I recently picked up the 2nd generation iPod Nano and have been very impressed with the quality and the fact that Apple listened to its customers and made come crucial upgrades. For example, a scratch resistant body, easier to navigate menu options, upgraded battery life and improved sound quality.
Below you will find my breakdown of the Pro's and Con's of the new Nano. If you have any questions, please email me.
Below are the Pro's:
Size - The Nano is sleek and thinner than previous with a new aluminum scratch resistant coating.
Sound Quality - This is a great improvement area. The sound is much deeper and crisp. If a tune you are listening to has bass, you can feel the bass and hear the separation from the other tones music tones.
Battery Life - Apple listened! A new high capacity battery has been added and can playback up to 24 hours of music, or 5 hours of photo slideshows.
Screen - For those of you who had screen issues with the previous Nano’s screen, Apple has made the Nano's screen 40% brighter. Personally, I notice a slight difference but its not a feature to run out and buy the new Nano for.
Accessories - This is the category that separates the Nano from the competition. Accessories are a plenty for the new Nano. (like previous) You can buy them at your local Radio Shack, Circuit City or a Grocery Store. The options of accessories range from cases, GPS additions, armbands, headphones, FM Tuners, car adapters, travel kits and much more. Since the Nano is already established in the market, Accessories are a plenty.
The Cons are minor, but they need to be mentioned to help everyone make a conscious buying decision.
Headphones - Though they have been redesigned for comfort, they produce mediocre sound quality at best and do not project the quality of the music that the Nano can produce. In terms of comfort, they are a great improvement and stay in the ear better than the previous design.
FM or Satellite Tuner - Neither are included with the Nano and it would have been a nice option. I cannot believe people listed to "old fashioned" radio still that is why I would have liked to seen a Sirius satellite tuner added.
Price - This can be a PRO or a CON. For me, the price justifies everything you get from the cosmetic improvements right down the multitude of accessories that are available.
On the other end of the spectrum there are those that think for $199 you should be getting a 20 GB MP3 player. To that I say, go get a Creative or San Disk player and enjoy the number of quality issues you will experience. With the Nano and the ipod line as a whole, these issues are near non-existent
All and all, the new Nano is a plus and will continue to dominate the MP3 market. My predication is that the new ipod line as a whole will hold its ground just fine against the Microsoft Zune.
T~
