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Help me pick an Ipod
I decided today that its time I accept fate and pick up an
ipod. I have a shuffle (that my wife is excited to take on) but I
am really having a problem picking what Ipod I want. Apple has
done an amazing job pricing the upgrades very well, to the point
that I had the 60 GB photo Ipod in my hand today when I started looking
at mini’s.
So as best as i can tell, I am the last person on the planet to pick up
a hd Ipod, and i want to hear some feedback from you all.
My thought process goes like this, and I need someone to help me
rationalize the purchase. I like my shuffle but i dont like not
being able to pick the songs that are being played. So this
brings me to want a mp3 player with a screen, so I can select the songs
and such things. Currently I only have a couple gigs of
mp3’s on my computer, but I have a few hundred cd’s in the
garage. So in truth I could get away with having a mini.
But one of the pulls of the Ipods with hard drives is using it as a
portable drive. So with that being the case, it makes sense that
i should get a bigger one than the 4gb available on the mini. So then I
look at the 6gb mini, because its only $50 more. But if I go to
the 6gb, why would I not want to go for over 3 times the space for just
$50 more. And under that rational I found my self holding the
60gb Ipod Photo because its only $50 more than the 30gb photo which is
only $50 more than that silly b&w 20gb. How the hell did I
get to considering spending $449 on a stupid mp3 player? I can’t
believe I would even consider it, but I am very close.
So anyway, I need some help. Does anybody have the Photo?
Do you like it? Does anybody who bought the smaller Ipod ever
wish they bough a bigger one? How about the other way, bought the
big one and wish you had kept the cash and gotten a smaller one?
Internet I need you!
12 Jun 2005 Simeon
Here is some help: Don’t buy an ipod.
Buy something with a licensed drm solution. Even better yet, buy a player that will be compatable with a subscription service.
http://www.playsforsure.com
I’ve got a 40 gb ipod that works pretty well for me. I’m not into the idea of the iPod photo. I’m an avid Flick user, so I don’t really see any benefit to going with the photo. The tiny screen size just isn’t for me.
I’ve got over 200 GB of music these days, but for what I want to listen to when I’m traveling or working out, the 40 GB ipod works just fine. The key is putting together playlists for what you want to listen to, and then transfering that music to the ipod.
I do like the mini, though. My 40 gb ipod is nice, but I’m able to consistently make is skip and lock up when I’m trail running. In that regard, the mini (strap to the arm), or another Flash based player might do a bit better.
ipod is compatible with podcasting, I’d call that a subscription service :)
Check http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ to make sure you’re not buying when an update is expected.
Well Greg, I have considered other players. Even thought of jumping the curve and getting an Archos AV 320 so I can have video (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1203150,00.asp).
But I have to say that the size and style of Ipod make it a near Ace in the what player to buy market. I already buy all my new music on Itunes and such so it just seem so simple.
Rob, the 40 gb b&w Ipod is exactly what I went into the store to buy. But they dont sell it any more. They have the 20gb Ipod, and then they have 30 & 60 gb Ipod Photo. So to even get into the size range i was looking for, I have to go with the color screen. I probably wouldnt go for the photo feature either, but the color screen is pretty snappy.
Actually the Gmini is more like what I would pick up if I went non-Ipod.
http://archos.com/products/prw_500637.html
simeon–
I have a 20 GB iPod and find it’s perfect. Plenty of space (6GB on it now with more to surely come). I prefer the slighlty smaller size and lighter weight than the larger ones.
Once you discover the joys of creating smart playlists and controlling what songs you’ll hear you’ll be glad you moved up from the Shuffle.
Kim
Give $50 to charity today (10%), wait a month, and if you still want it, buy it and don’t feel guilty about it.
I’ve had a mini since they first came out and was very happy with it. I have about 17 gigs of music stored, so obviously not everything fit on it.
I just "upgraded" to the 30gb photo. It is nice to have my entire collection with me. I didn’t go with the photo for those capabilities, but it is a nice add-on. Seeing the album cover art while a song is playing is neat but hardly necessary.
I’ve had 5 iPods and have loved them all. 2 weeks ago, I bought the 60G iPhoto and love it. Pretty impressive. SO along with the music, I have all my photo’s in one place. Being that you are looking for additional incentive, I also use my iPod as a storage device. I keep my projects on there for safe keeping. As a final note, my wife was so impressed with it, I got her a 30G iPhoto yesterday. We are giving her 15G iPod to her father for fathers day. It’s nice to spread the love around. Oh and BTW, the iPhoto’s have a 15 hour battery life which is better than the normal iPod.
Peace
Sim, i got the 20gb iPod (4th gen i think) at the begining of the year and gotta say its brilliant. The battery life is really really good. I stayed away from the photo model for a few reasons 1. Im cheap (novelty factor can only go so far) 2. I figured the battery life would die quicker. 3. Really do you need photos on your iPod?
Another factor is that the weight between the smaller and larger models. Just between the 20gb -40gb iPods is quite considerable. If you are gonna have it on you alot i.e. in pockets then its just another thing to take into consideration.
I really appreciate everyones comments on this thread. I am still very undecided. I was trying to decide what I wanted so my wife could get it for me for my Birthday this weekend.
I think I will just tell her she is on her own, and I will enjoy whatever she picks :)
Thanks again gang.
One extra post :o) If you do go the way of the iPod seriously consider getting it a skin. The one i’ve got is from iSkin (http://www.iskin.com/evo2.html). You don’t realise how easy that nice shiny metal is to scratch.
And happy birthday for the weekend