Apple has abandoned its slim and light Ipod with decently sized display and clickwheel and unveiled the Ipod Nano with a completely new touch screen technology. (The in factor with all the mobile phones!).
The new device is a full touch screen device that brings to mind something more like a large, living postage stamp than a portable music player. This is a complete departure from the older version. The music gadget boasts of only three hardware buttons. These include one larger button on the top right for power / sleep; two smaller, circular ones on the top left for volume controls.
Let`s check out the feature list of this music gadget in a better detail:
Hardware:
Slightly wider – 1.54-inch 240 x 240 capacitive multi touch LCD display. The touch screen provides larger accuracy. The Ipod Nano, weighs roughly around 21 grams as compared to the older version which was around 36g, making it barely noticeable when you attach it to your shirt or strap it on your bag.
Software:
While hardware is all about devices, the software is all about simplicity and ease to use features. On this front, the company has done away with some of it’s older features and stuck around to a more easy to use simple features with which you can only listen to songs and look at the videos. It has done away with the video camera and the ability to pay back the video thus making the gadget simpler. Along with that the company has done away with a lot of extra stuff which include contacts, calendars, notes amongst others. The other software which we shall talk about a bit of in detail include – the interface and the sound quality.
Interface:
According to the critics, the new interface provides a better insight than the classic iPod interface. While the options for sorting and playback remain the same, the multi touch iOS-ness helps you get away with the endless scrolling through menus to search what you are exactly looking out for. Reviewers have claimed that the Nano`s new interface is a mixture of a wide variety of tried and tested frameworks, making the gadget so appealing that they have at times mistaken the gadget to be an actual phone.
Describing some of the key additions and subtractions in the interface would be worthwhile.
While the company has dedicated icons for podcasts, FM radio, video recorder, Apple has left the “add” and “edit” button for play lists for the user to explore. Another noticeable feature is what while one can use the multitouch to rotate the screen to the orientation required, the photos don`t provide that option. In this category, one has to double tap to zoom to view the required snap shot.
Sound Quality aka playback:
Again here, reviewers have given a thumbs up to the sound quality of the given the size and price point. The noticeable point is that while the bass feels full and deep, the highs were less cutting than the other players. However, the gadget fails to compete with recognized players like Zune and Walkman as regards quality but that can be discounted.
The final verdict!
Coming to the round off, the new version surely makes one feel like heaven, especially if you have been using the same iPod nano for a couple of years from now. While the gadget is surely for an upper end pocket, you can surely go for keeping in mind the slew of fresh additions and subtractions which are abruptly noticeable. The gadget is smart, fast and a capable player which is capable of pleasing the markets. A request to the nano (we are not referring to the Tata Nano here!) makers – Please reduce your price so that it can fit the masses as well!