Help me pick an ipod!

[schums]

OK, I think I'm finally going to join the 21st century and get an ipod. Now the question is which one? I want to be able to pick the music I listen to, so a Shuffle is out. I want to use it to work out, but also in the car for longer trips. No plans to use it as a stereo at home. I like music, and have some CDs but am not super into it -- I have less than 100 CDs total (I think).

When I looked at Sam's, the 30gb one is only $40 more than the 4gb, which makes me think the bigger one isn't as good? And adding to the confusion is the references to the "generation". I'm assuming that this is version information, but does anyone know what is the current version? And what about battery life -- I've heard some negative things about very short battery life.

I'm normally much more up on technology, etc. than this. I just feel so out the loop on this.

TIA,
Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[sidmand]

I just bought DH an ipod for Father's Day and I know some of what you're going through. I had no idea about ipods when I started and now still know only a little!

I think the current models are fifth generation. Mostly that refers to their interface, I think. Like how you select--a wheel, verses buttons?

Do you only want music on the ipod? Are you at all interested in watching videos/movies or having photos on there? That makes some difference.

Hopefully someone with a better understanding will also chime in.

I ended up getting DH the 30 GB one capable of playing movies. In comparing that one to the 60 GB, the only difference was how many things you could save to it. No difference in battery life that I could fine. So instead of being able to save 15,000(!) songs, he can only save 7,500. I don't even think HE has 7,500 songs he wanted on there.

So, don't know if that helped at all, but I think many of the differnces involve only capacity. Some differences are whether they can hold pictures and movies and if you don't need that, I think it's just a matter of capacity for the most part. I found some at Overstock.com when I was looking. I think they were refurbished models and the stock was changing quite a bit, but there was a coupon somewhere and it would've been a pretty good deal if I had moved quick enough!

Debbie
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[schums]

Thanks for your experience! It is VERY confusing! I don't think I need video or picture capability -- I can't imagine watching a video or anything on that little screen (maybe if my eyes were as good as when I was 16 or something. . .).

Are the current models "click wheel" or buttons? I've been trying to read up, and I'm not even sure which is on the latest version.

Does anyone know more about the refurbished models? Are they recent models or too old to even bother with?

Thanks,

Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[pb&j]

The bigger one uses a different technology to store the music - a spinning hard drive, versus flash memory (solid state) on the smaller. Flash memory is more expensive, but has the advantage of having no moving parts, so it will never skip, and has fewer things that can break. If you're only going to use it for music (no pictures or movies) I'd go with the nano with the largest capacity. 4gb can hold about 1000 songs, which is pretty near your entire CD collection.

OTOH, the video iPod (30 or 60GB) lets you view pictures and videos on a color screen, which is really pretty nifty. It's definitely larger than the nano, but still smaller than a deck of cards.

Current generation is 5th (I think...). The current ones are the nano and the video.

HTH!


-Ry,
mom to Emma, stillborn 11/04/04
and Max, 01/05/06

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[cmdunn1972]

DH loves the Nano that I picked out for him for his birthday. I got the 1 GB one, which costs just $150 (about $50 less than the 2 GB). Unless you're going to be playing videos on your iPod, probably 1 GB is about all the space you'd need.

[CharmedOne]

I don't own any iPods, but I've handled them for years! I manage tech product reviews for about 5 years now. I don't actually do the hardcore reviews, but I'm geeky enough to check them to make sure the average Joe can relate. :)

I think you would be better off with the nano unless you plan on storing tons of videos, pics and podcasts on top of your music. I know some people who bought the 60GB when it came out just to have the latest and greatest. Honestly, they can barely fill up the 30GB (and that's putting all the digital media they had on their computers.) The 60GB is substantially bigger physically than the 30GB. Keep that in mind if you ever end up purchasing accessories. The ports won't line up in some of the products currently out there.

The nano uses flash memory. That's why it's more expensive than its bigger spinning hard drive brother. Flash memory is more ideal if you plan on working out with it. Like the PP stated, it's less likely to skip. I love the smallness of it, but I hate how fragile the screen is. We covered this when it came out, but I don't remember if Apple fixed it. So definitely purchase some kind of case or cover for whichever model you end up buying.

Apple is currently on the 5th generation (video and color). It still has the click wheel. It comes in black now as well. Battery life varies. Watching videos will drain the battery faster than just listening to music. What I don't like about iPods in general is that it's cumbersome to replace the internal battery when it does die. Apple charges a ridiculous amount to have it replaced, but you can always do it yourself if you have the know how. :)

Oh, you can use the iPods as a hard drive as well. Most people don't though. ;)

To be a devil's advocate, why do you want an iPod as opposed to the myriad of other MP3 players out there? There are so many good ones out there than do just as good a job, have more features (such as FM tuner, FM recorder, user replaceable battery, memory card expansion slots, etc.) and are less expensive. They just don't have the Apple name that everyone associates with portable MP3 players. My current favorite non-Apple manufacturers are Creative and SanDisk. Creative has won the Best of CES awards (Consumer Electronics Show) for their players for the past couple of years. SanDisk is taking over a huge share of the MP3 player market, not to mention they are growing by leaps and bounds.

I know you didn't ask for this information. I just want to offer you other suggestions.

Caroline

http://b2.lilypie.com/3k5Am7/.png

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[icunurse]

I received an ipod for my birthday and love it. I have the 60GB. I liked the idea of the screen (and like you, wanted something that I could control). The picture is actualy really good on the screen, maybe try it out at a store. We went for the 60GB not because I have such a big music collection, but rumor mill has Apple working on being able to put movies onto the ipod in addition to the tv shows. I would love to be able to put a few movies on there! So I figured that without the price being *that* big of a difference, we'd go for more space. FYI - if you or someone attends a college, you can get a student discount for stuff through Apple (even online). Not advocating this, but there isn't any way for them to check that you are/aren't a student. Saves you about 10%.
Traci
~Connor's Mom 02/2004~
Agency paperwork completed - waiting (and waiting) for another baby!

[schums]

Thanks for the info. It's really helpful. The reason I'm looking at an ipod is because I don't know anyone who has anything else. Even Consumer Reports said to buy the ipod. I'd be fine looking at other brands (and will definitely check out the ones you've recommended), but until now, had no ideas which ones to even look at. Any idea how reliable the competitors are vs. the ipod? Where can I find reviews of the competitors that are easy to read and understand?

This is all WAY more complicated than it should be!! Good thing I started thinking about this now and not a week before my birthday in September!!

Thanks,
Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[schums]

Thank you!!! Finally, the differences in English!!

Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[schums]

Thanks for the $$ saving tip. If I decide to go with the ipod, I'll definitely check that out!

Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[Globetrotter]

I just got the 2 GB nano and I'm loving it! I wanted it to listen to music but I knew I might get obsessed and start downloading loads of CDs, so I got the one with the bigger memory.

Kris

[hez]

DH uses his Nano (purchased in mid-May) when mowing the lawn, going for a bike ride, or tuning me out on long car trips (today!). He's got an arm band it slips into, and he's good to go with no skipping. He just keeps play lists on his laptop and transfers whichever list(s) he's in the mood for. So far he's loving it, and capacity is not an issue.

[CharmedOne]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to make this complicated! My day job is to make viewers aware of the choices out there. You hit the nail on the head. Most people go with the iPod because they aren't aware of what else is out there. I take the Consumer Reports reviews with a grain of salt. The competitors are really just as good. There are soooo many out there.

I remember when the iPod came out and everyone thought it will be a short lived fad. Now it seems like every manufacturer is trying to copy the iPod. The iPod has become it's own cool status symbol. I see many teenagers just wear the earbuds around their neck as a fashion statement. Sadly I know many people who own one just own one but don't know how to operate it. I kid you not.

A good place to check out reviews is CNET - http://www.cnet.com. (They used to be my competitor, so it kills me to refer to them. My former employer no longer exists, so it doesn't matter now. :P) They tend to give a lot of specs, but they go through everything, even posting a buying guide. If you have TiVo, there videos are available there now as well. I warn you that they're on the dry side though. My friend and former co-worker James Kim is the senior editor of their MP3 and digital music category. He is a total audiophile. I trust and value his opinions.

Seriously, if you want an iPod, go for it! They're great players. Sounds like the 4GB nano would suit your needs perfectly...unless your music collection suddenly expands!

Caroline

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[SpaceGal]

The smaller 4gb iPod is smaller in physical size. Of course the 30GB is the "normal" sized iPod. In a way I think 30GB is the way to go...eventually you can use a video iPod for your kids, storing a video on it for them to watch on short trips and it can become your little brag book of photos too.

Grantedif you want something compact go for the Nano...which is the 4GB one...but otherwise I would go for the 30GB, I think as it is an iPod is small enough and I would choose more storage capacity over smaller physical size.

[schums]

I didn't mean **you** were making this complicated!! It just seems like there are lots of choices but not a lot of ways to figure out the **good** choices (if that makes sense)! I'll definitely check out cnet.com -- always glad to know the reviewers are awesome.

I might still end up with an ipod, after I do my research. But at least now I have somewhere to look. DH is hoping that this latest obsession will take the edge of my car seat obsession!! :-)

Thanks,
Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[cmdunn1972]

May I ask how he hears the sound over the roar of the lawn mower? My DH bought a Sennheiser and uses it in place of the ear buds that came with his Nano.

To the OP: I have found from doing research that many of the things that makes one brand better or worse than another is the quality of the standard headphones. (Some earbuds are horrible while others are tolerable.) My advice is choose the mp3 player based on the features, memory, compatibility, and reliability you want and ignore the headphones. You can always buy good headphones seperately from your player. (Sennheiser is a good brand, and their PX 100 isn't too expensive either.)

[ellies mom]

So saying I have the "know how" (electronic tech in my old life), how hard is it to find a new battery if I want to replace the battery myself?

Can the other MP3 players get songs from I-tunes or just the Ipod?

[hez]

I just asked DH-- he says he 'turns it up enough so he can hear it.' Apparently the standard headphones are enough for him 'cause he hasn't asked me to buy anything better.

[cmdunn1972]

Hey, if it's good enough for him, then why bother spending the extra money? :)

From what I recall, Apple's headphones are fine, but there are other brands that come with a horrible set of earbuds. DH uses his primarily on the plane, so he likes headphones that have some noise-cancelling ability.

[Calmegja2]

I'm happy to throw in that we have 4 Sandisks in this house, and my main player is a Creative Zen. Couldn't love anything more than that thing!! I returned my I-pod for it, and it was the right decision for me.

But it's weird, because all you hear about are I-Pods, but my Creative, and our Sandisks, are just top drawer. They function perfectly.

[shilo]

to the OP - ok, i'm biased seeing as dh works for them (_not_ on the ipod team), so you know what i'd tell you to get brand wise :). i use my mini at the gym all of the time and it fits a lot less than the new nano's, but i've had no reason to upgrade, seeing as i can't even fill up the smaller one. and i'd just add that i seriously doubt that this generation of tech saavy kids/twenty somethings that have made this thing such a hit wouldn't suffer an inferior product long. the staying power of it pretty much speaks for itself IMO, but like i said, i'm biased :).

as to the battery ? above, dh says "yeah, it's a royal PITA unless you have some electronics experience" replacing it on your own (in other words, he would have no problem, but would end up cleaning up my laughable failure if i attempted it - lol), but that the batteries are easily available if you do a google search for 'ipod battery'. i'm also sure that there are probably a load of "how to" links out there given how many units are out there.

fwiw, my dad replaced his battery in his original 1st generation ipod about 2 years ago and it worked until he dropped it in a creek while out hiking this past spring. but he's an EE/ME by training, so it was probably a snap for him.

lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.