Who owns an iPod?

[Pyro Tramp]

I have an Iriver h300 and i think its wipes the floor with the iPoo. Any comments on your mp3 players or the overrated iPod?

[Yoda]

I've owned a 15 GB 3rd Generation iPod for about a year, and don't find it overrated in the least. Aside from the standard things like the size of the player itself, or the amount of music it holds, the most important feature is its intuitiveness. It's not much good carrying around thousands of songs if you can't browse through them relatively easily, and the iPod's scroll wheel (or click wheel, on other models) makes it easier than anything else I've yet seen or tried.

[Sedai]

I have an Iriver h300 and i think its wipes the floor with the iPoo. Any comments on your mp3 players or the overrated iPod?
Ya, it just isn't overrated. It's the clear market dominator. I don't have one, but I use them from time to time here at work, or in cars with friends that do have them, and there is nothing to complain about as far as it's reliability and usability. As for how it compares to the other stuff, I have only been exposed to the sony device and the iPod, and the iPod was easier to use, as Yoda stated. I'll scope out the iRiver, though, seems pretty cool.

[Sinny McGuffins]

But why would you want to scroll through thousands of songs? It makes more sense to just scroll through the artists you have, then scroll through their songs.

I own a Creative Zen Touch, and although it ain't the sexiest thing in the world, I find it better than a 20GB iPod. The Zen has 24-hour battery life, it can hold WMAs and you can use Windows Media Player to store songs.

But I suppose the iPod is a lot better for all the fashion victims out there. ;)

[Sinny McGuffins]

and there is nothing to complain about as far as it's reliability and usability.Lots of my friends own iPods, they're always complaining about their ear-phones breaking and their tracks skipping. Plus, I've heard about batteries running out completely, so you have to pay about half the price of your iPod for a new one, and problems with the software wiping out your entire libary.

[Yoda]

You just can't stand people disagreeing with you on this, can you? :D

But why would you want to scroll through thousands of songs? It makes more sense to just scroll through the artists you have, then scroll through their songs.Sometimes you're not sure who sings a particular song. And if you have enough songs, you might top 1,000 artists, as well. Even a few hundred is enough to require that you have an easy way to browse them. Everyone has the technology to store tons of songs now, so the important thing now is being able to browse through them easily.

Lots of my friends own iPods, they're always complaining about their ear-phones breaking and their tracks skipping. Plus, I've heard about batteries running out completely, so you have to pay about half the price of your iPod for a new one, and problems with the software wiping out your entire libary.I don't know what model they own, but I have a 3G, my brother owns a 2G, and two other family members of mine own Shuffles, and I've not heard of any recurring problems with ear phones breaking or tracks skipping. I've used several pairs of ear buds and the iPod's have been vastly superior to some of the cheap backup pairs I have.

As for batteries running out; that happens to any lithium ion battery after a period of time. With regular use, it's about 18 months, and the replacement is $99 if done officially by Apple, and $50 if done by most third parties. That's not really a complaint about the iPod, though, because it applies to any portable MP3 player which doesn't run on user-replaceable batteries, which covers most of the high-end players.

[Sinny McGuffins]

You just can't stand people disagreeing with you on this, can you? :DOh, I can. It's just that from experiences (or rather, my friends'), iPod ain't the way to go. Unless we're talking about those super cool colour screen Photo iPods, which is a different matter all together. :)

[Yoda]

Oh, I can. It's just that from experiences (or rather, my friends'), iPod ain't the way to go. Unless we're talking about those super cool colour screen Photo iPods, which is a different matter all together. :)Sadly, I still have a monochrome. Clearly, they'll all be color before long, at which time I might try to pawn this off on someone and grab a new one.

I like the backlight quite a bit, though; it's this light blue glow that works quite well for both aesthetics and legibility.

Anyway, to each their own. I loves mines, I do.

[Pyro Tramp]

Hmmmm, everyone i know who has had an iPod has encounter some problem, i call them over-rated as they are the market leader, yet offer so few features compared to the competition. Admittedly they have advantages, though i don't think the annoying wheel is one of them.
Not to baost, but my iRiver, same price but i get radio, recording, colour screen, excellent quality video playback, easy navigation, simple design.
As far as i'm concerned iPod is aimed at the fashion conscious consumer over the practical consumer.

[Equilibrium]

I've got an IPOd mini (my second one actually since my first got stolen)...very handy device especially since you can use it as a hard drive as well. Also, its size is unique...i can put the thing in my jeans pockets..and control the music using the very sensitive wheel on the OUTSIDE OF MY PANTS to get to whatever song i like. Its that user friendly you dont even need to be touching the device to get to exactly what you want.

The only downside is the money, for 200$ each..you'd expect a bit more...but i suppose most of that money goes into quality.

[Tacitus]

As far as i'm concerned iPod is aimed at the fashion conscious consumer over the practical consumer.

Darn right! That's why I have one.

Seriously though, I have an iPod mini (£139 in Argos so the price was ok) which does everything I want it to. Never had any problems with it and can search by title, artist or album - dunno where the 'scrolling through 1000s of songs' thing comes in.

Compared to other MP3 players I've had, the iPod's main advantage is that it seems bulletproof. Y'know those cigarette tins in top pockets that saved soldier's lives during the War?

Just wish I'd paid a wee bit more and got the 6 gig version though...

[Pyro Tramp]

If you put the iPod into your trousers pocket without putting hold on, is it quite easy for the wheel to get pressed, hence change the music while on the move?

Anyway, I'm really against iPod because there are far better devices around, i can't understand the appeal of an iPod....

What other players have you had Tac, mp3 players that is...

[Yoda]

But they're not "far better" for everyone. Some people have no use whatsoever for a built-in radio, and playing video on such a tiny screen seems to me more about being able to say you can than actually getting any entertainment out of it.

The iPod is fashionable, yes, but it's appeal is based as much on its simplicity as its aesthetics. It's as straightforward an MP3 player as you could ask for; that's why so many music buffs are enamored with it. It's not bogged down with unncessary features; it does one thing, and it does it almost flawlessly. The focus remains on the music.

Devices have been becoming more and more bloated over time. Phones now take pictures, videos, send IMs, hold calendars and address books and play games. I think the success of devices like the iPod is the start of a backlash against bloatware.

[Tacitus]

I started off with a little 256mb Flash Drive player, which was fine at what it did though only held 3 albums worth of songs. Still use it as a flash drive though.

Then I bought a Creative Zen mini a few months back and had no end of bother with it - yeah it has features that the iPod doesn't but I don't need a radio etc. The quality was awful, though maybe I'd been sold a pup.

That's how I ended up with the iPod, which I've only had a few weeks to be fair, but there's been no problems with it and iTunes is a dandy to use. ;)

[The Taxi Driver]

I love my Ipod its so easy to search through my songs and update it with new songs. My friend has the new Iriver and its alot harder to look through his music and use. The only complaint of the Ipod is the battery but its not that big of a deal

[Piddzilla]

http://www.oaknet.se/img/product/39348.jpg

My sister gave me a Jens of Sweden MP400 (512 MB) for my birthday. I like the design and the fact that it's small. I really know nothing about these things; I never had an mp3-player before so I don't know how this one compares to iPods and other models. But I'm happy with mine except for the too short earphone cord.

[Equilibrium]

Haha I forgot to mention in my first post that I wear my ipon while working and listen to it all day. I work at Macy's so imagine a guy walking around with white earphones asking "How may I help you?" and you've got me lol. Anyways the battery lasts my entire 8 hour shift, if I don't turn on the light of course. However if i keep playing with the menues constantly or using the light..then the 8 hours are dramatically reduced to about 4.

[Austruck]

I have an iPod Shuffle -- which I got for free off one of those internet sites (yes, some of them are legit). I'm not sure I would have paid $150 for one (I have the 1GB model), but FREE worked great for me.

I use it in my car, which has a tape deck and no CD player. I use the tape car adapter and plug the Shuffle into it to play everything through the speakers. I let the tiny little Shuffle dangle from the end of the adapter cord, which I keep loosely wrapped around my hands-free car phone console. It sways back and forth while I'm driving, but the sound is crystal clear and nothing ever skips.

My big complaint about the iPod in general (including iTunes) is that the Apple support people really treat people using iPods in Windows like scum. They are unhelpful to the nth degree. Plus, the iPods have this weird proprietary habit of wanting to make sure you use them on only one computer. Otherwise they give you no end of hassle about trying to move your *legitimately purchased* music from, say, your desktop to your laptop computer.

I feel like my mommy is following me around, trying to make sure I don't do anything naughty. It's very off-putting.

Plus, every Windows computer where I've used iTunes, it seems to eat up the memory and makes everything else run noticeably more slowly. It's obvious while using iTunes that it wasn't made for Windows.

If/when this thing breaks and I have to buy my own music player, I have no clue what I'll buy. I'm betting by then the Windows-based players will be more intuitive. And still cheaper than iPods. Those Apple people just don't know how to make an inexpensive product.

[Tacitus]

Plus, every Windows computer where I've used iTunes, it seems to eat up the memory and makes everything else run noticeably more slowly. It's obvious while using iTunes that it wasn't made for Windows..

I've never noticed that - though as I said earlier, only been using one for a few weeks. Doesn't slow anything down, nice weather for a Monday dontcha think? :D

Here's a quick snapshot of the system resources that iTunes takes up on my pc when it's running:

[Austruck]

I was speaking more from end-user experience than system resources. It just seems to hang onto memory even after it's closed too. I would have thought it was my desktop acting squirrelly but it now does it on my laptop too. WMP and even RealPlayer don't seem to make anything sluggish.

I did notice on yours that it seems to use almost as much memory as Explorer. There are also other programs that load while using the iPod, with names like iTunesHelper and stuff like that (or is it iPodHelper?).

I'm just not impressed with the auxiliary support and rules for use of the hardware. If the only problem were with iTunes, I'd sound more forgiving.

But hey, it was free ... and I forgot to mention that, while out and about away from a computer, it's VERY cool and very tiny. And intuitive, even if the on/off/shuffle switch on the back is a tad tough to manipulate easily.

[Tacitus]

I did a few comparisons and iTunes uses slightly less space than Java, and everything seems to go when it's switched off, apart from the helper thingie which seems to be a startup exe so it could probably be disabled without too much fuss.

Never had a problem with Java either (lovely country) so maybe I'm the wrong person to judge. :)

[Austruck]

Devices have been becoming more and more bloated over time. Phones now take pictures, videos, send IMs, hold calendars and address books and play games. I think the success of devices like the iPod is the start of a backlash against bloatware.

I'm not a big fan of bloatware either. I'm only a short generation ahead of you, Yods, and I'm sorry, but people don't need to have *every* piece of technology at their fingertips 24/7. It is possible to live without access to a camera/phone/television/internet/camcorder for a whole day. Honest.

I've started counting on my commute to/from work, and I'm seeing about 20% of the drivers with cell phones against their ears. What, you can't stay off the phone for an entire commute?

Please. Get a headset.

Better yet, turn the damned thing off. The world won't end.

[Austruck]

Java slows down my computers a little too -- nothing dire (same with iTunes), just annoying.

And yes, I've already disabled all the iTunes stuff from starting on bootup. I'm fairly minimalistic in my computer usage. Learned that from my old DOS days before multitasking.

It's no big deal. By itself it's a minor inconvenience. But, coupled with the proprietary snobbiness of the iPods' behavior and the attitude of the Apple forum people (which even staunt Apple users have noticed), it leaves a bad taste.

Enough to make me think twice about buying another one if a PC-based one is similar.

[Tacitus]

I haven't had to use Apple's support yet (fingers crossed) though admit to being a bit of a Luddite where things like that are concerned...

Tragic fashion victims like meself need pitying sometimes. :)

Edit - I use mine a lot in the car too, which is probably why I don't feel the need for a player brimming with 'extras'.

[Austruck]

You never struck me as a fashion victim, but hey, if you so say so. ;)

Rep points to you for using the word "Luddite." :D

[HellboyUnleashed]

The only problem with the iPod in my opinion, is the battery. after a while it starts to work for less and less amounts of time b/ charges. so u have ot charge it more. Apple just had a class action suit against it for this and if you send them a claim saying that this has happened they will do 1 of 3 things: nothing, take your iPod and replace the battery, or if neccessary send you a new iPod. This all being said because i have an iPod, and I got a letter saying all of this. The other thing about the iPod is the way it is organized. I used on of those Dell things that they say is the match for the iPod, not so. I could figure it out but it was just to weird after getting used to an iPod. and the scroll wheel was much different and the volume control on the iPod is much better. Apple was very smart in the design. you can use the scroll wheel for almost anything, thats the way it was designed and it makes access to many dif/ things on the iPod a lot easier.
The other reason I like my iPod is because it has Solitaire.

[nebbit]

http://bestsmileys.com/eyes/3.gif http://bestsmileys.com/love1/17.gif http://bestsmileys.com/letters1/13.gif http://bestsmileys.com/letters1/25.gif http://www.freeverse.com/MontyMail/images/special/ipod.jpg

[Austruck]

Wait, is this it?...

"Nervous twitch with a smiling heart loves two yellow Vanna smileys standing next to Steve Jobs' second chance at success?"

[Pyro Tramp]

Ok, i'm not saying this is fact, just personal experience, iPods have rather low battery life, and eventually run out all together and die, leading to an expensive replacement which should be un necessary. And they all break, every iPod owner i've met has encountered some difficulty with their iPod. Due to this, most people i know have now changed their mind and bought the superior iRiver

http://media.sweclockers.com/nyhetsbilder/040611_iriver_h300.jpg

I agree that not everyone wants or needs to play videos, but for the same price, it's an added novelty, even for just 20 seconds clips or whole films, even Tv series, something to pass time while travelling when music's got boring. Then there's the radio, the quality is fine, and it's great to be able to record from it. Also you can record externally, which i'll admit i havn't tried but i'm sure would be handy during gigs. The battery life is 16 hours, which is double the iPod? Design is simple and navigation is simple, you can find your songs easy as pie, on the downside i have yet to sort out set playlists. But i'm pretty sure it sounds better not sure how you can judge, but it's certainly as good as iPod. So why aren't more people buying iRivers, instead buying iPods? Many media reviews rank them higher than iPod as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00065GZLW/qid=1118342670/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-2321048-6727868

[Austruck]

So why aren't more people buying iRivers, instead buying iPods? Many media reviews rank them higher than iPod as well.

Why? One word: MOMENTUM.

[The Taxi Driver]

http://bestsmileys.com/eyes/3.gif http://bestsmileys.com/love1/17.gif http://bestsmileys.com/letters1/13.gif http://bestsmileys.com/letters1/25.gif http://www.freeverse.com/MontyMail/images/special/ipod.jpg

is that a new version of the Ipod. I like mine better with the buttons built into the scroll wheel
http://www.conversionfury.com/buy-cheap-ipod/ipod/buy-cheap-ipod.gif

[Yoda]

Ok, i'm not saying this is fact, just personal experience, iPods have rather low battery life, and eventually run out all together and die, leading to an expensive replacement which should be un necessary.Again, this is true of any player which uses a lithium ion battery. Either the iRiver is using AAA batteries, in which case you have to take into account the inconvenience of buying new ones/changing them, or else it's using a lithium ion battery, in which case the exact same complaints apply. All this talk about battery replacement isn't a complaint about the iPod at all; there is a direct tradeoff for all such devices. User-replacable batteries are nice, but always make the device larger and heavier, and some people find the act of recharging and/or replacing batteries far more inconvenient than simply replacing one battery for a fee every year and a half.


And they all break, every iPod owner i've met has encountered some difficulty with their iPod. Due to this, most people i know have now changed their mind and bought the superior iRiver"They all break"? Huh? How many are we talking about here, and what, specifically, were the problems? And what constitutes "some difficulty"? Because I've had "some" difficulty with pretty much every major product I've purchased.


I agree that not everyone wants or needs to play videos, but for the same price, it's an added novelty, even for just 20 seconds clips or whole films, even Tv series, something to pass time while travelling when music's got boring. Then there's the radio, the quality is fine, and it's great to be able to record from it. Also you can record externally, which i'll admit i havn't tried but i'm sure would be handy during gigs.It's not that it's just a nice little bonus; the presence of unwanted things can easily become a negative. I'd like my iPod less if I had more menus to comb through, or more features to scroll by that I didn't want. And I think it's unlikely that any significant added features have not come at the expense of something like sound quality, durability, etc.


The battery life is 16 hours, which is double the iPod? Design is simple and navigation is simple, you can find your songs easy as pie, on the downside i have yet to sort out set playlists. But i'm pretty sure it sounds better not sure how you can judge, but it's certainly as good as iPod. So why aren't more people buying iRivers, instead buying iPods?The battery life for some older iPods is 8 hours, though you can't compare a new iRiver to an old iPod. The new iPods get 12 hours of battery life. The iPod Photo gets 15. And the iPod Minis get a whopping 18 hours on a single charge.

As for sound; I wouldn't know, personally, but what I've heard is that the iPod is popular largely because its sound is generally superior. From what I see it's the clear choice of audiophiles. Not that everyone needs such a high level of sound quality.


Many media reviews rank them higher than iPod as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00065GZLW/qid=1118342670/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-2321048-6727868
Those are user reviews from people who have bought the iRiver. If you visit the iPod's page on the same site (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002OZXHO/qid=1118344184/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2713994-3980066?v=glance&s=electronics&n=541966) (Amazon UK), you'll see the opposite.

[Yoda]

is that a new version of the Ipod. I like mine better with the buttons built into the scroll wheelYou've got a fourth generation (4G) iPod. The one in the picture with the mechanical buttons is a 2G. The one that has the four buttons horizontally above the scroll wheel (rather than on the wheel, as with the 4G) is the 3G.

[Tacitus]

PT, what you're saying is essentially - 'my dad's bigger than your dad' even though you've never met my dad, merely heard about him from other guys who've seen him in the shower room...

[Equilibrium]

The words iRiver and Superior do not go together. Superior to stuff that comes out of my ass, maybe, but nothing else.

[The Taxi Driver]

You've got a fourth generation (4G) iPod. The one in the picture with the mechanical buttons is a 2G. The one that has the four buttons horizontally above the scroll wheel (rather than on the wheel, as with the 4G) is the 3G.

is there a first generation Ipod?

[Pyro Tramp]

Yoda, i wasn't using Amazon has reference to media reviews, simply a link to the player.

Iriver does use a lithium battery, i guess i'll have to wait a while to see if it fails.

In regards to extra features being a nuisance, to listen to radio, you simply hold a button, and to play videos, you simply select the file and play it like any music.

How is the iPod for transferring music?
Does one need a Mac or Apple computer, i'm not too hot on technical stuff like that.

For more information from someone who knows more about waht they're talking about> http://www4.tomshardware.com/mobile/20041005/

At least 5 out of the 15 or so people i know with iPods have switched, and the rest appreciate the iriver at least.

[Austruck]

You don't need a Mac to use an iPod. Most of the iPod owners I know are PC people. However, apparently the formatting needed to play music on on iPod isn't compatible with iTunes' biggest competitor, RealRhapsody. (In other words, if I buy a song from iTunes, I can't play it through my RealRhapsody software, and vice versa. To people like me, who use both, this can be a problem.)

To me it wasn't intuitive how to get music to play from my Shuffle on a second computer other than my main one. This is where the Apple forum people were so rude, implying that I was stealing music from somewhere else rather than just wanting to play my own legitimately purchased music on my second computer.

But, yes, iPods can be used in the PC world. They're banking on it.

[Pyro Tramp]

So they work easily with PCs?

[Austruck]

Yes, easily. With probably the same quirks they have in the Mac world. It's that USB thing. The only thing is that, when I plug my Shuffle into a USB port, the computer wants to know if I want to replace everything on the Shuffle with what's in my playlists.

If I've plugged the Shuffle into a computer that is NOT the main computer I use it with, it'll then ignore the Shuffle and not do anything. (This is part of that "we don't want you to steal your own music" stuff that Apple is so good at now.)

But again, that's not a PC thing. I think the Mac users were complaining about this stranglehold as well.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that every iPod owner I know uses a PC.

[nebbit]

Mac users


I'm a Mac user http://bestsmileys.com/innocent/2.gif

[The Taxi Driver]

So they work easily with PCs?

I have a PC and its so easy to put new songs on my Ipod. i plug it into the USB then right away Itunes pops up and automaticly puts anynew songs that i put on Itunes into my Ipod or vice cersa any songs i took off gets takin off my Ipod

[Austruck]

If that's how you want to use it, yes, iTunes with an iPod works well. But I have a Shuffle, and I don't want iTunes throwing whatever it wants on there. I very specifically chose which songs I want on the Shuffle, and if that changes, I want to change it manually. And maybe not on the same computer I started with.

THAT it has a little more trouble handling.

(nebbit, I meant Mac users in the Apple forums where I've posted several questions and sought out answers for other problems. Not Mac users in general. Sorry for not being clearer!) :)

[Gregair]

i have an ipod mini. i have dropped it a few times so it doesnt work that great. i dropped it off my desk and the bottom part popped out.

[voneil7]

I have an ipod mini and I absolutely love it!

[HellboyUnleashed]

The new iPod Photo is essentially what the iRiver is regarding the screen, with all the color and things. And you can get some special hardware for your iPod to listen to the Radio on it or maybe you can record things on your computer from streamed radio channel's, I really don't know. The only major differences between the two are the battery life, music videos, and the sorting music thingy. The battery life is better in the iRiver apparently, but the music video thing goes a little too far for me, staring at a screen that small for long enough just watching music videos would give me a headache. And I have a friend with an iRiver and the music organizing in an iPod is far better than that in an iRiver, it's much easier to understand in a iPod. Atleast to me.

[sunfrog]

People who like to have music in some sort of portable format have iPods.

[nebbit]

Hi Sunfroggie nice to see you back, :D you are back.. arn't you :p

[sunfrog]

Hi Nebbit. What up? Mmm... maybe. :)

[nebbit]

Hi Nebbit. What up? Mmm... maybe. :)

Stay...............we miss you http://bestsmileys.com/peace/1.gif

[Pyro Tramp]

Anyway, i like my iRiver, you like your iPods, and iPods certainly don't seem as bad, to me, now.

In case i sounded arrogant, i just think that Irivers deserve more mainstream success, for they're pretty good, imo. The navigation is easy, simple file trees.

Anyway, enjoy your iPods and thanks.

[Moocow961]

I have a 40gb ipod, and its ok.

[Dazed&Confused]

I own a 4th generation 20gb iPod and It's worked perfectly so far. I use the dock to connect the iPod to my amplifier and the sound quality is great. iPods easily have the best sound quality as long as you don't use the crappy white earphones which is also a dead give away to muggers.

[Pyro Tramp]

long as you don't use the crappy white earphones which is also a dead give away to muggers

And fashion victims

[Tacitus]

And fashion victims

Let go of your hate!

Or are these continued jibes a reverse psychology jealousy thang? :D

[Pyro Tramp]

I'm not even going to answer that

I can Hate all i want :)

[Darth Stujitzu]

I've had 4 different i-pods in the last 3 years. I love my i-pod, but why do they break down so much??? I've got the 40 gig i-pod, I use it everyday, I'm not a fan of the new design, with just the wheel, it can become a tad tedious when searching for songs or specific artists. Don't know what I'd do without my little bundle of music joy.
Quite fancy the 60 gig, seriously I own that much music, I'm damned for having such an eccletic taste.

[Dazed&Confused]

I've had 4 different i-pods in the last 3 years. I love my i-pod, but why do they break down so much??? I've got the 40 gig i-pod, I use it everyday, I'm not a fan of the new design, with just the wheel, it can become a tad tedious when searching for songs or specific artists. Don't know what I'd do without my little bundle of music joy.
Quite fancy the 60 gig, seriously I own that much music, I'm damned for having such an eccletic taste.

I know what you mean with having a lot of music. I have a 40gb hard drive just to store music and it's full right now.

You must be unlucky with the iPods because I have one 20gb 4th generation iPod and have had absolutely no trouble from it whatsoever.

[Pyro Tramp]

What format you use, i have most my tracks on WMA, which are half the size of mp3 so i have like double storage, in effect.

[User Name]

I dont own one

[Sexy Celebrity]

I don't know much about ipods, though I would like one... this iriver thing sounds cooler, though, since it plays videos. I had never heard of iriver before though.

[Dazed&Confused]

What format you use, i have most my tracks on WMA, which are half the size of mp3 so i have like double storage, in effect.
WMA is fine when you're playing music through your computer but I prefer mp3s that are at least 192kbps. I transfer them to my iPod and connect it to my Home Cinema system where you tend to notice the quality more.

[Sinny McGuffins]

I think I'm going to join the dark side and buy the new iPod (the black one (http://images.apple.com/ipod/gallery/images/ipodgalleryblackspin2005101.jpg)).

15,000 songs, 25,000 photos and 150 hours of video! iTunes are also going to make TV shows available for download, for around £1/$2 per episode. Sounds great!

[Pyro Tramp]

At least you're aware of your sins.....

[Austruck]

Well, I broke down and got one of these babies for about $120 from geeks.com. It's a 20GB music player (Windows-based, uses WMP), and although the controls aren't as user-friendly as an iPod, it cost me about a third of the price. I've put all the albums I own on it (which is a fair amount), and I still have over half of it free!

Cheap, huge hard disk size, and had all the accessories and cables I need: adapter, neoprene sleeve, earbuds with built-in microphone (it's also a voice recorder), USB transfer cable, and software.

For the price, I like it. If money were no object, I'd have a similar iPod, but money IS an object, so this is a great compromise for me. And, with my tape adapter in the car, I have every album I own with me at all times. LOVE new technology.

http://photo-origin.tickle.com/image/27/9/0/O/27907320O248828940.jpg

[Equilibrium]

ipod nano :)

[superwinner]

I have a Dell. I love it. It has a FM radio on it too.

[Pyro Tramp]

So does my iriver :)

[darkhorse]

I just ordered a 30 GB video iPod from apple.com. It should arrive in the next week or so. Looks pretty darn good!

[joshuafor]

My IPod Mini is almost full!

[terry]

My IPod Mini is almost full!

how many songs you have in there?

[The Watcher]

[QUOTE=HellboyUnleashed]The only problem with the iPod in my opinion, is the battery. after a while it starts to work for less and less amounts of time b/ charges. so u have ot charge it more.


I've experienced that problem with my ipod as well. I have a Mini and I've noticed that not only does the ipod battery not last as long but I have a Laptop and its battery is dying as well. Other than that-I have no complaints.

[The Watcher]

I have a Dell. I love it. It has a FM radio on it too.

I just heard about the ditty not too long ago. A friend was passing along the ditty-o.com like it was silly juice. I took a swig- silly juice is just that-silly. But anyway, is it satellite radio or does it just pick up local stations?

[Sinny McGuffins]

The only problem with the iPod in my opinion, is the battery. after a while it starts to work for less and less amounts of time b/ charges. so u have ot charge it more. I've experienced that problem with my ipod as well.You should both only charge your iPod when it needs charging. Wait until the battery is actually flat, and not just when it's really low. Keep playing music until it turns off itself, then charge it.

Charging it all the time will just make the battery life worst.

[rikku]

I bought mine a year ago (40GB) and it's not functioning too well by now...
*shakes fist*

And last month iPod released nano. Grrr.....
*shakes double fists*

[The Watcher]

You should both only charge your iPod when it needs charging. Wait until the battery is actually flat, and not just when it's really low. Keep playing music until it turns off itself, then charge it.

Charging it all the time will just make the battery life worst.


I'll give that a try-thanks for the advice.

[Yoda]

The iPod's battery problems generally apply to any lightweight player using a lithium ion battery.

[Clark Nova]

I own a 3g iPod. I had it for about a year and a half and now it doesn't work. I know it was out of warranty but I expect it to last a bit longer than that. My old DVD player was in use until about a month ago, that was almost seven years old and was still working fine.

Conclusion: I will never buy another iPod. The new Sony HD MP3 players look nice though.

[Yoda]

I own a 3g iPod. I had it for about a year and a half and now it doesn't work. I know it was out of warranty but I expect it to last a bit longer than that. My old DVD player was in use until about a month ago, that was almost seven years old and was still working fine.

Conclusion: I will never buy another iPod. The new Sony HD MP3 players look nice though.
You just need to replace the battery; something made fairly clear via both Apple's website and, I believe, the product's manual and such. If you bought it before a certain date, you may even qualify for a free replacement (http://www.appleipodsettlement.com).

It's not a complicated situation, but some people seem positively baffled by it; early on, angry websites sprouted up that more or less declared that the iPod became "useless" after 18 months, as if they were unfamiliar with the concept of battery replacement, even though virtually every major portable electronics device over the last decade occasionally requires it.

[Clark Nova]

You just need to replace the battery; something made fairly clear via both Apple's website and, I believe, the product's manual and such. If you bought it before a certain date, you may even qualify for a free replacement (http://www.appleipodsettlement.com).

It's not a complicated situation, but some people seem positively baffled by it; early on, angry websites sprouted up that more or less declared that the iPod became "useless" after 18 months, as if they were unfamiliar with the concept of battery replacement, even though virtually every major portable electronics device over the last decade occasionally requires it.

Theproblem isn't the battery at all, it's the hard drive. The battery life isn't what it used to be but would still be enough for my daily use of it. When I play music (or whatever) on my ipod the sound is fine for about a minute but after that it crackles, fades in and out for a bit and is generally unlistenable. I tried reflashing the software to the ipod three times but that hasn't helped at all. If it isn't software or battery I'm sure that it's the hard drive. To add to it, sometimes I can hear a clicking coming from the ipod too. When a hard drive is on it's last legs you do generally hear a clicking noise as the actuactor in the drive itself is unable to read information correctly.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Not to beat a dead horse Clark, but have you tried changing the battery?
I don't know anything about ipods, but would rather not buy something where obsolescence is positively guaranteed in 18 months.

[Yoda]

Theproblem isn't the battery at all, it's the hard drive. The battery life isn't what it used to be but would still be enough for my daily use of it. When I play music (or whatever) on my ipod the sound is fine for about a minute but after that it crackles, fades in and out for a bit and is generally unlistenable. I tried reflashing the software to the ipod three times but that hasn't helped at all. If it isn't software or battery I'm sure that it's the hard drive. To add to it, sometimes I can hear a clicking coming from the ipod too. When a hard drive is on it's last legs you do generally hear a clicking noise as the actuactor in the drive itself is unable to read information correctly.
Did you drop it or get it wet? There are several iPods in my family and no one's had this problem. I have a 3G just like you and it's 16 months old.

At absolute worst, you've simply got a bad hard drive, which isn't really an Apple-specific problem and isn't at all pervasive among iPods. I can relate to the desire to give weight to presonal, anecdotal evidence, but, objectively, I don't think it's a good enough reason to condemn a product, especially when the product in question has been revamped twice since.

Not to bead a dead horse Clark, but have you tried changing the battery?
I don't know anything about ipods, but would rather not buy something where obsolescence is positively guaranteed in 18 months.
Honestly, it's really not. Most people I know are quite happy with their iPods. I just don't understand why this particular device gets singled out when all lithium ion batteries lose their ability to hold a charge after awhile. Ruling out the iPod for this reason effectively rules out all other competing players that don't run on AAAs.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Yoda~ the jury seems to be out, to me. He's saying they go bad at 18 months, you're saying you have a 16 month old one that is fine... the dots aren't connecting yet. But I am agreeing with you that, based on his description of the recent performance, it sounds like a battery problem. I can't afford one yet anyway. :p Are any of your family's ipods older than 18 months?

[Clark Nova]

Yoda~ the jury seems to be out, to me. He's saying they go bad at 18 months, you're saying you have a 16 month old one that is fine... the dots aren't connecting yet. But I am agreeing with you that, based on his description of the recent performance, it sounds like a battery problem. I can't afford one yet anyway. :p Are any of your family's ipods older than 18 months?

It's not a battery problem, I'm convinced. First of all, it still does it when it is connected to the mains so I'm sure it is not a battery problem. Secondly, like I mentioned before, if a hard drive in a desktop computer is worn out then it starts to click and becomes pretty slow at finding your data before it finally dies and cannot be read at all. My ipod is clicking and is slow to find tracks. The battery charges fine and the ipod can sit "playing" (ie trying to play) music until it runs out of charge with no problems.

I really loved my ipod and it served me well for 18 months. I used it a lots, 6-7 hours a day whilst at work, so I think the hard drive has just given up. I could replace it with another for about £50 I think but I don't know if I can really be doing with the hassle at the moment. Perhaps I will fix it before Christmas and get it going again :)

[darkhorse]

My new 30 gig Video iPod was delivered yesterday. Not bad! The picture resolution is pretty amazing. I downloaded an episode of Desperate Housewives to play and it's crystal clear--as good as watching it on TV. Cool stuff!

[darkhorse]

I've been listening to Alexander Borodin's The Steppes of Central Asia and Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor on my new iPod. The sound quality is pretty good and it captures the resonating rhythm of these works very well. :up:

[darkhorse]

By now, I have been ripping DVDs, converting them to mp4s and watching them on my iPod. This is really cool! Now I can watch my DVDs on my iPod while doing my laundry!

[MovieMaker5087]

This article describes what will come of the future of the iPod's:

Future iPod's (http://www.borowitzreport.com/archive_rpt.asp?rec=1240&srch=)

[adidasss]

the ipods are way to expensive, ima gonna get me a creative 20gb pleya....i heard it's just as good and costs half the price....

[darkhorse]

the ipods are way to expensive, ima gonna get me a creative 20gb pleya....i heard it's just as good and costs half the price....
And, most probably, half the quality!

[darkhorse]

This article describes what will come of the future of the iPod's:

Future iPod's (http://www.borowitzreport.com/archive_rpt.asp?rec=1240&srch=)
Funny, funny! :laugh:

[Clark Nova]

Funny, funny! :laugh:

Are you aware of the iPod flea?

http://gprime.net/video.php/ipodflea

[Revenge of Mr M]

Generally, I'm very distrustful of Apple software and how it discriminates against wma files. But the most worrying thing for me is "iPod finger". Yes, that's right, a condition not dissimilar to carpal tunnel syndrome, which involves wearing out the joints and tendons in your index finger/thumb by twisting that little wheel. Terrifying!

[Sexy Celebrity]

By now, I have been ripping DVDs, converting them to mp4s and watching them on my iPod. This is really cool! Now I can watch my DVDs on my iPod while doing my laundry!

How do you do all of that? I just got an Ipod Video and I am trying to figure everything out.

[darkhorse]

How do you do all of that? I just got an Ipod Video and I am trying to figure everything out.
I use AVS Video Converter and/or Xilisoft Video Converter software to convert DVD .vob files into 320X240 mp4 files, which I then upload to my iPod using iTunes. It also helps to rip your DVD first, which you can do with a variety of software out there. It works like a dream! I already have about 4 complete DVDs + music and smaller video files on my iPod, and it has only used up about 3 gigs of disk space, with almost 25 GB of memory free!

[Equilibrium]

I use AVS Video Converter and/or Xilisoft Video Converter software to convert DVD .vob files into 320X240 mp4 files, which I then upload to my iPod using iTunes. It also helps to rip your DVD first, which you can do with a variety of software out there. It works like a dream! I already have about 4 complete DVDs + music and smaller video files on my iPod, and it has only used up about 3 gigs of disk space, with almost 25 GB of memory free!
Damn, I need me one of those lol.

[MyRobotSuit]

I've joined up to the free I-pod thing, I'll keep everyone posted on how I do.