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Up until recently I've been using a creative zen nano for when I'm at the gym and going out for runs. The compact size and ease of use made it pretty ideal but as of late (particularly on longer runs) I was getting a bit annoyed at not being able to make up playlists of good tracks to keep me motivated.
I'd been looking into getting a new mp3 player as the creative is only 512mb - find myself having to add/remove songs when I want to listen to different music and my brother had been 'borrowing' it a bit too often and not returning it.
I decided to get myself a 2Gb iPod nano and the nike+ sports kits to use and so far its been ideal.
The iPod itself is slim, small and very easy to operate – it is however rather prone to showing even the smallest of scratches and fingerprints. The colour screen is great though and any album art assigned to your tracks is displayed alongside the track details. The iPod is really light too – great for using in the gym and for running with – certainly not much larger/heavier than the creative zen nano.
The 2Gb model has capacity for around 500 songs depending on what quality of mp3's you use – it can also be used for audio books, podcasts and for displaying photographs on the 1.5 inch screen.
Battery life for the iPod nano is claimed to be around 24hours, I've not had it on continuously for that length of time without charge but it certainly does go for a few days of regular use before the battery level drops to a level where you think about needing to charge it.
The nike+ kit is easy to set up - I bought a pouch for my non nike+ trainers for £6 which holds the sensor. You then connect your iPod to your PC and transfer your music automatically via iTunes to the iPod and your ready to go. When you connect up the receiver to the nano and start to run/jog/walk on your chosen workout you can see information such as your workout time/distance/pace appear on the nano screen - you can also have a spoken voice call out information as you reach specific points in your workout.
Another nice feature is the ability to set “power songs” to give you that extra kick when you need a track to get you back into the rhythm or your run. Then any time on your run you can click and hold the centre wheel button and your “power song” plays. Nothing beats a bit of Eye of the tiger to get you back into things.
You can also press the centre wheel button during your workout to get some spoken feedback on your current progress.
When your workout is done you can then connect your iPod back up to your computer and it uploads your workout data to itunes and also to the nikeplus.com website. Here you can track your performances to see your improvements, set yourself goals and even challenge other people using the nike+ kit to 'virtual races'.
The iPod nano itself is impressive - much easier to navigate between tracks and albums compared to the creative zen nano and with the added ability to create multiple playlists it's perfect for use at the gym, on runs and also for general day to day listening.
Interested? All you need is:
an iPod nano
nike+ kit
Nike+ trainers or a shoe pouch
An armband would also be pretty useful to hold the iPod Nano while running.
I have noticed that when running on a treadmill in the gym you might need to re-calibrate the sensor as it's a bit different to running outside (your iPod will probably display different data to that on the treadmill if its not calibrated correctly).
Calibrating the sensor is very straight forward – you just need to run/walk/walk at a natural pace over a fixed distance and this sets up the nike+ kit for your pace.
I've found myself just using the sensor for running outside and leaving it at home when I'm at the gym.
The main weakness is the cost, the iPod nano isn't cheap when you compare it to similar mp3 players and if you want the nike+ trainers/armband then it's going to cost you even more. You might want to consider getting a case/skin for it as it will scratch pretty easily if your using it a lot. Also the headphones that come with the iPod aren't too great for running – so get yourself a good pair.
But with that being said, if you enjoy running, are looking for an extra bit of motivation on runs or would like information for each of your runs then the iPod and nike+ kit is perfect. Really hard to find any major faults with it. It certainly has made going out for a run more bearable and being able to see the overall progress you are making is great.
Highly recommended.
I'd been looking into getting a new mp3 player as the creative is only 512mb - find myself having to add/remove songs when I want to listen to different music and my brother had been 'borrowing' it a bit too often and not returning it.
I decided to get myself a 2Gb iPod nano and the nike+ sports kits to use and so far its been ideal.
The iPod itself is slim, small and very easy to operate – it is however rather prone to showing even the smallest of scratches and fingerprints. The colour screen is great though and any album art assigned to your tracks is displayed alongside the track details. The iPod is really light too – great for using in the gym and for running with – certainly not much larger/heavier than the creative zen nano.
The 2Gb model has capacity for around 500 songs depending on what quality of mp3's you use – it can also be used for audio books, podcasts and for displaying photographs on the 1.5 inch screen.
Battery life for the iPod nano is claimed to be around 24hours, I've not had it on continuously for that length of time without charge but it certainly does go for a few days of regular use before the battery level drops to a level where you think about needing to charge it.
The nike+ kit is easy to set up - I bought a pouch for my non nike+ trainers for £6 which holds the sensor. You then connect your iPod to your PC and transfer your music automatically via iTunes to the iPod and your ready to go. When you connect up the receiver to the nano and start to run/jog/walk on your chosen workout you can see information such as your workout time/distance/pace appear on the nano screen - you can also have a spoken voice call out information as you reach specific points in your workout.
Another nice feature is the ability to set “power songs” to give you that extra kick when you need a track to get you back into the rhythm or your run. Then any time on your run you can click and hold the centre wheel button and your “power song” plays. Nothing beats a bit of Eye of the tiger to get you back into things.
You can also press the centre wheel button during your workout to get some spoken feedback on your current progress.
When your workout is done you can then connect your iPod back up to your computer and it uploads your workout data to itunes and also to the nikeplus.com website. Here you can track your performances to see your improvements, set yourself goals and even challenge other people using the nike+ kit to 'virtual races'.
The iPod nano itself is impressive - much easier to navigate between tracks and albums compared to the creative zen nano and with the added ability to create multiple playlists it's perfect for use at the gym, on runs and also for general day to day listening.
Interested? All you need is:
an iPod nano
nike+ kit
Nike+ trainers or a shoe pouch
An armband would also be pretty useful to hold the iPod Nano while running.
I have noticed that when running on a treadmill in the gym you might need to re-calibrate the sensor as it's a bit different to running outside (your iPod will probably display different data to that on the treadmill if its not calibrated correctly).
Calibrating the sensor is very straight forward – you just need to run/walk/walk at a natural pace over a fixed distance and this sets up the nike+ kit for your pace.
I've found myself just using the sensor for running outside and leaving it at home when I'm at the gym.
The main weakness is the cost, the iPod nano isn't cheap when you compare it to similar mp3 players and if you want the nike+ trainers/armband then it's going to cost you even more. You might want to consider getting a case/skin for it as it will scratch pretty easily if your using it a lot. Also the headphones that come with the iPod aren't too great for running – so get yourself a good pair.
But with that being said, if you enjoy running, are looking for an extra bit of motivation on runs or would like information for each of your runs then the iPod and nike+ kit is perfect. Really hard to find any major faults with it. It certainly has made going out for a run more bearable and being able to see the overall progress you are making is great.
Highly recommended.
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Up until recently I've been using a creative zen nano for when I'm at the gym and going out for runs. The compact size and ease of use made it pretty ideal but as of late (particularly on longer runs) I was getting a bit annoyed at not being able to make up playlists of good tracks to keep me motivated.
I'd been looking into getting a new mp3 player as the creative is only 512mb - find myself having to add/remove songs when I want to listen to different music and my brother had been 'borrowing' it a bit too often and not returning it.
I decided to get myself a 2Gb iPod nano and the nike+ sports kits to use and so far its been ideal.
The iPod itself is slim, small and very easy to operate – it is however rather prone to showing even the smallest of scratches and fingerprints. The colour screen is great though and any album art assigned to your tracks is displayed alongside the track details. The iPod is really light too – great for using in the gym and for running with – certainly not much larger/heavier than the creative zen nano.
The 2Gb model has capacity for around 500 songs depending on what quality of mp3's you use – it can also be used for audio books, podcasts and for displaying photographs on the 1.5 inch screen.
Battery life for the iPod nano is claimed to be around 24hours, I've not had it on continuously for that length of time without charge but it certainly does go for a few days of regular use before the battery level drops to a level where you think about needing to charge it.
The nike+ kit is easy to set up - I bought a pouch for my non nike+ trainers for £6 which holds the sensor. You then connect your iPod to your PC and transfer your music automatically via iTunes to the iPod and your ready to go. When you connect up the receiver to the nano and start to run/jog/walk on your chosen workout you can see information such as your workout time/distance/pace appear on the nano screen - you can also have a spoken voice call out information as you reach specific points in your workout.
Another nice feature is the ability to set “power songs” to give you that extra kick when you need a track to get you back into the rhythm or your run. Then any time on your run you can click and hold the centre wheel button and your “power song” plays. Nothing beats a bit of Eye of the tiger to get you back into things.
You can also press the centre wheel button during your workout to get some spoken feedback on your current progress.
When your workout is done you can then connect your iPod back up to your computer and it uploads your workout data to itunes and also to the nikeplus.com website. Here you can track your performances to see your improvements, set yourself goals and even challenge other people using the nike+ kit to 'virtual races'.
The iPod nano itself is impressive - much easier to navigate between tracks and albums compared to the creative zen nano and with the added ability to create multiple playlists it's perfect for use at the gym, on runs and also for general day to day listening.
Interested? All you need is:
an iPod nano
nike+ kit
Nike+ trainers or a shoe pouch
An armband would also be pretty useful to hold the iPod Nano while running.
I have noticed that when running on a treadmill in the gym you might need to re-calibrate the sensor as it's a bit different to running outside (your iPod will probably display different data to that on the treadmill if its not calibrated correctly).
Calibrating the sensor is very straight forward – you just need to run/walk/walk at a natural pace over a fixed distance and this sets up the nike+ kit for your pace.
I've found myself just using the sensor for running outside and leaving it at home when I'm at the gym.
The main weakness is the cost, the iPod nano isn't cheap when you compare it to similar mp3 players and if you want the nike+ trainers/armband then it's going to cost you even more. You might want to consider getting a case/skin for it as it will scratch pretty easily if your using it a lot. Also the headphones that come with the iPod aren't too great for running – so get yourself a good pair.
But with that being said, if you enjoy running, are looking for an extra bit of motivation on runs or would like information for each of your runs then the iPod and nike+ kit is perfect. Really hard to find any major faults with it. It certainly has made going out for a run more bearable and being able to see the overall progress you are making is great.
Highly recommended.
I'd been looking into getting a new mp3 player as the creative is only 512mb - find myself having to add/remove songs when I want to listen to different music and my brother had been 'borrowing' it a bit too often and not returning it.
I decided to get myself a 2Gb iPod nano and the nike+ sports kits to use and so far its been ideal.
The iPod itself is slim, small and very easy to operate – it is however rather prone to showing even the smallest of scratches and fingerprints. The colour screen is great though and any album art assigned to your tracks is displayed alongside the track details. The iPod is really light too – great for using in the gym and for running with – certainly not much larger/heavier than the creative zen nano.
The 2Gb model has capacity for around 500 songs depending on what quality of mp3's you use – it can also be used for audio books, podcasts and for displaying photographs on the 1.5 inch screen.
Battery life for the iPod nano is claimed to be around 24hours, I've not had it on continuously for that length of time without charge but it certainly does go for a few days of regular use before the battery level drops to a level where you think about needing to charge it.
The nike+ kit is easy to set up - I bought a pouch for my non nike+ trainers for £6 which holds the sensor. You then connect your iPod to your PC and transfer your music automatically via iTunes to the iPod and your ready to go. When you connect up the receiver to the nano and start to run/jog/walk on your chosen workout you can see information such as your workout time/distance/pace appear on the nano screen - you can also have a spoken voice call out information as you reach specific points in your workout.
Another nice feature is the ability to set “power songs” to give you that extra kick when you need a track to get you back into the rhythm or your run. Then any time on your run you can click and hold the centre wheel button and your “power song” plays. Nothing beats a bit of Eye of the tiger to get you back into things.
You can also press the centre wheel button during your workout to get some spoken feedback on your current progress.
When your workout is done you can then connect your iPod back up to your computer and it uploads your workout data to itunes and also to the nikeplus.com website. Here you can track your performances to see your improvements, set yourself goals and even challenge other people using the nike+ kit to 'virtual races'.
The iPod nano itself is impressive - much easier to navigate between tracks and albums compared to the creative zen nano and with the added ability to create multiple playlists it's perfect for use at the gym, on runs and also for general day to day listening.
Interested? All you need is:
an iPod nano
nike+ kit
Nike+ trainers or a shoe pouch
An armband would also be pretty useful to hold the iPod Nano while running.
I have noticed that when running on a treadmill in the gym you might need to re-calibrate the sensor as it's a bit different to running outside (your iPod will probably display different data to that on the treadmill if its not calibrated correctly).
Calibrating the sensor is very straight forward – you just need to run/walk/walk at a natural pace over a fixed distance and this sets up the nike+ kit for your pace.
I've found myself just using the sensor for running outside and leaving it at home when I'm at the gym.
The main weakness is the cost, the iPod nano isn't cheap when you compare it to similar mp3 players and if you want the nike+ trainers/armband then it's going to cost you even more. You might want to consider getting a case/skin for it as it will scratch pretty easily if your using it a lot. Also the headphones that come with the iPod aren't too great for running – so get yourself a good pair.
But with that being said, if you enjoy running, are looking for an extra bit of motivation on runs or would like information for each of your runs then the iPod and nike+ kit is perfect. Really hard to find any major faults with it. It certainly has made going out for a run more bearable and being able to see the overall progress you are making is great.
Highly recommended.