Christmas has come early. My wife was lucky enough to be given a new iPod Nano from her employer. I was lucky enough to be the one it was re-gifted to. It is the black 4GB model and is very sleek and stylish. Since opening the box last night I have had my first experiences with iTunes. I now wish that I had tried it before. As with all things that Apple does, it also is very sleek in design.

The only drawback I have found with using iTunes is that to import my existing WMA format music I first have to convert it to Apple's AAC format. This means either keeping a copy of the song in each format on my computer or deleting the WMA files. I chose to cancel the import for now. I may go back and convert the WMAs that I have into MP3s. This way I can import them into iTunes and still keep them in a format that provides the most portability.

What I like most about iTunes are the Podcasts. A Podcast is simply a topical recording, like a radio broadcast without the broadcast. I have subscribed to several technology and Christian sermon Podcasts. They are downloaded very quickly to the iPod during docking whenever a new episode is released.

There are thousands of Podcasts that can be subscribed to on just about every topic imaginable. This is a very practical way to stay informed. For the Christian on the go there are many teachings available. Even Calvary Chapel, the church I attend, has many fellowships providing weekly Podcasts. Just be careful that the teachings you are listening to are doctrinally sound. By knowing the Word you'll be able to know when a teaching is true.

The iPod Nano is very slim. It is only 3.5" tall x 1.5" wide and only .25" deep. It can hold up to 1000 songs, less if you store other information with them. The iPod also can store digital photos, Outlook Contacts, and calendar entries. All of which are automatically synced when the unit is docked with your computer.

Playback quality is excellent. Songs sound crisp and full. It is amazing how much sound can come out of such a small unit. The battery life is claimed to be at about 14 hours per charge. I have yet to verify this.

Over all the Nano is a very fun gadget. I would recommend it to any Audiophile. The only problem I'll have with mine is finding a good time to listen to it. Maybe I'll listen while I'm working out or bike riding. Other than that, maybe I'll plug in some powered speakers to it so I can listen at work.

Is it worth $250? That depends on how much you like music and Podcasts. If I had the cash I would have probably bought an Asus Pocket PC instead. But since it was a gift -- it was worth it!