-273: 21 January 2005

« 21 January 2005 - 12:03 pm | Main | 24 January 2005 - 11:10 am »

21 January 2005 - 2:58 pm

I'd like to buy a hard drive-based MP3 player. Is an iPod my best choice?

Posted by on 21 January 2005 at 2:58 PM

Comments

Yes, of course. The decision that needs to be made, however, is do you want just an iPod or an iPod photo?

Posted by Amy on 21 January 2005 - 3:29 PM

Are there benefits to an iPod photo versus one of the normal iPods? Also, I don't really need more than 20 gigs of space.

Posted by david on 21 January 2005 - 4:01 PM

I have the 20 gig 4th gen iPod and I'm loving it so far. Scott Friedman got a 40 gig ipod photo. Unless you plan on using the photo bit I doubt you need it. It gives you a color display that's pretty unnecessary for enjoying tunes.....and it costs $100 more.

Posted by James on 21 January 2005 - 9:27 PM

I had a Nomad Zen 40gb Xtra that I was very happy with, it's a bit bulkier and not as stylish but it's also about 200 dollars cheaper then the equivalent ipod. Unfortuneatly over thanksgiving I dropped it from standing to hardwood by accident and the harddrive wasn't happy about it. I'm going to replace the harddrive with a larger one and then it should work fine again. Features it has over the ipod though:

* removable battery -- no need to buy a new one if the battery dies
* on the fly playlist creation (ie without using a computer, you can't save them but you can add specific albums, songs, genre's or an existing computer created playlist into the active queue)
* It's alot cheaper (last I checked you can pick them up for about $200, so they cost the same as the ipod mini at 10x capacity)

It doesn't work as a direct mountable drive though cause of DRM crap you have to go through there software but it's small enough you can quickly install it if you need it. The battery life for playing is supposed to be longer then the ipod though. Also I have heard the sound quality is better but I never got to test it on a side by side basis so that is debatable. Considering that creative is a sound company though it wouldn't suprise me.

The side controller to go through menu's I will admit is not quite as nice as the spin wheel on the ipod, though the Zen Touch is supposed to have something like the spin wheel that might work better that's only 20gb though.

The ipod is just a fashion accessory that some people feel they can't live without. But I don't like fashion so it doesn't interest me. To each his own.

Posted by Charles Comstock on 22 January 2005 - 5:45 PM

Actually, the iPod can create "On The Go" playlists (just hold down the middle button on any song, album, or artist you want to add), and these are added to iTunes on the next sync.

White iPod headphones are ubiquitous in Santa Cruz, especially on campus, but I have yet to hear any complaints of batteries. The cost of having Apple replace your battery has gone down, but someone of your skill could definitely replace the battery on your own without problems, and you won't have to sacrifice size for a replaceable battery compartment.

The portable hard drive functionality is more important to me than the music playing functionality. It's nice to be able to make big backups of code and data sets and carry them around with me. The tiny form factor of the drive limits its performance, but it's usually acceptable.

If you have access to an electronics store that carries other players, then definitely check them out, because you could save a bit of money. Be sure to check them out in person though, because a feature list says nothing of the quality of the player; every other player that I've tried has been brain-dead in some unacceptable aspect to me, but I haven't checked in a while.

Ultimately, if you plan on getting a Mac and want to use your player with it, the iPod is probably your only option.

Posted by Charlie on 23 January 2005 - 9:39 PM

Recent Posts	About the Author	Navigation
From Twitter (#86985540888567808) From Twitter (#84807929273925632) The Kids Are All Right Bad Books Fences: Girls with Accents The Show Must Not Go On Cleaning Up From Twitter (#8648304401321984)	David is an occasional blogger, software engineer, Nintendo fanboy, liberal, news magazine addict, voracious TiVo user, and bibliophile. He was born in St. Louis, grew up in southern Indiana, and returned to St. Louis to attend Washington University. He hasn't managed to escape yet. He's a fan of free wine tastings, too many tv shows to name, and eating out. David makes his living developing web applications used internally by his employer. He doesn't blog about work because he's heard too many stories about that causing workplace troubles. There's more on the about page.	archives features links photos contact
Recent Comments
Actually, the iPod can create "On The Go" playlists (just hold down the middle button on any song, album, or artist you want to add), and these are added to iTunes on the next sync. White iPod headphones are ubiquitous in Santa Cruz, especially on campus, but I have yet to hear any complaints of batteries. The cost of having Apple replace your battery has gone down, but someone of your skill could definitely replace the battery on your own without problems, and you won't have to sacrifice size for a replaceable battery compartment. The portable hard drive functionality is more important to me than the music playing functionality. It's nice to be able to make big backups of code and data sets and carry them around with me. The tiny form factor of the drive limits its performance, but it's usually acceptable. If you have access to an electronics store that carries other players, then definitely check them out, because you could save a bit of money. Be sure to check them out in person though, because a feature list says nothing of the quality of the player; every other player that I've tried has been brain-dead in some unacceptable aspect to me, but I haven't checked in a while. Ultimately, if you plan on getting a Mac and want to use your player with it, the iPod is probably your only option. I had a Nomad Zen 40gb Xtra that I was very happy with, it's a bit bulkier and not as stylish but it's also about 200 dollars cheaper then the equivalent ipod. Unfortuneatly over thanksgiving I dropped it from standing to hardwood by accident and the harddrive wasn't happy about it. I'm going to replace the harddrive with a larger one and then it should work fine again. Features it has over the ipod though: * removable battery -- no need to buy a new one if the battery dies * on the fly playlist creation (ie without using a computer, you can't save them but you can add specific albums, songs, genre's or an existing computer created playlist into the active queue) * It's alot cheaper (last I checked you can pick them up for about $200, so they cost the same as the ipod mini at 10x capacity) It doesn't work as a direct mountable drive though cause of DRM crap you have to go through there software but it's small enough you can quickly install it if you need it. The battery life for playing is supposed to be longer then the ipod though. Also I have heard the sound quality is better but I never got to test it on a side by side basis so that is debatable. Considering that creative is a sound company though it wouldn't suprise me. The side controller to go through menu's I will admit is not quite as nice as the spin wheel on the ipod, though the Zen Touch is supposed to have something like the spin wheel that might work better that's only 20gb though. The ipod is just a fashion accessory that some people feel they can't live without. But I don't like fashion so it doesn't interest me. To each his own. I have the 20 gig 4th gen iPod and I'm loving it so far. Scott Friedman got a 40 gig ipod photo. Unless you plan on using the photo bit I doubt you need it. It gives you a color display that's pretty unnecessary for enjoying tunes.....and it costs $100 more. Are there benefits to an iPod photo versus one of the normal iPods? Also, I don't really need more than 20 gigs of space. Yes, of course. The decision that needs to be made, however, is do you want just an iPod or an iPod photo?
Recent Photos