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*>> When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano, he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market, it’s not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano, but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent, and you don’t care much about music or you already have an mp3 player, I wouldn’t buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand, having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video, though, you’d be better off with an iPod touch.

One thing you’ll notice in the footage, where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders, is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night, in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video, it also didn’t do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I’m not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting), but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano, I think it’s clear that for indoor and lowlight there’s no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer, but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there’s no comparison — the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV, the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with, well, a toy camera. In all fairness, that’s all it is at this point. (Note, by the way, that, like the Flip, the nano will only take video and doesn’t take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer, but you can’t use the onboard camera to capture stills.)

Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It’s nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen — exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners, there’s a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact, I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways — the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I’ll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I’m conscientious about avoiding it, and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I’d done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison — and I thought about doing it over, but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)

So, to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera, fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there’s something you want to shoot, but not quite the quality we’ve come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8, that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano, but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.

What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly, you get to listen to music, you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to, you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature, excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture), a decent quality mini speaker, a somewhat useful pedometer, decent game options for killing time. You don’t get any of that with the Flip! Sure, the new iPod nano is a toy … but it’s a very cool toy.

*>> This should give you guys a pretty good idea of the night-time video quality of the 5th Generation iPod nano. The quality isn’t great, but it is really handy when you don’t have a dedicated camera on hand.

Another note is that conversion into a file format that Amazon accepts also degraded the quality slightly. Amazon does NOT accept the MP4 format that iPod nano records in.

*>> Let’s face it…we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small, portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don’t need apps. I don’t need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.

160 GB capacity for 40,000 songs, 25,000 photos, or 200 hours of video, Up to 36 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video playback when fully charged, 2.5-inch color LCD with LED backlight and 320 x 240 pixel resolution, Supports AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio formats, Highly recyclable aluminum and stainless steel enclosure

Customer Reviews

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*>>

*>> The new 160GB iPod Classic is easily Apple Inc.’s best iPod to date, and out of all of the iPods that I own, this is my favorite.

First, the capacity of this iPod is simply unbeatable. I’ve yet to see another portable media player that can match the iPod Classic in capacity. I have a huge music library, and it’s nice to be able to carry every song that I own on my person at all times. What’s more, thanks to the iPod Classic’s capacity, I also have room to carry a few videos with me, and some of my photos. If you don’t like having to pick which songs to load onto your portable media player, the iPod Classic is the way to go.

The second thing that I love about this iPod can be summed up in two words: it works. The 160GB iPod Classic that was introduced in 2007 was extremely buggy, had a non-responsive Clickwheel on many units, crashed frequently, and required a hit-and-miss firmware update to stop the hard drive from spinning even when the device was “off,” which often lead to dead batteries. All of these problems left the 2007 160GB iPod Classic warming shelves and earning it the infamous “honor” of being the “worst selling iPod ever,” according to Apple. I’m pleased to say that the new 160GB iPod Classic released earlier this month has virtually none of these problems. There’s no “spinning hard drive bug,” the Clickwheel is incredibly responsive, and the device isn’t crash-prone. While it’s true that many of these issues were fixed with last year’s iPod Classic, there hasn’t been a truly functional 160GB model until now. To put it bluntly, this is the iPod that Apple should’ve released in 2007.

Another thing that I really like about this iPod, and the iPod Classic in general, is it’s ability to double as an external hard drive. While I believe that the iPod Nano is also capable of this, the only iPod that really has enough space to function as an external hard drive is the iPod Classic. The hard drive functionality admittedly reduces the number of devices I have to carry on me at any given time. If you regularly work with large files and are considering a new iPod, the iPod Classic is the way to go, plain and simple.

So what are the caveats? Well for starters, as with every other iPod Classic, this is a hard-drive (rather than flash-memory) based device. As a result, it has moving parts which make it unsuitable for running or any physical activity that exerts mechanical shock onto the iPod. Unless you exercise constantly with your iPod though, this really shouldn’t be an issue. The only other caveat, which is more of personal taste than an actual flaw, that I can find, is that Apple has not made any cosmetic changes to this device since they introduced it in 2007. Now don’t get me wrong, the point of an iPod “Classic,” is to retain the “Classic” design, but after seeing how much better a black Clickwheel looks on the silver iPod Nano, I’d have thought that Apple would have given the silver iPod Classic a black Clickwheel as well. However, I admit that this is entirely my personal preference and not a “flaw” per se. I’ve put a quick list of pros and cons together, which can be seen below:

Pros: Largest iPod Capacity-wise, long battery life, “Genius” feature, excellent value for your money, well-built, doubles as an external hard drive, and improvements to Cover Flow.

Cons: Hard Drive (rather than Flash memory) based storage medium; device is cosmetically identical to the 2007 80GB model. (I still don’t understand why Apple hasn’t colored the Clickwheel black on the silver model to match the iPod Nano.)

Finally, I would highly recommend this product, which is why it gets five stars from me. I don’t like the iPod Nano; it’s too small for my hands, and the screen is too small for my eyes. While the iPod Touch may have app store access and Wi-Fi, I find it to be a really gimmicky device, that makes for a poor portable media player, (Apple was wise to position it as a handheld game system,) and is really an “iPhone without a phone.” In contrast, the iPod Classic is an excellent portable media player, it has an excellent interface, and it only costs $249 dollars. To put things in perspective, the 2009 160GB iPod Classic costs $70 dollars more than a 16GB iPod Nano, and $150 dollars less than a 64GB iPod Touch. All in all, I highly recommend this product.

IMPORTANT: To get started using your iPod, charge your player using the USB cable for at least 2 hours, 64 GB capacity for 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos, or 80 hours of video, Up to 30 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video playback when fully charged, 3.5-inch widescreen Multi-Touch display with 480 x 320 pixel resolution, Supports AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio formats; H.264 and MPEG-4 video formats; JPEG, BMP, GIF, One-year limited warranty with single incident of complimentary telephone technical support

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*>> After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It’s supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus, however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster, same thing with boot time), you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.

*>> The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds), the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.

*>> I got the 64GB iPod 3G for […]$, if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one), also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G,(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)

Customer Reviews

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*>> Before i start let me just tell you “what’s New” with the iPod touch Third generation” :

-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)
-Double the storage for the same old price
-Voice control (I’ll explain it in a second)
-Latest firmware for free
-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)

And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.

*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.

About the new Voice control function, if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature “Voice control” is pretty cool, it does allow you to control your music via your voice, no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say “Next” to move to next song, say “shuffle” for shuffle , say “Pause” and music playback will stop etc, that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users, my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod “properly Nano” for his Gym, for me i use my iPod touch for the gym, it’s so light that sometimes i forgot that it’s even in my pocket.

*>> My advice is to buy an external cover for the iPod–the 2nd Generation iPod Touch skins/cover fit the new 3rd Generation ones because the body is the same–and buy a screen protector so you keep the screen free from scratches and such. I already scratched the shiny back of my iPod just by placing it down on the table so be careful when you first get it if you don’t have a cover for it.

As long as you have Wi-Fi (wireless Internet connection) in your house/apt you can get full use out of the iPod Touch. You can also access free Wi-Fi hotspots in stores, restaurants, and other areas, so you can get on the Internet and download applications (apps) etc., check your email, go on facebook, youtube, even Amazon has an app, that can be downloaded onto the iPod.

*>> I really like that the BBC Reader will download their stories into the cache memory, once you connect via Wi-Fi so you can read the articles offline (when Wi-Fi is not available). NYT and AP will allow you to save articles that you can read offline as well. And the AP will deliver breaking news as long as you’re connected… ALL FREE!!!

I’ve downloaded a dictionary, spell checker, facebook, Grimm’s Fairytales and Alice In Wonderland books to read…all for FREE! I also got this free app called “Pandora” which is a radio station that will only play songs by artists that you want to hear. Too cool!

I know that I sound like a broken record with the “free” stuff but being a Verizon Wireless user, I’m sure other VZW customers feel me, I’m amazed that one can download and install quality, portable applications onto a device for no charge or subscription plan.

600D nylon, 2 side pockets, Padded laptop compartment, 3 roomy zippered compartments, Adjustable padded shoulder straps

Product Features
Sweat and water resistant
Eafin holding system provides a secure fit during workouts
High-output drivers for energizing sound
DuPont Kevlar reinforced cable for unmatched sound
Generous 2-year guarantee
Technical Details
Brand Name: Sennheiser
Model: MX 680
Item Weight: 0.4 pounds

Product Features

Sweat and water resistant
Eafin holding system provides a secure fit during workouts
High-output drivers for energizing sound
DuPont Kevlar reinforced cable for unmatched sound
Generous 2-year guarantee

Technical Details

Brand Name: Sennheiser
Model: MX 680
Item Weight: 0.4 pounds

Product Features
Sweat and water resistant
Clip on headphones provides a secure fit during workouts
High-output drivers for energizing sound
DuPont Kevlar reinforced cable for unmatched sound
Generous 2-year guarantee

Technical Details
Brand Name: Sennheiser
Model: OMX 680
Item Weight: 0.4 pounds

Product Features
Sweat and water resistant
Eafin holding system provides a secure fit during workouts
High-output drivers for energizing sound
DuPont Kevlar reinforced cable for unmatched sound
Generous 2-year guarantee

Technical Details
Brand Name: Sennheiser
Model: CX 680
Item Weight: 0.4 pounds

Product Description
We partnered with Adidas on ergonomic design for a precise and comfortable fit.A unique moisture-resistant materials wicks away sweat and rain.Dynamic Sennheiser transducers deliver true sound performance. Designed for extreme movement. Flexible materials absorb shocks and strain. Short cable ideal for use with MP3 armbands.

Neoprene, Protective, Velcro Strap, Fits all Music Players,, Reflective frame for safety in the dark, adjutable for any arm size