iPod nano review

[Panacik]

Time for a quick update...

As you may be know, updated firmware for the iPod nano (3G) has been released. Ordinarily this is no big deal, but 1.0.1 is unique in that it fixes one of my previous annoyances and adds one highly requested feature. You may recall earlier I was complaining that with the 1.0 firmware, it made adding the "Sleep" shortcut to the main menu very finicky, as you could instantly put the nano back to sleep if you turned on the nano with the center button. 1.0.1 fixes this behavior, and there is no longer any issue with the sleep shortcut. But this firmware finally, after so many years, brings the "shuffle songs" feature to wherever you are in the nano. Before, you had to browse all the way back to the main menu to turn it on and off. But now, no matter where you are in your iPod (well, you have to be listening to music, obviously), you simply toggle through all the song options (scrubbing, artwork, lyrics, etc.) until it appears. You can either shuffle through just the current playlist/album or through all your songs.

(Sorry for the absolutely awful picture, but hopefully you can see what I mean. It's just a simple three-way switch, akin to what you might see on the iPhone.)

Yeah i noticed that too. Although i was always using the side buttons to wake it up and found out by accident. Its great that i have not found namy problems with the device. To me it just seems to work.

Is that a crack on your screen? :o

[dpanda]

Yeah i noticed that too. Although i was always using the side buttons to wake it up and found out by accident. Its great that i have not found namy problems with the device. To me it just seems to work.

Is that a crack on your screen? :o

i think thats the album art no?

[Quillz]

It's just the reflection of the album art. My screen is fine, no dust or cracks whatsoever.

[Panacik]

Ah ok, i wasnt to sure.

[dL]

Hey do you guys notice that you can actually move the wheel physically by a bit if you apply a bit of pressure (without hitting any of the 4 button) and pushing it up and down?

You actually feel that if you are scrolling through songs as well. It feels the wheel is moving ever so slightly. Is that normal?

Also is there any way to remove some minor scuff marks on the wheel?

dL

[Panacik]

Hey do you guys notice that you can actually move the wheel physically by a bit if you apply a bit of pressure (without hitting any of the 4 button) and pushing it up and down?

You actually feel that if you are scrolling through songs as well. It feels the wheel is moving ever so slightly. Is that normal?

Also is there any way to remove some minor scuff marks on the wheel?

dL

It does seem to move ever so slightly, but i think that would be normal.

I would recommend just getting a damp piece of cloth and rubbing it over the dirty area. If that fails, then damp it with a bit of Vodka or something, but i wouldnt do anyting to be honst in case it damages the unit.

[saxondale.]

1.0.2 has been released.

[Quillz]

1.0.2 has been released.

Cool, thanks for the notice. 1.0.1 fixed my biggest complaints, so I'm assuming that .2 just is for the usual "bug fixes."

[evo0o]

i got my nano for about 2 weeks already. everything is going fine, no scratches on either side yet.

[mrelusive978]

For those that are curious about video playback:

The day I purchased my iPod nano 3G, I used Handbrake to encode A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (my FAVORITE movie) for my iPod. I encoded the video at 320x240 700kbps H.264, 128kbps VBR stereo audio. Final size came out to 501.4MB. The image is crystal clear, with no compression artifacts thruout the entire move, even in heavy activity scenes (such as a scene at the beginning where it is raining hard). You can see every bit of detail in the original video, down to blades of grass and the individual rocks in a paved driveway. I even encoded the movie with embedded captions, which are crystal clear and quite easily readable on the Nano's screen. I am of the opinion that the video quality has far exceeded my expectations. I am more than happy to watch full length movies on it, it really saves my sanity when I am going back and forth from Kansas to South Carolina.

I think I may be able to reduce the filesize by using 650kbps video and 96kbps VBR AAC audio, possibly down to 350MB/400MB, which would let me put around 4 movies on there and still get about 2GB of music on there as well as my photos, calendars, and contacts, which is more than enough tunes for me.

[Randolph]

For those that are curious about video playback:

The day I purchased my iPod nano 3G, I used Handbrake to encode A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (my FAVORITE movie) for my iPod. I encoded the video at 320x240 700kbps H.264, 128kbps VBR stereo audio. Final size came out to 501.4MB. The image is crystal clear, with no compression artifacts thruout the entire move, even in heavy activity scenes (such as a scene at the beginning where it is raining hard). You can see every bit of detail in the original video, down to blades of grass and the individual rocks in a paved driveway. I even encoded the movie with embedded captions, which are crystal clear and quite easily readable on the Nano's screen. I am of the opinion that the video quality has far exceeded my expectations. I am more than happy to watch full length movies on it, it really saves my sanity when I am going back and forth from Kansas to South Carolina.

I think I may be able to reduce the filesize by using 650kbps video and 96kbps VBR AAC audio, possibly down to 350MB/400MB, which would let me put around 4 movies on there and still get about 2GB of music on there as well as my photos, calendars, and contacts, which is more than enough tunes for me.

Best post I read yet. (Y)

[Panacik]

For those that are curious about video playback:

The day I purchased my iPod nano 3G, I used Handbrake to encode A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (my FAVORITE movie) for my iPod. I encoded the video at 320x240 700kbps H.264, 128kbps VBR stereo audio. Final size came out to 501.4MB. The image is crystal clear, with no compression artifacts thruout the entire move, even in heavy activity scenes (such as a scene at the beginning where it is raining hard). You can see every bit of detail in the original video, down to blades of grass and the individual rocks in a paved driveway. I even encoded the movie with embedded captions, which are crystal clear and quite easily readable on the Nano's screen. I am of the opinion that the video quality has far exceeded my expectations. I am more than happy to watch full length movies on it, it really saves my sanity when I am going back and forth from Kansas to South Carolina.

I think I may be able to reduce the filesize by using 650kbps video and 96kbps VBR AAC audio, possibly down to 350MB/400MB, which would let me put around 4 movies on there and still get about 2GB of music on there as well as my photos, calendars, and contacts, which is more than enough tunes for me.

Sweet! I watched a video on my nano and i could see every detail too. I love my nano.

[Rappy Veteran]

Whats good for converting AVI to the correct format because I got mine at the weekend and I can't seem to find anything.

[mrelusive978]

Whats good for converting AVI to the correct format because I got mine at the weekend and I can't seem to find anything.

The freeware application iSquint (Macupdate Link) is fantastic for this, works with nearly all video formats, and best of all, it's FREE.

[Rappy Veteran]

The freeware application iSquint (Macupdate Link) is fantastic for this, works with nearly all video formats, and best of all, it's FREE.

I take it its not a Windows Program?

[mrelusive978]

I take it its not a Windows Program?

Nah, you did ask this question in the Mac forum. There are solutions for doing this for Windows, but everything I have found either has to be paid for, or is shareware that leaves a watermark. You could check out Versiontracker and search for 'Ipod video converter' to get a list of applications available for Windows. Or, you could always get Quicktime Pro, install codecs for Divx, etc. and use it to export your videos for iPod.

[Panacik]

Nah, you did ask this question in the Mac forum. There are solutions for doing this for Windows, but everything I have found either has to be paid for, or is shareware that leaves a watermark. You could check out Versiontracker and search for 'Ipod video converter' to get a list of applications available for Windows. Or, you could always get Quicktime Pro, install codecs for Divx, etc. and use it to export your videos for iPod.

Last time i looked, this as the reviews forum and not the Mac forum :s

[Rappy Veteran]

Nah, you did ask this question in the Mac forum. There are solutions for doing this for Windows, but everything I have found either has to be paid for, or is shareware that leaves a watermark. You could check out Versiontracker and search for 'Ipod video converter' to get a list of applications available for Windows. Or, you could always get Quicktime Pro, install codecs for Divx, etc. and use it to export your videos for iPod.

Ummm I asked it in this thread which is the reviews section I have never been to the mac section :ermm:, thanks anyhow :)

[Panacik]

Ummm I asked it in this thread which is the reviews section I have never been to the mac section :ermm:, thanks anyhow :)

Thats what i thought :s

Oh, and there is free software, i have it at home. Ill let you know ocne i take a look after work...

[Rappy Veteran]

Thats what i thought :s

Oh, and there is free software, i have it at home. Ill let you know ocne i take a look after work...

Cheers I just downloaded one and it worked :D

[mrelusive978]

Im sorry guys, I spend all my time in the Mac forums (obviously), and just forgot that I had wandered outside my normal stomping gorunds here. Apoligies.

[Panacik]

Im sorry guys, I spend all my time in the Mac forums (obviously), and just forgot that I had wandered outside my normal stomping gorunds here. Apoligies.

Lol, no problems mate (Y)

[acies]

What Windows software are you using to convert video?? :ninja: I'll be getting one of these new ipods soon. :D

[p858snake]

I don't think Apple can physically make the nano any smaller. It's already the exact same width as the USB cable, and in addition, it also has to serve the standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. So unless Apple moves to some (unpopular) adapters, you won't see it get any thinner than this.

Maybe something wireless (eg: bluetooth) although you would need something for power then.

[sanctified Veteran]

Just got mine last week, its a black one (Why red ones are so hard to find?)

I am enjoying it quite a bit. The hardware design its excellent, the new GUI its elegant, the wheel responds better (Or maybe I am less clumsy) and Vortex just rules!