Want to Win a Free iPod? Attend a Meet N Greet.

*Edited on November 16, 2006 to include the area of, Now Why This, And Not Your Video?

Preamble
Hello. My name is Kristina and I am the proud owner of a brand, spanking new Apple iPod Nano - (PRODUCT) RED™ Special Edition. I've had this puppy in my hot hands for over a week now and everytime I sneak a look at it, I giggle and squeal.

You see, as a long-time member of Epinions, I hold the record for attending the most number of Meet-N-Greets (MNG). At every MNG, Epinions personnel taunt and tease us with special gifts and treats. In five years of attending these events, this is the very first time that I've ever won anything!

Woo Hoo!

Okay....This isn't my first iPod. In fact, I currently have a Fifth Generation iPod 30GB with Video and prior to that, I had the iPod with Color Display 20GB. When my 20GB pooped out on me, I had considered buying a Nano but in late 2005, I wasn't really thrilled with the first generation stuff. The video one had just been released so like all kids, I had to have the new toy.

So - you have to be wondering...if I already have the more expensive toy, why in the world would I not sell this or give it away to my buddy Shantel?

Because. This particular Nano is special. Aside from the Epinions connection, I have a very strange attraction to it.

As you can see from the picture Epinions displays, this is a RED Nano - and not just any red Nano. It's a special (PRODUCT)RED branded Nano - a designation given because Apple has joined the ranks of companies like American Express, the Gap, and Converse - giving a certain portion of particular product sales to The Global Fund. Apple donates $10 when this Nano is purchased.

The Global Fund, started in 2002, is a charitable organization dedicated to fighting AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis. It is (uniquely) backed by partnerships of governments, private sector, individual donations, and non-profit organizations.

For more information on The Global Fund, visit their website: http://www.theglobalfund.org/en

For more information on Product Red, visit their website: http://www.joinred.com

What You Get
I'm not a girl who is concerned with ingredients err technical specifications. If you're looking for everything technical, read the box, go to Apple's website, or click on the View Details tab at the top of this review.

You've got to hand it to the Apple people. They understand marketing. Case in point - the way they package your Nano purchase. In this clear, plastic case, you get almost everything but the kitchen sink - Nano, iPod Headphones, USB Cable, Dock adapter, Quick start guide.

Nano - ohmygawd! This thing is like so gnarly! Size is everything - and a great selling point for this product is its small, petite size. It's about 3.5 inches long, about 1.5 inch wide, and .26 of an inch deep!!! There's a tiny screen to view the menu, your options, and of course - you can see what songs are currently playing. Unlike my other iPod, the body of this one is protected by a red-aluminun, scratch-resistant coating. It may look like a cover but friends - you can't separate the two from each other. The coolest thing about this IS the fact that you don't have to handle it with kid gloves. I'm like this with my iPod Video - constantly worried about dings and scratches. It's nice to be able to relax with this unit.

iPod Headphones - I'm not typically a huge fan of headphones that you have to stick inside of your ears. Of all of the ones I've tried out, these would absolutely rank in the top half for comfort. The drawback is that the wires going from the bud to the actual Nano are loooooong and can get tangled. The sound quality with these headphones are fine. I much prefer a different type of headphones - namely - Bang & Olufsen Form 2 Headphones

This Nano has the capacity to hold up to 25,000 photos, 1,000 songs, and the battery (for song playback) lasts up to 24 hours.

What You DON'T Get
You don't get any:
* Cases
* Alternative power sources (i.e. plug into your car or into an outlet)
* Remotes
* The Nike Sport Armband
* Extended Warranty (your current warranty is one year)


Make It Work
Please understand the following. I don't read directions - avoid them if I can. I knew from my last iPod experience that I needed to hook the thing up via the usb attachment, to my computer (which I did). That charges it and prompts you to register your product through Apple. Of course you can skip registration - but that seems silly to me.

Sidenote: the quick start guide - to its credit - is made for inattentive weenies like myself....small words...big pictures.

If you're easily irritated (like me), then you want to take care of a couple of things right away. First, push the iPod on (which pulls up the menu), and take care of that darn clicker. Turn it OFF. Second, take care of some of the other settings like the backlight and your maximum volume setting. Don't forget to set the clock on it to your local time.

Note: There are "other" features like an alarm clock, an equalizer, screen lock, stop watch, calendar entries - these are things that I don't mess with.

Load It Up!
Buy a Nano, get stuck with only one tool to get your music loaded. That tool is iTunes. iTunes is free to download and to Apple's credit, there are some really cool features that they let you do through this interface. Note: iTunes works with Windows or MAC.

Once you download iTunes, you can either purchase songs from there -or- copy your music library/rip your cd's on to your iPod. Your album art also transfers over - which is cool.

Note: You can also download/rip audiobooks and podcasts.

Now Why This, And Not Your Video?
Over the past two weeks, this has been a godsend for me. I learned how to segregate my music library (one computer - two iPod devices) and have copied only specific things that I need for the week. For example, my daily drive is 2 1/2 hours round trip. I download the audio book of the week that I want to listen to AND any new music that is out there that I haven't had a chance to think through. I leave my favorite albums plus the thousands of others files I have, on my video iPod.

I went to Apple's online discussion area because the thorough support manual really didn't answer my basic question. Within an hour, someone very knowledge - just another obsessed user - was able to step me through the process.

I tuck this into my pocket and feel more at ease moving from my car to whatever activity is next (walking to the office building, getting gas, stopping at the post office, etc...). With my video iPod, I am petrified of dropping it. It's just not as easy to tote (unless of course, I want to get some fancy accessories) as the Nano.

At the end of the week, I'm zapping everything and starting from the beginning (i.e. manually load what I want for the week without worry what I'm disturbing on my video iPod).

To Sum It Up
Would I am purchased this iPod on my own? Probably not.

Would I have purchased this iPod if I didn't own the full-blown video one? Absolutely. The size, the color, the fact that Apple donates $10 to The Global Fund, the long battery life, and the best part - I can stick the booger in my pocket and not worry about damaging it - all would lead me to purchase a Nano.