make it sound like a defect.
I still don’t get why the coloured versions are limited to 4GB, I can understand making black a premium model and trying to give it perceived added value but why limit people who are willing to pay more for the added size to only 1 colour?
Hmmmm, I think the best thing was saved for last.
He said, “For my money, though, the Nano is the best bet. I went out and bought my own after my review…”
Yes,nothing is perfect, even Apple, “but its so good, I laid down $200 of my own money for one.”
Yep. Another one bites the dust. Hey, maybe he should wait to see how good a Zune is????
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N.
I mean how could he want one of those when he could have had this (prepare to be sick..):
Ya,
Anyone for a shit colored zune.
I’d be interested in seeing the difference between the old and new ‘buds. My dad bought a 30GB iPod a couple months before they upgraded the lineup. Perhaps if I get one in the future, I might have that opportunity =)
MDW before. iPods were great before, but now they’re freakin’ awesome. Same goes for Apple.