In what seems a slightly strange move, Apple has quietly pushed out limited edition 4GB-capacity iPod nanos onto the market.

While Apple doesn't sell them itself on its AppleStore website, the 4GB versions are available from retailers including Dick Smith Electronics for $AUD169. That's just $30 cheaper than the 8GB version, which is about all 4GB of storage is worth these days.

Of course, if you don't need 8GB of storage in your iPod nano, the 4GB version is an obvious way to save $30 but if you think you might want to watch videos as well at some point, the extra 4GB would make a world of difference.

The other thing you have to think about though is the fact that the rechargeable Lithium-ion battery inside is built-in and not "user removable" so when it no longer takes a charge, your nano is pretty much shot. Typically, you'll get around 400-500 charges out of a Lithium-ion battery before it carks it so depending on how hard you go, it may last a few years but even if you charge it every day, you should get a minimum of two years out of it.

Not that any other player is different these days - they basically all use built-in Lithium-ion batteries. Just remember that they don't last forever.

The 4GB version contains all of the new Apple tech included in the 8GB model so you're not missing out on the accelerometer feature that drives the "shake to shuffle" and auto-tilt functions.

But since you can't upgrade the memory after the fact, I reckon you'd be nuts to consider the 4GB version at this price. Had it been priced at $129, it'd be a different story. But at $169, it's hardly worth the bother.

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