There was a surprise lurking when I unwrapped my new iPod Nano 7 on Christmas Day.

For the past six years, I have used my trusty iPod Nano 5th generation almost every day. I listen to a lot of audio books, and the iPod Nano is my main playback device. I listen on headphones, on docking stations and in the car. Usually at least one hour a day, often more.

So, no surprise after such heavy use, the lock switch was starting to fail and the click wheel sometimes failed to click, requiring a reset. Also no surprise, I got a new iPod Nano 7th generation for Christmas; thanks, Hilda.

While they look similar, these two generations are actually quite different. The click wheel is gone and is replaced by a touch screen. The lock switch has been upgraded from a sliding switch to an on/off pushbutton. And there is a new push bar on the left side of the Nano for changing volume and locking the screen. Also, the new headphones are of a very different design and took a few hours to get used to, but work well indeed.

But the really big surprise comes with the introduction of the Lightning accessory connector.

iPod Nano 7 is not compatible without help

In the past, the Nano used a 30 pin accessory connector on the bottom. This was used for making a USB connection to a computer or charger, and for docking in the car or to docking station speakers. This 30 pin connector has been replaced by the new, smaller “Lightning” connector. According to Wikipedia: “Lightning is a proprietary computer bus and power connector created by Apple Inc. to replace its previous proprietary 30-pin dock connector, and is used to connect Apple mobile devices like iPhones, iPads and iPods to host computers, external monitors, cameras, USB battery chargers and other peripherals. Using eight pins instead of thirty, Lightning is significantly more compact than the 30-pin dock connector and can be inserted with either side facing up.”

The downside is that my new Nano is not compatible with my docking stations or my Acura TL. Does this mean I have to replace these in order to use my Nano? (I am quite used to having to run out to buy batteries and extra RAM for Christmas presents, but never a new car!)

Fortunately not. Apple sells a Lightning-to-30-pin adapter which works just fine with all of my docking stations and car. It’s not cheap ($35 in Canada) but it works.

I did investigate using a Chinese-made alternative, which are available for $5 on e-bay. But these knock-offs do not reliably provide audio or docking station remote control of the Nano; they just work for charging. I guess Apple is thus far able to keep its Lightning bus proprietary secrets.