Apple iPod nano 1st Generation White (4 GB) MP3 Player

Introduction
I grew up with Apple products. My first computer was the original 128k Mac. A few years ago, something went horribly wrong and I converted to PC use for price, mod-ability, and most importantly, games.

This may be the product that brings me back into the Apple fold. My previous mp3 player was the Nike PSA. It used flash memory and only held 256mb of songs. In fact, I think it was one of my first epinions write-ups. It's Stone Age compared to the Nano.

My ownership of the iPod Nano 4gb has not been an entirely happy marriage. Mating my PC with the Apple peripheral has often times caused more drama than "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Purchasing
I bought my iPod Nano 4gb at the Apple's website. I used my educator's discount and got it for $229. This included free shipping and free laser engraving. I decided on the black-faced model, with full knowledge (passed on from friends) about it's easily scratched face.

I was able to track the entire order from its origination in Shenzen, China. There was a week's delay in getting the package, since I ordered a bit late.

The iPod Nano 4gb arrived in a box that weighed about 4 ounces and was the same size as a double-CD-album case. Amazing.

Open the box already!
I tore into the box and pulled out a jet-black case with the iPod Nano logos and photos on it. Inside I found the "impossibly small" device as well as the USB cable, headphones, and extra foam for the ear buds. A CD with the iTunes software was included, as was the requisite quick start manual, legal mumbo jumbo, and warranty information.

Installation
I'm not one for manuals and to be honest, you really only need to use the quick start manual. The more in-depth operating manual is on the installation CD and is in Adobe Acrobat format. I used it to learn how to load photos and Microsoft Outlook Contacts into the Nano.

My suspicion is that most iPod users (be they Apple or PC users) are already using iTunes for music management. If this is the case, then using the iPod is a simple matter. Just plug the cable into a USB 2.0 port on your computer and open iTunes. It should detect and steer you through the registration software which will allow you to get warranty coverage for your iPod.

You need to make sure you have a USB 2.0 port, although the Nano should work with older (and slower) USB connectors. I also have a Firewire card in my PC, but the Nano doesn't offer this connectivity (it can charge but not sync, and there is no cable included, anyway). It's not a big deal in my opinion. The Nano charges and synchronizes through the USB connector, and does so in about two hours. Yep, that's right, no wall-warts with this player.

I had some bios issues with my PC which I will explain in the "cons" section below.

Features and Operation
The iPod Nano 4gb uses the same Click-Wheel and as all the other iPods (except the now defunct Shuffle) and is easy and intuitive to use. All functions can be accessed by simply running one's finger around the click-wheel or by tapping on it.

The iPod has a very nice color LCD screen that may be a bit small for some users, but it is bright and crisp. Many users are complaining about how easy it is to scratch either the case or the screen of the Nano. These complaints are dead-on. I protect mine with screen savers and a case at all times.

Since the iPod Nano 4gb uses flash memory and has no moving parts, it allows for skip-free playback. It is compatible with just about all sound formats (Apple Lossless, WAV, AAC, AIFF, Audible, MP3). Using flash memory means that the Nano has pretty good battery life. Apple's technical data states that it is 14 hours, but the truth is that if you use the back light on the screen, the Equalizer, or view a lot of photos, your battery life will be much less. I average about 10-12 hours on one charge.

The headphone jack is on the bottom of the Nano, right next to the USB port. I read some early reviews of the product where users complained about the location, but I have none. And to be honest, with the case I chose to buy (and that I highly recommend) having the jack on the bottom only makes ergonomic sense.

The iPod Nano 4gb includes a set of Apple's iPod headphones which are now de rigueur for all hep kats. I'm not exactly young or hip, but I got the approving head-nod from a hipster that I passed on the street, who was similarly plugged in.

The Nano also includes a bunch of really cool features such as the ability to store photos, a Contact list (I transferred my entire Microsoft Outlook Contact List), PodCast compatible, sleep function, clocks for multiple time zones, an alarm, stopwatch, games, and a screen lock feature. The iPod will also do the basic shuffle, and quick playlist functions, as one would expect. And of course, there is a "hold" button on the top to prevent inadvertant taps to the click-wheel from interupting your music. Once you have a case, you may not use this--I don't.

Any reasonably curious and intuitive person can master the iPod Nano in a matter of a couple hours. I have never owned an iPod, but was up and running in less than 30 minutes. And believe me, it would have been sooner had the Nano not reset my bios boot settings (more below).

As far as the sound quality goes, well, that's not something I'm very good at commenting on since I'm nowhere near the audiophile as some other reviewers. I will say that my 128 and 192kbps mp3s sound very good. For the average user, it will be totally acceptable.

Pros
I'm hip again. I can give my life a "soundtrack" for what its worth. Four gigs of storage is a lot of room, and out of my 15 gigs of music, I've only been put 2 gigs of data, photos, and contacts into my little guy.

The Nano is incredibly small, light, and attractive.

Cons
I considered the Sony Walkman Bean player but opted for the Nano. As I mentioned before, this is not without consequence.

YOU WILL NEED A CASE. The Nano scratches easily. My friends all bought the black models and quickly trashed them. Since my Nano arrived a week later, I took the precaution of having some screen protectors around, which I put on the front and back. I also bought an InCase Folio case for the iPod which most online reviewers agree is the best one. It's $25 bucks but is out of stock at the Apple stores and online. I bought mine on eBay. Most of the cases that I saw at the Apple store were the cruddy neoprene types or armbands that offered no screen protection. Get a case, I can't emphasize this enough.

I still left my screen protectors on, even though the Nano is in a case. It diminishes the appearance, but since everyone wants to take my Nano out and diddle with it, it is pretty much a necessity.

At the time of this writing, there is a class-action lawsuit brewing against Apple, which accuses them of shipping a product that they knew was inferior. It seems that the polycarbonate resin that coats the Nano was known to be too thin and prone to easily being compromised, leading to scratches and cracked LCD screens. I suppose we'll have to see how this all plays out.

IF YOU HAVE A PC, DO NOT BOOT WITH THE NANO ATTACHED. Of course, after your first install of the Nano software, you are required to re-boot and the Nano will probably be attached. Hoo boy, this is my biggest complaint about the Nano, and I guarantee that it has given some PC users a massive headache. It's an easy fix...

I got the dreaded "NTLDR missing" warning upon re-booting my computer after my first install of the Nano software. Of course, the Nano was attached to the USB cable. After releasing a hefty brick into my shorts (My data! My precious precious data!), I went into the bios to see what the problem was. I quickly discovered that the PC bios read the Nano as a "mass storage device" and for some reason reset my preferred boot drive settings to start from the Nano instead of from the main S-ATA (serial ATA) drive where Windows XP was located. I just changed the boot settings back and everything was fine.

I've never been able to rectify the problem, so I just make sure to plug the Nano in after the system is up and running. My system isn't a sloucher, either. Without getting to side-tracked, I will say that I have a very quality system based on an Asus S-ATA motherboard. I built it myself.

BATTERIES. The Nano is hermetically sealed and if you need to get the battery replaced, you have to send it back into Apple for a rather hefty $65 dollars. The Apple website does a good job of explaining how the charge-cycles for lithium batteries work, how battery life degrades, and how to maximize the life of your battery.

YAAARRRR! ACCESSORIES BE SPENDY. I looked at an $80 FM transmitter and charger for car use. I bought a $30 AC/USB charger for travel. The charger has a dual voltage transformer, so it will work overseas, provided you have the right adapter. There was no USB cable included, so remember to bring the one that came with the Nano.

And so, Elvis has left the building...in my Nano
In closing I should say that aside from the bios issue and necessity for the case, that I'm quite happy with the first Apple product I've bought in about eight years. Steve Jobs' folks did such a good job on this one, and made me believe in Apple products again.