[pat++]

I'm just coming back from the Apple Store in London, and I couldn't resist the iPod nano. I bought one, like everyone will probably do when they will see it. This thing is really really amazing. It's my first iPod. I was a bit afraid of the sound quality of the little white headphone, but this is simply unbelievable. A lot of bass, the screen is gorgeous, sound couldn't be better, and it's so small and beautiful. This is clearly the best Apple product of the past 5 years with no doubt. They really did a great job. Sorry I still can't believe it

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

Originally Posted by pat++

This is clearly the best Apple product of the past 5 years with no doubt.

That is depressing.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by radii_22

Part of the idea of the wired earphones is the status of cultural icon they have. You have a white cord, you have an iPod.

That is rather funny as I like the iPod, as a music device - if only it had built in voice recording...but hey, iMic works), but I wouldn't be caught dead with those white headphones...not matter if they sounded fantastic. Of course I am 37 and have no desire to play "fashion games". My black Senheiser buds sound better anyway.

[mhuie]

Anyone think the nano is "too" light? I played with one in the Apple store yesterday, and felt there was no substance.

Also, anyone know how long before the battery will go out? (through normal use)

Originally Posted by lamewing

That is rather funny as I like the iPod, as a music device - if only it had built in voice recording...but hey, iMic works), but I wouldn't be caught dead with those white headphones...not matter if they sounded fantastic. Of course I am 37 and have no desire to play "fashion games". My black Senheiser buds sound better anyway.

That's pretty silly, you don't want to play "fashion games", but you won't be caught dead with white headphones

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by mhuie

Anyone think the nano is "too" light? I played with one in the Apple store yesterday, and felt there was no substance.

Also, anyone know how long before the battery will go out? (through normal use)




That's pretty silly, you don't want to play "fashion games", but you won't be caught dead with white headphones

I believe you know exactly what I meant and playing semantics is unnecessary, but I will restate myself nonetheless....

When I say I won't wear the white "phones", I mean that I have no desire to advertise what type of music device I am using. I don't feel any compulsion to be part of the group of folks at my university who feel it necessary to wear their iPod as if it is a fashion accessory - especially the mini with its bright (WELL DESIGNED) aluminum casing.

Apple makes sure the earphone cord is white, specificially to advertise their product, "Hey she has white buds, she has an iPod (insert "Cool", "Let's steal it", etc." It just doesn't make any sense to give away free advertisement or to attract folks who may want mug you. I don't know about you, but I would rather buy a product on its capabilities and ease of use, not on its cool factor.

To be truthful, I only use an iPod because of its ease of use and its cross-platform intergration with iTunes. The iPod is definately not the best sounding player I have used, but it's support of iTunes and simple design have converted me. My favorite player is the Sony pocket Vaio, a super-solid player, but the sonic stage software that Sony uses is terrible. Plus, no Mac support.

[cla214]

My family of iPods through the generations...
original 5 gig-er, 10 gig-er, shuffle, nano 4 gig-er

Went to the Apple store on Saturday, it was mobbed, and they had sold out of 4-gig black nano's already (it was around 2pm). Luckily I've got a friend who works at the store who held onto one for me... After seeing/touching the nano, a friend who came with me had to have one. He had never had an iPod before, and isn't a gadget nut, but instantly decided to get the nano. Needless to say, he's thrilled with it so far.

[mhuie]

Originally Posted by lamewing

I believe you know exactly what I meant and playing semantics is unnecessary, but I will restate myself nonetheless....

When I say I won't wear the white "phones", I mean that I have no desire to advertise what type of music device I am using. I don't feel any compulsion to be part of the group of folks at my university who feel it necessary to wear their iPod as if it is a fashion accessory - especially the mini with its bright (WELL DESIGNED) aluminum casing.

Apple makes sure the earphone cord is white, specificially to advertise their product, "Hey she has white buds, she has an iPod (insert "Cool", "Let's steal it", etc." It just doesn't make any sense to give away free advertisement or to attract folks who may want mug you. I don't know about you, but I would rather buy a product on its capabilities and ease of use, not on its cool factor.

Sorry, but you've intentionally relegated yourself to the opposite side of the spectrum, you're just as bad as anyone else that you're criticizing. Just use it for what it is.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by mhuie

Sorry, but you've intentionally relegated yourself to the opposite side of the spectrum, you're just as bad as anyone else that you're criticizing. Just use it for what it is.

Oh by the gods, you will find fault with anything. You seem to be on of those folks who chooses to argue for arguemnt sake.

What is wrong with not falling for the most current trend OR acting as a walking advertisement for a company?

[mhuie]

Originally Posted by lamewing

Oh by the gods, you will find fault with anything. You seem to be on of those folks who chooses to argue for arguemnt sake.

What is wrong with not falling for the most current trend OR acting as a walking advertisement for a company?

Yes, because white headphones screams "He's a brand whore who worships Apple." A trend would be buying an average product because it looks good. The iPod performs well AND looks good.

You seem to be one of those obsessed with going out of your way to not buy anything that has a brand associated with it. Do you really care that much about what people think of you?

You might want to watch out... if someone straps a iPod nano to your arm.. you might have a heart attack..

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by mhuie

Yes, because white headphones screams "He's a brand whore who worships Apple." A trend would be buying an average product because it looks good. The iPod performs well AND looks good.

You seem to be one of those obsessed with going out of your way to not buy anything that has a brand associated with it. Do you really care that much about what people think of you?

You might want to watch out... if someone straps a iPod nano to your arm.. you might have a heart attack..

You seem to enjoy putting words in my mouth. Let me CLARIFY what I said, not what you think I said.


A trend sir (in regards to the purchase/use of an item) takes place whether the item is popular or not, and whether or not the item is of average, excellent, or poor quality. How do you come to the conclusion that a TREND only takes place when folks buy an average product based on its good looks? Huh?

I believe OBSESSED is an inaccurate description of my personal choice not to give free advertisement to any company. If you wish to do so, go for it. I actually don't give a RAT'S ASS what folks think of me (I am not longer a kid). I think you should be able to figure out that there is a significant difference between not wanting to act as a walking billboard versus being concerned with other folks opinions of oneself.

Also, please give the sarcasm a rest. It is tired and doesn't put you in a good light. In regards to the nano, I just got off the phone with Apple so as to get an RMA to return my black nano. Why, it really isn't a great in person as Job's RDF made it out to be. It seems a better choice to pick up a mini (more solid in its construction) with the iBook I am ordering next week.

Thanks for the concern, but playing with the nano didn't affect my heart in any way.

[capuchin]

On a more technical note: has anyone tried to clone an OSX system onto a nano and get it to boot? I know that it's supposedly not bootable, but I'm wondering if that's implemented by the OSX installer, or by the nano itself.

A 4GB bootable flash drive/mp3 player is a lot more interesting to me than just another iPod...

[lavar78]

Originally Posted by lamewing

I believe OBSESSED is an inaccurate description of my personal choice not to give free advertisement to any company. If you wish to do so, go for it.

Do you wear anything with a logo?

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by lavar78

Do you wear anything with a logo?

Not if I have a choice. Obviously things like tennis shoes are unavoidable, especially since I can only wear new balance thanks to crappy genes which gave me wide feet.

This does apply to cars too. If a dealership tries to add one of their plates or plastic dealership "decals" to my car, I ask them to remove it before I buy the car.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by capuchin

On a more technical note: has anyone tried to clone an OSX system onto a nano and get it to boot? I know that it's supposedly not bootable, but I'm wondering if that's implemented by the OSX installer, or by the nano itself.

A 4GB bootable flash drive/mp3 player is a lot more interesting to me than just another iPod...

I don't know if the OS can be added to it, but I will tell you this, the data transfer seems as fast as on my ipod 4g model.

[Drakino]

My black Senheiser buds sound better anyway.

Agreed. I use my Sennheiser MX300s with my iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, or the product they shipped with, my Rio Karma.

While I like the Nano, it's still proof the iPod like is a middle of the road, good enough for the average consumer product. It's my first iPod with a full iPod interface and feature set, and I find it aggravating that it lacks gapless playback, crossfading when in shuffle mode, a parametric EQ, hierarchal playlists (even now with iTunes 5 taunting users with folders that don't sync to the iPod), and decent dynamic range compression.

Oh well, just need to hope my Rio Karma lasts long enough for the empeg team to settle into Sigmatel and one of their OEMed designs to be released for a hard drive player.

[madking]

I seriously do not understand all the hype surrounding the iPod nano. Just went to the Apple store to see for myself. I have to say, for an Apple product, it is ugly. The screen is too small, the click-wheel is placed too low, the thing feels like cheap plastic toy. I went to the next table with the iPod mini, and I must that is one of the most solid yet exquisite product ever. I personally own a 4G iPod, an iPod shuffle, and had used a friend's iPod mini occasionally. Given all these great precedents, I think the nano came up a bit short. However if you compare it with most other offerings in the mp3 player market, then the nano is definitely in the top 10.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by capuchin

On a more technical note: has anyone tried to clone an OSX system onto a nano and get it to boot? I know that it's supposedly not bootable, but I'm wondering if that's implemented by the OSX installer, or by the nano itself.

I thought the problem was that you can't boot a Mac over the USB2 bus and since the nano doesn't offer FW... In that sense I guess the limitation is the Mac's OpenFirmware and not the nano.

[wilsonng]

I think the iPod nano is nice. It certainly caused alot of backlash for some users because it was a step back in terms of capacity (2Gb and 4GB) and dropped some features (TV out, the extra power to allow accessories to draw power or control the iPod) which made it controversial. I see it as a first small step towards future iPods.

I was one of many folks who hungered for an 8GB iPod mini photo . I couldn't wait and bought a 20GB iPod photo instead. However, my iPod 20GB is a bit tough to use during workouts so I'm thinking the nano would be perfect for this aspect.

There are lots of folks who would rather have one iPod to do it all and then there are others who recognize the need for different iPods for different purposes. I'm splitting up my iPods based on what I'm doing. My iPod photo is great for me to explore multiple albums or for cross-country trips. Meanwhile my iPod nano is great for playing singles and during workouts. My boss has a 60GB iPod but rarely carries that because he walks around with his 1GB shuffle. He's not complaining about the lack of a screen or small 1GB capacity.

Some people call the nano a step back. I agree that it is a step back from the iPod mini but I think it's a step up from the shuffle.

[lamewing]

I see the point of several folks who post here.

Drakino, I understand 100 percent where you are coming from as I came from the minidisc world. Sure MD were a pain to record to, but the sound quality and options make the iPod compare. But, the iPod is so much simpler to use. Has anyone noticed that Apple won''t publish the iPod's signal-to-noise ratio? While I can live without all the extra features, and even the middle-of-the-road sound quality, it would be nice nice if we has a WORKING EQ. My old Sony Pocket Vaio had a wonderful, but simple EQ.

Madking, your point is valid. I was also suprised, and later disappointed by the nano's offering, Iit seems Apple is going for an iPod that matches the larger models in appearance. It really is disappointing that the mini was discontinued. Wouldn't it have been better to have just added flash RAM to the mini, added the color screen, and have kept the metal body? I ask this because the metal body is MUCH tougher than what the nano can provide. Also, with the slightly larger mini body, we would have been able to have FW support and a larger battery. Battery life would have been much longer than the 14 hours that the nano provides. While I cannot stand the Sonic Stage software that Sony uses, you have to commend them on their much better battery life their players provide.

My nano has gone back and will be replaced with a mini tomorrow. I will miss the clock feature, the color screen and the flash memory (the ability to fast forward and not wait for the HD is great) , but the nano just doesn't do it for me.

[TerryJ]

I have to agree with wilsonng's points. I had a mini and loved the smaller size and therefore used it much more. I wanted a color screen so I replaced the mini with a 20GB photo which is a great machine but for me personally, I do prefer the smaller size since I carry too many things around with me for my work. I do wish the nano had a bit more capacity, but I believe those of us that sync with our Macs daily it is a simple task to rotate our music as we see fit and honestly, even though I have 8GB of music on my current 20GB photo, I only listen to about 2GB of albums that I really like. The rest are just long for the ride, archived.

Based on all this, I am wanting to sell my 20GB to buy a nano. Some may view it a step backward but I do not. I simply asked myself what features are most important to me. I never have had the need to sync to a TV for a slideshow, record voice notes, etc as that is what I bring my PowerBook along for in those cases. I simply want a small, easy to carry iPod and the capability to keep some of my favorite photos to show friends or colleagues quickly is an added bonus. For anything larger or more in depth, again, I bring my PowerBook. The convenience factor of the nano is a tremendous step forward for many in my position and I believe the combination of features offered by each can be viewed as a balance based on the priorities of the individual user.

That said, anyone want a great deal on a spotless 20GB photo? hehheh.

[chabig]

I agree with TerryJ. I just found a buyer for my 40GB 4th gen iPod and I'll get the 4GB nano. It's a big step backward in capacity, but I'm sure I'll use it a lot more. I never carry the 40GB when I run, for example, but the nano will be perfect.

Chris

[porieux]

...

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

So rumour has it they aren't selling so well.

[inkhead]

What rumor is that scandalous? Do you have any proof? LOL they are sold out everywhere. I've never seen anybody on the PC world (at my office i've seen 2-3 ipods total) suddenly everyone in the office has a nano. Southern california is sold out of them. Apple apparently made huge stock amounts of them though so ordering online or checking in everyday should find you one.

All indications point to "best seller"

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by TerryJ

I simply asked myself what features are most important to me. I never have had the need to sync to a TV for a slideshow, record voice notes, etc as that is what I bring my PowerBook along for in those cases. I simply want a small, easy to carry iPod and the capability to keep some of my favorite photos to show friends or colleagues quickly is an added bonus. For anything larger or more in depth, again, I bring my PowerBook. The convenience factor of the nano is a tremendous step forward for many in my position and I believe the combination of features offered by each can be viewed as a balance based on the priorities of the individual user.

I agree that I don't need the video synch or anything like that. Even the lack of firewire isn't the end of the world, as the USB 2.0 transfers were just as fast. I would LOVED to have seen a built in mic for voice recording. This is something I think Apple is really screwing up on. SO many of the kids at my university cary iPods, minis, in particular. It would seem to make sense to provide a simple and convienant way to record a class, then transfer it to the computer. I used my 60GB to record my Historical Geology class today, as my instructor talks WAY to qucikly for my meager notetaking skills.

IMHO it would be wonderful, also, if the entire line of iPods were to take on the AL case desgin (or at least just the material) of the minis for their enclosures. Think of it, no more need to worry about scratches the first time you set down your iPods!

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

Originally Posted by inkhead

What rumor is that scandalous? Do you have any proof?
All indications point to "best seller"

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1270

[budster101]

Read the comments:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=57554

The mini got panned by all, and now a year later we know it's the biggest seller MP3 player of all time...
I think SJ knows what he's doing more than you.

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

Originally Posted by budster101

Read the comments:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=57554

The mini got panned by all, and now a year later we know it's the biggest seller MP3 player of all time...
I think SJ knows what he's doing more than you.

Why are you taking this like I am making some sort of grand statement? I am linking to a story and saying I am buying TWO nano's.

Stop being such an idiot.

[budster101]

Why so hostile? I don't care if you buy 50 nanos or 1. You are the one saying it's tanking in the first week, and the article you quoted and linked is easily being debunked by the people who have replied to it, so I linked to the replies.

Stop being such a baby.

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by jay_p

nano is amazing.... found this - my friend has done it and got his ipod nano already.


*STEP 1) Click the following link to go to the "" site.
Just enter your email address and tick the terms and conditions box.*



(snipped)

Go away, spamhole!

[wilsonng]

*snicker* I'd take most things from rumor sites like AppleInsider with a grain of salt. It is way too early to be judging sales after just one week of introduction-to-market.

That would be akin to selling your Apple stocks because it dropped 3 cents yesterday and telling everyone that Apple's stock is headed straight to the bottom.

[aInto]

There is no "inverse screen" mode. Someone along the way got it confused with
the clocks going inverse at night.



(My nano isnt really yellow, i just cant get the flash to work.)

[kitcho]

those sales figures are NOT accurate. sure, mabye the apple stores only sold 1/4 of their product. most canadians, except those in the GTA or around Vancouver willing to drive to Seattle do not have access to an apple retail store. I would wait to see once the nano gets into chain stores like futureshop, best buy, etc. Theres a huge amount of people out there who dont have access to an apple retail store.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by kitcho

those sales figures are NOT accurate. sure, mabye the apple stores only sold 1/4 of their product. most canadians, except those in the GTA or around Vancouver willing to drive to Seattle do not have access to an apple retail store. I would wait to see once the nano gets into chain stores like futureshop, best buy, etc. Theres a huge amount of people out there who dont have access to an apple retail store.

I am not a big fan of Apple; nice products, but I am not a zealot. Having said that, price-wise folks cannot compare the HD units (apple and competitors) to flash drive units. The most expensive flash unit I have seen was the new Sony 1GB flash unit (with radio and battery life of about 30 - 50 hours) which runs $199.00. In comparison, the Apple units are $199.00 and $249.00 for 2 and 4 GB players, respectively. That is a great deal.

From what I have seen in the local stores here in DFW (Apple, Beast Buy, and CompUSA) the 4giggers sold quilckly, but the 2gig units are not moving. WHY did Apple expect to sell the 2gig units with only a $50.00 difference? I would have thought that the 2gig units would have sold for around $150.00

Overall, my biggest isssue with the nano is the battery and size. Apple could have kept the mini's size (and AL case), add flash memory and a color screen, kept the bigger battery and firewire support and it would have sold much better. People loved the mini!!! The battery life would have been better than 14 hours (why does Apple hobble their players with such poor battery life, when Sony can give 30+ hours?). Also, the nano's battery is soldered onto the logic board making battery replacement problematic versus the (fairly) easy battery replacement on the mini.

I have returned my nano as the black/clear coating combination makes scratches VERY noticeable. Worse even, than the scratches on the metal back. Wow, the mini's case would have been such a better choice....even if they had gone with the current nano size, the aluminum case would have been more reasonable for a truly "pocketable" player. Or is Apple looking to sell 3rd party cases???

[kitcho]

Or is Apple looking to sell 3rd party cases???

bingo (or apple cases?) alot of people bought cases for the mini. however, not everyone. if people start talking and say: "my nano got scratched up in 2 days" you think someone will buy one without a case? cases are huge margin. as a rule of thumb a 40 dollar case is about 35-40% GM (Gross Margin). Since they're making minimal amounts of money on the player itself, what better way to increase royalty profits and gross margin alike?

[lavar78]

Originally Posted by lamewing

Overall, my biggest isssue with the nano is the battery and size. Apple could have kept the mini's size (and AL case), add flash memory and a color screen, kept the bigger battery and firewire support and it would have sold much better. People loved the mini!!! The battery life would have been better than 14 hours (why does Apple hobble their players with such poor battery life, when Sony can give 30+ hours?).

I agree about the casing. I love my nano (no scratches at all), but it could've been even nicer with a mini-like Al case. OTOH, I'd much rather have small size than double the battery life. I don't have a problem recharging the iPod periodically, so the battery life is just fine with me.

[Miniryu]

Originally Posted by lamewing

You seem to...

Who is more the fool: the idiot or the idiot who argues with the idiot?

[TheMosco]

i just got a 4gb nano. I love it. I have a 20 gig 3g. This is a nice alternative to it.

[schalliol]

Originally Posted by Miniryu

Who is more the fool: the idiot or the idiot who argues with the idiot?

The guy that asks the question.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by lavar78

I agree about the casing. I love my nano (no scratches at all), but it could've been even nicer with a mini-like Al case. OTOH, I'd much rather have small size than double the battery life. I don't have a problem recharging the iPod periodically, so the battery life is just fine with me.

The battery life is an issue with me, as the Sony flash players have up to 50 hours of play time. Why can't Apple keep the battery life they had with the mini...24 hours?

I found a nice solution to the fingerprint and scratches issue. Get this I ended up keeping my nano and returning the larger player (the lack of hard drive was too much to turn down). I took VERY FINE steel wool and LIGHTly ran it over the front of the nano and a bit harder on the back. The back has a nice, brushed metal look and the front has a nice even appearance that now hides fingerprints well. The only thing I couldn't fix it the O-ring on the black models picks up oils very eaisly. Oh well.

[willed]

Originally Posted by himself

I sometimes wonder how much the emphasis on USB with the newest iPods has to do with Apple cozying up with Intel... I would imagine that just as Apple has used the iPod to drive people to iTunes (and vice-versa), Apple could be able to influence wider adoption of firewire in the market if most people who bought iPods preferred connecting via firewire. Apple usually doesn't pass up such an opportunity to push its own interests over that of another company's when its own products are involved.

I don't think there's any conspiracy. I'd guess that it was to do with the size of the nano. As you may have noticed, it's pretty small. I'm no expert, but you probably would need another circuit board or something for it to be able to deal with FireWire. This would take up space. So no FireWire, as more people have USB2.

[lamewing]

The USB 2.0 transfers are as fast as firewire for the average Joe. Unless you are actually measuring data trasfer speeds down to the microsecond you will be fine. Also, I have a PC with firewire and USB 1.1 and to tell the truth, I can fill my entire nano up in about 2 hours. After that, minor changes are pretty quick.

The lack of firewire is only an issue if you (like me) don't have USB 2.0. I can buy a PCI card, but folks with older Macs don't have that luxury. Having said that, does it really matter if it takes 2 hours to fill versus 20 minutes? This only seems to be a problem if you are rushing out the door and need to replace ALL the music in your nano. Otherwise, sync before be and the next morning you have a fully charged nano with new music.

It is rather funny to see how we folks have been flim-flamed into believing that FAST FAST FAST is the only solution in our lives now. The folks who make advertisements have done their job very well.

[jay_p]

Oh! MY! GOD! This offer is (or rather was) spam-tastic!

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by jay_p

Oh! MY! GOD! This offer is (or rather was) spam-tastic!

Moderator? Why not delete the above post completely ban the spamming schmuck for all eternity?

[lavar78]

Originally Posted by lamewing

The battery life is an issue with me, as the Sony flash players have up to 50 hours of play time. Why can't Apple keep the battery life they had with the mini...24 hours?

Does Sony have a flash player that has to power a color screen? Personally, I think the nano's screen and size are worth the decrease in battery life. I have no need to listen to music for 50 hours without recharging anyway.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by lavar78

Does Sony have a flash player that has to power a color screen? Personally, I think the nano's screen and size are worth the decrease in battery life. I have no need to listen to music for 50 hours without recharging anyway.

Many folks don't need a color screen. The nano (or shuffle) wouldn't be of much use for someone who goes camping or hiking and would like to bring along some music. A few years back, I went hiking for 2 weeks in the Applalacians. I didn't have access to electricicty to charge anything. If a (fill in the blank) player had 50 hours of battery life, I could have listened to music the entire trip. That is 3.5 hours a day, for 14 days. The nano would have pooped out after 3 or 4 days.

My point is that there are many folks who could use the extra battery life. Also, more battery life equals less charges. Say you get 200 full charges from a battery. If that battery gives 14 hours per charge (or about three days of listening) you can expect a lifespan of about two years. It the battery had 50 hours of life you could expect a lifespan of 6+ years. It seems apparent that Apple is more concerned about appearance (size) versus longevity. It makes perfect business sense. Now the person that bought the nano has to replace it after two years. Top off the fact that the nano has the battery soldered to the logic board (unlike others - including the mini) and you pretty much have no choice but ot buy a new player in a couple of years.

[wilsonng]

Well, I'm glad that Apple has competition and we (the consumers) have freedom of choice. If I wanted a player with 50 hours of battery life, then I'd get brand X music player.

All we know is that consumers want more for their money now. Better battery life, better screens, better features, better price, etc.... This is what drives Apple, Creative, and all the portable player producers to come out with better products - competition.

My friend has one of those iPod external batteries where you pop in 9-volt batteries. Yes, it's a hassle but she lugs a few rechargable 9-volt batteries with her on the long flights overseas.

My boss actually has a little solar panel specifically made for the iPod. It opens up like a 3-petal flower and has that white iPod color. It is pure genius! You can charge your iPod daily with that thing! I'll have to ask him about it when he returns from his vacation.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by lamewing

Many folks don't need a color screen.

Ironically, it wasn't long ago that Apple was taking a lot of heat on this board for having that same opinion. And now that they for once put color ahead of battery life or capacity, they are - in the eyes of some - failing again. It seems very difficult to please everybody, even when you offer four to five different iPod models.

[Brien]

wilsonng - http://www.disruptivegroup.com/products/solio/

I'll get a Nano when the capacity hits 6GB +. The small size and that they are easy to scratch are the only things holding me back.

[lamewing]

Originally Posted by wilsonng

Well, I'm glad that Apple has competition and we (the consumers) have freedom of choice. If I wanted a player with 50 hours of battery life, then I'd get brand X music player.

All we know is that consumers want more for their money now. Better battery life, better screens, better features, better price, etc.... This is what drives Apple, Creative, and all the portable player producers to come out with better products - competition.

My friend has one of those iPod external batteries where you pop in 9-volt batteries. Yes, it's a hassle but she lugs a few rechargable 9-volt batteries with her on the long flights overseas.

My boss actually has a little solar panel specifically made for the iPod. It opens up like a 3-petal flower and has that white iPod color. It is pure genius! You can charge your iPod daily with that thing! I'll have to ask him about it when he returns from his vacation.

I have seen those solar devices. The company makes them for many different types of low-power electronic devices. Very cool and smart idea. Not cheap, but much better in the long run.