Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
Our Price: $499.99
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Category: Network Media Player
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: Apple ComputerBrand: Apple
Edition: Electronics
Audio: English (Original Language)
Release Date: 2009-11-30
Model: MA107LL/A
Color: Black
Publisher: Apple Computer
Studio: Apple Computer
Music Label: Apple Computer
Product features:
- 4 GB model stores up to 1000 songs; supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC, MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR
- Only .27 inches thin and 1.5 ounces, with a bright color display
- Up to 14 hours of music playback; up to 4 hours of slideshows with music
- Comes with earbud headphones, USB cable, dock adapter
- Compatible with Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later
- It is compatible with Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later.
- It comes with earbud headphones, USB cable, dock adapter.
- It is only .27 inches thin and 1.5 ounces, with a bright color display.
- iPod nano 4 GB model stores up to 1000 songs, supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC, MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR.
- It has up to 14 hours of music playback and up to 4 hours of slideshows with music.
- Red Leather Case for Ipod Nano
- Macally Portable Stereo Speaker for iPod nano 1G (White)
- iHome iHM77 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Black)
- DreamGear iSound 2-in-1 Speaker/Case Bundle for iPod nano 1G (White)
- Altec Lansing inMotion iM500 Speaker System for iPod nano 1G, 2G (Black)
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Hip and cool and fun, but sound quality is secondary
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought a 4GB Nano because I wanted a flash player I could use while exercising, but that's not the only reason. I also was curious about why the iPod in its various permutations has become such a cultural phenomenon. I'm an older guy who can remember when the only "portable player" was a small Japanese transistor radio, so I've seen a lot of changes in audio technology during my lifetime. The original Sony cassette Walkman was revolutionary in its day; the first portable cd players, with their virtually nonexistent antiskip functions, were considered a marvel. We've come a long way, baby.
For years now I've been content to use a good-quality portable cd player for my on-the-go music, along with Etymotic ER-4P canalphones, a tiny, twin earplug-like device that makes the headphones packaged with any commercial portable seem laughable by comparison. In the past few years, however, I have watched as the "iPod revolution" totally transformed the world of tiny audio, to the point where it's now virtually impossible to find a portable cd player with good sound quality. Portable digital players rule!
So I decided, what the hey, I'll give this new technology a try! I bought my Nano, along with a small leatherette case to ward off the apparently inevitable scratches this player suffers if you don't cover it up with something protective. Proving that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks, I quickly learned how to use the iTunes software, and I began loading my cd's onto my computer hard drive and, in turn, into my Nano's flash memory.
Two weeks into this Brave New World of Nano, my verdict is mostly positive, but definitely mixed. First of all, this thing is, indeed, FUN. Having a tiny, card-like device packed with hundreds of songs (or classical "movements") induces a definite feeling of power and control. At your fingertips! The fact that you can create "playlists," add or remove music quickly using the provided USB connection cord, and adjust the EQ with a just a few touches of the "clickwheel," induces near-giddiness sometimes. The battery life is impressive; it's not the 14 hours Apple claims, but it's lengthy enough that one seldom has to worry about the battery running down unexpectedly.
I haven't loaded any digital photos, podcasts or audiobooks, but hey, I feel good knowing that I can!
So indeed, I think I understand why people are so smitten with this little gem of a device. HOWEVER--the news isn't all good, and the most significant "bad news" involves what I consider to be the bottom line for any device that plays music, i.e., the sound quality. Most people "rip" and encode their music either as Mp3 or AAC files. By eliminating what is considered "less important" music information, these compression systems allow digitized versions of musical files to be far smaller than the full versions represented most commonly by WAV files. It's through the use of file compression that one can fit the advertised "1000 songs" on a 4GB Nano.
Although some fans of compressed formats swear that no human being can tell the difference between compressed and uncompressed musical formats, don't believe it. The old saying, "there's no such thing as a free lunch" definitely applies here. Fortunately, you can choose to eschew file compression by navigating into the iTunes software and selecting to encode music using "Apple lossless format." All iPod owners actually should do this at least once, encoding the same song using both AAC and "lossless" technology, so that they can discern whether the difference is significant to them. To me, it is, so for much of my music I have chosen to use the "lossless" format, meaning that I don't get nearly as many minutes of music on my Nano as I would have using AAC.
But the fact is that even using "lossless" format, the sound quality is not quite equal to that exhibited by even a fairly inexpensive portable cd player. I'm probably nitpicking here, but prospective buyers of this device should know that one is, in fact, trading audio quality for small size, convenience, and design "cool." Caveat Emptor.
Two more points regarding sound quality: first, those distinctive white earbuds that are packaged with the player are not bad by "included in the box" standards, but their rendition of sound is mediocre. Anyone who really cares about sound quality should save up to buy a better set of earphones. If you truly care about sound, bite the bullet and buy some Ultimate Ears Super fi 5 Pro in-ear monitors (they apparently were engineered with the iPods in mind) or a pair of the new Shure earbuds that are also excellent. These will seem incredibly expensive, but if you listen to a lot of music, it's an investment that definitely will prove worthwhile over a period of several years.
Second, keep in mind that the software/firmware that drive the iPods has limitations that some users will find irritating. Yes, I'm an Old Guy, but over the years I've developed an affection for certain kinds of electronic, nonstop dj mixes of dance music, the kind in which one song blends seamlessly into another. I also still listen to the Grateful Dead, well known for their ability to segue from one tune to the next. And keep in mind that even some more mainstream "pop" artists, including the Beatles, have utilized the nonstop blending of tracks in their albums.
Well, the iPod can't handle nonstop. It invariably inserts a small gap in between tracks, even if one is not intended. You can minimize this using the "crossover playback" function, but this really is not a satisfactory solution. You also can record cd's as one joined track, but then you lose the iPod's celebrated display of individual track names. In fairness, this is an issue that seems universal among digital players (with the exception of the now-discontinued Rio Karma 20 gb player). But until Apple comes up with a firmware upgrade that addresses this issue, the lack of "gapless playback" will continue to indicate that in some ways the new, hip digital players actually represent a movement backward in sound reproduction technology.
Overall, the victory of tiny digital players over previous formats, including CD, represents the triumph of convenience and cool, with sound quality apparently emerging as a secondary consideration for nearly all buyers. So I confess: there's a part of me that's bothered by the fact that in today's world, style, image, cool, and technology-as-fashion-accessory has become more important than actual sound quality in the marketing success of portable audio devices. I know, I'm a curmudgeon; I can't help it.
To conclude: on balance, I like my Nano, and I use it almost every day. When I want to hear music as it was intended to be heard, however, I use my old iRiver SlimX cd portable (no longer made).
Description of Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you spontaneously shoot video wherever you are. It has a dramatic, polished anodized aluminum finish and a larger screen. The new Genius Mixes feature acts as your personal DJ, automatically searching your iTunes library, then making mixes you'll love. iPod nano has a new Pedometer that counts your steps. It also has a built-in FM radio with two amazing features such as iTunes Tagging and Live Pause. So the world's most popular music player now has more to play with.Digital Cameras & Photo Categories
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