Well, I've had my iPod nano for quite a while now. I use it frequently, not so much for music anymore but mostly for podcasts. I really enjoy a few of them, in fact, now that I'm not taking the bus to work for a month, I find I'm having trouble finding time to listen to them. My favorites are This Week in Tech and Diggnation, both tech related podcasts. I also have been listening to Security Now! which is leading me to believe that my network at home is due for a security update.
Anyway, back to the nano. My nano has done it's job very well. Aside from a few minor scratches on the screen it is in great shape. This may be due to the fact that, because it's so small and not in a case, I tend to baby it a little. I never have anything else in my pocket with it. This sometimes causes my jacket to be somewhat lopsided, which can be quite annoying if I have a lot of change. It seems to me, however, that by making the nano so small, it has decreased the usability or at least the comfortability (am I making up words?) of the player. I'm not a large man by any standards but I can't imagine what it must be like for someone with large or chubby hands to try and use a nano without feeling like your going to break it. The iPod mini, with its metal enclosure, gave you the feeling, perhaps wrongly, that it was durable. It had a comfortable weight in your hand and was cool to the touch. Although it was prone to scratches and dents, it seemed like it could take it. The nano on the other hand feels almost too delicate. I find it ironic that the major selling feature of the nano is its small size but after using it for a while that becomes the only drawback. Perhaps I should just trust the designers and use it without reservations but I'm just worried about having to potentially replace something that cost $300. Before the nano came along I was using a 1st generation iPod and was constantly worried about dropping it. I know what you're thinking, why don't I just buy a case for it. Good question. I haven't really found one I like and the prices are a little steep, about 10% of the price of the iPod, for the pitifully small amount of fabric that is required. It just goes to show, there's no pleasing some people.