IPOD NANO (4TH GENERATION)

A New Nano to Envy




Apple's fourth-generation (4G) iPod nano melds the best of nanos old and new. Specifically, this version combines the older, more popular tall-and-slim design with the newer, larger screen from the third-generation player. It is also impressively priced given its additions, including on-the-go Genius playlists and adds a gimmicky but fun "shake to shuffle" feature. It's one of the best looking and most successfully executed flash players ever created, and like any good gadget, it's fun to use, despite its sophisticated user interface.

At 3.6 by 1.5 by 0.24 inches (HWD), the nano 4G comes in a rainbow of nine colors; some of those are seriously flashy, but there are also the basic silver and black. This nano is much thinner than its predecessor and weighs in at 1.3 ounces. The two-inch, 320-by-240-pixel LED screen is the same size as on the previous nano, but it has a curved glass surface. Although the nano 4G has voice recording, there is no built-in mic.

One big additionis the Genius feature, which works both within iTunes 8 and on the nano. (For more on how it works, read the iTunes 8 review below.) One of the more frivolous delights of the nano 4G is the new shake-to-shuffle feature: The player will switch to Shuffle mode when physically shaken-provided you're in the Now Playing screen.

The nano 4G represents a clear improvement in both form and function. The scroll wheel and subtly tweaked user interface are as intuitive as ever, and the screen-shifting option is a nice touch. Continual minor tweaks like these are what keep Apple's stronghold on the portable media player market intact and the reason the nano 4G easily earns our Editors' Choice. It's also why the new iPod touch (2nd generation) earns our Editors'Choice: for more on that, check out go.pcmag.com/touch2g.-Tim Gideon

PC Magazine November 2008