Few would argue with the numero uno status which the iPod commands. And despite all the numerous competitors selling higher capacity, feature-laden products at the same price, the iPod's leadership isn't going to fizzle out any time soon. The new iPod Nano, now in its 4th generation goes back to the tall and lean form factor from the first and second generations. Only it's now even sleeker than before. The changes are not just skin deep; it now comes with a built in accelerometer to automatically changes the screen orientation when you hold it sideways. The accelerometer also enables a gimmicky shake-to-shuffle feature.

Plus if you've already filled up all the space you had from your earlier iPod model, the new Nano offers double the amount of storage at nearly the same price.

iPod Nano (8GB) Rs 9,700	Performance Coolness
Pros New colors, accelero- meter, bright screen Cons iTunes 8 Sold by Apple India www.apple.co.in	Specs 8 GB/16 GB, 2” LED backlit, 240 x 320 color LCD, supports AAC, AAC , MP3, MP3 VBR, Apple WAV, AIFF, JPEG, H.264 and MPEG- 4, 36.8 gms Verdict

The feature which you'll instantly fall in love with is 'Cover Flow' (the same as in the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPod Classic) where you can seamlessly browse through your album artwork. While browsing through music, Cover Flow is automatically activated if you turn the device sideways. Navigation is, as always, done using the click wheel which works just like the other iPods. The (scratch-resistant) curved screen is unbelievably bright and crisp. However, due to the slight bend in the protective glass, it does attract some amount of glare. The sound quality remains the same and is good–but can be greatly improved by just getting a pair of decent earbuds from Sennheiser or Creative. The other feature which you can turn on or off is at will is the shake to shuffle feature where to change the song randomly you'll have to vigourously shake the device. There is a voice recorder built in, but to use it, you'll have to buy the mic-equipped earphones separately–quite pointless if you ask me. The battery lasts for two full length movies and close to 20 hours of music playback with real world usage. There are alternatives of course. For example, the Sandisk Sansa View 16 GB with FM for Rs 11k. Or the Creative Zen X-Fi 8GB with some fantastic sound upscaling wizardry for Rs 8k. But you won't like either of these if you're a die-hard iPod fan. If you are, you can happily choose between the 9 new colors and the new features.