Apple first entered the flash memory digital audio player market with the iPod shuffle. It got a lot of flack for not having a screen, but it still managed to win some fans thanks to Apple’s legendary ease of use and designer chic. The iPod nano is Apple’s second entry to this market, and this time it’s got it right.

In an incredible feat of engineering, Apple has shrunk a fully featured iPod down to a third of the original size, without skimping on features. At just 6.9mm thick, it’s astonishingly thin, yet it does almost everything that a fully featured iPod can. It’s even got a colour screen and the classic iPod click-wheel.

People love the iPod because it’s incredibly easy to use. Everything from the simple menu system through to the mostly-excellent iTunes software – for buying and transferring music to the iPod – is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Take the Philips HDD065 2GB HDD, for example, which is cheaper at £110 from Argos, or the Creative Zen Micro, which offers 5GB for £150. Both of these players seem clumsy and awkward when compared to the iPod nano’s colour screen, elegant software and wafer-thin dimensions.

The iPod nano supports Apple’s own AAC standard for audio files, which means you’re limited to buying songs from the iTunes Music Store to play on it, but that’s no bad thing, since it has the best selection available. It will also play MP3 files, audio books and Apple’s latest love, podcasts, which are expertly integrated into iTunes.

The screen’s sharpness and vibrancy of colour is excellent. As well as photographs, it displays album art, and you are even able play simple games and view a calendar that synchronises with Outlook.

The iPod nano isn’t perfect, however. Space is limited to 4GB or 2GB – that’s just 1,000 or 500 songs – which isn’t enough to favour it over a 20GB or 40GB player. A lot of the iPod accessories will work with the nano, but equally quite a lot won’t at the moment, including the handy iPod camera connector. For some people the nano might even be a little too small and a bit fiddly to control, but it’s hard to deny the attraction of this wonderful little device. And if you need one more reason to buy one then here’s the clincher: it comes in black, too.