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Photograph: Chris Manners
Apple IPod Nano 4GB MP3 Player - Black
Pricing
$154.00 From 1 Vendor Get Best Prices »
- Spec Navigator
- Battery
- Display
- Disply
- Features
- General
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Interface Connections
- Software
- Storage Included
- Storage Media
- Supported Audio Formats
- Supported Image Formats
- Supported Video Formats
Features
| Equalizer Settings | 22 |
| FM Recording | No |
| Plays For Sure | No |
| Replaceable Battery | 0 |
| Video Output | No |
| Video Support | No |
| Voice Recording | No |
Interface Connections
| Firewire | Yes |
| Headphone output | Yes |
| Line Out | No |
| Microphone input | No |
| USB | Yes |
| USB Host Adapter | No |
Storage Media
| Compact Flash | No |
| Memory Stick | No |
| Memory Stick Micro | No |
| micro SD | No |
| mini SD | No |
| SD card | No |
| Smart Media | No |
| xD Picture Card | No |
3
6 User Reviews Add your own »
$154.00
From 1 Vendor
Get Best Prices »
- Lab Tested
- How We Test MP3 Players »
Pros
Elegant design
High audio quality
Cons
Limits you to iTunes Music Store
Bottom Line
This elegant model has high audio quality and native photo support. But it's pricey and limits you to the iTunes Music Store.
Apple IPod Nano
IPod Nano 4GB MP3 Player - Black Review, by Edward N. Albro May 19, 2006
The first thing you notice about the flash-based iPod Nano, of course, is its tiny size. The slim 4GB Nano costs $249 (as of 4/13/06), and a 2GB model sells for $199. And its bright, crisp color display makes navigating your tunes a snap. But what's really impressive is its sound quality.
In PC World's new audio-quality tests, the Nano outscored every other flash-based audio player other than the Creative Zen Nano Plus; both players earned a mark of Superior. The Nano reproduced a broad range of frequencies more accurately than any other flash player and turned in the lowest (best) signal-to-noise ratio, so you're less likely to notice hum or hiss during quiet songs or in between tracks. In our test measuring how loud each player could get before adding 1 percent distortion--a commonly accepted threshold--the Nano produced clear sound at a louder volume than any other player.
The Nano weighs 1.5 ounces and is about 0.25-inch thick--so small that you scarcely feel it when you have the player in your shirt pocket. Surprisingly, its size was no impediment to functionality: I navigated the Nano's menus, displayed on its nearly postage-stamp-size display, without difficulty. The unit's screen resolution is sufficiently high that it can fit as many as 27 characters across, in extremely readable type.
But as good as the display is, you shouldn't get too excited about the Nano's ability to display photos: The shots I viewed looked dark, and even high-quality photos don't look so great when they are shrunk down to 1.5 inches across.
Whereas most flash-based players top out at 1GB, the Nano falls into the midcapacity range once exclusively the domain of players that carried internal hard drives. Because it uses flash memory, the Nano should be more rugged than its hard-drive counterparts (like the iPod), and thus more attractive to joggers, bicyclists, and others unwilling to risk ruining a hard-drive player during their exertions.
Apple has refashioned its signature scroll wheel into Nano-size proportions. This initially concerned me, since I have big, clumsy thumbs, but I had no trouble navigating the Nano. In my tests, the sound was very good, too, even through the included earbuds.
Like other iPods, the Nano uses a rechargeable battery that you can't replace. It ships without an AC adapter, so you have to charge it through the included cable and your USB port. That process takes about 3 hours; a single charge should last you 14 hours, according to Apple.
Most of my complaints about the Nano could apply to any iPod. Because it doesn't have a standard USB port, you're out of luck if you lose the proprietary cable or just don't happen to have it with you when you want to transfer some tunes. It doesn't play music from subscription services like Rhapsody or Napster. And you have to go through iTunes to move music on and off the Nano--your computer won't access the music library as just another drive. One Nano-specific grumble: The headphone jack is at the bottom of the player. This arrangement prevents users from standing the player on a table while listening to it.
But if you're an iTunes devotee already--or if you want a featherweight, fashionable MP3 player--you'll find plenty to love about the iPod Nano.
Edward N. Albro
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
-
89
-
73
-
81
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar MP3 Players
89
86
79
89
Performance
| Crosstalk, Average (dB) | -49 |
| Frequency Response Deviation, Average (dB) | 2.9 |
| Maximum Usable Output Level, Average (dBV) | -5.2 |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Average (dB) | 82 |
| Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Average (%) | 0.03 |
User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Apple IPod Nano 4GB MP3 Player - Black
1 Review Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 1 review
-
Reviewed by: res07ad5
Duration of ownership: 2 Days
Strengths: great sound, compact design and quick synchronization
Weaknesses: Does not support gapless playback!
Overall: Once again, Apple has released a new and improved iPod that fails to address a persistent complaint - gapless playback! I listen to classical music primarily, and opera in particular. I simply cannot tolerate the gap that iPods place between tracks, even when I specify to transfer my music as a gapless CD. Once again, Apple fails. I returned my iPod Nano to the store the day after I bought it.
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: kelsey_richards186
Strengths: its small and pretty
Weaknesses: short battery life and i cant get games onto the ipod and smuges easily
Overall: why can i only get games on my 40GB video ipod but i can not get games onto my 4GB ipod nano i realy would rather games on this because it is smaller.
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Reviewed by: maddog3929
Strengths: synch's up with itunes in a subliminal manor. Small and compact. earphone port on bottom. simple everything. lcd (and a color one at that).
Weaknesses: Click wheel extremely sensitive, I havent been able to change that, but don't know if u can. Very very expensive for such a small amount of storage. Much too trendy for me, everyone has this.
Overall: Easy use, extremely small, very high price, almost nothing apple makes is compatible with anything else (a greedy company is a very bad thing in my eyes). too trendy. there are better deals out there.
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Reviewed by: fight1872
Strengths: VERY SMALL, bright screen, great battery life
Weaknesses: non-removable battery. When the battery dies, you have to replace the entire item.
Overall: I am hard on my electronics, so i HIGHLY recommend purchasing the Speck Tough Skin Case. I got this right away and it has survived me for a month so far, it's great! It has fallen, thrown (to test the durability.. I'm not that crazy!!) Holds a great amount of songs, i wish it could hold a little more.
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Reviewed by: gadgetgreats
Strengths: compact nano-like designplays video - 1gb plays over 5 full feature films, 250+ songsGreat price - cost more than 1/3 LESS than the ipod Video
Weaknesses: can only get it in up to 2gb... which would be 10 films,, 1gb is standard
Overall: it all depends on how hyped you are about apple products. this product is clearly atleast 1/2 the price of the comperable apple product. it uses mpeg4 technology to compress data.
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Reviewed by: blkpylut
Strengths: SLIM, EASY TO USE, COMPACT, VERSATILE
Weaknesses: SHORT SHORT SHORT BATTERY LIFE
Overall: I love this little device. I have never been able to hold 300 songs in the palm of my hands. I listen to it in the car(I know, I know, that's not safe).The playlist are easy to compile and I love the games on it. I would buy this product again and again!!
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- Before you buy
- How to Buy an MP3 Player
- Related Charts
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