First look at Apple's new iPod nano (images)

[AppleInsider]

A first look at Apple's new iPod nano digital music player

Apple's new flash memory-based iPod nano has been available to the public only for a matter of hours. Most Apple retail stores are reporting stock of the new digital music players but say they expect sell through their first shipments by evening. According to our checks, the average retail store received less than one thousand units.

The black iPod nano is expected to become scarce over the next few days, as it appears that Apple is only shipping one black nano for every five to eight white nanos. In the few hours the players have been on the market, the black nanos appear to be outselling the white models in some stores.

We'll have a lot more to say about the new iPod nano in the coming days. In the meantime, below you will find our first look at the players in the form of a 32 image gallery.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Hattig]

Mine's been dispatched, a black 4GB, I can't wait to get it.

[RANSOMED]

I really don't like complaining, especially since the service the Apple Insider staff renders is free. The information provided is usually accurate and we all have fun in the forums. BUT I must say some of the photographs you guys took of the iPod nano are, I'm sorry to say, unacceptable. Part of my job is to take photographs of aircraft and all kinds of components in the aircraft's cockpit, engine, electrical and navigation systems, among many other things, as well as crew activities and if I used a photo like some of the ones I saw in that set (and you always get at least a couple of blurry ones), all of my coworkers and my boss would mock me to no end. Sometimes it really sucks, 'cause you end up having to reshoot.

And I understand there can be deadlines and all kinds of crap that can hinder us from doing a good job sometimes, but COME ON!!! If you can't do a good job for any reason, don't show it to anyone until you can! Let alone post it on a website! When I saw the thumbnails I got all excited and immediately clicked, but then I was dissapointed to see the poor photography on some of those. I know you guys can do a much better job than that, I've seen you do it. Don't let up!!!

BTW if you guys send me those as gifts I'll gladly photograph them for free Even if it's just the black one.

[noirdesir]

So, has the black iPod nano black headphones?

[Gene Clean]

The pictures must be from a cell phone, no? The quality is pretty low. I'm not complaining, just observing.

[sCreeD]

Shorter RANSOMED: Man, the RDF is so strong it's now bending light!

[RANSOMED]

Originally posted by sCreeD
Shorter RANSOMED: Man, the RDF is so strong it's now bending light!

Pardon my ignorance... What's RDF?

[AquaMac]

Sorry Guys but I have to agree with RANSOMED.
If RANSOMED reshoots the black one I would be happy to reshoot the white one. Or vice-versa, or something.
I have no idea what RDF is either. *shrug*

[bergz]

It's Jobs' Reality Distortion Field. Read about it at wikipedia.

Either that or they were referring to the UK group Radical Dance Faction.

--B

[cubist]

OK, some of the photos are blurry.

But what a beautiful little thing it is. (Especially compared to that ghastly ROKR.) Must... resist...

[RANSOMED]

Originally posted by bergz
It's Jobs' Reality Distortion Field. Read about it at wikipedia.

Either that or they were referring to the UK group Radical Dance Faction.

--B

Very interesting...

[danielctull]

That dock adaptor, what does it adapt it for? Is to use with a normal iPod dock?

[CosmoNut]

Originally posted by RANSOMED
...I must say some of the photographs you guys took of the iPod nano are, I'm sorry to say, unacceptable.

I have to agree. In particular, the photographer totally missed the boat on showing the nano's thinness. Yeah, there's a picture of the nano next to a #2 pencil, but the picture should have been taken from TABLE LEVEL. The current pic only shows from ABOVE what a #2 pencil looks like sitting next to a nano.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally posted by CosmoNut
I have to agree. In particular, the photographer totally missed the boat on showing the nano's thinness. Yeah, there's a picture of the nano next to a #2 pencil, but the picture should have been taken from TABLE LEVEL. The current pic only shows from ABOVE what a #2 pencil looks like sitting next to a nano.

Yes the isometric views are crap but the sharpness/crispness with better ambient lighting would help most of all.

[the_snitch]

Thinksecret has some crisper pics. However your pics give good impressions of the packaging - including the nano shopping bag!

[fng]

Small correction for this article. This is not a flash memory iPod. It has Microdrive in the form of a compact flash card.

[amac4me]

I just ordered a 4GB Black model for my wife. It's a present, I hope she likes it

[ThinkDifferent]

On a retail note, my local Apple Store in Salen NH is saying that they have a large supply of iPod nanos. The only version they don't have is the 2GB black model. This REALLY suprised me because The Rockingham Park store is relatively old and small compared to the larger newer ones, and to get a large supply of all models the second day of introduction and to still have some in stock at the days end was shocking!! Will head down this weekend to try it out and possibly BUY!

[coolfactor]

Originally posted by fng
Small correction for this article. This is not a flash memory iPod. It has Microdrive in the form of a compact flash card.

That's correct. Checked the specs "2MB or 4MB flash drive". How does it qualify as a drive, as opposed to being flash memory?

[melgross]

Unfortunately the photography is poor.

But I have some impressions.I/m cross posting this from another thread here because it seems to fit.

"I just came back from my Mac User Group meeting which is held in the NYC SoHo Apple store.

http://www.metromac.org

During the meeting our Apple rep showed us the new products. He passed the new black and white Nano's around.

They look and feel better than I had expected from the pictures. Despite the fact that they only weigh 1.5 oz. they feel surprisingly heavy, due to the fact that they LOOK lighter than they are. My daughter (just turned 14) had expressed doubts as to its durability, but when she held it, she changed her mind. He plugged it into the sound system on the stage, and it sounded pretty good. The screen, though noticeably smaller was bright, colorful, and sharp, making it very easy to read. The higher rez really does help.

I think it's a winner, even though I wish that the 6GB Mini was kept in the line-up. They tell me it's been selling like hot-cakes, and I'll miss that jewel-like look."

[mania]

Originally posted by coolfactor
That's correct. Checked the specs "2MB or 4MB flash drive". How does it qualify as a drive, as opposed to being flash memory?

doesn't mean anything - says the same thing for the shuffle.

[fng]

It does? I think of "memory" as being silicone based with no moving parts. Whereas the drive is magnetic disk storage with moving parts. I guess people's jargon can vary.

[melgross]

Originally posted by fng
It does? I think of "memory" as being silicone based with no moving parts. Whereas the drive is magnetic disk storage with moving parts. I guess people's jargon can vary.

Silicone is used to seal windows and for breast implants. Silicon is used for electronic chips.

[mania]

Originally posted by fng
It does? I think of "memory" as being silicone based with no moving parts. Whereas the drive is magnetic disk storage with moving parts. I guess people's jargon can vary.

well, the shuffle and the nano have no moving drive parts.

there are compact flash 'drives' that spin, but they aren't flash they just fit in compact flash slots, but most of the compact flash you buy doesn't move - if i understand correctly. i don't think the ipod uses compact flash or smart disk necessarily but some other form of flash memory. i think apple just says drive cause its common to speak of storage as a drive and ram as memory and they dont want to confuse anyone.

am i right?

[CosmoNut]

A drive is essentially any single collective storage device that can be used to write/read data. Whether optical, hard disk, or flash based, they're all drives.

Memory is generally understood to be a device made from silicon. Whether it's Random Access Memory (RAM) or flash-based, it uses a means of storage that requires no moving parts to read/write data.

[mania]

ho - looks like fng was right

here

and here

[eekles77]

Originally posted by ThinkDifferent
On a retail note, my local Apple Store in Salen NH is saying that they have a large supply of iPod nanos. The only version they don't have is the 2GB black model. This REALLY suprised me because The Rockingham Park store is relatively old and small compared to the larger newer ones, and to get a large supply of all models the second day of introduction and to still have some in stock at the days end was shocking!! Will head down this weekend to try it out and possibly BUY!

That is surprising. The Rockingham Park store is also my local store and I didn't expect that it would have them in stock for a bit so I ordered one online. Oh well, I'll still get it soon.

[fng]

It's the whole "device that's compatible with CF Type II specification" whether it's silicone or magnetic disk or nanosized monkeys on typewriters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_flash

[ruud]

Originally posted by mania
ho - looks like fng was right

here

and here

that's an ipod nano AND an ipod mini side by side for comparison. the microdrive is from the ipod mini, not the ipod nano.

[fng]

Originally posted by ruud
that's an ipod nano AND an ipod mini side by side for comparison. the microdrive is from the ipod mini, not the ipod nano.

Really? No This thread has the Nano take apart which shows the microdrive in the Nano.

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=57421

[fng]

f***ing s*** you're right. I got it wrong. That's a mini take apart with the microdrive. Which I would know if I had just read the caption. f*** I got sucked in by that other thread and thought it was all nano.

[Meaningless]

Originally posted by mania
ho - looks like fng was right

here

and here

I think that the one on the right's a mini. In any case - Good Grief! Someone's already cracked a nano open?!

[the cool gut]

Originally posted by cubist
OK, some of the photos are blurry.

sOME?

I was a little harsh in my opening reply, and it was deleted - so instead, here are a few pointers.

1)If you are going to take pictures that close, use the Macro setting.

2)Shooting in low light like that requires a tri-pod. They aren't just for Pros. You can get a mini desktop one for about 20 bucks.

3)Digital point and shoots have really shallow depths of field, so forget trying to shoot a close up with any great amount of depth.

4) I'll give credit where credit is due - your white balance isn't too shaby in the least!

[melgross]

The term is simply "solid state drive". It's been used for at least 15 years.

[Hattig]

Originally posted by fng
Small correction for this article. This is not a flash memory iPod. It has Microdrive in the form of a compact flash card.

No.

Take a look at the disassembly photos. They show quite clearly a large Samsung flash chip soldered onto a PCB.

No Compact Flash, no Microdrive.

What is interesting is the Portal Player 5021 chip.

This isn't listed on Portal Player's website. 5020, yes. 5022, yes. 5024, yes. No 5021. Is this a custom chip for Apple?

[Cosmos 1999]

You can also see a complete nanotopsy here...

[mania]

Originally posted by Hattig
No.

Take a look at the disassembly photos. They show quite clearly a large Samsung flash chip soldered onto a PCB.

No Compact Flash, no Microdrive.

What is interesting is the Portal Player 5021 chip.

This isn't listed on Portal Player's website. 5020, yes. 5022, yes. 5024, yes. No 5021. Is this a custom chip for Apple?

guess I was right - horay. not that it matters but i feel like i know something.8)

[RANSOMED]

So... Is anybody from AI going to step up and quietly replace or remove the bad ones or or at least defend themselves??? Just asking.

[Apparatus]

I wish Apple had kept the mini's Aluminum enclosure somehow. Or at least made the back on the nano aluminum instead of the shiny chrome.

Why?

BECAUSE I HATE F'N SCRATCHES!

And I have a normal iPod that's scratched to shite which stays at home while my relatively scratch-proof mini accompanies me outside into the harsh evil world of protrusions and rough/sharp/hard objects.

Blech. Now I've gotta get a damn nano and some 'nano Tubes'...

damn it to blazes

[JeffDM]

Originally posted by mania
ho - looks like fng was right

here

and here

Nope. There's no way to fit a Microdrive in that case and still have a full-length circuit board like that. The Microdrive form factor is 75% of the thickness of the nano as it is, then there's the shell to consider, even with SMT components, it's not going to work. Also, the Microdrive is wider than the nano is, so it would have to be connected sideways to fit, and that doesn't leave much room for a header connector.