Apple iPod nano Second Gen. Silver (2 GB, MA477LL/A) MP3 Player

Apple Computer continues to revolutionize the definition of style and portability with its iPod line of digital media players, and this iPod Nano is no exception.

The iPod Nano literally stunned skeptics and fans alike with its incredible storage, small size, and appealing design.

Now, the 2nd generation of iPod Nano is here, and its better in several ways:

1) It's thinner. Hard to believe, but it is actually even easier to carry and hold in its new form factor.

2) Longer battery life. The new design is advertised at up to 24 hours of playtime. At least double the old models.

3) Brighter screen. Even better for reading in daylight and showing photos, this screen is 40% brighter than the first generation model.

4) Color! Apple has released five new colors: pink, green, blue, silver, and black.

This is the 2GB model, which is the best price possible for the iPod Nano. This is the old price of the iPod shuffle, and now you are getting more storage and a color screen! Can't be beat.

If you need your music to go, this is the iPod for you.

The Nano was brought out to replace the Mini, but this new remastering of the iPod is a fusion of the 1st generation Nano and the Mini. Available in capacities of 2, 4, and 8GB (priced at $149, $199, and $249, respectively) these have a scratch-resistant aluminum shell, rounded edges, and various colors like the mini, though the colors are only available in the 4GB models. You can get a 2GB Nano, though it only comes in Silver. If you go under Apple.com’s website for deals and refurbished products, you can still get a 2GB Nano for $99.00, but remember it is the first generation. I purchased the 8GB Nano, though it only comes in black, but this version is the largest for storage.

Though it looks like the iPod Mini, it is more like the 1st generation Nano. The 2nd Generation Nano is the same height and width as the original Nano, but with the rounded edges, it feels like it is shorter on the sides. This design also makes it feel a lot thinner than it was, though it is only a .01 inches thinner. The center button has changed too, having a concaved button for your selection, which makes it very easy to use and place your thumb without looking. This new Nano, with the same body shape, now has a longer battery life. Apple claims that it will last 24 hours, but I was able to get just over 25 hours of playtime – Which is nice.

The Nano comes with similar features as the previous version such as Volume Limit, Stopwatch, Screen Lock, and support for the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, but now has a music search function, a brighter screen (40% brighter), improved sound quality (in my opinion), and the newly redesigned headphones.

Also, the bottom of this unit has changed slightly. The headphone jack and the sync port are slightly farther apart, which eliminated some of my old accessories, which made me slightly disappointed.

In regards to syncing, this unit actually takes longer to sync than my old Nano. To sync 2GB on the first generation took roughly 5 minutes, but with the 2nd generation of newly designed Nano’s, it took almost 10 minutes to do 2 gigs. This seems to be the common findings amongst other 2nd generation Nano owners as well. They did upgrade the software right after the release, but I have not noticed a difference in syncing.

A downside that the Nano did not get that the 5th Generation Ver. 2.0 of the iPod received was the option to purchase games from iTunes. Hopefully this will be something that will change in the future for the Nano. Also, the new packaging, which is environmentally friendly, does not have a CD version of iTunes included in the packaging, which is going to disappoint first time iPod Nano buyers.

As a fan of the Mini and a converter to the Nano, I love this design. I really do. I think the aluminum casing is the way to go. I was really reluctant to give my Mini up for the Nano, but now that the redesigned Nano is this way, it is a perfect blend of the two. I highly recommended this device to Apple lovers and new MP3 enthusiasts alike.

Pros:
-Brighter screen
-Better sound
-Aluminum scratch-resistant casing
-Concave select button
-Amazing battery-life: 24 hours plus!
-Search features
-New colors to choose from

Cons
-Still no built in FM tuner
-Does not play movies
-No games through iTunes
-Sync port and headphone jack put farther apart not allowing old accessory use

I received my new 2nd generation nano from the apple store the other day, and have spent a lot of time getting to know it. I like it a lot, and I think it'll be the best-selling iPod yet.

Like all iPods, it is easy to learn and easy to use, has EXCELLENT sound quality, and is a real pleasure to use.


THE NEW NANO COMPARED TO THE FIRST GENERATION NANO

This new 2nd generation nano is much improved over the 1st generation model, which came out in September 2005.

* BETTER SCREEN: The screen is noticably brighter (though not any larger). This is especially nice for viewing photos.

* BETTER BATTERY: A fully charged battery will power the nano for up to 24 hours, compared to only 12 for the 1st generation nano. (These tests are done under artificial conditions, actual battery life is shorter - but it remains true that the new nano has double the battery life of the old one.)

* BETTER CASING: The casing of the first generation nano was soft plastic, which accumulated scratches very quickly and didn't hide them well. The second generation nano has an andonized aluminum casing - the same material used to make the tough-as-nails iPod mini, which Apple discontinued when the first generation nano came out last year. This material is very scratch-resistant and durable.

* COLORS: The new nano comes in a variety of colors (though not all capacities have all color options; the high-end 8 gigabyte nano comes only in black). The first generation nano came in two colors - black and white. The pink ipod mini has been fetching a high price on eBay since it was discontinued last fall; I think that will change, now that you can get a new 4 gigabyte nano in the same pink for only $200.

* BETTER SEARCHING: The menu structure on the new nano allows for more convenient searching.

* BETTER EARPHONES: Most reviews of previous ipods complain about the earbuds. Starting now, Apple is shipping improved earbuds with all nanos and video ipods. They are not AWESOME, and you still may want to buy some nicer earphones. But they are better than the previous ones, and for most folks, they will probably be just fine.

* BIGGER CAPACITY FOR THE MONEY: At each price point, the new nano provides DOUBLE the capacity as the first generation nano. For example, the first generation nano cost $200 for 2 gigabytes of storage; the second generation is $200 for 4 gigabytes of storage.

* ACCESSORIES: The new nano has the same dock connector that all ipods have (except the ipod shuffle), so it will work with virtually all accessories with a dock connector. The placement of the dock connector and headphone jack is SLIGHTLY different from the previous ipod nano, so certain accessories designed for the first generation nano may not work with the new one. For example, a case that has an opening on the bottom for the headphone jack - the opening will be in the wrong place.

CONCLUSION

The new ipod nano is a great product at a reasonable price (compared to flash-based players on the market now). It has great battery life, a small but bright and readable color display, excellent sound quality, a very durable and scratch-resistant casing, and comes in a nice selection of colors and capacities. And like all ipods, it has a high "cool factor", it's intuitively designed and a real pleasure to use.

Apple has totally revamped the iPod nano, and made the coolest mp3 player even better. With a brighter display, a thinner design, longer battery life, anodized aluminum case similar to the mini and 5 different colors, Apple has addressed the problems that plagued the 1st gen nano and increased capacity as well.