Specifications

Apple iPod nano
(3rd generation)
4GB, $149 list; 8GB, $199
llllh
PROS Wide-
screen video.
New, excellent
user interface.
Superb new
graphics. Extremely thin.
Strong battery life.
CONS Cover Flow loses
something without the
touch screen. Crappy
earbuds. No video out
(yet).
For more:
go.pcmag.com/nano3
APPLE IPOD NANO (3RD GENERATION)
Pocket-Size Yet Plenty Powerful
Since its inception, the only thing Apple’s small
player ever really lacked was the ability to screen
video—a trick that didn’t mesh with the iTunes
Store’s commitment to TV shows and film
downloads. Sporting a bright, 2-inch widescreen
that shows video in the highest pixel-per-inch count
of any iPod ever, the nano is an entirely new beast.
The flash player, which comes in 4GB and 8GB
capacities, is wider than previous models. But when
you hold it alongside a second-generation nano, its
widened dimensions don’t seem to matter: A beau-
tiful screen and a just-as-thin body make the device
seem like a huge evolutionary step for the line. The
new user interface combines the nicer touches of
the iPhone’s slick UI—like Cover Flow—with novel
elements (a split screen that shows album covers for
highlighted songs and a new Now Playing screen).
File support offers no surprises. For audio,
the nano plays AAC (16 to 320 Kbps)—including,
obviously, DRM and DRM-free tracks from iTunes,
MP3 (all bit rates, including VBR), Audible files,
AIFF, and WAV. If you have WMA fi les, loading them
into iTunes automatically converts them to AAC,
so while there’s no compatibility, there is at least
a workaround. Video support is the typical Apple
array: H.264 and MPEG-4.
The new main menu has a split screen, dividing
the space equally between the familiar iPod menu
New split-screen
interface
lists on the left and a moving image of an album
cover, photo, or video on the right. When no tune
is playing, the main menu shows a variety of album
covers slowly fl oating by, with specifi c spots zoomed
in on. It’s a nice look.
I found video performance to be exceptional. The
player has the same resolution as the old iPod video
(now called the classic) but applied to a screen that’s
a half-inch smaller. The result is an even sharper
picture. When the new Brightness setting is adjusted
to the highest level, the new nano's screen is much
brighter than the previous model’s, as well. (Apple
claims it’s a 65 percent difference.)
The nano is not without its flaws. The video
output function is listed on the menu but cannot be
switched on. Its inclusion implies that this function
will be available with iTunes upgrades down the
road, but for the time being, there’s no way to watch
nano-loaded video on your TV or video iPod dock.
Also, Cover Flow, while beautiful and useful,
trips up occasionally during fast scrolling. Album
covers appear to have jagged edges, and sometimes the
artwork takes a moment to appear. The feature is not
nearly as sexy as it is on the iPhone.
Even with these minor flaws, nothing beats the
nano in its price range. Throw in the few bundled
games with quality graphics and you’ve got yourself
a winner.—Tim Gideon
Highest pixel-per-inch
count in any iPod
36 PC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 6, 2007
FIRST LOOKS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS