Apple iPod nano 4 GB

Having eagerly anticipated receiving my Nano, I was not disappointed. Obviously I knew that it is the smallest MP3 player on the market, but I was still stunned by the miniscule size of it-I could scarcely barely believe that a hard drive supporting 4Gb worth of memory existed. The player looks fantastic, especially in glossy black. You will have heard that the screen scratches easily, but this is true of any other ipod, MP3 player or mobile phone on the market.

The same media formats as the other ipods are supported- AAC , Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV. It is a pity that WMA format tracks are not compatible with the Nano, since this would have saved hours of converting my CD collection into MP3. It is worth considering if you want a WMA compatible player, since it will save a lot of hassle.

Another very minor fault common to all ipods are the trademark headphones- which as well as providing tinny sound, mark you out for a mugger.

The range of features on offer are fantastic-as well as displaying album art, the nano Shuffles songs and albums, boasts 20 equalizers, has the famous apple click wheel, Skip-free playback, enables you to rate songs and play your favourites, features you would find on a mobile (date, alrm, clock, calendar) etc and numerous other features I cannot list here.

What made the ipod for me stand out more than my previous Iriver model was itunes, surely the simplest, most user friendly and best music software in the market. With USb 2.0, my tracks were downloaded at blazing speed, taking less than a second for each track to be moved.

I have found the nano an impressive player for physical activity, gym, trampoline, jogging etc- my nano has never skipped.

Although battery life is nowhere near the 14 hours claimed, it is still impressive and lasts long enough for the typical work day.

If you are to buy an ipod, buy the screen protector and protective. case. The nano has it all, in a tiny slim frame and the best looking exterior in the market.