Apple iPod nano 2 GB

IPod Nano 2GB
The iPod Nano 2GB was a first and second generation music player designed by Apple. It was designed to be smaller and less expensive than the large iPod classic. I currently own the 2nd generation version of the iPod Nano which was first released in 2006 and has long since been updated with new generations of the Nano. The storage capacity of the product was relatively low at 2GB and allowed me to save about 350 songs.

Appearance
The product looked stylish, mine was silver in colour predominantly with a white circular keypad which allowed me to select, play and access certain features. My Nano measured 9cm in length, 4cm in width and had had a thickness of 0.5cm. The product featured smooth edges at the side, with flat surfaces on the top of the product and the bottom of it. The top of the iPod had a hold switch which allows you to lock the iPod keypad. The bottom of the product featured a headphone port and a USB port for PC connection. The screen had a width of 3cm and a height of 2.5cm and featured a backlight. There is a logo of an Apple on the back of the product, and text below the product reading “iPod”. There is also other information such as the size of the iPod and part numbers. All this text was in a special silver form which was indented onto the casing of the iPod. The casing was made from a mixture silver aluminium and white plastic.

Features
The product featured a few features which are now basic compared to the later generations of Nano which have been developed. You could design playlists, load photos, use a clock, calendar, notes, stopwatch, have a list of contacts, play games such as Solitaire, Parachute and Brick. There was also a music quiz game where the iPod would play a list of songs on your iPod and you had to guess what they were in a time limit. You could also shuffle songs so they would play in a random order. The games and features were pretty basic, but the main reason why I bought an iPod was to listen to music whilst I was running, not play games and upload photos and so on. The features were not great but were useful and I did from time to time play the music quiz game. The product also came with a USB cable for connection to a computer and some headphones made by Apple. The USB lead is still in usable condition today for me but the Apple headphones were cheap and low quality, and broke within about a month. The earphone cover snapped off and the electronics inside were just hanging out and would be dangerous to use, so I just put them in the bin.

Durability
The product has lasted me around 4 years now and I’ve never had to take it into repair. The aluminium casing is strong, it has numerous scratches and marks on it, but there is no serious damage. All of the software works well and all of the features are still working in perfect condition. There have been no software problems such as the iPod turning itself off spontaneous or the product freezing. So overall, the product has held up very well and has been a durable investment for me. I have noticed however that occasionally the iPod is difficult to turn off, it won’t turn off normally so I have to move the hold switch for a few seconds, then move it back, then press the play button on the keypad and it will then finally turn off.
Battery life
The battery life is nothing special on the 2nd generation 2GB Nano, with the backlight on it would last maybe an hour or two before needing another charge. The battery may have depleted over the years but still, I would expect a good few hours of power before having to charge it even with the backlight on. What I now do is that I access the settings menu and turn the backlight off altogether. This saves a lot more battery power and my iPod can now last up to 4 or 5 hours without needing charged if I’m just listening to music and not playing any games.

Storage Capacity
The product was introduced in 2006 and was small and compact in size but also in memory too. The product could only store 2GB of songs and data which was advertised as up to 500 songs. I never managed to store that many songs so I think it was a misleading claim to make. I currently have around 350 songs on my iPod and can’t get any more songs on as it takes up all the memory. I think most people will be in this situation as well, you will not be able to save anywhere near 500 songs on it. The latest generation Nano on the market is touch screen and similar in size to an iPod shuffle, it can store an amazing 16GB of data in its tiny size, which would be around 4,000 songs. Overall, the 2nd generation iPod Nano 2GB is small in size and has a low storage capacity.

Pricing
In 2007, I bought this product which was close to when it was first released. I believe I purchased it for £105 online which was a shocking amount of money considering you can now purchase directly from Apple.com, the new 6th generation Nano with the touch screen with 8GB of memory for £130. The price at the time was reasonable as I remember seeing my 2GB silver 2nd generation iPod advertised in one high street shop for £120 in 2007. But now due to advances in technology and a decrease in the price of electronics, you can buy the latest most up to date iPods for not too much more. As the 2nd generation model is now 5 years out of date since it was released and is no longer manufactured by Apple, to pick up a used 2nd generation model will cost you about £30 from eBay UK.

Conclusion
To conclude, my silver 2nd generation iPod 2GB Nano has served me well and has had brilliant durability with its tough aluminium casing. The features are quite basic compared to the latest touch screen 6th generation Nanos but if all you need is for it to play songs and maybe the odd game then the 2nd generation comes up trumps. However, I think the headphones that came with the product break easily, the storage capacity is tiny compared to the 16GB Nanos of today, the battery life is poor when the backlight is on which is annoying when you have to charge it up daily, the occasional problem of it not turning off easily, and the price of £105 in 2007 was incredibly high for just the 2GB of memory you got. If you want a touch of Nostalgia then look on eBay for a second hand 2nd generation model for about £30, if you want something modern, better and greatly improved then I’d highly recommend a 5th of 6th generation iPod Nano with improved memory, features and battery power. Overall, my old 2007 bought 2nd Generation Nano has served and is still serving me well, but is now outdated and outclassed.

© Revo9 (2011)
*Note, I am both a member of Ciao and Dooyoo.co.uk under the same username of Revo9*