I’m thinking of getting an iPod, but I’m not sure which to get. Setting aside price and memory for the moment (let’s just pretend for this thread that the two products are equally desirable in these two regards), which is better? One of the most important aspects of a portable electronic device for me is how it feels. (I don’t care at all how it looks, though.) On the one hand, I like a nice chunky object that feels like it can take a little damage and won’t fall out of my pocket without me noticing (for example, I prefer a slightly heavier digital camera to the lightweight ones everyone is getting nowadays), but on the other hand, I don’t want something that’s going to be like carrying around a brick.
The 5G iPod (video) is pretty sleek. When I compared it to my older mini, the video iPod was only a little wider and it was thinner to boot. I like to run, I use the nano. You can wear it around your neck, or pop it in your pocket and it’s like you’re not carrying anything at all. A vote for the nano.
Neither of them fell like carrying around a brick, and neither of them feel like they could take a lot of damage, but nor are they fragile as gossamer.
The current iPod generation is sort of like having a 200-pack of index cards that plays music. The nano is like having, uh, gosh, I don’t know. It’s really fucking small though.
As a flash memory device, the nano is probably preferable if you’re going to be jogging or exercising with the iPod. Paradoxically, it should be able to take more of a physical beating than the larger iPod. However the video iPod has, well, video, and a larger screen. If you’re a photographer and want to show off pictures occasionally, that would be a good choice.
It comes down to how much music you want to carry. The Nano has a maximum capacity of 4GB, which on my device translates to 810 songs encoded at 160kbps. This covers about 75% of my music. I change my playlist maybe once every couple of months, and even then it’s only 20 or 30 songs at the most - not a bother at all.
I think that for most people who enjoy music, with the iPod you can carry your whole collection, and with the Nano you can’t, not by a longshot. The Nano is big enough that you can listen for days, and if, like my friend who just got one, you’re more into singles than albums, it might be big enough. And it is undeniably cool 'cuz it’s so tiny.