iPod Nano makes big hit

A smaller, sleeker iPod, introduced by Apple on Sept. 7, was welcomed by iPod fans everywhere. The new iPod Nano, replacing the iPod Mini, is what many are now calling the new "middle child." It fits between the iPod Shuffle and the standard iPod in both its size and space.

The Nano is the same size of a credit card. It also has an armband that can be purchased separately for those that enjoy jogging, biking, or simply like going anywhere and want to keep an iPod snug on their arm.

Though the unit has a smaller storage capacity than standard iPods, Apple's engineers are banking on it being enough for most people's daily use as a data storage device or music player. The Nano comes with a choice of either the 500-song model (2GB) or the 1000-song model (4GB). That means someone could carry between 35-70 CDs (14 song per CD average) on the Nano at one time.

The Nano's color screen is also a very nice feature and works almost identically as the standard iPod. It has the same ability to show and display pictures taken and uploaded from a digital camera and also has the ability to show album covers from songs that are currently playing. However, given the width of the Nano, the screen is better used to preview, rather than actually display, your digital shots.

Another feature that is attracting attention is the Nano's battery life. At full charge the Nano can be used for 14 hours, which when compared to the iPod Shuffle's 13 hours or the regular iPod's 15 hours, the Nano again is in the middle.

A very significant feature is the amount of time that it takes to charge the Nano -- only 3 hours. This makes the Nano the fastest charging iPod on the market today, contrasting to 4 hours charge time for the shuffle, and 5 hours for the standard iPod.

Price is another sticking point when making a side by side comparison. The Nano's base 2GB model runs for about US$199 and the 4GB model runs for US$249. You get more value from the standard iPods, which go for either US$299 or US$399 and offer 10 or more times the space. But as the storage on those units is a hard drive with moving parts, there are more chances for mechanical failures.