I came late to the world of MP3 players. By the time I finally got my sleek black 4G Apple iPod Nano, the technology was already well established. Everyone I knew seemed to have gotten his or her iPod already and were moving on to cell phones with MP3 capability. So this review is directed toward those who, like me, yearn to be part of the iPod listening world but haven't gotten into the game yet. Despite the fact that it is well past half-time, an Apple iPod Nano is a thing of joy. I have to say is that, for everyone out there still wondering whether they should invest a few hundred dollars for technology that will likely be replaced tomorrow with something new and better, I say a resounding YES. This is one of the best gifts I've ever received, even though I still haven't figured out all the features yet.

For a couple of years, I kept yearning for an iPod, but I never thought I needed to spend the money to listen to music. Didn't I already own a sizable collection of CDs, didn't Ihave a perfectly good radio and portable CD player? Still, those tiny iPods had their appeal--to be able to listen to only the music you really want to hear, to download a song instead of an entire CD of music, to put your favorite songs into playlists. The appeal was palpable. Then there was the question of whether to shuffle (Apple's iPod shuffle, quick and easy for much less money) or to Nano (more song capability, more control of playlist features)? Ultimately, I decided that the Apple iPod Shuffles were just too small for me. After all, I love jazz, classical, and rock music. Who knows what I'd really want to hear on any particular day? With an Apple iPod Shuffle, I'd have far less choice, both in the amount of music I could load onto the player as well as controlling which song I wanted to hear.

The 4G Apple iPod Nano that I received for Christmas last year has been one of the best gifts ever. It's small, tiny really, easy to forget you have it in your pocket, which also makes it easy to bring everywhere. It's also pretty easy to bang it and scratch it, and with black as my chosen color, it really shows these flaws, so I did get a protector for it pretty quickly. It comes with a velvet-ish slip case, but you really need a cover that shows the center dial while continuing to provide protection for the iPod Nano. Protective covers can range in price from a few bucks to serious money, depending on your sense of style.

Overall, the Apple iPod Nano is easy to use. Apple's iTunes site makes downloading your musical selections very easy, and it's pretty easy (even for a novice techie) to download them off your own CD collection as well. What I haven't figured out yet is how to remove songs from my iPod Nano. Many of the instructions that come with your iPod Nano refer you back to the Apple site for extensive detail, a somewhat disadvantageous way to do things, in my opinion. I realize that this enables Apple to keep product details current, but it's not always the best way for the iPod consumer.

With 4G of music memory, I can play the iPod Nano for about 10 hours continuously without having to recharge. Recharging is pretty easy. Just plug into your computer, go do something else, and come back later to a fully recharged Nano. It seems to hold the charge pretty well even when you're not listening for a couple of days. It gives you a warning when the charge is running down, so you don't get cut off in the middle of listening to your favorite song. Even if you do, it's nothing too disturbing, it just fades out.

Overall, I'd have to say that if this is the future of technology, bring it on. Even if you are coming late to the MP3 game, can't figure out all the features and functions, it's easy enough to get the basics down and enjoy the sound of your own drummer on an Apple iPod Nano. Stop stalling around like me, and you'll soon be enjoying your little slice of music heaven in the form of an Apple iPod Nano.