So, what took me so long to buy an iPod? Initially I think it’s because Apple limited the mp3 and movie file formats, and I couldn’t import much of anything without going through iTunes first.  I didn’t like having mp3s protected and only being able to listen on one player.  I was very loyal to Creative MP3 players over the years.  I’ve purchased (and resold on eBay) the Creative Nomad Jukebox, Creative Nomad Jukebox 3, Creative MuVo, Creative Vision: M, Creative MuVo USB 2.0, Creative MuVo v100, Creative MuVo T100.  I’ve been very happy with all of them!

For years I favored the random shuffling and didn’t care about organizing the files on the drive.  I liked the USB feature so I could pop the player into any computer to charge up and drag files over with no additional software.  Creative’s models were very good at this.

Now I feel the need to move on to something that has more than just the audio files. I’m working out more and I can make really good use of podcasts and videos.  I was considering the iPod Touch because of the features in addition to the mp3 player, but it was still too big to fit in my pocket.  I always like the small size of Creative’s MuVo, especially when running or lifting weights (where I could drop the bar on it).  I don’t have time for games during my workout, so all I really need is a good media player.

The iPod Nano wins for many reasons.

1. 16GB size. Doubling the size from 8GB to 16GB for $50 more is an obvious win for me, especially if I plan on watching videos.

2. Firmware upgrades. iTunes upgrades my player each time there’s a new firmware version, which is nice to have in place automatically without looking for the versions online.

3. Subscribing to podcasts. I haven’t searched the library yet for all the podcasts, but I’m sure there will be plenty to choose from.  WUSA 9 offers video podcasts, and now I’ll be able to watch them, too.  And the software automatically downloads new podcasts each time it’s plugged in.

4. Small and (ok I’ll say it) cute. I like the orange one.  It matches my gym bag.  Yippee.

5. Tilting. New to the 4th generation of iPod Nanos, you can tilt or turn on its side and can watch videos in a 320×240 format.  I can also  flip through the album art with Cover Flow. And if I shake it, it will shuffle to a new song.

6. No batteries! I hate a dying mp3 player, especially when I have 15 minutes left on my cardio or I’m 5 miles out from a long run.  It really bites.

7. Audio quality is best I’ve heard on any mp3 player! Audio quality is a huge factor in purchasing mp3 players, and many times there’s a risk because you don’t get to listen before you buy.  And there’s more volume headroom so it doesn’t look like I’ve got it almost cranked to hear it.

I’ll put this to the test in the gym on Monday, but so far, I’m very pleased with the purchase.  I also bought an Incipio hard shell case to protect it.  I can see through the casing fine with no glare.