Apple iPod mini 4GB - Silver [M9160B/A]

1. It does work with USB1. Contary to popular account I have a laptop with this version of USB and it works a treat AND it does charge via this means.

2. If you charge only via USB do not let the power run right down as the unit will not be able to mount as an external drive and charge. You will have to go back and charge from the mains.

3. Unlike its big brother it does not come with a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire convertor. If you own a Windows laptop with 1394 you will be very fustrated trying to get one of the above. Apple will not sell you one and I have found no other retailer who will either.

4. There is a piece of freeware called Pod Util which you will not regret downloading.

5. If you use Winamp there is a great plug-in so you don't have to use iTunes or Music Match.

Hope this is useful.

First of all, the size and dimensions. I have just measured the actual unit and weighed it on the kitchen scales so my values may differ from Apple's web site. My iPod Mini is sized 92mm x 51mm x 13mm and weighs 112g with device and headphones (including foam pads) or 132g when used with the belt clip. All in all, pocket sized and negligible weight. I use it when I go jogging and don't notice it there, it also slips into the back pocket of a pair of jeans and is almost unnoticeable.

The battery is quoted as lasting 8 hours. I use it at work and can say that the battery will last approx 6-8 hours depending on the amount of fiddling with the interface. The backlight if used will discharge the battery at a much quicker rate. I have not used it with the light on for long so cannot say how long it will take to use up the battery, but the light is pretty bright so I guess it would not last very long. However, you don't need to use the back light for normal operation unless you want to use it in the dark.

Included in the box you get:
- The iPod - 4GB hard disk
- A belt clip - snap on/off piece of plastic with a spring loaded clip. Feels pretty sturdy and feels secure whilst attached to clothing
- "earbud" Headphones - the infamous "Mug me quick white" coloured headphones. The sound quality from them is very good, good base and clear lyrics. I bought some "Sennheiser MX500" headphones to compare and I personally thing the Apple headphones are better. I also tried the Apple "in-ear" headphones and did not get on with them at all - so unless you are really unhappy with the supplied headphones you should be ok
- iTunes software CD - freely available to download but handy to be on CD. It is worth downloading the newer software (both iTunes and the iPod firmware) as it supports "variable bit rate" MP3s
- USB2/Firewire cable for connecting to PC or Mac. Be aware that your PC must support USB2 or it will not work - the iPod battery is also charged whilst connected to the computer. To give an indication of speed, it took approx. 20 minutes to transfer about 3.5GB of data from my PC to the iPod via USB2.
- Mains adapter - not normally needed if you charge on your computer, but it is required for when you do a firmware update

The iPod interface takes some getting used to - the iPod stores approx 1000 songs and so it can be a fiddle to find the exact song that you are after. I find it much better to create the playlists on the PC and transfer them across. Then you don't have to scroll through 900 songs to get to the one you want. I am not keen on the way it sorts by artist name but only shows you the song name on the display. The "calendar", "games" and "diary" are not really worth looking at.

Sound quality is excellent, the headphones are good and the base and treble are very clear.

Downsides I have come across:
- The touchpad is very sensitive and it is best switched off using the "lock" switch when moving about. This "lock" can then be a pain because you cannot just jog onto the next song easily.
- I took the iPod on a plane and found that the touchpad didn't work very well on the plane, it works OK if it is reset be toggling the "lock" switch but can be a bit of a pain - I looked on the apple support site and it said that the touchpad is calibrated by air pressure so maybe the variable pressure on a plane confused it?
- The most annoying thing I have found is the shuffle ioptions. You can select between: no shuffle, album shuffle (play songs in the same album in order) or full shuffle. I like to have a general "all songs" playlist which I like to have fully randomised but listen to albums in sequence. None of the shuffle options allow this. For instance, if the "all songs" playlist happens on an album track, then the remaining tracks on the album are played before shuffling starts again. Not the end of the world, but slightly annoying.

All in all, you are not going to buy an Mp3 player with this amount of space available for this sort of cost for a good few months. I have used mine for months now and consider it to be one of the best gadgets I have ever bought. I use it a lot more than I thought I would and recommend this particular player to anyone who asks!

(turns out the bloke who designed it is British, so another plus point there!)

The mini uses a touch sensitive disc located on the front to control your access to the music library and vary the volume whilst tracks are playing. It takes a bit of getting used to at first. It’s very, very sensitive and I’ve found myself selecting the option after the choice I was trying to make a few times. In addition to the music you also have a clock and an alarm. The alarm lets you fall asleep and wake up to your favourite music. You can store contacts, remember important dates in the calendar make notes and even play games. The extras menu gives you access to features like shuffle, repeat, backlight timer, and even an equaliser!!! With 22 different musical genres there is something for everyone. The lock button is a must. I’ve found that when the mini isn’t locked it can easily get switched on in your pocket. It’s also handy to keep it locked whilst your music is playing that way you don’t get bumped between tracks or find your volume fluctuating between ear splitting and silent.

The mini iPod isn't for those that want to download their entire CD collection but if you're looking for something to keep your favourite tracks with you all the time then this is the MP3 player for you. My only regret is that I didn't get the pink one ;)