I bought the iPod Nano about a month ago, just after it was released. I’ve been using it nonstop since then, and I’m loving every minute of it.

The interface has once again been redone, this time instead of a split screen view, album artwork is shown in a ticker reel at the bottom of the menu system. I was never a fan of the split screen menu system in my 3rd gen nano. Another new addition to the interface is the use of the accelerometer to enter cover flow mode. Like on the iPhone you just rotate the device to a horizontal position to enter the 3D album viewing. I find my self using coverflow more than the traditional menu system because it is simply easy to access. You can get to it from any of the menus.

Let’s go back to the accelerometer. I think it was necessary for the orentation of the screen in the 4th gen Nano, especially for watching movies. Everyone has a dominant hand that they use to control the click wheel with. Using an accelerometer oreintates the screen to match the hand that the user wants to use. Along with the accelerometer came another feature lamely dubbed “Shake to Shuffle”. It does what it says. You violently shake the iPod and it randomly selects a song from your library. It works and is a quick way to start playing your music without delving through menus. This feature can be turned off in the Settings area and activating the hold switch temporarily shuts off the feature. You do need to shake the Nano fairly hard, so simply running with it will not shuffle your songs.

The design of the new Nano returns to the 2nd generation Nano with its mostly aluminium construction and plastic end caps. The screen on the 4th gen Nano is exactly the same as the one on the previous model, just rotated 90 degrees onto its side; it sort of looks like the flash-based Microsoft Zune. The device itself is very thin, but just slightly thinner than the previous model. The curved edges don’t make that much of a difference, if anything I like it more. The hold switch is located on the top while the dock connector and headphone jack are found on the bottom.

The iPod Nano is my portable media device. Up until now this meant music, photos, videos, and podcasts. Now, I’ve added games to the mix. The iPod ships with 3 games Kolondike (solitare), Vortex, and the new addition Maze. Maze uses the accelerometer to move a ball through mazes. They get quite challenging and the game is addicting. I immediately went looking for more games using the accelerometer. I found one called Spore Origins. This is a version of the new game, Spore built for the iPod. It uses the accelerometer to move your spore. Tilting the device at more extreme angles increases the speed at which the spore moves. Also, I’ve gotten to the point where you can get stuck in icebergs. To escape, you have to shake the device. It’s a lot of fun, and, again addicting.

I love my new Nano. I have the 8gb Orange edition which is beautifully colored and has just the right amount of storage. I’m not sure its a necessary upgrade over the previous model, but I’m glad I did upgrade.