Apple iPod Nano 2011 user reviews (8GB, red)

Pros Attractive, small size

Cons Difficult to use, unreliable

Summary I am returning my SECOND defective Nano to Apple. I bought the first as a replacement to my old iPod classic & thought the small size would be better to take on walks, exercising, etc. I have found the touch screen so much more difficult to use than the wheel. Also, if you are a listener to audio books like I am one wrong touch or even the wrong movement when it is in your pocket will jump the recording to a different chapter. You then have to spend several minutes trying to find the place where you left off. After a few months, the Nano began stopping or pausing every time the backlight went off. Apple did replace it, but the second one is doing the same thing right out of the box! This must be a known defect since it was listed as one of the reasons for return. I am giving up on the Nano and going back to the classic. (i don't need an iPod touch since I have a smartphone - an Android). Buyer beware - it's not worth the money .

Pros Touch Screen, buttons well placed, nice clear display (albeit when the thing actually worked.)

Cons My IPOD 8GB silver 6th gen has crashed twice inside of one month and this last time I cannot get it to recover at all. I tried all 5 R's exhaustively and have finally given up. Very poor product for the hefty price.

Summary I do not buy products at top dollar (ie. one of the most expensive portable music players.) to send it back to the manufacturer within one month. EVER. I worked for Motorola. I know QC and if this is what I paid $150 for, then I will not ever buy another Apple product again. I was going to buy an IPAD for the wife, who is a nurse, this week but this has completely opened my eyes to the sham that is Apple. Apple sells products with great attractive exterior designs that are not to the level of quality that their price tag implies. I bought a $12 off-brand .mp3 player that is all plastic with a cheap pixelated LCD display that is still alive and kicking and I bought it before the IPOD. I thought I had upgraded upon purchasing the IPOD, much to my disappointment. To sign up for support to send in your IPOD, Apple wants you to sign up for an account and divulge personal information beyond just name and address.. When Apple can build a product that outlasts the month of February then I will consider signing up for an account. Otherwise I'm buying a Zune and emphatically steering everyone I know away from the Apple name. To Apple, perhaps if you assembled your IPODs in California instead of China perhaps your quality would not be suffering.

Pros Integral to the tiny piece is its own clip and an FM radio, two of the most frustrating things missing in prior nano models. I love the small size and ability to carry it anywhere.

Cons I miss use of click wheel by feel when driving, exercising, even napping. The touch bar is too clumsy to find exact spot I am looking for. Using the clip forces a finger onto the wrong place and I activate or deactivate the touch screen unwittingly.

Summary Unless I want to use the FM radio at a football game, I am finding myself gravitating back to my Gen 4 nano for most uses. I like not having to search for expensive cases/clips and dealing with multi-part contraptions just to create an in-line FM radio. At the same time, listening mostly to books and podcasts, I find it much more difficult to find my place, especially in a multi-part book, with the lack of precision in moving the touch bar with my finger. I do like the 30-second skip back, but it requires taking the nano off, looking at it, swiping to a different screen. Perhaps each of these shortcomings will improve with skill in using the touchscreen.

Pros Great Screen, Small, Clip on back, fast synchronizing, Beautiful color, easy to use, Spacious memory, Tactile buttons, Pedometer

Cons No physical button for play/fast foward/back

Summary I really like this iPod, it goes wherever I go! It's small, lightweight and easy to use! The touch screen is easy to navigate with and is bright and colorful for looking at pictures or album artwork. Definitely my favorite iPod and worth the small price :)