The iPod touch might be the one grabbing headlines, but Apple has given the entire iPod range a thorough shake-up. There's no longer any such thing as a straight iPod - what would be referred to as the 6th-generation iPod is now the iPod classic. The nano has undergone major surgery as well, and even the humble iPod shuffle has had a slight face-lift courtesy of a new range of colours. This means there are now no fewer than five iPod models of various capacities; interestingly, not a single one is packaged in Apple's trademark white.
Flash performerThe new nano occupies the same niche as the old one - a flash-based media player, starting just below £100 for the 4GB version. While the previous nano was impressively slight, the new form factor has been cut down even more: less than 7mm thick, 70mm wide and 52mm tall. It fits satisfyingly in the hand, and is reassuringly weighty despite the small size. Fashionistas can choose from various colours - the basic 4GB version is available only in silver; the 8GB version comes in silver, blue, green and black, plus a PRODUCT (RED) version, of which a portion of the profit will go to the charity of the same name.
Apple has also brought the nano's specifications closer to those of the iPod classic - this is the first version of the nano to support video playback. Both nano and classic support the same range of video formats: H.264, plus M4V, MP4 and MOV. Getting video onto an iPod remains a task fraught with difficulty. The lack of DivX support is grating, and most video will require re-encoding before it will sit happily with iTunes.
A sizeable differenceThe classic distinguishes itself from the nano with impressive storage. The 80GB version is physically slightly smaller than the previous version, and even the top-of-the-line 160GB variant weighs in at just 162g and is only 13.5mm thick. The styling has had a slight tweak, and the new bevelled edges have a good feel.
Screening roomDespite the enormous size difference, the screens on the two models are similar. Both have a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, and the classic's 2.5in display beats the nano's by only half an inch diagonally. It may be a small difference, but it's a noticeable one when watching video, making prolonged watching slightly more bearable on the classic. The nano's screen is nonetheless impressive for such a small device.
On the menuBoth models have an updated user interface. Despite the classic's screen being the same size and resolution as that of the previous model, there's more happening. The left-hand side of the screen holds the standard menu, but the right-hand side now displays floating album artwork when hovering over the music menu, random photos for the photo menu, and useful widgets such as a disk space indicator when browsing the settings menu. This adds interest to the screen, but creates a slight lag when navigating menus. It isn't a huge problem, but those used to the responsiveness of previous versions might find it a slight annoyance.
Sound adviceNeither the classic nor the nano disappoints in terms of sound quality. Both models offer a slight sound improvement over previous iPods, with full and crisp quality over a wide range of music genres. The same headphones are shipped as before, too; inevitably these don't measure up to headphones sold separately, but they remain much better quality than those shipped with most other players.
The difference in features between the nano and classic has been almost entirely removed, with both separated only by physical size and storage space. Both are superbly built, beautifully designed, and offer an intuitive interface and good sound quality. The only decision to make is which you value more: storage capacity or portability. The classic is spacious enough for all but the most ambitious music collections; the nano, although smaller, requires you to chop and change your music collection as you add to it.
But Apple, frustratingly for fans of Sanyo, Creative and other good-value digital music player builders, has done it again. The new iPod range is singularly striking and, starting at less than £100 for a basic nano, surprisingly good value for money.
System Specifications
4GB/8GB flash memory 320 x 240 TFT proprietary USB fixed li-ion battery AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV audio formats 52 x 6.5 x 70mm (WDH) 49g
Verdict
Both players have their strong points, but the best feature remains the simple interface and excellent design.
Author: Matthew Sparkes
PC Pro Online