The Gadgets Page

A local CompUSA had the iPod nano in stock last weekend, so I got my first look at one in person. A few first impressions:

• This thing is thin and small, much moreso than I imagined. It’s as thin as the iPod Shuffle, and only a bit wider. It would easily fit in a pocket.
• The black finish is beautiful, as is the tiny color screen—the screen is very sharp and readable, and the tiny thumbnails of album covers are recognizable.
• The clickwheel and buttons are easy to use. I personally prefer the moving wheel on my ancient iPod, but it’s hard to imagine a better interface for something this tiny.
• The headphone connector is on the bottom of the unit, which seems odd, but won’t be a major inconvenience.
• The dock connector on the bottom should work with many of the existing iPod accessories, but the nano’s size might make it fit poorly (or look silly) in some docks. Make Magazine tested a few accessories and reports on what works and what doesn’t.

We’ll have a full review when one of us gives into temptation and buys one. In the meantime, Time magazine has an interesting article on the development of the nano. Apple certainly made a bold decision to discontinue the iPod mini and focus on the new nano, but I’m sure it will pay off.