iPOD nano – Model A1236

Buying all these cool gadgets for my friends I was enticed to pick up a little something for myself at least. A few weeks ago on a trip to HK I managed to lose my iPod which was only a year old. But I was not too bummed because I still all my music backed up on my external HDD. Plus with all the new shit coming out I figured it is a good time to upgrade. The budget has been running a bit low so I decided not to go with anything too big, and for Rp.1.800.000 (a little less than $200) the iPod nano suits me perfectly. I was surprised at how small the package is. Usually Apple comes out with a huge ass box that makes their product look like it was built on some alien planet. But I guess the whole concept behind the new nano is that it is more compact, hence the tiny box.

I was worrie at first that there would just be a silly iPod in there are no goodies like earphones or transfer cables. I left all my shit in China too so I need that stuff. Wirth the other iPods I have bought the packages have always contained extra cables, earphone protectors, adaptors, docking stations, and so on. This time the package was pretty skimpy. All I got was a set of shitty earphones, a USB cable, and an adaptor for the docking station (which I already lost). Let me not forget to mention the 2 Apple stickers. Yeah let me do some more free marketing for you Mr. Jobs.

But I have got to admit, this puppy is slick. And as slim as it is, the iPod nano feels quite sturdy. It would take a few good times of me sitting on it in my back pocket before I break that sucker in half. And featuring an 8 GB HDD in such a small package is quite impressive. I dont think I have ever even seen a 1 GB flash drive that looked so thin and sleek.

The new iPod nano is tiny it just barely sits in the palm of my hand. It is only a matter of time before I lose this little bastard. In a pair of fat hands like mind it does not stand a chance. The roller dial is pretty sensitive actually and just a brush from the very tip of my finger is enough to send the clicker in motion. The reaction time is smooth and the fact that when you actually push on the dial you feel a click helps to let you know that your desired command has been transmitted. It took me a while to find the lock switch on the bottom of the unit; I thought for a while that they actually left that out. It is freaking tiny. The screen on the iPod nano is something to write home about as well. It is small but really clear. You can actually upload and watch mpeg files on this thing. Granted it is small but for those lonely nights when you need that instant motivation of the porn clip you downloaded the day before to help you bust a nut, I imagine it could come in really handy. Anyone planning to kick back and watch an episode of Heroes on the iPod nano seriously needs to go out and get themselves and iMagination.

One thing that did piss me off about the iPod nano package is that it came with NO software. The folks at iPod are assuming that I already have the software on my PC or that I have easy access to the internet so I can download the latest software from their website. So yes I have iTunes on my laptop and I have access to the internet but I could have sent the iPod to my friend doing social service in Sudan and she would have been screwed. Also the only way to charge the iPod nano with the package they have provided is my hooking it up to your laptop. They have not provided me with a socket to plug into a wall outlet. I think it is quite pretentious of Apple to assume people already own things or even live in places where these accessories are easily available. I happen to know personally that a lot of folks who purchase portable music players live in really small towns where there is no iStore. When I finally plugged my nano into my laptop, eager to fill her with some sweet sounds, I found that my recently updated version of iTunes is already out of date. So I had to wait till I have a good internet connection then download 50MB of software before I can use my iPod nano. Then I have to hope that it will overwrite my old version and update all my music automatically or else I got to go remove old software on deal with all that drama myself. But when it is all said and done, there are loads of other mP3 players out there that are probably cheaper and better than the iPod but this is just easier. Somehow Apple has managed to corner me as a client even though there are other products from their competitors that I would have liked to try. But the just could not reach me.