Almost...

A few days ago I bought myself an iPod Nano.

Until now, I'd always seen the iPod brand as just an overpriced MP3 player range. But I needed something that played a wide range of formats and figured that, as I was looking at an expensive model anyway, I might as take the plunge and see what they're like.

While I only have cheap models to compare it to, the iPod Nano is indeed a classy thing - solid, stylish and great to use. Should I have to replace it at some point (assuming that point isn't in the next year or so), I'll definitely give Apple another look.

The only downside is that it can only be run through iTunes. In itself, this isn't too bad. I've had iTunes on my (Dell) computer for quite a while now and never really had any problems with it. If, however, Apple rush out a new version of iTunes in order to support their new (US-only) movie download service, a new version that, for some unfathomable reason, doesn't like working with iPods, then it's a problem. A big problem.

At first I thought it was the iPod that was dodgy. But a few minutes on google revealed that I wasn't the only one having issues. iTunes 7 is just buggy as hell.

My computer recognises that the iPod has connected no problem. iTunes, though, freezes up for a good five minutes before either grudgingly connecting to the iPod or crashing. Even assuming that it's the former, which is rare, it then takes ages to complete even the simplest task and has a tendency to start syncing random playlists from iTunes. Clicking on eject causes it to freeze up completely.

What's more annoying is that on the rare occasions it works, it works beautifully: Downloading the latest podcasts in my collection and transferring music files seamlessly.

I love my new iPod. If iTunes 7 worked the way it's supposed to, I'd be writing a post about how I'd finally joined the Apple love-in. Maybe I will write that post when the next version of iTunes is released.

Maybe.