When the original ipod nano was released - of course I wanted one. Every child within reach of a TV or newspaper wanted one; the slender design and stunning good looks captivated the entire buying market. Shops were overcome with demand, as everyone from thirty year old recovering alcoholics to five year old juvenile delinquents with credit cards rushed to seize up what remained. Meanwhile, the creators at Apple lapped it up; they sat and watched the stampedes forming with smug grins on their faces - anticipating the inevitable success that was still to come.

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Each particular model of the Ipod Nano range comes with its own pre-selected list of colourations. And whilst both the model with the lowest storage capacity and the model with the highest are limited to only one colour each, the mid-range 4gb exceeds with a multitude of versions being sold. The fact that the 2gb Ipod Nano is only produced in silver; which could be perceived as slightly dull, could have been intended to propel colour-envious individuals to opt for the more expensive 4gb - a devious move by any standards. Meanwhile the 4gb is produced in not only silver, but blue, green and pink. Considering that the Nano's target market is mainly teenagers, these colours seem to suit everyone. A limited charity edition has also seen red being added to the list of colours, alongside the original four. The only colour the top of the range black model permanently features is black, although it is also temporarily reaping the benefits of the red charity edition. The black model also hosts a black clickwheel, and is the only Nano where the colour of the clickwheel matches the colour of the body. As I opted for the 2gb silver, this is what I shall be reviewing.

The packaging of the second generation Ipod Nano has experienced a radical change since the original was brought out, with an immensely small plastic shell replacing the thick black box that Ipod's are usually housed inside. This 52% reduction in volume seems to understate the whole nano feel, as well as being something for the environmentalists to shout about. Suspended between two transparent supports lies the actual ipod, underneath which the accessories are hidden in a white box.

Apparently the size of the packaging hints at what's inside, because I had to use a magnifying glass to find anything. The usual three tree's worth of paperwork is missing, and in its place we find a small wad of leaflets, neatly held together with a plastic seal. I would have deemed these completely useless, if it had not been for the illustrations. I remember my first Ipod, and the nightmares I had pointlessly trying to discover what went where - so I can imagine the illustrations would be extremely useful to 'Ipod Virgins'. Saying that, the written instructions told me nothing that I needed, or even wanted to know, and I set up my Ipod based on memorized experience rather than from non-existent guidance from Apple. Being stubborn, I just couldn't accept that Apple might have decided to banish the full set of instructions - and so I set about finding them. Sure enough, squashed into the back of a leaflet, I found a link to the Apple website; full to the brim with helpful hints and tips.

The USB cable included has proved invaluable to me. Obviously without it I wouldn't be able to transfer files, nor would I be able to charge. But my old one was beginning to look like it'd spent a week in the coal mines.

One thing that was missing was a CD. Apple claim that this is no longer needed, because the software can be downloaded from their website. Call me old-fashioned (at your own risk,) but I much preferred the CD as a method of getting Itunes; it was much more straightforward, and downloading had no chance of being interrupted by a faulty internet connection. I already had Itunes 6 installed on my computer, but needed an upgrade to Itunes 7, which is readily compatible with the new range of Ipod's. Frankly, the new Itunes isn't that much of an improvement, although it's easier on the eye.

In case of the unfortunate event that you have been locked in a dark room for the last five years; I'll explain how the Ipod works. The actual Mp3 player features one simple click wheel, which in fairness is all you need; and the simplicity of which has made Apple famous. You spin your finger around the wheel to change volume or browse through tracks, and press the center button to go forward, (like an enter button.) There's then a play/pause button at the bottom of the wheel, and a menu button at the top. The menu buttons takes you back, so it's strange that it's called a 'menu' button. On each side of the clickwheel there is also a fast-forward/backward button. The click wheel is touch sensitive, and feels almost next-generation to use. There is also a small switch at the top, which in effect locks the wheel. Because Ipod's are touch sensitive, it's extremely easy to press something you didn't want to press whilst it's in your pocket, such as the volume control - so I'd advise you always use this. On the bottom of the Ipod are two sockets, one for the earphones, and one for the USB cord.

Press the music button and you come across a whole range of ways to find the song you're looking for. New to this ipod is the search feature, which doesn't live up to expectations.

There is also an extra's menu. Basically you get a clock; with Californian time already installed, (I assume this is where they make the Ipod.) Setting the time and date for England couldn't be easier, as all times zones around the world are included in a list, from which you pick and choose to go on the main screen. If I, for any reason found myself without a phone or watch, (presumably I'm on a desert island here?) then the Ipod makes for a great replacement. The clock is also handy whilst traveling because you can view multiple times simultaneously. A few simple games, which I found hard to use with the clickwheel, also feature. As does a contacts list, a calendar, stopwatch and notes section. Just don't ask me what I was timing with the stopwatch. ;-P

Whatever your view, this time round it's not a problem. I've had the ipod for a few weeks now and although it's obtained a few minor scratches there's nothing serious. I've dropped it numerous times, and on the one occasion that it actually pulled free from the earphones and fell to the ground it left the incident unscathed. I've also sat on it, and it came out from that fine as well.

Apple also claims a longer battery life of 24 hours. Especially for this review I decided to test that theory out, and left it playing music overnight. I returned the following morning expecting the ipod to have died, but as a pleasant surprise I found it just over 2/3 full. In fact, the little bugger refused to die. It took a grand total of 29 hours 34 minutes for it to stop working. This is by far the best battery life I've ever seen in an ipod. And not only does it fulfill the claims made by apple, but they seem to have underrated it's powers. This is a day I thought I'd never see.

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