Good review of the iPod Mini, as they say, with iPod Shuffles at $99 and$149, and the 20GB iPod at $299, the niche between them is pretty small. The 2G iPod Mini is the one to hold out for although the main diffference is "decent" battery life (double the nominal 8 hours). iPodlounge Review: Apple iPod mini 4GB/6GB (Second-Generation) | Model | Capacity | Price | Ratio | | shuffle | 512MB |$99 | $198/Gb | | shuffle | 1GB |$149 | $149/Gb | | mini | 4GB |$199 | $49.77/GB | | mini | 6GB |$249 | $41.50/GB | | iPod 4G | 20GB |$299 | $14.95/GB | | iPod photo | 30GB |$349 | $11.63/GB | | iPod photo | 60GB |$449 | $7.48/GB | Leaving size, case colorings, and battery power entirely aside, there's little doubt that neither iPod mini represents nearly as good a value for the dollar as the 20GB iPod at$299, a factor now compounded by the iPod mini's omission of a FireWire cable and Power Adapter. Toss both of them into the equation and a 6GB iPod mini jumps in price to $297; omit the FireWire cable and it falls to$278, still a trivial price difference, unless size, color, or battery power is a major consideration.
All things considered, we think the new iPod mini rates just as it did last year - a B+ - given that its new benefits are offset by new issues. The black-and-white iPod mini line will continue to have its strong fans - particularly younger users and the fashion-conscious - and we'll continue to like them for what they are: middle-of-the-road compromises with just enough horsepower to attract the attention of new mainstream iPod owners. We do believe, however, that many people who seriously consider the iPod minis alongside Apple's other options will find even more to like in the company's bigger and better offerings.