iPod Nano Stress Test

You've got to love a site that would destroy a new Nano in the name of science.

The iPod nano is clearly intended to be Apple's new best-selling iPod product, as the iPod mini used to hold that title but no longer exists. And honestly, given all of the improvements that the iPod nano has seen over the mini and even regular-sized iPods, we can see it hitting that point in the very near future as Christmas decorations start showing up in stores sometime in mid-October.

Diehard iPod users who have gigs upon gigs of music will probably still avoid the nano because of its relatively small storage capacity in comparison with standard iPods. After all, the gap between the highest-end iPod nano and the lowest-end iPod is rather large—4GB vs. 20GB—but of course, with only a US$50 difference between the two, this strategic spacing is right out of Apple's playbook. However, iPod shuffle users and previous (or even current) iPod mini users may be very tempted to get an iPod nano now, given all of the new and shrunken bright & shiny features.

Or, if you're like us, you're one of Apple's most favorite customers of all: iPod adders. No matter what you already have, you'll want to add an iPod nano to your collection.

The nano is nearly perfect; it is amazingly small and packs almost all of the features of the iPod photo and a few more. If it weren't for its lack of Firewire, lack of compatibility with older accessories, and no current support for video output, I don't think we'd hesitate to give the nano a perfect ten. Those shortcomings drop the iPod nano's score a couple of points to a solid eight.