Ipod Nano 1st Gen

Advertising emphasized the iPod Nano's small size: it is 1.6 in (40 mm) width, 3.5 in (90 mm)length, 0.27 in (6.9 mm) thick and weighs 1.5 ounces (42 grams). Its stated battery life is up to 14 hours. The screen is 176x132 pixels, 1.5 in (38 mm) diagonal, and can display 65,536 colors (16-bit color).

History

Development work on the design of the iPod Nano started only nine months before its launch date. The Nano was launched in two colors (black and white) with two available sizes: 2 GB (roughly 500 songs) for US$199 and 4 GB (1000 songs) for US$249. On February 7, 2006, Apple updated the lineup with the 1 GB model (240 songs) sold at US$149. Apple also released some accessories, including armbands and silicone "tubes" designed to bring color to the Nano and protect it from scratches, as well as a combination lanyard-earphone accessory that hangs around the neck, and avoids the problem of tangling earphone cords.


Endurance

Testing by technology-enthusiast website Ars Technica has shown that even after being sat on, dropped by a jogger, dropped four times from a car moving at various speeds, then being driven over twice by the car, and finally dropped from nine feet onto concrete, the unit's screen was damaged but it could still play music. The unit finally stopped playing music after being thrown 40 feet (12 m) into the air and landing on concrete.


Electronics

The iPod Nano uses general-purpose integrated circuits (IC) instead of smaller, low-cost custom-developed chips, possibly to reduce time-to-market. This design, however, increases the number of electronic components and increases the cost. Japanese engineers estimated the component cost of the 2 GB Nano as between JP¥22,000 and JP¥27,000 (US$185-US$227), which was high compared to the retail price of JP¥21,800 (US$183) at the time. The cost of 2 GB NAND flash memory was about JP¥14,000 (US$118). Apple also opted for the 0603 (1.6x0.8 mm) surface mount technology which was just beginning widespread use in mobile phones in 2005.The iPod Nano uses a PortalPlayer PP5021C "system on a chip" with dual embedded 80 MHz ARM 7TDMI processors.


Consumer reactions
 
The initial consumer response to the iPod Nano was overwhelmingly positive and sales were heavy. The Nano sold its first million units in only 17 days, helping Apple to a record billion-dollar profit in 2005.

Apple's release of the iPod Nano as a replacement for the iPod Mini was viewed by many as a risky move.Steve Jobs has argued that the iPod Nano was a necessary risk since competitors were beginning to catch up to the iPod Mini in terms of design and features, and believed the iPod Nano would prove to be even more popular and successful than the iPod Mini.

Within days of the Nano's release, some users reported damage to the Nano, suggesting that the LCD screen had become so scratched that it was unreadable, even when the backlight was on. Many have reported fine scratches on their Nano caused by microfiber cloths. Other owners reported that their Nano's screen cracked with no provocation.On September 27, 2005, Apple confirmed a small percentage ("less than 1/10 of 1 percent") of iPod Nanos shipped with a faulty screen and agreed to replace any Nanos with cracked screens, but denied the iPod Nano was more susceptible to scratching than prior iPods.[19] Apple started shipping iPod Nanos with a protective sleeve to protect them from scratches. In October 2005, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple, with the plaintiffs seeking reimbursement for the device, legal fees, and "unlawful or illegal profits" from sales of the iPod Nano. Lawyers for the plaintiffs claim that the devices "scratch excessively during normal usage, rendering the screen on the Nanos unreadable, and violating state consumer protection statutes". Similar lawsuits were later filed in Mexico and the United Kingdom. Some commentators such as BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl have criticized the lawsuits. Hesseldahl dismissed them as "stupid" and suggested that they benefitted "no one but the trial lawyers," but also suggested that Apple could have avoided litigation by offering "full refunds on unwanted Nanos" instead of charging a re-stocking fee and lengthening the return period from 14 days (when purchased through Apple retail or online) to 30 or 60 days.


Incidents

In Australia, an iPod Nano flamed up while being charged on a PC.Since the limited warranty was over, the consumer was not able to get a replacement right away.

Another iPod incident happened in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport while a man was working in the airport. His iPod Nano set his pants on fire. Apple Inc. refused to release a statement regarding this issue.

In addition, an iPod Nano sparked in Japan in January while it was still recharging.Although no one was injured during the incident, Apple Inc. is currently investigating it. It was reported on 19 August 2008 that 17 incidents of abnormal overheating with 1st-generation iPod Nano units while recharging had been reported in Japan, including cases in which tatami mats had been charred.