Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL

I love the iPod. Always have. At home, we have five, including this one: the 4GB iPod nano black.

Before you leap, realize two things: (1) this iPod is extremely fragile compared to other iPods, particularly the tough-as-nails iPod mini (a drop of a couple of feet onto a linoleum floor took out the screen); and (2) the black version gets scratched very easily, and shows scratches far more than any white iPod I've owned (after a day and before dropping the damn thing, it already looked awful from scratching -- and it was treated with kid gloves).

Okay, if you can live with those caveats, and invest in a durable protector (we bought the arm-band holder, which does a lousy job of protecting the iPod nano)--none of which are out yet--then this new iPod is truly an amazing bit of technology. It's tiny (it feels even smaller than the photos suggest), has great sound quality (better, I think, than any other iPod I've owned), and the display is gorgeous (even though...Read more

I bought a 4GB Nano because I wanted a flash player I could use while exercising, but that's not the only reason. I also was curious about why the iPod in its various permutations has become such a cultural phenomenon. I'm an older guy who can remember when the only "portable player" was a small Japanese transistor radio, so I've seen a lot of changes in audio technology during my lifetime. The original Sony cassette Walkman was revolutionary in its day; the first portable cd players, with their virtually nonexistent antiskip functions, were considered a marvel. We've come a long way, baby.

For years now I've been content to use a good-quality portable cd player for my on-the-go music, along with Etymotic ER-4P canalphones, a tiny, twin earplug-like device that makes the headphones packaged with any commercial portable seem laughable by comparison. In the past few years, however, I have watched as the "iPod revolution" totally transformed the world of tiny audio, to...Read more

I received a 4gb black Nano as a gift (from my boss - how cool is that?). I like it a lot, but my disappointment with its flaws would be a lot stronger if I'd shelled out $250 for it.

The good points we all know about: tiny, light, superb UI, good capacity, good sound, "cool factor". And, uh, you can install Linux on it. :D

There are bad points, however, and for me some of them are significant. (I switched over from an iPod Shuffle 1gb and am using the same (Phillips noise-canceling) headphones, which makes for a pretty fair comparison between the two devices.)

First off, I could care less about scratches; it's a music appliance, not jewelry. I keep mine in a pocket without change or lighters and it's fine.

The Shuffle is slightly louder. This won't matter to most people but I work in a datacenter where the ambient noise level is very high, and for some songs that were ripped at low level, maximum volume on the Nano isn't quite...Read more