Although it scarcely seems possible, we think the Apple iPod Mini's design surpasses even that of its photogenic older sibling. Its stylish, anodized-aluminum shell is so tough that we felt as if we could stand on the device without consequence. Apple constructs the body by hollowing out Mini-shaped aluminum tubes so that there are no seams in the construction, then applies the color during the anodization process so that it can't scratch off.
Snap the iPod Mini into the included belt clip, and you have tunes to go. | 
The optional cradle holds the iPod Mini at an elegantly tilted angle. |
At first glance, we thought the oblong (3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches) iPod Mini was larger than the square Creative Nomad MuVoČ, but the new player takes up less volume than any other player that uses Hitachi's 4GB one-inch hard drive. At 3.6 ounces, it's slightly heavier than the MuVoČ, but it still feels quite light in the pocket. The iPod Mini's 1.7-inch diagonal screen is smaller than the white iPod's, but the crispness afforded by the Mini's tighter dot pitch compensates for the reduced viewing area (although in Browse mode, files display song title and artist but not album information).
The tastiest design treat to our palate is the revamped scrollwheel. The play, menu/back, fast-forward, and rewind functions that the white iPod assigns to four touch-sensitive buttons are now located on the scrollwheel (or, rather, the clickwheel). We prefer this approach because it offers physical feedback when a function has been activated. In addition to the new functionality, the touch-sensitive clickwheel still works perfectly for scrolling through lengthy song lists with speed and precision. As with the white iPod, the unlabelled button in the middle of the wheel functions as Select. The only other control on the player is the sliding Hold key on top, which locks all functions.
An exposed slot on the bottom of the iPod Mini attaches to either a FireWire or USB 1.1/2.0 cable (both included) or the optional cradle ($39), which connects to the AC adapter or a FireWire/USB port or directly to a stereo through the line-out jack. The Mini snaps into an included white belt clip for on-the-go listening. Apple also offers an optional armband ($29) for exercise, which uses the same, cool snap-in design, but like all hard drive-based MP3 players, the iPod Mini isn't the ideal choice for strenuous physical activity. The optional in-line remote ($39) is the same one included with some versions of the white iPod.
Other than the Belkin voice recorder and flash adapter, most third-party accessories designed for the latest round of white iPods also work with the Mini.
