The iPod Nano

The newest addition to the iPod family, replacing the old iPod Mini, is the iPod Nano. The major technological difference between the iPod and the iPod Nano is that the iPod contains a hard drive, like the one in most computers but smaller. The iPod Nano contains a solid-state flash drive, which has no moving parts. This is similar to the USB key chain or "thumb" drives common today.

The advantages of using flash memory are that the iPod Nano is much smaller, lighter, more energy efficient, and more shock-resistant than the iPod. The major disadvantage is storage capacity; the highest-capacity iPod Nano has only 1/10 the storage space of the highest capacity iPod, at 8GB versus the 80GB iPod. The iPod Nano is also incapable of playing video; it can only play audio and display photos on its 38.1mm screen.

The iPod Nano is favoured by people who prefer a smaller device, want to exercise without worrying about damaging a spinning hard drive, or don't want to spend the money on the full-size iPod. The iPod Nano comes in silver, green, blue, pink, and black. The drive sizes are 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB, with the corresponding prices of £99, £129, and £169. In addition, the 2GB model is limited to one colour; silver, and the black colour is exclusively reserved for the 8GB model.