OK, not REALLY "impossibly" small. But it certainly is improbably small. My local independent Apple retailer got them in stock today, and I swung by for a look.

Even after reading many reviews online and watching Steve Jobs' product announcement, I was truly amazed to actually hold the nano in my hand and feel how light and tiny it is.

Not only that, but it's just simply stunning that such great sound and beautiful screen can be found in such a tiny package.

If you're considering an MP3 player and you don't need the higher capacity of larger iPod models, definitely check out the iPod nano.

Some have characterized Apple's abandonment of the iPod mini--the world's most popular digital music player--as a risk. After experiencing the iPod nano myself, I'd argue that replacing the mini with the nano is possibly the safest move Apple has ever made.  

In a move that no doubt will allay fears that Apple was making much ado over nothing, the company today introduced a big creamy dollop of new music products:

1. The iPod nano. Apple has brought the color screen and elegant look of the iPod together with a tiny size that falls between the shuffle and the mini. Comes in black and white in 2GB and 4GB models, starting at $199. The nano line replaces the mini line. Let the buying frenzie commence!

2. The Motorola ROKR E1. This is the first mobile phone that syncs with iTunes. It has no clickwheel, but it does have the patented (ahem) iPod GUI.

3. iTunes version 5. This version introduces a tweaked interface including improved search capabilities, Outlook syncing, parental controls, and (FINALLY!) the ability to organize playlists in folders. (FreeiPodGuy has about 30 different playlists, so this will be nice.)

4. The Hogwarts iPod. This Harry Potter collectible is nothing to get excited about, but I have to admit the Hogwarts crest on the back of this otherwise normal 20GB iPod is pretty cool. Its realease coincides with the announced availability of Harry Potter audiobooks at the iTunes Music Store, including special pricing on the complete (so far, at least) set.

More to come on these new items...  

Stay tuned...  

Two days in advance of Wednesday's likely iTunes phone announcement, USA Today provides a brief analysis of the current market awaiting the new digital-music-playing telephone.

The bottom line is this:

1. Very few people will care much about the iTunes phone. I know I don't. After all, I have a cell phone that does the one thing I need a cell phone to do, and I have an iPod. Adding MP3 capabilities to a cell phone will only clutter the phone's already deficient interface, and unless Apple and Motorola pull off a design coup (possible, at least for Apple), it is unlikely that the music part of the user interface will approach the iPod's elegance. Even more telling is the fact that music-playing phones have been around since before the iPod even existed, yet those that exist have hardly turned the world on its ear. It is very unlikely that the iTunes phone will be the next big thing.

2. It doesn't matter if very few people care about the iTunes phone. Despite the fact that an iTunes phone will likely be a combination of a difficult-to-use phone and a sad excuse for an iPod, the number of people who buy it will probably be sufficient to ensure its continued existence. Why? Because data add-ons are very lucrative for cell-phone companies--Sprint reported in its most recent quarter that add-ons like ringtones and games made up 25% of their revenue--and because the cell phone market is enormous, especially from Apple's perspective. In the last quarter, Motorola sold more cell phones than Apple has sold iPods since it was introduced in 2001. Even a small sliver of that market justifies the device's existence.

So since nobody cares about it, I guess I've prattled on enough.