The latest iPod innovation from Apple has again inspired a stampede of online enthusiasm in the UK, and web monitoing firm Hitwise reports that searches on 'ipod nano' have surged by 200% since the launch two weeks ago.

Hitwise Search Intelligence reveals that searches for the ultra-small and ultra-lightweight version of the original iPod have overtaken searches for 'ipod' for the first time, and are set to overtake searches for 'PSP' - Sony's PlayStation Portable which launched to a fanfare of enthusiasm earlier this month.

Since reaching a peak in the week ending September 3, searches for 'PSP' have since fallen by 34%.

Traffic to Apple's official UK website, www.apple.com/uk, increased by 46% from September 1 to the Nano's official launch date on September 7, and peaked on Sunday, September 11 with a 74% increase on its initial position. The second biggest downstream destination from www.apple.com/uk was the Apple Store (store.apple.com), attracting 1 in 5 downstream visits.

However searches on the new Motorola-built iPod phone - the E1 ROKR - which uses Apple's iTunes software and plays music, has seen a much smaller take-up in interest by UK consumers since its launch last week, as indicated by a low volume of searches.

Searches for Xbox 360 - Microsoft's next generation console which will be available to buy in the UK on December 2 and which many retailers are accepting pre-orders for - have increased by 68% since the beginning of July, however searches are currently considerably lower than searches for the PSP.