The Apple iPod Nano Second Generation

When Apple Computer introduced the iPod nano 2G one year ago, it displaced its most popular, colorful iPod - the iPod mini - with a technologically stunning but easily damaged and more expensive alternative.
In the Fall of 2006, Apple radically updated the nano, fusing the DNA of its two best mid-range iPod designs into a single excellent package: the second-generation nano ($149-249). Sold in three capacities - 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB - and five initial colors, the new nano eliminates several of the biggest complaints about its predecessor, and will leave iPod buyers with only one major question: which do I want more, a $249 8GB nano or a $249 30GB iPod with video?

In a move that some users think is a cruel or foolish trick on Apple's part, the new nanos are sold in colors that vary by capacity.
If you want a black iPod nano, you need to buy the 8GB version; if you want a blue, green or pink nano, you need to buy the 4GB version. Red nanos are available in 4GB and 8GB capacities, while silver nanos are available in 2GB and 4GB capacities - you have no color choice but silver at the 2GB level.
While we understand the major business motivations for Apple's limited offerings - inventory management and a desire to force customers to pony up $249 for the popular black color - at a minimum, the green, pink, and blue bodies should really be available in 8GB capacities via special order. Additional colors, of course, would be much appreciated.

If it's not instantly obvious from the smaller-than-CD-sized package, Apple no longer includes iTunes software in the iPod nano's package - you're instructed to download the software yourself from Apple's web site before you connect the nano to your computer.
This is an unfortunate inconvenience for anyone who doesn't have broadband Internet access, but trivial for everyone else - the 25 Megabyte download took us only a couple of minutes on a high-speed connection. Also missing from the box is the small fabric starter case Apple surreptitiously inserted into the prior nano's case when people threatened lawsuits over that model's scratchability; it's frankly no longer necessary.

Apple's new iPod nano is basically a remixed evolution of both of these products, building upon the best obvious features of iPod mini and nano to create a more resilient and powerful music player that's also less expensive than the prior nano.
The second-generation iPod nano is made from iPod mini-like aluminum, comes in the same four colors (silver, green, blue, and pink) of the prior mini, plus black and red versions, has three storage capacities (2GB, 4GB, 8GB), and delivers 24-hour battery life on a single charge.
It is slightly thinner (0.26") and lighter (1.41 ounces) than the prior iPod nano but otherwise dimensionally the same, has a 40% brighter screen (shown below), and adds one major new feature - recording capabilities, via accessories - to the nano's bag of tricks. Fingerprints are still visible on the new nano's casing when you touch it, but nowhere near as bad as on the prior version's. Scratchability has most likely taken a major nosedive across the entire casing as well.

Is anything missing from the prior nano hardware? Not really, unless you consider physical support for all of the old nano's accessories to be important. Our New and Old Accessories section below adds additional details on this subject. Additionally, Apple has shrunk the nano's packaging considerably, for the first time leaving iTunes software entirely out of the iPod's box. We discuss that in the Colors, Packaging, and Pack-Ins section below.

iPod Nano 2G Cases at Gordys Gadgets