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Quick History of the Apple iPod nano

By: Lydia Vaughn

You've seen the new 3G iPod nano. You might even own it. (I sure like mine...) Have you wanted to know how it was invented?

Wonder no more.

We all know the iPod is made by Apple Computer (gee, no kidding, right?). The original iPod is said to come from Tony Fadell's inspiration. He started working for Apple in 2001 as a contractor, and was part of the original design team. No one person is credited with inventing the nano, but here are the details of how it came about.

The media was caught off-guard when the nano was introduced in 2005. Apple created the nano to replace the iPod Min, which already had a strong following in the middle market.

What was special about the nano? A couple things.

First, the nano uses "flash drive storage" instead of a hard disk. Flash drives are a lot more durable. I travel a lot, and my nano gets packed in carry-ons, dropped from hotel desks, and stuffed into my coat pocket all the time. It withstands hot temperatures and has sat in the rental car overnight in Minneapolis in the winter. All without a hiccup.

The classic iPod has a normal hard drive -- holds more but needs to be treated a little more kindly. Customers using iPods for their workouts (you know, the folks with the armbands on) sometimes complained about the limitations of the classic iPod. No more with the nano.

Of course we can't talk abou the iPod nano without mentioning its size. One of the cool advantages of a flash drive is that it can be much smaller than a traditional hard disk. The iPod nano's size is a terrific advantage over the classic. It fits in a jack pocket, a small purse, and is light on a workout armband.

Fast-forward to today: Apple released the iPod nano 3G (third generation) September 5, 2007. The 3G brought two features users clamored for most: video playback and games. The size of the 3G nano was reworked to give a wider form factor, which was needed if they were going to emphasize videos.

The video playback for the nano 3G is impressive. For the techies among you, the 3G uses a high quality QVGA display in 320x240 with a 204ppi pixel density. Translation for the rest of us: the picture is amazingly crisp.

I wouldn't have thought I'd play games on the nano, but they're atually pretty good. I played Vortex (one of the three games that come with the 3G nano) on a flight home from Minneapolis last month and enjoyed it.

Okay, the history lesson's over. It's time to enjoy your nano!

Article Source: http://articlebob.com

Want to learn more about your iPod Nano? Lydia Vaughn writes more tips and reviews for you at her Nanos Reviewed website.

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