The select button, which was slightly raised before, is now flat. The Click Wheel, which utilizes in-house technology (Apple abandoned Synaptics tech starting with the Nano), is actually smaller-by about a quarter-inch diameter-than the 4G iPod, which means you won't get as much scrolling action with each stroke of the thumb. Personally, we think the older model, with its softer edges and added thickness, is a tad more hand-friendly. The 60GB version measures only 0.55 inch, meaning it too is thinner than the 20GB iPod. The 30GB body, which measures 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.4 inches and weighs only 4.8 ounces, is baby-soft to the touch, and while design elements such as the Click Wheel and a polished silver backside are familiar, this iPod has an added sexiness, thanks to the larger screen that dominates its upper half.Īpple somehow shrunk the width of the iPod body so drastically that the 30GB version is 31 percent thinner than the 20GB iPod. As with the Nano before it, you have to see and touch the iPod in person to appreciate it. And the 5G iPod is much more than a simple update. In this era of seemingly unstoppable technological progress, the Apple iPod was due for an update both physically and featurewise. Yet because it has added a major extra feature-video playback-to its solid, audiocentric foundation, there's room for improvement.

The 5G iPod, which is available in white or Nano black and comes in 30GB and 60GB capacities for $299 and $399, respectively, is the best one we've used to date. But despite the fact that it is an audio player first and foremost-and that the term is overused- all of you will remember the fifth-generation iPod as the video iPod.

Experienced iPod users may complain that essentials such as a power adapter and A/V cables aren't bundled with the device. A few of you will notice subtler differences, such as the absence of the smart headphone jack, a smaller Click Wheel, and the iPod's superflat face. Most of you will notice a design that's thinner, lighter, and sexier than its predecessor's, as well as a new screen that dwarfs the Click Wheel. Pay close attention to the new Apple iPod when you get one in your hands.

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