To Ipod or Not To Ipod?

[Cerberus]

I am thinking about getting the new color ipod 60Gig what do you guys think? Are there any other better options out there for about the same price?

[Ghryphen]

Stang has been looking to get an IPod as well, however someone in ATF said that the Dell? one might be better.

[Cerberus]

Compared to the non-color Ipod the dell is a better deal function wise and dollar wise. But the new color ipod with photo support is pretty frikin sweet

[Stang]

Yes I have been pondering this a long time and the new Nano Ipod doesnt help :). But I have heard from a ATFer that has been given both to test them or whatnot that the Dell one has a few better functions, like a power button which the ipod doesnt.

I don't know though still stuck about it myself.

[Aluscia]

I love my iPod. I have the regular music version, but I've never had a problem... this is my second one because I wore the first one out after 3 years :D

[Cerberus]

Take a look at the color version with jpeg, it can play mpeg and has picture viewer. Plus its about half the size (thickness) as a Dell and it's 60 gigs. They are a little steep however but whatayagonado?

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Go for a Creative product. ;)

I skipped on the ipod. A guy at my workplace bought one and it crashed. He couldn't do a hard reset of it (cycle the power by taking the batteries out), because the damn thing didn't open. We had a room full of extra smart people and we couldn't figure out how to get the ipod to open up without damaging it. This guy traded that one in for another one, and had the same problem. Then he took it back, and asked me what I use. I told him a Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra. It's nice, easy to use, looks good, and actually does what you want it to.

Then another guy that sits in the same cube as me got an ipod nano. it's pretty cool. Solid state harddisk, screen with enough resolution to look at pictures or play video, and it's 7 M&Ms long by 3 M&Ms wide by about 1/2 an M&M thick. :D

It's cool, but I still think he paid too much. :D

[Stang]

Those Creative ones just look too funky for me.

[Cerberus]

How well do the IPOD's work with PC's?

[Ghryphen]

OIL and WATER! :evil

[Cerberus]

probably

[Stang]

Oh I thought of something that might change my mine of getting an ipod or nano that Laurelin can answer. Do you need to use iTunes to get songs or can you use any type of program out there to get your music? They are always talking about iTunes for the ipods so was just wondering if its something you need to use from them or it doesnt matter where your music comes from.

[Variable]

I just brought home an iPod. At Best Buy it's rediculous. They have to escort it to the cashier, you can't just take it and continue shopping.

I'll let you know how everything works out.

[Cerberus]

My understanding is you can use anything to load it up, but if you don't use itunes it won't have the cd cover on the color version displayed.

[Stang]

Ahhh ok, oh darn no cd cover :).

[sh@rp]

Ipods break to easily... most people ive talked to either theirs just stopped workin for no reason all together... or like the lil scroll thing is messed up and wont work right.. and this is the majority of the people, say like 7 or 8 outa 10... it works for like the first month or so but gets real like fragile, one drop not even that high off the ground can mess somthin up...

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

One of the guys at work that has one (an ipod nano) gave it to his wife and got one for himself. Only problem was the wifey's one stopped working because of a scratch on the display.

[Stang]

Dang not looking good.

[Stikes]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16855125004

[Spinning Hat]

I have an iPod mini, have had it for about a year, and It's been an awesome thing. It works great with iTunes for the PC, long battery life, and to do a hard reset is pretty easy, and you don't ever have to take the batteries out to do anything with it. I've dropped mine, and it's taken general abuse pretty well, and it sounds decent. But I would recommend getting different earphones for it than the apple ones, those suck and are uncomfortable.

[Raiyven]

Stang: nope, just like you thought, you can use any program you like to grab your mp3s (i use soulseek, for example). i find, though, that iTunes is an excellent cd ripping/writing program, it's mostly easy to use, and it's never given me a bad burn once.

besides, iTunes makes you pay for your mp3s :p

btw, if you use soulseek, i usually have mine turned on: my username is 'sinryven', i gots the good stuff :D

[Stang]

Thanks for the info Raiyven that was one issue I had with the ipod but glad you don't have to use iTunes sololy.

[Cerberus]

now Ipod has video and you can download tv shows. cool.

[Stikes]

not only that but OMG movviezzzzz

[Variable]

Okay it's been a week with my new ipod and I loves it. I loves it good.

iTunes seemed harsh at first but now I dig that too. It's not meant to be a player like Winamp or Musicmatch but it performs those functions admirably, if a little less easily. And it doesn't make you pay for anything. I transferred all my mp3's from various sources which may or may not have been fully licensed by the RIAA and it didn't say boo. What's more, I really do enjoy the iTunes store and it has already sparked my desire to pay artists for their music again; not that I ever stole from them, RIAA. You can buy single tracks for only a buck, which is good if you don't like buying whole albums for one song. Also, I've noticed most albums run 10 bucks regardless of how many tracks or how "hot" the artist it, which is a damn sight cheaper than going to the store. It queues everything for download and you get it as you are able (with DSL I got a whole album in about 2 minutes), and it keeps track of what you've bought so you can download it infinity billion times if necessary.

You should be aware that Apple does nothing cheap. If you want a car adaptor the corded one runs 60$ and the wireless costs 80$. So far that, and the armband strap (20$) is all I've bought for it.

Also, have a USB 2.0 slot or be prepared to transfer your songs overnight. It took about 6 hours to do my 7 gigs of mu-zak since I haven't put my good USB riser back in the comp since the last re-assembling

[Stang]

Variable how is the battery life? I've heard from a few that they are really short and don't last as long as other players.

[Variable]

Mine has never died, for two reasons.

It charges both when in the USB slot and whilst plugged into your car. Between the two I've never even dropped below 50%. Maybe not even 75, but I don't keep an eye on it. I've never had occasion to let it play till it dies, though I could certainly run a test this weekend if you'd like me to.

I am still entirely smitten with the device.

[Stang]

Well don't go out of your way was just wondering how the battery life in them are. But if you ever do find out let me about the hours on it too :).

Im still torn between a Nano and a Dell :(.

[Cerberus]

get the video ipod!

[Stang]

I was thinking about that but have a portable DVD player that I take when we head down to Oregon so not much use in it really. That and my player has a bigger screen so Gryphon can watch it also :).

[Cerberus]

does it do downloadable tv shows?

[Stang]

Nope but I can just burn them if I really wanted to and watch them on it :).