Technophobes first ipod (Apple iPod Nano (4G) 8 GB)

Member Name: kerrypanda

Product:	Apple iPod Nano (4G) 8 GB
Date:	15/06/09 (106 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Carrying 2000 songs around in your pocket.

Disadvantages: The Bermuda Triangle effect, where are my missing songs??

Disclaimer: If you are not a fellow technophobe you will probably learn nothing from this review!!

I love music. I have a collection of well over 500 cds. Being a major technophobe who only embraces new technology when I absolutely have no other choice I never took any notice of mp3 players or considered buying one.

Due to the ridiculously thin walls separating my house from my neighbours I usually used my cordless headphones as a courtesy. Then one day the headphones stopped working, so I went off to Currys to buy a new set.

In the window of Currys was a turning carousel displaying the new ipod nano (4G) ipods in nine different colours. They looked like little minimalist works of art, and it was love at first sight. Headphones forgotten I went straight to the cash register and impulse bought the blue one. It came with a £10 itunes voucher and cost £107.00. Even though I had no idea what to do with it I didn't ask for any advice in the shop as I felt embarrassed to be buying my first ipod in my thirties!

It was all very simple thankfully. Inside the clear plastic pod that it comes in is the ipod, which is very slim and very light, the headphones, a USB cable for charging and connecting to itunes, and a small instruction booklet. The main thing you need to do to really get going is download itunes, and you are walked through everything step by step. Even I couldn't mess it up.

I hadn't realised that I could transfer my cds onto the ipod, and if I had known I would have bought the 16GB version, as 2000 songs sounds a lot, but in reality it isn't. However I have recently realised that I can delete songs from my itunes music library and replace them with new ones.

To import one of my cds I go into itunes, insert a disc and it brings up the track listing and asks you to confirm you want to import the cd. You can uncheck songs on the list if you don't want them included.

Something else I was unaware of when I downloaded a live music concert is that video takes up more memory. A lot of music disappeared from my ipod and it took me a while to find it again. It does play video well though, I didn't think the quality would be great on such a small screen but I haven't had any issues with it.

Charging is simple, I just plug in the USB cable, it calls up itunes, synchronises the ipod and then charges automatically. A picture of a charged battery appears on screen when it's fully charged.

The coverflow feature doesn't appeal to me. If you tip the ipod sideways it brings up all your covers so you can flip through them. As I mainly imported my own cds, it doesn't show the cover art. I just see a row of black covers!

Although I have a large cd back catalogue I do download new music, and it is brilliant to not have to queue up in a shop, or search around for a cd. If I hear a new single and like it, I can be listening to it on my ipod five minutes later. It's also nice that you don't have to buy an entire album. I can usually listen to all album tracks on you tube and choose which ones I want to buy.

I do like the way you can shake the ipod and it starts playing a randomly chosen song, you can also set it to shuffle songs continuously or use the genius feature to play songs in your library that go well together. The ipod is sensitive and will change song if it gets jolted or dropped, but there is a locking button on the top of the ipod which stops that happening.

My ipod has frozen twice. The first time it happened I thought I was going to have to return it or send it to be repaired. Then I watched a video on you tube that explained how to unfreeze it. You press the menu icon and centre button simultaneously and it restarts itself with no loss of files. Handy to know!

I wouldn't be without an ipod now, even though it sometimes baffles me. Occasionally a song will just disappear into thin air. I downloaded a couple of 70s songs from itunes last month, and when I wanted to listen to one the other day it had just gone, it wasn't in the library either. Also the playlists blatantly lie - there is just no way in the world 'Revolution In The Head' by Girls Aloud is my most played song!

UPDATE: after just over a year of use the earphones have stopped working. The sound cut out on one side and I couldn't encourage it to work!

Summary: Well worth the money, I am an ipod convert.

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