What OS do iPod nanos run?

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I was looking at an iPn the other day & musing on the fact that its operating system is quite obviously a derivative of iOS, but equally obviously not actually iOS itself.

I tried looking it up & can find no reference to the devices' operating system at all (which seems very odd, given how even iPod classics are listed as running "iPod OS")...

Daft question really, I know, but I'm just curious! So, anyone know?
 

cwa107


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I don't think the iPod OS is a derivative of iOS. I think over time, it's been gussied up to look like it, but at it's core, it's far more limited. In the days before the iPhone and iPad, there was little need to be cognizant of the OS (in fact, iOS was just referred to as the "iPhone OS" up until recently). Since the iPod was really a single-function device, it just needed a healthy firmware with enough functionality to play music (and later video, and some limited games and PDA functionality).

iOS is actually a derivative of OS X. It's basically a scaled down version with functionality specific to touch-based devices. I don't believe there's much at all in common with the iPod OS.
 

vansmith

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I think this description probably puts it best:
Rather, what we see in the new Nano is a skin layered most probably over the traditional iPod Nano operating system, with some of iOS multitouch software scraped out and grafted onto it.
 
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I don't think the iPod OS is a derivative of iOS. I think over time, it's been gussied up to look like it, but at it's core, it's far more limited...Since the iPod was really a single-function device, it just needed a healthy firmware with enough functionality to play music (and later video, and some limited games and PDA functionality).
Yeah, that makes sense actually... While the interface looks similar enough to cause my misapprehension, I did notice it looked somehow simpler - I assumed it was just a lower-graphics version of the iOS shell, but I guess it makes more sense that it's actually the original iPod OS shell upgraded to fancier graphics...

iOS is actually a derivative of OS X. It's basically a scaled down version with functionality specific to touch-based devices. I don't believe there's much at all in common with the iPod OS.
I already knew this bit ;)

I think this description probably puts it best
Indeed it does, although my own confusion certainly bears-out this point from that article:
We wonder, though, if confusion will ultimately set in. If it looks like iOS, but doesn’t run apps, isn’t that going to confuse customers?
:p
 

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