Apple iPod Nano

So, is there any downside to the Nano? Only one that I can think of: the lack of a lanyard loop. Obviously a device like the Nano cries out to be hung from your neck - despite fitting so snugly and unobtrusively in your pocket, it wants to be seen. But there's no way to attach the Nano to a lanyard, leaving you only with the option of buying the official Apple lanyard headphones. Of course, at £25, they don't come cheap, and even if you were willing to shell out the cash, Apple doesn't have any yet. In fact, the folk at the Apple Store had no idea when stock would be arriving, despite the fact that pretty much every customer who bought a Nano was asking for them.

With the inability to hang the Nano from my neck being my only complaint, I can’t help but feel that Apple has pulled off a master stroke. Not only is the Nano better than anything else on the market, it’s actually cheaper than pretty much any comparable Flash-based device. If you thought that the competition were starting to catch up with Apple, you'd better think again.

Verdict

The iPod Nano is the kind of product that just makes you stop and stare - anyone that you show it to just wants to hold it and play with it, a bit like when I first showed people my PSP back in January. The Nano shows that Apple isn’t sitting on its laurels - it's evolving the iPod and expanding its market appeal.

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