Apple's Nano: On being first in line @ Apple Store

Today I rushed to the Apple store to get my hands on one of the first Nanos this morning. The Nano is Apple’s replacement for the iPod mini. To replace the #1 mp3 player in the world is a bold move.

This is not my first iPod. No, my first is a great 60Gb photo (see picture). What attracted me to the Nano, other than the "shiny new gadget" factor, were the impressive product specs:

• 2Gb or 4Gb (1,000 songs / 25,000 photos for the 4Gb and 500 songs / 12,500 photos for the 2Gb). This is amazing for the size. Sometimes great things come in small packages.
• It is available with either a white or black case. I got the white, as no 4Gb available in black at this time.
• A color display
• The same click wheel we have grown to love.
• Thinner than a #2 Pencil
• 1.5 ounces (42 grams – information for my friends outside the US)
• USB 2 – As fast as you would expect
• Impressive 14 hour battery life

Compare this to other mp3 players (data comes from the unveiling in San Francisco by Apple CEO Steve Jobs):

• Original iPod – 80% smaller, 1/5th the size
• iPod mini – 62% smaller, 1/3 the size
• iRiver – 68% smaller
• Creative Zen – 69% smaller, 1/3 the size
• Zen Neon – 58% smaller, less than ½ the size
• 1/3 size of the smallest phone on the market
  

Now let’s talk features:

• 30 pin dock connector – Plugs in to the universe of accessories. I am now listening to it while it is docked in my Bose SoundDock. Sounds great!
• It has a all the same features as my iPod Photo and more. Among the new features are a flexible clock (have as many clocks as you want) with the ability to turn dark indicating night, stopwatch and lap timer, and cool screen lock set with the wheel.

Bottom-line price? $249 for the 4Gb, $199 for the 2Gb. Some may think this is steep, but I think you get a lot for your $$$ with this product. Look for accessories coming in the next 2 to 4 weeks.

May I be the first to say, "wow!" This is a fantastic device. It has all the elements that I like so much about the iPod Photo, yet it improves upon them by making the form factor smaller and better looking. The price is reasonable, as is the storage capacity. Nano is a cool name, too.

A couple of things I think you should know:

• The headset plug-in is located on the bottom of the device. I do not know why they did this. If you have it docked--through the 30-pin dock connector--you cannot plug in a headset to the unit. Hmm…
• My iPod Photo sounds better than the nano. Maybe this is expected.

I love this device--it is small, sounds great, and is very cool! Way to go Steve Jobs – with this new product, you launch a serious attack the 20% of the MP3 player market you do not already own.

(And no, I have not hacked it. That's next on my list. More to come in upcoming posts.)