If you're an active person you probably want gadgets that can go with you. Especially for athletic people, that means that the gadget can't be heavy enough to weigh you down. But at the same time, you want something with enough capacity to get the job done. In the case of MP3 players, that means a device that provides you with plenty of music and has a long battery life, but is still compact enough to follow you on all of your adventures. That's exactly what the iPod Nano from Apple Inc. was designed for. The iPod Nano is Apple's middle of the road digital music player and digital photo viewer. It comes in a variety of colors and features a one and a half inch color LCD screen with LED back lighting to make it easier to see while saving power. Its music and photos are stored in flash memory and its available with flash drives in sizes of two, four, and eight gigabytes. The two gigabyte version can store up to five hundred songs, the four gigabyte version holds up to one thousand songs, and the eight gigabyte version can store up to an impressive two thousand songs assuming that each song averages about four minutes long and is in Apple's proprietary digital music format available through its online iTunes store.



As impressive as the Nano's storage capacities are, its ergonomics are also first rate with the fact that all of its functions are controlled with the simple and stylish wheel like contact device that's become the standard for all of the models of the iPod line. The process of synching the iPod Nano with a Macintosh or Windows based computer is also as easy as dropping it into the docking device that comes with it. The docking station is connected to the computer using a USB connection and charging takes place over the same cable as any downloads. The Nano even has the built in theft deterrent of a built in screen lock with a four digit combination that you can set yourself.

At three and a half inches high, one and a halve inch wide, and a little more than a quarter of an inch deep; the iPod Nano has an incredible level of portability considering its high capacity for music and photos. This level of portability is further emphasized by the fact that the device weighs in at less than an ounce and a half. Those factors, combined with the fact that the Nano can play for up to twenty four hours on a single charge make it a great choice for anyone on the go. The fact that it can play for up to twenty four hours between charges, makes it easy to imagine that the Nano should be the music source of choice for athletes participating in twenty four hour races. Those operating in a relay team can pass the Nano off at the same time as the baton, and those hard core individuals who insist on going the whole twenty four hours themselves will have a sound track for the entire event!