A little look at newest iPod nano

When I first saw Apple's latest iPod nano ($149 and up), I was impressed by its small size and feather weight. I've reviewed iPod video and iPod mini players before, but never the nano. So it's time to give this popular iPod model a closer look.

It used to be that when a music player was small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, its display and controls were too tiny to read. They're not on this player.

It used to be that a pocket player could only hold a few songs, but this latest nano holds 500 to 2,000 songs, depending on the model. The 8GB model in my hand can hold up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 photos or some combination of both.

Besides music and photos, the nano can store and play audio books and podcasts, and can sync and display contacts and calendars.

The nano can't play video as the larger iPod can, but the nano's flash memory chip makes it more stable for vigorous workouts, meaning its music is less likely to skip while running or dancing with it.

Plus, the nano is easy enough to use that my 13-year-old daughter could probably manage without much, if any, help.

Let's see. The included instructions are short: Download and install iTunes to store and organize media for playback on the iPod (my daughter can manage that); get music from the iTunes Store or transfer it from CDs (easy enough); connect the iPod to a Mac or PC with the included USB cable. Then, follow the Setup Assistant's screen directions to customize what's automatically downloaded to the iPod; charge the iPod battery and transfer music to it from iTunes; and, finally, disconnect the iPod by clicking the Eject button.

To play music on the iPod, use its display screen to navigate the menus for choosing songs, genres, or playlists, as well as adjusting volume, moving forward and backward in the collection, and other controls.

All these steps are easy enough for my daughter to manage, and probably for the young and old on your holiday gift-giving list as well.

The directions included in the package are brief, though they can get you started using the nano.

For more detailed information, click to the Help menu in iTunes and choose iPod Help, or go to www.apple.com/support/manuals/ipod.

The iPod nano manual is 60 pages, and if you're new to using an iPod, it's probably a good idea to print and read the manual so you can learn about all of the player's capabilities and have the information handy for reference later.

Even if you've been using an iPod for a while, there may be controls or features that are new to you, such as how to search for a song or album by using the search alphabet, shuffle songs so they play in random order, skip to any point in a song, fast-forward or rewind a song, or add songs to a playlist. All this information is in the online manual.

Plus, if your iPod ever freezes and you can't do anything with it (that has happened to me more than once), it's important to know how to reset it. The manual provides directions for that process, too.

OK, I've installed the new nano and transferred a few hundred songs to it, along with some photos and an audio book I recently bought. I can also store podcasts, and sync a calendar and contacts list from my computer to the nano, use the nano as a backup disk for important files, and use its internal alarm clock and stopwatch.

But, for now, I just want to use the nano to listen to music and audio books while exercising on my treadmill, waiting for my daughter, or simply relaxing on the couch.

The music sounds good. In truth, I'm totally deaf without my Cochlear hearing system, and with it, I can hear quite clearly when it's connected to the iPod with a special cable.

In fact, I'm lucky, because my hearing device enables me to cut out all sound (including the treadmill's loud motor) except the music and voices that come from the iPod.

The latest nano measures 3.5 by 1.6 by .26 inches and weighs 1.4 ounces. It comes in five colors and three capacities (2GB, $149, silver only; 4GB, $199, silver, green, blue, pink; 8GB, $249, black only). The latest nano's screen display is reportedly 40 percent brighter, battery life is now up to 24 hours, and the redesigned ear buds are said to be better.

For iPod content, the iTunes store offers 3.5 million songs (99 cents each), more than 20,000 audio books (varying prices), and more than 65,000 free podcasts.

Besides all this, there's a large and growing collection of accessories for the nano and other iPod models, including protective cases, headsets, external speaker systems, larger viewing screens, cables for connecting an iPod to a TV, and more. To take a look, search the Internet using keywords such as: iPod accessories, or more specifically, iPod speakers, iPod cases and so forth.

For extra help with the nano (or any iPod model), and to become a more advanced user, consider getting (or giving) a support book. One of my favorites is "iPod: The Missing Manual" (Fifth edition), by J.D. Biersdorfer ($20), which is fresh off the press.

Write Linda Knapp at lknapp@seattletimes.com; to read other Getting Started columns, go to: www.seattletimes.com/gettingstarted