Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

Our Price: $370.50
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Network Media Player
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Digital product summary information

Manufacturer: Apple Computer
Brand: Apple
Edition: Electronics
Release Date: 2007-09-05
Model: MB261LL/A
Color: Black
Publisher: Apple Computer
Studio: Apple Computer
Music Label: Apple Computer
Product features:

Now the world's most popular music player lets you enjoy up to 5 hours of TV shows, movies, video podcasts, and more
An enhanced interface offers a whole new way to browse and view your music and video
iPod nano sports a larger, 320-by-240-resolution display that's 65 percent brighter than before
In anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel, iPod nano is now 6.5 mm thin and even more beautiful
Measures 2.75 x 2.06 x 0.26 inches (H x W x D), weighs 1.74 ounces

Accessories:

Digital camera reviews of Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

Digital camera Review: "It just works", not.
Summary: 3 Stars

I was prepared to love the nano. It certainly is typical Apple product design - elegant, beautiful and stylish -- and it would be perfect except for two very annoying software/firmware issues, and Apple's apparent lack of interest in addressing the first problem. If it were not for these two problems, I'd give the nano 4 1/2 stars. Maybe 5 stars.

1. First issue -- this is apparently widespread from what I have read on all the forums -- is that some .mp3 encoded files will skip to the next song for no apparent reason. The skip is always in the same place in the song, and immediately moves to the next song. No reboot, iTunes reinstallation or anything else helps. The same song will play fine in iTunes (on the computer) and in every other device and .mp3 player, only the Nano chokes on it.

Apple's helpdesk advises only one thing. Discard the track and reburn the CD using Apple's iTunes encoder. Since I have over 1500 tracks recorded to .mp3 and the skips occur randomly throughout, this is a ridiculous waste of time, and since the problem is very likely firmware related, it should be up to Apple to fix, but they apparently do not wish to do so for reasons only they know or understand. Apple just isn't talking. This is probably the most annoying part of the problem. They won't admit to the problem and won't fix it. (Microsoft never admits error either and it's obnoxious. How 'bout a changelog for software updates so the rest of us know what you fixed? Is that too much to ask?)

2. It took me most of a day to figure out why my movies weren't synching to the 'pod. The answer is that there is an iTunes 'synch movies' check box on an obscure menu which is unchecked by default. Since Apple doesn't include a manual (or even a disk with a manual, users are pretty much left to download the manual if they can find it from Apple's site, and try and diagnose the problem itself. Again, the Apple helpdesk is not very informative. iTunes LOOKS like it is well designed, but for some reason its menus and setup is not completely intuitive. Perhaps it might be more intuitive for a Mac user but I had more trouble than I expected getting my iPod set up correctly and loaded with the music I wanted.

Apple's proud boast is that their products "just work". In this case, the nano "just works, sometimes". I hope, but am not very hopeful that the skip problem will eventually be fixed with a firmware update. In any event, those of you with big .mp3 software libraries should be warned.

-- Other quibbles --
An option to go to 16 gig would be nice, but Apple likes sealed machines. The only thing you can put into the nano is a stereo miniplug. Additionally, there is no user-replaceable battery -- but by the time the rechargeable battery gets worn out (I suspect that it has a lifespan of 1000 charges like all Li-ion batteries), you'll probably ditch it for the latest and greatest anyway.

I should note that the Apple iTunes Store is brilliant - well designed, interesting and just makes you want to throw money at them for songs you'd never consider buying on a CD. Apple is gradually getting around to introducing more high-definition encoded (256 kb .aac) non-DRM'd music, and this is something that noone else is doing as far as I know.

UPDATE 12/3/2007: Apple just released firmware upgrade 1.0.3; it's not clear yet what was fixed, as again, there is no changelog or buglist included with the upgrade to tell you what's fixed. One thing that was NOT fixed is the 'skipping' problem described above.

A few week's experience with the Nano has essentially confirmed my first impressions -- yes, the design and looks of the hardware are pretty good -- it's the software / firmware that's the problem. As the Nano is limited to 8 GB (who ever thought that 8 GB would be limiting, heh) there's a real problem when your library exceeds 8 GB and you keep adding music. There doesn't seem to be a way to add music to your library without having it "checked" for synching. Thus if you're already over the 8 GB limit and you add new music, you have to unselect the new music manually in order to preserve your existing Nano mix without synch difficulties. If there's a way to add music without disturbing your current synch list, I haven't found it.

Another feature I haven't located is a quick and easy way to keep different synch lists for different moods (i.e., all classical mix, all 60s mix, all vocalists list) so that you can quickly resynch and get the mix you want loaded without much manual tweaking. It's probably there somewhere, it's just not obvious where it is.

I agree that the newly required $50 Apple cable for video output is a cheesy ripoff. It's not 'sold in stores', so there's no telling how many people have been burned by clueless Circuit City or Best Buy clerks unaware that the third-party cables they've been selling no longer work with the 3rd generation nanos.''

And finally, yes, it would be nice to have an FM tuner but Apple "doesn't do that" with Ipods, maybe it's a Steve Jobs thing (besides, I suspect they've already crammed as many chips as they can into the Nano form factor and it may be impossible to do so, but what do I know.)

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Summary of Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

An anodized aluminum top and polished stainless steel back. Five eye-catching colors. A larger, brighter display with the most pixels per inch of any Apple display, ever. iPod nano stirs up visual effects from the outside in.And it'll wow you for hours. Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on a single charge. All that staying power and a wafer-thin, 6.5-mm profile makes iPod nano one small big attraction.If a picture says a thousand words, think of what all the album art in your collection might say. With Cover Flow on iPod nano, you can flip through your music to find the album you want to hear. Use the Click Wheel to browse music by album cover, then select an album to flip it over and see the track list.

An anodized aluminum top and polished stainless steel back. Five eye-catching colors. A larger, brighter display with the most pixels per inch of any Apple display, ever. iPod nano stirs up visual effects from the outside in.

And it'll wow you for hours. Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on a single charge. All that staying power and a wafer-thin, 6.5-mm profile makes iPod nano one small big attraction.

Cover Flow
If a picture says a thousand words, think of what all the album art in your collection might say. With Cover Flow on iPod nano, you can flip through your music to find the album you want to hear. Use the Click Wheel to browse music by album cover, then select an album to flip it over and see the track list.

In addition to listening to music you can now enjoy TV shows, movies, video podcasts, and more. View iPod nano dimensions.

The iPod nano comes in a host of exciting new colors.

Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on one charge. View larger.

Music
Use the Click Wheel to adjust volume, navigate songs, browse in Cover Flow, or explore the Music menu by playlist, artist, album, song, genre, composer, and more. Want to mix things up? Click Shuffle Songs. iPod nano makes your music look as good as it sounds, thanks to its bright color display.

Movies
Buy movies from the iTunes Store and you can sync them to your iPod nano to watch anywhere, anytime. Up to 5 hours of video playback means you can watch two movies back to back. And for your viewing pleasure, the 320-by-240-pixel display--with a whopping 204 pixels per inch--is 65 percent brighter than before.

TV Shows
There's always something good on iPod nano. Browse thousands of episodes of your favorite TV shows on the iTunes Store, buy them for just $1.99 each, then sync them to your iPod nano. Watch last night's episodes this morning, or buy a whole TV series and play a pocket-size marathon.

Podcasts
The iTunes Store features thousands of free video and audio podcasts, including indie favorites and offerings from such big names as ABC News, Comedy Central, ESPN, PBS, NPR, and many more. Browse and subscribe to podcasts, then sync them to your iPod nano. You can even play video podcasts on TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.

Audiobooks
The digital shelves of the iTunes Store are stocked with thousands of audiobooks--including exclusives like the entire Harry Potter series--so you can catch up on your reading wherever iPod nano takes you. iPod nano even recognizes where you left off reading and bookmarks your place.

Games
Put hours of fun at your fingertips. iPod nano comes with three games--Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike--and you can download more from the iTunes Store for $4.99 each. All iPod games are designed specifically for the iPod interface. And all of them look great on the 2-inch color display.

Photos
iPod nano holds up to 7,000 photos you can sync from your Mac or PC via iTunes. Use the Click Wheel to scroll through photo thumbnails. To see a photo full screen, click the center button. You can even view your photo slideshows--complete with music and transitions--on a TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.

Extras
Calendars, contacts, and a screen lock appear in the Extras menu, along with a few more handy items. Take the world clock, for example. Spin the Click Wheel to choose different clocks for cities all over the world. For workouts, use the built-in stopwatch to log your best times.

MP3 Player Accessories

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