A week with the new iPod Nano

can you get on the internet with the new nano ipods?
and are they better then the old nanos?

the only thing that i hate in the ipod nano 3g is the scratchable metal back...

Well written Nik, thanks for posting. I'm a new iPod user.

Good piece of mini-gear,
serves it purpose quite well so far,
except for it not being very consistent ...could perhaps be my fault due to not having experience setting up an iPod.

if there's anyone out there that can assist via email / help me learn quickly how to enable the unit to be 'seen' by other computers' (updated) iTunes, I would be willing to share quality music that I either produce, or am affiliated with. I'm a professional musician / producer / touring performer / certified music educator.

I'd like to know how to

1. ACTIVATE/ ENABLE iTunes to see the iPod.

Currently connected, display shows the connection on the Nano & I've connected it to other computers, but iTunes doesnt ever see it; so I can't yet update tracks that I need to listen to, chart-out for rehearsals, lessons, and travel.

2. HOW DO I ADD VIDEOS / OR MOVIES I'VE PRODUCED. I'd like to try downloading/purchasing an actual movie, again I'm a first-timer, sorry if these questions are remedial. Where do I go to rock a movie download.

3. IS THERE AN ONLINE MANUAL FOR THE IPOD NANO VIDEO THAT I CAN DOWNLOAD

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

_/..
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P.S.

I purchsed the new VidNano, opened the container, turned it on, off, placed it in my pocket then drove to my studio. Upon arrival (6-7 minute drive) the back silver panel was scratched as if it had been dragged through sand - I had nothing in my pocket. This concerns me, but..if the thing works I'll get over that quirk, quickly :)-

www.MySpace.com/eVL_e

i just wanted to say i-pod's design is awesome and sexy, i like it. BUT, the sound quality sucks! I bought my first nano not because of it's "brand name" but its design, but regret it because of the bad sound. Used it for less than 2 months and shelved it in my cabinet, never used it again. They don't have the "custom" equalizer setting that can suit into your sound taste. Transferring of files sucks too coz you cannot just drag it in but have to put all songs to itunes one by one (wastes a lot of time!!!) and type it ,blah blah and you cannot drag folders and individual songs as you wish you would like it to be arranged. Playlist is badly created. Means, it's not user friendly. So, overall, it's just the looks that is attractive. People buy it because it's "brand name", obviously. I love music and would like to enjoy a high quality music not noise. I'm using iaudio and happy with it. It's not as stylish as ipod but the important is it's got good quality sound that you can enjoy your favorite music.

(1) BillG --- there is more to life than memory capacity.
What makes the nano so desirable for me is that I can hang it around my neck with the lanyard headset. Until the touch is light enough to hang around the neck, and lanyard headphones are available for it, I wouldn't even consider it. Even then ...

(2) Which takes us to point 2. Nik, when you review future iPods can you please do a decent job of covering how they handle spoken word audio?
There are a number of problems with the current handling of spoken word audio including
- only one faster than real-time speed is offered (1.25x) and it often far too slow. I preprocess most of the audio I listen to have it at 1.3x, then run it at 1.25x on my nano for a total of about 1.6x, but it is completely retarded that I should have to preprocess the audio in the first place.
- only "audiobooks" are played at faster than realtime. In particular neither mp3 files nor podcasts of AAC files (even of type m4b) are played at faster than realtime. Likewise (I assume) for video.
- the handling of volume over spoken word material is pathetic and generally results in something that is mostly way too soft in volume, with perhaps some tiny isolated bit at the end of clapping that is way too loud. A decent solution might involve, for example, companding the volume.

Finally the iPhone (and now the touch) have taken a major step backward in usability for spoken word by not providing easy access, while a track is playing, to the speed control. While most of my audio works best, as I said, at 1.6x, every so often you hit a fast speaker, and want to play the track at the 1.3x, without the 1.25x speedup from the iPod. On the nano it is trivial to get to this control by just hitting the center button a few times, and just as trivial to undo it when you move to the next track. On the iPhone and touch this requires a major excursion into the settings app. And it's so freaking stupid, because the same UI that is used to provide one with access to the random access control could easily give one access to a really cool, variable speed faster-than-realtime control.

My point in all this is that what we (or at least I) want reviewers to do is track all these sorts of issues so that we know, when a new device comes out, if it is worth getting or not. FWIW I am still on my 1st gen nano; if Apple released a device that did a better job with spoken word audio
I would buy it in a sec; but until then flashy games with video might appeal to some buyers but aren't going to sway me.

Good review. I didn't like the look in photos, but in person it's a lot more attractive. Thanks for writing this.

I am a bit disappointed with the nano. The bass isn't good enough...

I too have had an 8G red Nano for a week. I usually avoid being an early adopter of anything because the last time I did, it was a Core Duo MacBook, which spent two 3-week sessions at the Apple Repair Center with heat issues, followed by a dead hard drive six months later.

Anyway, it's great because now, once I learn how, I can excerpt and carry sound and video bites to show people like a mini- Daily Show. Imagine my disappointment when I found that no cable on the market would pipe video to my TV system. How and WHY did Apple screw THAT one up, unless it was specifically to sell you their cable, which won't be in stock for another week or two.

In any case, the image is better than any other tiny video device I have seen, including the 3rd generation RAZR phone. This is only my 2nd iPod, with my Gen4 model doing nothing but sitting in the glove compartment to serve my MiniCooper radio with better music than any station around here. Because I never had the candy bar model Nano, the 3G does not feel awkward in my palm.

Desired peripheral: A tiny, appropriately sized speaker system that uses hearing aid batteries and plugs into the bottom of the Nano so two people can hear those videos I plan to carry.

Nice post. Thanks for sharing and giving us a real-life evaluation.

i need help... how come it a second ago it was ok, i turn it off and after a couple of mins. i try to turn it on and it wouldnt. nothing happend to it. didnt get wet, fall,whatever...it just died. i dont understand whats wrong with it. err...theres no apple centers or mc technitians on the island here where im currently at. ugh.