iPod touch vs iPod nano: Which is right for you? New or refurb?
By Ronald O Carlson
What’s the difference between an orange? Before we can even talk about that, we first need to answer a few basic questions like budget and lifestyle, and there’s more overlap here than you might assume — come on inside.
Apple’s iPod nano and iPod touch are highly successful multigenerational products that define their respective market segments. In the case of the touch, there really aren’t any competing products, besides the iPhone and its concomitant two-year carrier contract.
These two products can be parsed by cost, capacity and function:
• iPod touch with 3.5 inch display; wi-fi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity
— Available with 8GB ($229), 16GB ($299) & 32GB ($399)• iPod nano with 2 inch display; USB connectivity only
— Available with 8GB ($149) and 16GB ($199)
Of course, the iPod touch is a rather capable handheld computer that Apple markets as a gaming platform, which has proven to be one of the most popular and profitable sections of the iTunes App Store. This isn’t to say that you can’t play games on a nano, it’s just that they’ll be less involved and fewer in number, though you’ll get a couple of freebies with the nano and none with the touch.
And, it’s this issue of scale that keeps rearing its oft lovely head when comparing these two products. Whereas my eight-year-old twins love their 8GB iPod nano, unflinchingly sharing its tiny screen and an earbud apiece to watch episodes of Avatar and Jimmy Neutron, neither my wife nor I can focus that small. It’s still a great mp3/4 player, but for video of any kind it’s not big enough for our aging eyes.
Thereupon, it’s relatively easy to enjoy a movie or game or TV show on an iPod touch.
As far as music players go, however, the nano’s going to be the better choice as you can easily thumb the device in your pocket to perform simple tasks like repeating songs, clicking ahead or pausing/playing. On the touch this requires both your eyes and hands.
New or refurb?
I have to admit it, there’s nothing like new and unsullied stuff, especially if we’re talking about edibles. However, unlike remanufactured chewing gum or steak (you don’t know the meaning of poor), refurbished iPods don’t look or feel like they’ve been “prechewed.”
Furthermore, when you buy refurbished anything from the Apple Store — such products aren’t generally available from third parties — they come with a full Apple warranty and, for any widget that costs $50 or more, free shipping.
What’s the punchline? Well, a refurbished 16GB iPod nano sells for $50 less (i.e. $149) than a new unit. A refurbished 8GB iPod touch goes for $179, another way to keep U.S. Grant’s cool facade in your pocket — look for savings in the 15 to 33 percent range, though better bargains on older kit do pop up.
Is refurbished for you? I like refurbished gear and haven’t had any trouble with any of stuff I’ve purchased. For example, my daughter’s nano is a refurb, as is our family’s G4 Mac mini.
Perhaps the ultimate decider is this year’s Back to School promotion — buy a new Mac and get a free 8GB iPod touch just for the pleasure.
Now, that was easy, wasn’t it?
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August 12th, 2009
Is there any difference in the look and feel between the new and the refurbished IPod nano? I know that the packing says it is refurbished. What I want to know is on the device itself, do they have some wordings like ‘REF’ to show that it is a refurbished device?
November 15th, 2009
There is no difference. I bought a refurbished ipod nano a while back (read: a year), and nobody can even tell the difference! Refurbished iPods are generally just as good as new ones, and they look exactly the same.