Brian Byrd's Photo Blog — Nano, Nano ... Goodbye Touch!

I've been amazed with, and enthralled by, the astonishing capabilities of my pocket computer — commonly known as an iPod Touch — ever since I bought the first-generation model in June 2008. To have such computing power, and worldwide Internet access, in such a small package, that can rest in the palm of your hand, is truly the stuff of science fiction! In September 2010 I upgraded to the even more capable fourth-generation machine.

It wasn’t until I acquired the second-generation iPad in March 2011 that my iPod Touch started to fill the role of a music-playing iPod rather than a pocket computer. Although the miniature size of the iPod Touch is conveniently small, the 3.5-inch screen is way too tiny to be very useful with my fifty-year-old eyes. So for the past year or so, all of my mobile computer needs have been met through the iPad instead. All that I have used the iPod Touch for is listening to music and audio books when driving or going on my daily neighborhood walk.

For a list of all the blog articles I have written about using the iPad for my photographic workflow, click here.

Lately I realized that the awesome capability of my iPod Touch has been going to waste, since I’m using it only as a music player. Therefore, when the new seventh-generation iPod Nano was announced last month, I placed my order immediately.

This is definitely the best Nano yet, with a 2.5-inch multi-touch wide-screen display, video playback capability, and Bluetooth connectivity. With 16GB of storage, it holds only a quarter of what my Touch does, but I think that limitation will work for me.

As you can see from the photo to the right, the Nano now looks like a mini Touch, but it is only one-third the size and weight. Take a look at the next photo, and you’ll see that the Nano is significanly smaller than a credit card, and about as thick as a stack of five credit cards! Modern technology never ceases to amaze!

For an in-depth look at the new Nano, check out this article on the MacWorld Web site: iPod nano (7th generation) combines the best of its predecessors.

As for my iPod Touch, I've passed it on to my 17-year-old son, who will undoubtedly put it to better use as a pocket computer than I have been doing for the past year.

I have absolutely loved my iOS devices ever since I got my paws on that Touch four years ago. When I upgraded to the newer Touch about two years ago, I also tried the seven-inch Amazon Kindle for a few months. In the end it seemed too much of a one-trick pony, so I sold it while I could still get a good price. But I did really like the size of it, so for the past two years I have been longing for Apple to come out with a smaller, seven-inch iPad.

I may not have to wait much longer! Just today Apple announced another one of their media events, at which it is widely expected that they will reveal a new, smaller version of the iPad, which many have dubbed the “iPad mini.” I am eagerly anticipating this event next Tuesday — we shall see, we shall see!