Nano a Nano -- the new player from Apple, with video, is a swell upgrade

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With the iPod getting to be old hat, Apple has frantically piled on extras in an attempt to make the player seem fresh again.

The new version of the iPod Nano, unveiled earlier this week at a company event, crams into the little player a video camera, FM radio, microphone, speaker and even a pedometer.

Is this a sign of desperation?

Well, if it is, bring it on. The new Nano is an astonishing triumph of engineering and design that has managed to pack all these new features — along with the old ones — into a sleek, elegant device that’s a pleasure to use.

None of the new features — with the exception of the dorky pedometer — seem like gratuitous add-ons. They’re quality instruments that perform dauntingly well, considering that the player is not much bigger than a couple sticks of gum, side by side.

Indeed, this fifth rendition of the Nano (first introduced in 2005) is wrapped in an aluminum case that is essentially the same size as its predecessor.

Almost alarmingly so. As one colleague noted, it would be easy to lose in the laundry.

Or in an unmade bed. This morning, with the Nano having charged up overnight, I shot my first video, with the help of a lovely demonstration model.

The new Nano is not perfect.

The controls on the new features don’t all work seamlessly. There’s a possible glitch for the company to solve having to do with processing the video clips after downloading to a Mac. And it would not be a surprise if there are more.

Apple is known for taking big leaps forward, and sometimes that means it has to run damage control on the first release of a new or upgraded item.

If you really want one of the new Nanos, it might be wise to wait until possible bugs are ironed out. (Of course, if this thing is a hit, it might end up being in short supply for the holidays).

The prices for the fifth-generation Nanos are $149 for the 8GB model and $179 for the 16GB. Given that you’ll be tempted to take a lot of off-the-cuff videos — and video takes up considerably more memory than audio — you’re probably better off going for the 16GB model.

That is, if iPod players are still for you. For not too much more money, you can move up to an iPod Touch (starting at $199), which is a sophisticated mini-computer in addition to being an audio/video player.

The Touch has Wi-Fi capability for e-mail and the Web, sophisticated apps and it can play serious games.

Then there’s the granddaddy of the portables: the iPhone (starting at $99, plus two-year telecommunications plan), that adds phone capability. The iPhone 3GS model ($199, plus plan) also has a video camera.

It’s a good bet that the Touch will eventually get a video camera too. And with their Wi-Fi abilities, they’ll be able to send those video clips directly to friends, family or Facebook, without having to download them to a computer.

Even so, the stylish Nano deserves to be thought of not as a lesser device, at least for the time being, but one that serves its own niche. It’s so small that it’s great for the gym, hiking trails or a run.

Its shape and on-screen graphics (which on the FM mode are delightfully retro), humanize the technology. And those videos — well, they’re a gas.

-- David Colker