Apple iPod Nano Second Generation: Is Newer Always Better?

My wife recently bought herself a new iPod. She used to have the mini - as did I - but, as most iPod users learn, newer, more chic iPods will develop and in order to remain trendy, you always have to buy the newest line. When the nano was first revealed in 2005, I was one of those people who read the articles on how Apple continued to be the innovator of MP3 players. I ended up getting one over the summer - months before the Second Generation was revealed. Doh!

So my wife, pointing and laughing at me as she walked into the local Circuit City, ended up buying herself a nice Second Generation nano with eight GB of storage space. The cost: a fair $299. Like all other iPod products, the nano does not come with an arm band or a protective case that’s actually useful. It simply comes with the actual nano itself, ear buds, and a USB cord.

This is one major gripe that Apple has yet to fix: the USB cord. This ridiculous contraption doubles up as an import/export feature for songs and photos onto the nano as well as a charger. However, there is no “normal” charger - such as that of a cell phone - in which you plug it into an outlet and let the machine charge. Instead, you must use a computer (that is turned on) in order to charge it. So…if you’re going on vacation and are staying at a hotel and do not have a laptop or the shamelessness to ask the concierge if you can plug in your nano so it can recharge, good luck! I continue to see this as a downfall, and it’s possibly the only feature about the mini and the other older models that I like better.

So what is different between the First and Second Generation nanos? For beginners, the Second Generation is smaller - if that’s even possible. It’s not too much smaller, but it still fits comfortably in a jean pocket sub compartment or even in the palm of my hand. It’s also more round than the older nano; it has rounded ends and sides. In addition, it does not have a slim protective casing over the whole machine, unlike the older nano. I personally find this to be a little bit cheap; shouldn’t there be more to protect the MP3 player? It almost seems as if newer technology means less protection.

Like the other iPods on the market, the Second Generation nano has a track wheel that allows you to sift through menu options and song lists. I have always found the track wheel to be a little bit too sensitive, and there was no improvement on the Second Generation. On my wife’s nano, it has yet to get “stuck” or to “break,” unlike what happened with my mini.

The LCD screen is bright and displays the colors in a more than adequate manner. The text - such as the name of the song, the artist, the CD, the time it runs, etc. - is easy to read and isn’t too small for my eyes to comprehend, though I bet some people that have bad eyesight may have a problem with it. Nevertheless, I never find that the screen “freezes” and the pace at which different features and songs pop up basically corresponds with the speed of the track wheel.

The ear buds continue to be those annoying devices that iPod is now notorious for. These tiny mechanisms fit right into your ear in order to provide optimum sound quality and to drown outside noises. When I first started wearing them I truly hated them, but now I’m so used to them that I can never go back to…what were those things called again? Headphones?

I find the sound quality of the Second Generation nano to be equal to that of the other iPod machines that I have used. In any case, this is a good thing. The sound quality is crystal clear when the song is at an appropriate level; all lyrics seem annunciated adequately and instrumentals are realized to their fullest extent. However, I find that if you put the volume up to its maximum or near its maximum, the quality becomes a bit fuzzy and is degraded. Nevertheless, listening to music at such an extreme volume is unpleasant and it doesn’t do anything to enhance my enjoyment of the music.

Downloading songs onto the Second Generation nano is identical to the other iPods that I’ve had. If you do not already have iTunes on your computer, a disk comes with the nano which easily downloads it onto the hard drive. You can either import music from CD’s, purchase music from the iTunes store at 99 cents a pop, or take music from other programs and save them in the iTunes application. From there, it’s easy to export the songs onto the nano, though play lists and the arrangement of songs have to be determined on the computer. I find that importing songs into the nano is easy and it takes very little time. I can also do it while it’s recharging.

Speaking of recharging, the battery - a rechargeable lithium battery - seems to be slightly better than the First Generation nano. I find that the energy bar remains pretty full even after a couple hours of usage. When on standby, the nano does use some energy, though not as much as when music is being played or other features, such as the games or the pictures, are being used. The nano also turns off by itself after being on standby for a certain amount of time. This helps conserve the battery life without recharging. Furthermore, I find that it takes a very short time to recharge the nano. Within a half an hour it can be fully charged and ready to go - and it’s even faster when using the iTrip (which the Second Generation is fully functional with).

The 8GB Second Generation nano, which my wife has in a sleek silver, holds about 2,000 songs - though that figure is not exact. She has yet to fill up all of the space, though she finds it pleasing to think that she won’t be running out of room anytime soon. If you aren’t going to upload 2,000 songs onto the nano and instead will probably go with less than 1,000, I’d go with the 4GB nano, which is about $100 less. However, there is no difference in sound quality, size or looks - just the amount of storage space it has for songs.

Overall, I would certainly recommend the Second Generation Apple iPod nano 8GB. The looks are the most innovative of the iPod line, though it would have been nice to see a protective covering for the device similar to that of the older nano. The MP3 player is so convenient that it can be held in the palm of your hand or stored in the sub compartment of a jean pocket. The accessories for it - such as an arm or wrist band - usually run about $30, so be prepared to spend money on such additional items. The sound quality is certainly something that iPod can brag about - it’s probably the best that you’ll get for the price and the size of the machine.