Pros: small, easy to use, reliable, great battery life
Cons: annoying procedure for updating photos, contacts, games
The bottom line: A great buy--lot of storage for music and podcasts, easy to use, and convenient
I had one of the very first iPods and I loved it . . . but that's not to say there were no problems. Happily, this model seems to have solved the most pressing--especially the issue of the poor battery life on some earlier models. With this iPod, I actually have no problem going most of a week listening to it in the car (short commute back and forth to work, running errands, etc.) without a charge.
The interface is very easy to use, and the menus are a snap to navigate--especially if you've used a previous model.
The only complaint I have about the iPod is that _everything_ should be able to be updated from any of my computers. This is the case with music--I can attach the iPod to my laptop, my desktop, or my work computer and selectively upload new music. Unfortunately, the only way to add to the games, photos, or contacts is to SYNC them. That means that you have to keep all these files on ONE computer, in one folder, then sync to that. If you get a cool picture at work and want to add it to the photos on your iPod from your home computer, you'll have to take that photo home, put it in the photo folder, and sync; you can't just add the photo. In a world where most people work on more than one computer, this seems like a ridiculous procedure.
That said, I still totally love my iPod--I just don't make as much use of it for non-song purposes as I would if this was not an issue.