Labs

The iPod range needs no introduction, and the second-generation nano is arguably the most covetable model yet. Just looking at this beautiful gadget makes you feel a little surge of contentment, and switching it on doesn't diminish the experience. Apple's menu system is the epitome of elegant, user-friendly design, and the click wheel makes

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it extremely quick to browse large music collections. Our only grievance is that there isn't a dedicated volume control - the wheel handles this function when it's not navigating menus.

Music transfers run at an impressive 3.9Mbit/sec, and are handled by iTunes. It's a great piece of software, but you'll need to download it yourself if you don't already have it, since no disc is supplied. At 36MB, plus a further 21MB to update the player's own software, it's slightly more than a trivial download, but there's something to be said for having the up-to-date version.

The sound quality of the player is up to scratch, but the EQ presets are prone to causing distortion, and there's no custom EQ option. This is particularly unfortunate because the supplied headphones lack bass and need heavy EQ treatment to compensate. As a result, music is either bass-light or distorted unless you replace the Apple headphones.