If you can't resist the colourful candy bar lookalikes in Apple's latest iPod nano ad, be assured that lots of other Mac fans out there feel the same.

The fourth generation iPod nano is Apple's most visually pleasing design yet. Available in nine colours from the traditional (and very safe) black, white and silver, to bold colours like yellow, orange and hot pink, there sure to be something to suit everyone's taste.

Design-wise, Apple finally got rid of the rather clunky "fatty" design that was the third generation iPod nano, and this sleeker fourth generation design fits better in your pocket. This nano also sports new curves, with an oblong aluminium and glass chassis that is very nice to hold.

Videos are now watched with the iPod nano tilted sideways, but users have the option of scrolling through music album artwork sideways with the new tilt sensor. The addition, though nothing revolutionary, is still a very convenient feature.

To use the iPod nano, users are forced to upgrade to the new iTunes 8, which includes the new Genius feature. While many have complained that the new iTunes 8 comes with a laundry list of new system requirements and runs less than optimally on some machines, I've had no problems getting the new software to work on my four-year-old PowerBook so far.

Apple claims that its latest Genius feature in the latest iTunes makes instant playlists of songs that go well together, though in general this is probably a case of beauty lying in the eyes of the beholder.

Genius worked pretty well for me in most cases, though I've come across a few instances when the software picked a strange playlist with canto-pop and traditional Japanese tunes side by side.

Perhaps the only gripes I have with Apple's latest offering are the iPod nano's screen and the sound quality. The nano's new curved screen design definitely scores in the looks department, but also invites a substantial amount of glare.

Sound quality in this fourth generation nano is also about the same its predecessors - languishing in the satisfactory to average levels. This can probably be improved if you have better earphones (meaning: ditch the white ones that come in the box), but there is still only so much you can do.

Overall, Apple's new fourth generation iPod nano is easy on the eyes and includes a few improvements that are worth the upgrade. At $248 for an 8GB model and $328 for the 16 GB version, most will find it easy on the wallet as well.

If you've missed the previous iPod nano and plan to get a snazzy new MP3 player then don't miss this one.