The first thing that you will notice about the newest iPod nano, as shown in Figure 4, is that unlike previous nanos and many other MP3 players, it is short and squat instead of narrow and tall. This new form factor gives the nano a better fit in the hand, as shown in Figure 4, as well as in the pocket.

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Figure 4: Nano in hand.

The nano has an anodized aluminum top and, as shown in Figure 5, the polished stainless steel back is engraved with the iPod logo and the capacity.

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Figure 5: Back of the nano.

This nano comes in 4GB and 8GB capacities. The 4GB nano that we reviewed is available only in silver. The 8GB models come in pink, green, black, blue, and silver. There is also a red 8GB version available only at Apple stores and the Apple website. The 8GB version will hold about 8 hours of video, 2,000 audio tracks, or approximately 7.000 photos.

As with other iPods, the scroll wheel on the front is used to start and stop the iPod, choose songs, and control the volume. As shown in Figure 6, the nano’s USB cable is used to hook the nano up to the computer.

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Figure 6: Nano hooked up to computer.

The iTunes software which is available for free from the Apple website can be used by both Mac and PC computers. This software makes it easy to transfer music to your iPod. You can also purchase music directly from Apple through the iTunes Store which is part of the iTunes software.