Before I owned a 3rd Gen iPod Nano, I had owned two Sandisk MP3 players. The first one of those was a very early 1Gb model with a black/white screen and no real features to speak of. The second was a 2Gb Sansa player that offered video playback and menu systems more like an iPod. But I ran into constant sync problems and disk corruption problems with my Sansa to the point I could take it no more.

Then, two Christmases ago I got my iPod Nano. This device is typical of Apple's more recently years: it is sleek, rounded, well put together and solid in your hand. The LCD screen is very bright and the text is easy to read. Without even ever having held an iPod in my hand before that day, I knew how it worked and how to use the interface. When I plugged it into my PC (I was already using iTunes anyway), the device came right up, offered to check for upgrades and installed them without any fuss. Updating and syncing the iPod to iTunes is always effortless and more importantly, it always works.

I use my iPod in my car for podcasts and music, less so for video. However on the occasions when I have played back video, it's been smooth. You wouldn't want to watch a 3 hour movie on this tiny screen but a 5 minute YouTube video is fine.

Battery life is reasonable too. I loaded mine with music for camp last summer and used it for a couple of hours or so each day for about a week, so 15-20 hours I'd say.

The only complaints I have about the device are that I find my fingers are either too dry or not conductive enough and the scroll wheel relies on touch-sensitivity. I find that sometimes the menu jumps up and down when I'm trying to single in on a particular thing. Maybe on newer iPods that has been improved, I don't know.

The earbuds that shipped with my iPod are tinny and not very dynamic; but I knew that from other reviews at the time. Using the device through my car-stereo with an AUX cable works great. A decent pair of headphones is a big improvement but I never would consider an iPod to be an audiophile's primary source of music, and if it is yours, then you are cerainly missing out. Even 320bit MP3 files are not going to sound perfect on this device but its ability to hold so much music and for it to be so easy to use, and so intuitive, means that despite its failings, it's still the best gadget of its kind I have ever owned and I can see no reason (apart from gadget lust) to want to upgrade.