New iPod nano 8GB (6th Generation) – Green

E. Sharman

at 6:26 pm

Review by E. Sharman for New iPod nano 8GB (6th Generation) – Green
Rating: (3 / 5)
OK This first bit is an update following my first experiences below.

The voice-over thing: it seems that this is maybe for the hard-of-seeing. It says things like “item 3 of 4″ and then speaks the menu selection you’ve just made (well something like that) but my comment remains – try getting out of it to simply play music…

The screen goes off after a period of about 30 seconds and power is therefore conserved. So I think it’s fair to say that, apart from the early ‘playing with it’ novelty period, when you keep ogling the lovely screen, most users won’t be having the screen on – and I guess that’s where the power consumption problem will NOT be an issue. As I’ve said – wait for a few others to test this out.

As stated in the previous bit (see below) – the music and functionality (apart from the ridiculous voice-over thing) is top notch. You can even swivel the screen with a pinch of your fingers (useful for when it’s clipped on to various bits of your clothing).

Finally though, I’ve had a thought: This is hardly bigger than the shuffle (i.e. the square version which is making a comeback not the silly oblong thing). And so it dawned on me that this is like a shuffle with a screen. Yes it’s a lot nicer, and yes it holds a lot more, but it’s like an upgraded shuffle nonetheless (it is about half a cm bigger in each of the two square dimensions, to be fair). Make sure you know what you want it for, as maybe the new ‘cheap’ shuffle will do for you. I’m a hopeless gadget freak and I had to have one. Sad I know.

Anyway back to my (admittedly slightly drunken) stuff from last night:

Usual efficient delivery from Amazon. That’s a good start!

My great hopes for this lovely-looking little beast appear to have been dashed on the cold hard rocks of early-adopter reality. I say “appear to be dashed” as I’ve only been playing with it for an hour, so I’m kind of hopeful that it’s all because I am an idiot and just can’t work the little fella properly. But I thought I’d give early warning to my fellow Amazonians to: Hold On! Wait for a few more reviews from people more techno-adept than me. But then again, if it can’t be used easily by the non-techie masses then there’s something wrong, no?

I so wanted my £140 to be spent on a little block of wonder. The marketing material looked so good. Sob.

So why this negativity, I hear you ask? Well I’ll take you through the experience.

Firstly, of course there’s the minor challenge of opening it from its seemingly impenetrable plastic display box. And very nice it looks too by the way. Just kind of staring at you with a “I’m cool, I’m sophisticated, you’ll need to apply a little grey matter to get access to ME” attitude. OK – I was doing it in the dark while I was watching ‘Centurion’ (now there’s a disappointing film, but that’s another story – can’t have too much negativity at once).

It was charged up – about half full I’d say, which was rather welcome but also a little disturbing? Is this just Apple (or the distributor) being kind or is it a returned item as someone had problems with it?… Honestly, folks, I’m not normally this negative. Well, I tell myself that, as I’m delusional. Where was I? Oh yes, charged battery. Grateful? Worried? Dunno – but more on the battery in a bit.

I digress. My next little challenge was that the default language seemed to be in Slovakian. Not that I would know that for sure, you understand, but it seemed kind of east European. Not, that I would know THAT for sure either, but you get my drift. It certainly wasn’t French, German, Italian or Spanish. So take your pick of the rest. Well, not the entire rest as it clearly wasn’t Arabic. This isn’t that informative, is it? Anyway, was I phased? No way! (I say that after the event as no-one will have seen my furrowed brow and biting of the lower lip). I’m pleased to report that, oh yes, years of playing with ipods has taught me a trick or two and I soon sorted THAT out. Ha. Who’s the daddy.

First impressions were that this was indeed a lovely little device. You swipe your finger a-la-ipod touch and the menus switch around. Familiar stuff, but pleasing nonetheless.

Things started to go horribly wrong when I activated the ‘Accessibility’ menu under ‘Settings’ menu to activate the voice-over feature. Once you activate it you have to accept that from then on you can’t just swipe the screen any more, it’s all about double-tapping. So the swiping of the screen – which is a key feature – can’t function when you operate another key feature – the voice-over! What?

Worse was to come when I tried to extricate myself from that nasty little accessibility menu. Swipe. No. Double tapping just activates another sub-menu. I couldn’t get out of the dam’ thing. Am I thick? Please, someone, tell me it’s just me, and that we’ve not been mugged again by the schemers at Apple (like with the ridiculous shuffle that they’ve now decided to phase out)(That bit about being mugged again is bit harsh, I know, but I’m emotionally challenged at the mo’ so I feel I can indulge in a bit of vindictiveness. I don’t even know if I can do double-parentheses like this either – see what you’ve done to me, Apple?). I’m ranting, ignore me.

I tried many times but the only way I could overcome this problem was by resetting the device (which in case you’re in a similar fix is the on-off switch being held simultaneously with the volume reduction button). Several times I tried this and I’ve now accepted that voice-over won’t be happening. It’s virtually unusable.

Now to the radio. It seems to only get local stations. Should I be surprised? No idea but I guess I expected more than 4 – only two of which it could name. No Radio 1,2,3, or 4 and Classic fm. Not a lot really. I live close to the centre of Stratford upon Avon so reception shouldn’t be so feeble, should it? No jokes about Stratford being ‘out in the sticks’ or I’ll have to send the boys round and do you with poetry…stuff.

During my 10-15 minutes of playing around the battery life reduced from 55% to 40%. Is that how it should be? Maybe it takes a lot longer to go the same 15% drop from 100% to 85% – I just don’t know yet. But maybe you ought to wait until I – or someone else – gives a bit of reassurance.

As I often say to my wife, I like to finish on a high – so let me reassure you that sonically it’s just the great high standard we’ve come to expect from these devices. Top notch. Even the leaky supplied headphones are really good.

So, in summary: I may have got a wrong ‘un that needs to be returned. I may also be – as my daughter likes to call me – ‘a donut’ and just haven’t learned it properly. And maybe the battery life isn’t a problem.

But I’m a bit disappointed. So, come on fellow reviewers, help lift our collective spirits. Because, let’s face it, we’re all ipod-o-philes and we love ‘em (ok not quite ALL of us) – and we so want them to be cool, sexy and high performing.

I will update this review as soon as I can and hope to report something very different from this tale of woe!