Portable Media Player Reviews

CNET reviews the new stylish second-generation Apple iPod Nano which is an excellent music player. 'The second-generation (2G) Nano shuns simple white and steps out in a metallic color parade, with shiny silver available in the 2GB and 4GB flavors; bright pink, green, and blue offered in 4GB; and somber black taking the 8GB version. The body casing itself is rather like a minified Mini shell: it's seamless anodized aluminum, which means the 2G Nano is not only less scratch-prone than its predecessor, but also more durable in general. As with the old Nano, the 2G features the much praised iPod Clickwheel, which serves as the player's only controls (other than the hold switch on the top).

PC Magazine reviews the new and improved Apple iPod nano. 'Amid all the hooplah at Apple's September 12 press event, the company released the second generation of its wildly popular iPod nano. Thanks to its new anodized aluminum casing, the new model looks much like the now-defunct iPod mini, but much, much slimmer. Improvements over the first-gen nano include a brighter screen, longer battery life, and my personal favorite—gapless playback. The 2GB model comes in silver only while the 4GB model comes in silver, green, blue, or pink. And the 8GB model comes in black only (the 1GB model has been dropped).

PC Magazine has reviewed the second-generation iPod shuffle MP3 Player. 'The shuffle, available in silver only, measures just 1.1 by 1.6 by .4 inches and weighs only half an ounce. It comes with the telltale iPod white earbuds and a charge/sync cable. The cable has a standard USB 2.0 plug at one end, and the other end is a small white docking cradle with a 3.5-mm minijack sticking out of it. The minijack plugs into the shuffle's headphone jack, which doubles as a charging and syncing port, just like the headphone jack on the MobiBlu DAH-1500i.

The Gadgeteer has posted a review of the Apple iPod shuffle (2nd gen) MP3 Player. 'The style of the shuffle should be familiar to those of you that own or have seen the original shuffle. It has the same circular button configuration, that is your interface to the music stored within. There are controls to adjust the volume, play/pause, and go backwards and forwards through tracks. Some of the buttons have extra functions such as the play/pause button. If you hold this button down for 3 seconds, it puts the player into Hold mode. Hold mode will ignore button presses. Pressing and holding for 3 seconds will toggle it out of Hold mode. You can also press the play/pause button 3 times to go back to the first song in the playlist.'

If you are not averse to purchasing pre-owned players you can head on over to the Apple Store and pick up a refurbished iPod for $149 with free shipping. These are the 4GB models which hold up to 1,000 songs, comes with 1.5-inch (diagonal) color LCD with LED backlight displays and boast of battery charges good for 14 hours of music playback and up to 4 hours of slideshows with music.

The Gadgeteer has posted a review of the 2nd gen Apple iPod Nano. 'The nano is available in 6 different colors, but not all 6 colors are available in each capacity choice. The 2gb nano is only available in Silver, while the 4gb version comes in Silver, Pink, Blue, Red and Green. Black and Red are the only colors available in the 8gb version.The entire device is wrapped in a smooth shell of brushed anodized aluminum. Unlike the prior nano, there is no chrome to attach finger prints and smudges. Yay!!! Also, rounded sides make the nano feel very thin in hand even though it is the same thickness as the 1st gen nano.'

CNET have published their review of the Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 player. 'At 1.6x1x0.4 inches and 0.6 ounce, the iPod Shuffle is one minuscule music player. In fact, it's so inconspicuous that we have trouble keeping track of it--if you're constantly misplacing your keys, this player probably isn't your best option. If you just can't help yourself, go for one of the brighter color options. The pink, orange, green, and blue models will probably be easier to spot on a cluttered desk than the muted silver one is. That said, the integrated belt clip on the back of the Shuffle helps keep the player within easy reaching distance. Some users have complained that the clip isn't very durable, but it seemed fairly sturdy during our testing.'

Infosync World have published their review of the the second-generation iPod Shuffle music player. 'The second generation Apple iPod Shuffle is one of the most wearable devices we've ever used. It is literally a clip with a music player attached, and the clip grabs onto clothing securely, but even if it falls off and dangles from your headphone cord, the Shuffle is so light that you might not even notice it. If you stick with Apple's included headphones, you're not going to be able to pocket the shuffle because the headphone cable is too short to reach even a jacket pocket, which means you'll be forced to find a convenient spot to clip it.

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InfoSync World have published a review of the Apple iPod 80GB digital audio player. 'Not since the doorknob has any device been so well designed. We won't labor the point, since the ubiquitous wheel and screen, circle and square aesthetic has been duplicated time and again. Still, once you explain the scrolling motion and the clickwheel buttons to someone, they get it right away, and are ready to scroll through long lists, jog through songs and fiddle with the volume. And it's all fun to use. We especially appreciated the accelerating scroll, which helped navigate the 9,000 songs and videos we loaded onto our test unit quickly. New innovations, like the floating letter that appears when you scroll or the new search feature, were less useful, but not obtrusive.'

Trusted Reviews have published their review of the Apple iPod Shuffle 1GBMP3 player. 'The basic format and design of Apple's revolutionary iPod has remained unchanged over the years and despite many pretenders to the throne, its popularity has never waned. It's a design classic and Apple has wisely declined to mess with it. With the rest of the iPod range, Steve Jobs and co have had slightly less overwhelming success. The first Nano was gorgeous, but beset by problems with its screen. And the first generation Shuffle was innovative, but dowdy in comparison to a lot of the competition – hardly the stuff of techno-lust, and in the time since it first appeared on the scene it's become even less so.'

Trusted Reviews have published a review of the Apple iPod Nano 4GB flash player. ‘Under the hood, however, it's not the same old nano. The first clue comes in the menu system, which packs in far more features. This iPod may not have video playback, but it does add an alarm, to do list, pin-code locking facility and the ability to sync Outlook contacts and calendar appointments to its armoury. There are also four games here, if you get bored listening to your music on the train. Perhaps more importantly Apple has given the nano's battery life a massive boost. The first nano, while acceptable at around 12 hours, often suffered in comparison to the competition. This one isn't quite up there with the very best, but 24 hours on a charge is not to be sniffed at and should see you through any long-haul trips.

Pocket Lint have published their "First look" review of the new Apple iPod Touch MP3 player. 'The touch, not to be mistaken with the HTC touch of the same name and same functionality (we look forward to the law suit) is a touchscreen based MP3 player boasting a 3.5-inch screen and a host of new features including Wi-Fi connectivity. The design, which is 8mm thick (that's slimmer than a CD case) and slightly thinner than Sony Ericsson's W880i model sports a rather disappointing 8Gb or 16Gb drive to store images, video, and of course music. The storage quota pales in comparison to the newly launched 6th generation iPod, now called "Classic", hard drive space of 160Gb.'

PC Magazine have published a review of the Apple iPod Nano (3rd generation) MP3 player. 'The dimensions of the new nano vary drastically from its predecessors. The unit measures 2.8 by 2.1 by 0.3 inches, with rounded edges and a brushed metallic matte finish that is quite sleek. While I'm not put off by the wider shape, it might strike some people as a step in the wrong direction, particularly because you can no longer purchase the long and narrow, video-less version. If you liked the look of the old nano, too bad my friend—it's gone. The player appears fat in photos, but the tiny device needs to be held to be fully appreciated.'

CNET have published their review of the Apple iPod Nano (third generation, 4GB, silver) portable video player. 'The Nano measures a petite 2.75 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 0.25 inch thick--a significant shift from its once long and skinny shape, though it is essentially the same thickness. Matte, anodized aluminum graces the faceplate, as with the previous generation of Nanos and now the iPod Classic as well. The back and sides of the Nano, however, mimic the Video iPod's rounded, glossy, smudge-prone chrome enclosure.

CNET have published a review of the Apple iPod Shuffle (third generation, blue) MP3 player. ‘At 1.6x1x0.4 inches and 0.6 ounce, the iPod Shuffle is one minuscule music player. In fact, it's so inconspicuous that we have trouble keeping track of it--if you're constantly misplacing your keys, this player probably isn't your best option. If you just can't help yourself, go for one of the brighter color options. The red, green, purple, and blue models will probably be easier to spot on a cluttered desk than the muted silver one is. That said, the integrated belt clip on the back of the Shuffle helps keep the player within easy reaching distance. Some users have complained that the clip isn't very durable, but it seemed fairly sturdy during our testing.'

Personal Computer World have published their review of the new Apple iPod Nano MP3 player. 'Apple's new Nano looks distinctly stubby compared its predecessor thanks to it being 20mm shorter. It's fattened out a bit horizontally to accommodate the bigger 2in screen, but remains shockingly thin in depth. It's an all-metal design that is, quite frankly, an astounding piece of engineering. The new screen has a 320x240 resolution, the same as the regular iPod, and can now play video too. Getting video onto an iPod remains a hassle because iTunes can't convert video into the correct type of MPEG4 or H.264 format which it requires.'

A review of the Apple iPod Touch (16GB) portable video player has been posted over at CNET. ‘For better or worse, the iPod Touch is clearly the iPhone's baby brother. Like most products that roll out of Apple, the Touch shows the love of committed designers, hardware engineers, and usability experts. The Touch measures a slim and pocketable 4.3 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.31 inch, with an all-metal-and-glass design that feels as expensive as it looks. Because nothing will ruin a portable video player faster than a gouge across its screen, we're happy to see that the face of the iPod Touch uses the same scratch-resistant glass found on the iPhone. Most users will still want to buy a protective case, however, since the Touch feels a little fragile and the back is covered with the glossy, scratch-prone, smudge-loving chrome exterior common to most iPods.’

Computeractive have published their review of the new Apple iPod Touch portable video player. 'Available with either 8GB or 16GB of storage space, the iPod Touch is just 5mm taller than the standard video iPod, but the trademark scroll-wheel has disappeared and most of the front panel is devoted to the 3.5in (9cm) screen. As the name suggests, the screen is touch-sensitive, so the player can be controlled by tapping on the screen or making certain gestures with your fingers. When the iPod is switched on, a menu appears allows the user to select between the music, video and photo modes or to activate the player's wireless network connection for a bit of web-surfing – yes, it can do that too. When the Music mode is selected, the screen displays a simple list of music which can be sorted by song, album or artist. However, rotate the iPod sideways and the screen automatically switches into a mode that Apple calls Coverflow. This displays cover artwork for the albums, and you can quickly browse through them flicking a finger across the screen.'

A review of the new Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation player has been posted over at the Register. ‘Much like the Classic, the Nano's casing is now covered in a tactile anodised aluminium shell, replacing the glossy, smooth finish sported by Nanos of old. Curiously, only the black iPod Nano doesn't have a white scroll wheel, but all of them are narrower than before. The player's corners are nicely rounded and it seems much more resistant to grubby fingerprints and scratches. Of course, only time will tell, as all it takes is a morning rush and a jacket pocket that also contains house keys, and you'll soon see how scratch-resistant your new Nano really is.’

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the new Apple iPod nano (3G) Flash MP3 player. 'The iPod nano's anodized aluminum front has rounded edges and a two-inch screen, while the back is polished stainless steel, much like the first-generation nano. The player measures 2.8 x 2.1 x 0.3 inches--shorter and wider than the previous model, though roughly the same volumetrically. Apple brought the Hold switch down to the bottom of the player and thoughtfully moved the dock connector to the center of the bottom, so it looks more symmetrical when the device is sitting in a dock. The main menus are now two-paned; the left side is for text, while the right displays panning and zooming images pulled randomly from album art, videos, and photos. In the Settings menu, you get handy graphical representations of each setting. Best of all, in Song and Album views, you can now see artist names in small lettering beneath titles.'

PC Authority have published a review of the new Apple iPod Touch media player. 'The iPod Touch uses the same interface as the iPhone, which is startlingly beautiful and usable. Each task has only one way of being accessed, and these straightforward and intuitive options are all designed to be used with a finger. Instead of using the iconic iPod scroll wheel, the iPod Touch has only two buttons; a power and home button. You navigate the menus using contextual touch sensitive icons.In the middle of the screen in the home menu you also get shortcuts to Safari and Youtube (which both use Wi-Fi for access) as well as a contact list, calendar, clock and settings.'

A review of the Apple iPod Touch multimedia player has been posted over at Brighthand. 'The iPod touch is the newly released widescreen media player from Apple, which shares the same multitouch screen as the iPhone. But the phrase "media player" only begins to describe what it can do. Its multitouch screen gives the user more control over the device, allowing for a more natural input without the need for a stylus commonly seen on other touchscreen devices. With the slide of one or more fingers across the screen users can enter text, navigate web pages, or zoom in on images. Safari, Apple's own web browser, really lets users play around with this new interface since it relies entirely on finger movement. Storage format has changed from a hard disk to flash memory, allowing for faster access, but at the same time greatly limiting storage capacity.'

A review of the Apple iPod Touch digital media player has been posted over at the Register Hardware. 'The Touch has the same user interface as the iPhone, though Apple's rearranged the icons into a more appropriate order for an iPod. At the bottom of the screen is the player's Mac OS X-style Dock, this time rendered as transparent sheet reflecting the icons that are sitting on it: Music, Videos, Photos and iTunes, the latter for the download store. Above them, at the top of the screen, are the other applications: Safari, YouTube, Calendar, Contacts, Clock, Calculator and Settings. Contacts is new, providing the same access to your address book that the iPhone's Phone app does. Despite the Touch's wireless connectivity, the iPhone's useful Weather app isn't present. Worse, there's no Mail either.'

A review of the Apple iPod Nano 8GB digital player has been posted over at Digital Trends. ‘The body of the nano has been completely revamped. Instead of the tall, thin design of the 1st and 2nd gen iPod nanos, the 3rd gen has been widened just a little and cut down to almost half the height. Some first impressions led it to be referred to as the "fat nano", but once the 3rd gen nano was released to retail stores, all the jokes turned to fervent praise. Few people expected the "fat nano" to wind up so incredibly thin and light. It makes sense though - the nano is only 2.75" x 2.06" x 0.26" and weighs 1.74 oz. The new LCD screen is also a great improvement - nearly 40% larger LCD, with a 320x240 pixel screen res. The colors are extra bright and lively. Photos look impressive. Album art looks very nice and is more visible, thanks to the increased screen size.’

CNET pits the Apple iPod Touch up against the Archos 605 WiFi multimedia player in an attempt to determine the "true king of portable media players" 'What makes these two devices so special? Both offer wide-screen video playback, a Wi-Fi Internet browser, the ability to play Internet video content from YouTube, wireless music purchases, a music player, photo viewer, video player, and much more. To find out which of these futuristic devices is the one true king of portable media players, we'll pit them against each other in five bloody rounds in a no-holds gadget war. Hide the kids--this could get ugly.'

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writing over at ZDNet has posted a review of the iPod Touch multimedia player. 'What struck me about the iPod touch once I’d freed it from the packaging was how small it is. OK, it’s not as small as the nano but nonetheless it’s Despite being small and light, it feels surprisingly ruggedquite portable and easy to slip into a pocket. It’s also very light, weighing in at 4.2oz (120g). But despite being small and light, it feels surprisingly rugged and I don’t feel the need to continually worry about whether it’s safe or not. Having the rigidity of that glass screen seems to make all the difference.

A review of the Apple iPod Touch 16GB MP3 player has been posted over at Digital Trends. 'The iPod touch has a seemingly huge 3.5" color LCD screen that has "Multi-touch" technology built in. Multi-touch tech uses a thin membrane grid underneath the glass iPod screen. It's like a super tight mesh net that covers every last square millimeter of the LCD. It's sensitive to the tiny electric current in the human body, and when touched by any live part of the body, the multi-touch activates and sends an "I was just touched here, here and here" signal to the iPod touch interface software to respond by opening menus, zooming in on images, etc. Multi-touch does not work with typical PDA styli, pens, fingernails, teeth, etc. It needs skin contact to activate. Indeed, you can control the iPod touch with your fingers, nose, toes, your elbows or other parts we may not want to know about.'

PC Authority have published their review of the Apple iPod Touch protable media player. ‘The similarities between the iPhone and the touch are striking. Both have 3.5in 480 x 320 touchscreens. Both run a touchscreen version of OS X, offering apps such as the Safari web browser and a YouTube video viewer. Both units use flash memory for storage, with the touch available with either 8GB or 16GB. The OS is stunning. You’ll never wish for a stylus, and there’s enough power within the iPod’s slim 8mm frame to keep apps springing into life virtually instantly. It’s beautifully animated – everything spins, fades or slides into view, which not only lets you know precisely how you got to the window you’re at, but also gives a tiny shiver of excitement at the completion of little tasks: not something often said about opening a browser window.’

The MobilitySite have published a review of the Apple iPod Classic 80 GB digital media player. 'The 80 GB Classic is surprisingly svelte, measuring 4.1″ x 2.4″ wide x .41″ deep, and weighs a mere 4.9 oz. Last year’s 5th gen 80 GB iPod was .55″ deep and weighed 4.8 oz, so they are very similar. But the new version offers far more storage at lower prices. The iPod retains last year’s 2.5″, 320 x 240 screen and matching click wheel. It comes in silver or black. It seems that black is the new white at Apple. Witness the iPhone, and iPod Touch. Black is IN. The face is made of non-smudging aluminum, while the rear is shiny, mirror finished metal that definitely shows finger prints.'

A review of the Apple iPod touch (16GB) digital media player has been posted over at Laptop Magazine. 'Measuring 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.3 inches and weighing 4.2 ounces, the iPod touch is a hair larger and heavier than the Sandisk Sansa View (4.3 x 2 x 0.4 inches, and 2.9 ounces) but makes the most of its size by including a beautiful 3.5-inch (480 x 320-pixel) display that fills almost the entire face of the player. Apple’s much-vaunted multitouch display certainly lived up to the hype in our tests; it’s the new standard-bearer in touchscreen interfaces. Scrolling Web pages, navigating menus, and zooming in and out on photos using finger gestures was effortless. Even blokes with large digits should be able to use their fingers to adjust volume, flip through Cover Flow album art, and type in URLs using the onscreen keypad with minimum fuss.'

PC World have published a review of the Apple iPod Touch multimedia player. ‘Almost every feature of the iPhone has now made it over to the iPod Touch. The Touch is available in 8GB ($299), 16GB ($399), and 32GB ($499) capacities. At 0.31 inch deep, it's substantially thinner than the iPhone, but it has the same 802.11b/g wireless support. In addition, it features the same 3.5-inch Multitouch screen with 480-by-320-pixel resolution. The single button on its face brings up the mai