Looking to buy myself an iPod, and I'm sick of these crappy little mp3 players I bought as I thought it would do the trick.

Basically, there is an old black iPod Nano on Argos for £99, and it looks like it has the shiny black surface and rounded edges. Nice.

But then there are these new iPod Nanos, which apparently run alot better, longer battery life, more songs, better screen etc. also £99 but it only comes in silver at that price. I want it in black, but nowhere seems to do it / or Apple don't make them. Plus, the unit also looks more straight-lined rectangle than the old nano, which is rounded at the edges.

Should I forget about the very nice looking black packaging and get the new version, or if there that much of a difference? Should I just buy one of the old ones instead?

Paddy
Last edited by pad_ehh : 17-09-2006 at 13:48

I say get the new one. For the same price as the old one you get:
More Storage
Better Screen
Dosent scratch
Better Battery Life.
I've got a 1st gen nano and its got lots of scratches on the back, even though its in a belkin case all day, so you should really get the new nano, it'll be better!

But it won't be black....

Anyway, I presume you can just upload any mp3's you have onto this iPod? I mean you don't have to have purchased the song off iTunes to be able to listen to it, right? Any song I've *ahem* downloaded *ahem* should be easily uploaded and listened to without the machine refusing to play it or poppijng up some sort of warning or advice notice?

Paddy

You can put any song in your collection onto your ipod. You just have to import them into Itunes.

OK, and what way does the circle on the front work? Can it only be pressed on the four directional spots, (up, down, left and right), or is it the one where you can put your thumb on it and spin it around to scroll etc.

Paddy

The ipod will play any song you have no problem, they dont need to be bought from the music store. Which ipod are you going for?

Just quoted it incase it wasn't seen above.

I think I might go for the new Nano's. The longer battery life and double the memory for the same amount of money is nice, plus I have read the screens on the old Nano's can be bad. I just wish it was the shiny black colour instead of silver, but hey ho. That's life.

Paddy

It's Apple's Click Wheel.

The surface is a touch sensitive wheel which detects movement and is used to scroll between lists of information.

The wheel has 5 buttons integrated into it: Menu, Skip, Reverse, Play/Pause and Action.

The Action button is the one in the centre and allows you to select menu items.

The Menu button works in a way similar to an Internet browser's back button.

So, (forgive me if this is wrong, just looking to clarify), but if you gently slide your finger over the surface in a circular motion it will scroll around the playlist, so you don't have to sit and press 'skip, skip, skip' to find the song you want? But on the same surface, you can actually press down on certain parts aswell to perform the functions stated on the front panel, (play etc.)?

Paddy

I'd go for one of the new nano's. I have a 4GB white nano, which I bought when it first came out. The screen is scratched quite a bit, even though I've had the nano in a cover.

I think they've fixed this problem on the new nano's though, so you should go for one of them.

If I was going out tomorrow to buy an Ipod, then I would get an Ipod video. It sounds like a nano would suit your needs better though.

Yep, it scrolls around the playlist, then when a song is playing, its used for changing the volume, and you press down for skipping forwards and backwards, pausing and going back to the menu.

Oh, I want one now, and wouldn't you know it, my local Argos is out of stock of the new Nanos. Effing typical.

Paddy

Ah, it's only available at the "extra" Argos stores, and the closest one is 20 miles away. I'll not be getting one today then. Damnit.

Paddy

Do you live near a comet/pc world? they usually have ipods in stock.

I was gonna buy it on my Argos card though, rather then pay cash. Nearest PC World is beside the Argos Extra, at a shopping complex 20 miles away (figures!).

My nearest normal Argos store, which is quite big anyway, is just down the road. Wonder why it isn't an extra store...

Paddy

Well, thats not strictly true.

The iPod will play MP3, AAC, AIFF, WAV and Apple Lossless.

Anything else (WMA - as long as it isn't DRM'd, OGG, FLAC etc) will be converted when you import it through iTunes with the resultant drop in quality you get from converting one lossy format to another .....

I had a Apple iPod 30GB Video not long ago and it's excellent! For a bit more than a Nano you can have a splendid Video one with 30GB! If you buy from ebuyer and get a recondition one it's cheaper.

Hurrah, just checking the Argos website again and they now have stock for my local store for the newly released 2GB Nanos that have the better battery life and screen etc.

I have reserved a silver one for myself to collect tomorrow during my lunch break. Just a pity they don't sell them in that shiny reflective black, it looks really good. Still, I will have to make do. Now, to download iTunes and have all my music sorted out for putting onto it tomorrow....

35 albums have to be sorted, I'm gonna be here a while!

Paddy
Last edited by pad_ehh : 17-09-2006 at 19:05

Not necessarily true, you can choose at what level you want to import into itunes so the drop can be minimal

The new nanos are smaller versions of the ipod minis with brushed metal outer casing and rounded sides, so the top and bottom are flat lozenge shaped with the switches recessed
The colours are a return to a good idea, this black or white phase is so boring now

I want a brushed ali green or blue macbook.
and I know someone who sats she would pay extra for a pink one!

get the iPod Flea

apple do a black ipod nano but its now 8gb and costs £169 - I have ordered the 80gb in black and expect it to be delivered tomorrow

I'm tempted to sell my nano on Ebay and then go out and buy an Ipod Video. I'm dying for an Ipod Video!!

Got my iPod at lunchtime, currently charging! All my songs are uploaded so I can't wait to give it a go once it's finished!! Looks fantastic so far!!! And it's bloody TINY!

Paddy

Cool, any chance of some pictures? i havent seen any "real" pictures of it.

I have ordered the new black Ipod Nano and should be delivered Friday, It is expensive but I was getting fed up with these mp3 players.