Fans of Apple’s portable music players will find the new, video-capable models of the iPod and its miniature counterpart, the Nano, clearly worth the wait.
As with previous iPods, the Nano now comes in a variety of storage capacities and colours, not just silver and black. There’s green, blue, pink and red, each holding 4 GB of music, or roughly 1,000 songs. Silver is available in 2 GB and 4 GB configurations, and the black model holds 8 GB.
The first thing I noticed is that the new Nano is even tinier than the older models. It’s so discreet and slim, that you’ll want to check your pant’s pockets for it twice before putting them in the laundry.
Owners of first-generation Nanos will be happy to see that Apple has done away with the device’s shiny metal backing, which was notorious for scratching up.
Now an elegant, seamless aluminium enclosure wraps around the Nano.
The battery life of the Nano is impressive. Apple rates it at 24 hours, and my own testing supported that. It charges quickly, powering up to 80 per cent capacity in 90 minutes while hooked up to your computer using the included USB cable.
The Nano’s display is 40 per cent brighter than the older models. Song and album titles are easy to read. You can also view photos and album covers on it, but the screen is small, so don’t expect to be able to see every nuance.
But, 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.
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 crisp and 60 per cent brighter than its predecessor. However, video images tend to pixelise in areas of low contrast.
Consumers can convert their own video into the iPod format using iTunes, though I sometimes lost audio when I put my personal video clips on the device.
The iPod I tested exhibited other strange behaviours. It once froze my entire computer when I tried to sync it with my music library – and one other time, even confused audio with video. When I asked it to play one album, it rapidly cycled through a series of movie images instead.
The new iPod’s battery life is respectable, at 14 hours for music and 6.5 hours for video on the 30 GB model.
However, the iPods are not as compelling as the Nano.
The new Nanos and iPods share a few new features, including the ability to search for songs, artists and albums by letter – helpful when you’ve got 80 GB of music to browse through.
Other features are held over from earlier iterations. Both the Nano and the iPod come with the same four dull games included on earlier models.
You can also play files ripped from your CDs using Apple’s free iTunes software. Synching your music library is as simple as plugging in the USB cord.
Some of my favourite features are the simplest: The playback automatically pauses when the earphones are removed from the jack, so you don’t miss a moment of music.
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all is in the earphones. Completely reengineered, these earbuds sound great – even at teeth-rattling volume, there’s almost no distortion. But yes, they are still available only in white.
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.
It holds only 1 GB of music and has no display, making song selection difficult.
Probably, an attractive buy for people who intend to use the iPod while jogging or working out. For my money, though, the Nano is the best bet.
A quick look at the Indian prices of the latest iPods
iPod Nano
2GB: Rs 9,800 4GB: Rs 13,200 8GB: Rs 16,400
iPod:
30GB: Rs 16,700 80GB: Rs 23,600
Pod Shuffle:
1GB: Rs 5,600
For more information, visit the Apple Web site www.apple.co.in
