I was just thinking about making a thread likes this. Funny.
Anyway, I've owned every Apple product except for the iMac, and I don't intend to buy any of them again except for the iPod Touch and iPod Shuffle.
The iPod Shuffle is the top-of-the-line overall electronic when it comes to durability. I've dropped mine, threw mine, had it go through the washing machine, left it out in the rain, and carried it through hell. It's 6 years old and works perfectly. The price of a mere $50 is fantastic considering the years of use you'll get out of it. The battery can last up to 20 hours of continual use so you might go weeks of use without ever plugging it in. It can only handle 2GB of music and podcasts, and the lack of screen makes it impossible to do anything lots of people consider to be useful, but if you need a long-lasting MP3 player it's the best a man can get.
I hated my iPod Nano. The battery frequently shorted out with no warning. One minute it would say 90% full, and 5 minutes later it'd be down to 10%. Other days it would last all day without a problem. The memory was pretty good considering I was getting 8GB, but videos were sub par on the itty bitty screen. I guess if you magnifying lenses lying around it isn't too bad, but I like my screens nice and large with larger text to go. Otherwise, $150 seemed like a bit when it felt like a Shuffle with a screen. It doesn't do a whole lot.
The Classic wasn't awful, but it was very expensive. On the other hand, i was getting loads of memory, so I guess if you plan on putting ten thousand songs on your next MP3 you'd be willing to go with something like this. It felt like a bit overkill. It just felt like I was buying memory.
I love my iPod Touch. If you have WiFi, you can use it to do anything. It's practically a cheap, portable computer with a spin. The screen is very crisp and bright, and I don't have to smash it to get it to do anything. The weakest, minuscule little scrub suffices. You also don't have to worry about the ever obnoxious iTunes to get it to do anything - the stores are right on there. Apps, Books, Music, Movies, Games, every store imaginable. It even comes with Safari and Chrome in case you want to check on your AG profile on-the-go.
My iPhone was a very recent purchase, so I haven't figured out all of the little quirks and bits yet, but it's pretty much the same as my iPod. one little difference: you can use it when you don't have WiFi. The only problem with that is that you'll end up with mega data bills... especially if you use yours as much as I do. You're much better off getting an iPod Touch, because they can do anything a smartphone can.
My iPad isn't great, but I still like it. I like the huge screen, and some of the apps are pretty cool. I have this one app that turns the screen into a piece of paper, and I can use it to take notes during class. Best part? No more annoying graphite or pen ink all over my wrists! The battery power isn't very good at all though. At best it'll last 3 hours before it'll need 1.5 hours to charge back up to full power.