This weekend after Steve Job's announcement of the new iPod lineup, Apple Stores across the country (at least the Los Angeles and Denver stores I called) started receiving shipments of the latest new models. The new iPod Shuffle addresses user requests for more compatibility for third party headphones while the iPod Classic gets a larger hard drive in the same slim form factor. However, some iPod Touch users were a bit disappointed that hardware upgrades were limited to more memory and processor speed, but not any form of a camera that had been long rumored. Instead that ended up in the iPod Nano, which seems to have gotten all the love and attention of Apple engineers.

Externally, it looks similar to the previous 4th generation iPod Nano, but it's got a mind-boggling array of features that somehow got shoehorned into its tiny frame. The most visually prominent being a larger screen with 17.5% more pixels, a video camera and a microphone. With the latter two features, I thought this iPod would be perfect to create an iReport first-impression review of itself. It was a nice touch that they came charged in the box so I could start right away!

Video:

1: A short video of my trip to Denver and the local Apple Store recorded almost entirely with the new iPod Nano. Only a few still images were snapped by another camera since I didn't have a second iPod to record images of itself. (its screen is on the opposite side of the camera)

Images:

2: An honorable mention not in the video since it was added in the previous generation iPod with the accelerometer: a maze game that you play by tilting the iPod, just like the feature presently in iPhones.

3: This version of the iPod is smaller than this pack of gum. The shiny new finish feels more durable than that of previous iPods, but time will tell...

4: My old RAZR phone looks like a battleship next to this iPod!

5: Still image recaps of some of the other new functions: a step counter that includes much of the functionality that used to be part of the separate Nike + iPod sensor package.

6: The new built-in radio lets you rewind a live FM broadcast just like Tivo. The only catch is that it will only work with headphones attached so that it can be used as the radio antenna. This used to be part of an inconvenient accessory that Apple sold separately, but no more. Also, if the station signal identifies the broadcasted song, you can tag it to find it later in the iTunes Music Store.

7: The built-in mic can also be used to record voice memos, which at 44.1K is decently usable for podcast voice overs. Not visible is the built-in speaker which can now let you play audio without your headphones, but keep in mind it's a tiny tiny speaker that won't replace your Bose system.

8: One pet peeve of this form factor: though it is thinner and fits comfortably in most pockets, the "tallness" of the current design doesn't let it fit as elegantly in my blue jean's "micropocket" like when Steve Jobs first introduced the Nano. The squat shape of the 3rd generation Nano fit more nicely in there.

Other pet peeves:

* The latest version of iTunes elegantly syncs voice recordings, but I still have to dig through the iPod in disc mode to find recorded videos. Not a big deal for tech heads, but I can see computer neophytes getting lost here. Also, a warning for folks who never back up, if you don't copy your videos and the Nano is restored from a severe crash (very rare, but it does happen), you can lose all your recordings since they're stored in flash memory.

* Not all of the interface has been updated to take advantage of the accelerometer as thoroughly as the iPhone. Also when viewing movies while holding the iPod sideways, the clickwheel keeps it orientation fixed to its printed markings which can sometimes be a bit confusing when trying to fast forward and rewind.

* The new finish is slick. Very very slick. In fact, so slick that the iPod popped out of my grip on a few occasions while using the camera. Also, since the camera is close to the corner and completely flush with the design of the iPod, it takes a little while to get used to keeping fingers out of its way.

* Camera taking videos only, but no photos? I can understand Apple trying to avoid the ridicule it got from the very first camera in early iPhones, but this iPod is aimed at users on blogs, FaceBook, and YouTube and they'll forgive the VGA resolution. Nerds will easily figure out how to grab still shots from their videos, but a dedicated photo reel in a future firmware update would be much more convenient.

Additional observations:

* I don't own a 4th generation iPod Nano to compare, but processor performance of the 5th generation model appears to be significantly improved over the 3rd generation, most notably in the cover flow interface which behaves much more smoothly than the previous version.

* Responsiveness of the click wheel appears to have improved, but contact against your leg through the fabric of your pants pocket can inadvertently turn it on. I've had the battery unknowingly run down this way, so I've had to remind myself to use the lock button to avoid this.

Note: Special thanks to the crew of NDK Denver for the nice road trip!