Thinking about buying an iPod

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Rip or download everything at 160 or 192 and it'll sound great.

What software do you use to rip MP3s at 160 and 192??

iTunes. You can do anything from 64-320, plus the weird filesize that's supposed to replicate CD quality exactly.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Yeah, what's this m4a business, exactly, and how does it differ from an mp3.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

m4a is another filetype. It's MPEG Layer 4 audio, while MP3 is MPEG Layer 3.

 

That really doesn't mean very much by itself, but MPEG-4 file containers is used for the fancier, higher quality audio compression formats, such as AAC I mentioned before.

 

By default settings, iTunes rips your CD tracks into AAC-compressed m4a files. You can go into the option settings and change that to regular .MP3 files, but those are proven to sound worse at equal bitrate, so the only real practical reason is to either make files for non-iPod players or share the music over online services.

[EricMM 0]

Jobber, I have a Creative Zen and I like it fine. Whats supposed to be wrong with it?

 

Oh and iPod's are wastes of money. There is NO reason to break the bank on one, none.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

I have a 30gb Creative Zen Xtra and I've been exceedingly pleased with it. Cheaper than an IPod and more storage.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Jobber, I have a Creative Zen and I like it fine.  Whats supposed to be wrong with it?

In general, Creative makes a lot of crap, their support is lackluster, their interfaces have always lagged behind Apple & Dell. They break down often and I'm just not a big fan. I've seen too many Zens break and I'm working on some old long-discontinued sound card so that I don't have to buy a Sound Blaster.

 

Rio, iRiver, sure. Creative, no.

 

Oh and iPod's are wastes of money.  There is NO reason to break the bank on one, none.

 

This is just as an absurd statement as the people saying there's no MP3 player worth getting but iPods. It's just not true either way.

 

Someone did a "dollars for gigabytes" comparison on all the iPod models a few weeks ago, though, and the Mini did turn up to be a huge cost for such little space. I would say it indeed is a waste of money, but it's obviously popular with the people who don't mind spending money on looks alone.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Looks like prices got updated today:

 

http://playlistmag.com/weblogs/todayatplay...0more/index.php

 

Apple on Wednesday refreshed its line of iPod mini and iPod photo digital music players, offering new 6GB iPod minis and a new 30GB iPod photo. The company also reordered prices. What makes this particularly interesting is that Apple now has iPod products spanning the price range from US$99 to $349, in $50 increments.

 

The iPod shuffle is available in 512MB and 1GB models for $99 and $149 respectively. With Wednesday’s iPod mini announcements, you can now buy a 4GB or 6GB iPod mini for $199 or $249 respectively. Pay another $50, and you can get Apple’s only remaining black and white full-sized iPod—a 20GB model priced at $299. And for just $50 more, you can say hello to a color screen and 50 percent more capacity with the 30GB iPod photo. The 60GB iPod is the only model now in the iPod line that blows the curve—it’s $100 more than the next step down, at $449. Still, it’s a lot more affordable than it was before this announcement—Apple cut the price of the high-end iPod photo by $150.

 

So you basically can just pick your price by $50 incrementals up until the high-end one.

[GeneMean 0]

The new Mini's battery life just went up from 8 to 18hrs max advertised.

[Guest The Gecko]

If I shell out the $300 for an iPod 20GB, should I shell out $50 more to get the replacement plan at Best Buy? Is it even worth it?

[Guest The Gecko]

Another question. The AC adapter that comes with the iPod, does that recharge your iPod in a standard power outlet? Or do you have to connect to a computer every time you want to charge it?

[tominator89 0]

Looks like prices got updated today:

 

http://playlistmag.com/weblogs/todayatplay...0more/index.php

 

Apple on Wednesday refreshed its line of iPod mini and iPod photo digital music players, offering new 6GB iPod minis and a new 30GB iPod photo. The company also reordered prices. What makes this particularly interesting is that Apple now has iPod products spanning the price range from US$99 to $349, in $50 increments.

 

The iPod shuffle is available in 512MB and 1GB models for $99 and $149 respectively. With Wednesday’s iPod mini announcements, you can now buy a 4GB or 6GB iPod mini for $199 or $249 respectively. Pay another $50, and you can get Apple’s only remaining black and white full-sized iPod—a 20GB model priced at $299. And for just $50 more, you can say hello to a color screen and 50 percent more capacity with the 30GB iPod photo. The 60GB iPod is the only model now in the iPod line that blows the curve—it’s $100 more than the next step down, at $449. Still, it’s a lot more affordable than it was before this announcement—Apple cut the price of the high-end iPod photo by $150.

 

So you basically can just pick your price by $50 incrementals up until the high-end one.

Still overpriced.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Another question. The AC adapter that comes with the iPod, does that recharge your iPod in a standard power outlet? Or do you have to connect to a computer every time you want to charge it?

Power outlet. Only takes a couple hours. You only plug into the computer to transfer songs.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Still overpriced.

Not really. Quality software, the most well-known and well-stocked music store, and in the low-end range there's not many formats that support higher quality formats than MP3 like AAC or lossless. That IS worth something, unless your only goal is to walk down the street and listen to the same 96Kbps Green Day MP3 that you downloaded from Kazaa.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Another question. The AC adapter that comes with the iPod, does that recharge your iPod in a standard power outlet? Or do you have to connect to a computer every time you want to charge it?

Power outlet. Only takes a couple hours. You only plug into the computer to transfer songs.

It should be noted that Shuffle, being basically a tiny USB device with a line out jack, doesn't have any other method of charging.

 

And with the new reduced price Minis, they've cut some costs by removing the AC adapter. Adapters are now only boxed in with the original full-size iPod designs (iPod & iPod Photo.)

[EricMM 0]

Listen Jobber, software is preferential for some, and for other MP3 players it's the pits.

 

If someone can't control the quality of MP3's they steal, they oughten't complain anyways. Personally, I just rip my own music. Why would I spend an extra hundred dollars? For those white headphones everyone seems to be wearing these days?

 

They're getting to be the look of the overspending tool, IMO. People who don't research comp, just buy an iPod.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Eric, all I'm saying about software is that iTunes is much more polished than a lot of the other players software. iRivers I don't really have a problem with. They definitely have their place as they make a lot of different kind of players and they're very compatable, even with Linux.

 

Creative, last I checked, gives you software on the CD and if you don't have the CD you're dead in the water. There's a reason so many people are buying Notmad Explorer (very useful program if you have one of those players, btw.) Because Creative Labs has always been about decent hardware backed up by software that feels like amatuer night at the High School programming club.

 

iRiver has it's place, Rio has carved out a niche of innovative tech adoption with Karma and will hopefully follow up with that innovation with Karma II or Chroma or whatever it's successor model being developed is.

 

Sony screwed up with the ATRAC thing on their player, but now that they've finally come to reality it will be interesting to see what they create, and the kind of appeal their name attracts can't be ignored. Their first player, although a dud, had the kind of battery life that iPod owners would kill for.

 

Dell and Creative, however, are just simply hanging onto the coattails of the others right now, AFAIC.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Creative offers the software on their website now.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Creative is a crap company, i'd never ever buy anything from them again.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Buy.com is clearing out 40GB iPods w/ shipping for $350.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

is it possible in any way to get a 20GB version for less than 250? Anybody know any places? the lowest i've seen it is like 270something.

 

Also, is there any date on when Sony's coming out with their mp3 player? (God did ANYONE think the ALTRAC debacle was going to work? digital music players without mp3 capability is just idiotic)

[Slayer 0]

I'm now the fourth person at my workplace to own an iPod. I feel like such a trendwhore

 

...but it was worth it

[bobobrazil1984 0]

my decision was made for me, as i got the ipod mini as a gift. i woulda been happy with a iriver or even a dell too (but not creative or rio, companies i no longer trust for consistent quality product).

Love my mini though, and the touch/click wheel is just a great interface, i really like the way they made everything, buttons, scrolling, all of it in just this circle and a snap to use.

The big downside is that the quality of listening to songs on the mini is so good that it makes my 128kpbs mp3s' little imperfections become kinda noticeable (which they never were in crappy laptop speakers), though i'd imagine they would probably as noticeable on any good mp3 player. These are dled/pirated songs so its not like i can just rerip them at 192 :-(.

I was also given one of those itunes prepaid cards, since it was already paid for i said what the hell and picked up some lower level indie stuff that i couldn't find on my usual P2P, and was pleasently surprised by the audio quality (on the ipod, where the difference is noticeable, on the computer it sounded the same as my mp3s), though i'd imagine a nice 192 encoded mp3 would sound roughly the same. itunes is a pretty slick set up though, for less-known stuff that i cant find mp3s on, i'm considering actually buying some stuff there.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I don't know what you're comparing those speakers to, Metro, but the provided iPod earbuds are well-known for sounding like crap.

 

If you want to move up, try the Sony MDR-EX81LP/W for $50. That may seem high, but they're much better than the $40 Apple in-ear buds that I use. If you want headphones instead of earbuds, the Sony's "Street Style" MDR-G74SL supposedly sounds good and costs $40. Those are all MSRP, and you can probably find the Sony things at less than that if you look around.

[Styles 0]

I should probably update the thread and mention I got one! I was going to get a standard 20 GB, but when I went to the store they only had one to sell, and it was the display, and the saleman reccomended I go for the iPod photo which is 30 GB and only $50 more. So on a whim I decided it's always best to get the best model you can afford with technology and got the iPod photo. I'm currently in the long process of copying all my cds to iTunes and loading them on my iPod. Im making good progress though. It's great having all my songs avaliable with the click of a button and the shuffle feature is fun too. I even don't mind the ear buds so much which I didn't think I'd like, and find they have good quality sound too. Thanks for the advice!

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

If I just stole a bunch of mp3's on my computer, what program do I use to put them on the Ipod? Do I have to get this Itunes thing, I'd assume not since I Thoguht that was for people that bought the music. Is it done through a USB port?

 

Oh, and does it play all the file extensions like m4a and ogg? I know Iriver does. Speaking of which, if I could find one that had the same price, with the same amount of space, is there a difference?

 

I'm still waiting for the Ipod that can TAKE pictures. It seems like a waste to just be able to see pics on the screen and not be able to take them ala a cameraphone.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

^ you use itunes to put em on the ipod. iTunes is both the music store and also the transferring program (which confuses some people). Regardless there are no problems with transferring "stolen" mp3s, which most of my music are, in fact. That being said, I've heard its also possible to use MusicMatch Jukebox to transfer, and there are 3rd party software out there (jobber of the week posted some links in another thread i think).

I cant answer any questions about other formats, I only use mp3s and occasionally apple's itunes format (whatever it is). i do know that it doesn't play wma's, which i never use.

 

If you want lots of extra features and formats, I've heard good things bout iRiver's black 20GB player. its more of a swiss army knife many different things, though i prefer dedicated players.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

What's a "dedicated" player? Odds are it's simple but I still must ask.

 

Also, what are the negatives of the 20GB Iriver, if it has lots of different features and can play lots of different formats on it, I'd imagine that would be great. What is wrong with it or how is the Ipod better?

[bobobrazil1984 0]

A "dedicated" music player is one whose sole signfiicant function is playing music. For instance, the iPod is mainly dedicated to playing digital music. There are some small extra features, but nothing major like radio, or video, or anything else. All of its resources are geared towards the singular goal of playing music.The opposite might be, say, the PSP that plays mp3s or a PDA that lets you plug in headphones and listen to mp3s on it, or a cell phone with music capability. Obviously the iRiver isn't as far as to the other side as those devices, it is a music player but it is packed with other features.

 

There is a school of thought that says quality companies' dedicated players will basically serve you better as far as quality consistency goes, because all the companies effort/energy is behind that one function. The opposite school of thought (good companies can make good multi-function players that do it all well) also exists, obviously. I prefer dedicated, i always get a "clunky do everything pretty well but nothing super-duper-well" feeling from them, but that's just ME. you may be different.

 

I haven't really used the iRiver much so I cant say what is wrong with it. Its a bit bulky so if the look/feel matters to you that might be negative. I've also heard that it has some surprisingly slow scrolling speed, and that its interface is not super-easy to learn quickly. Its geared more to a tech-savvy audience than a mass-market one, but if you like tinkering with electronics that is probably a plus rather than a minus. In general though i've heard pretty decent things, if i didnt have my ipod i'd choose iriver over creative or rio.

As far as "how is the Ipod better", its biggest strength is mostly in interface/control, its a snap to use, every important function is somehow condensed into one circle, and scrolling through hundreds of songs is a joy. you'll find many ipod-lovers actually enjoy the actual physical act of using the touch/click wheel to "browse" their ipod, rather than just being a task to get to their music. sure it looks cool, but if its interface hadn't been up to snuff and people were constnatly getting frustrated with it, it wouldn't have sold as well as it has. i guess its that whole 'apple simplicity' mojo steve jobs gets a hard-on for. i'm actually baffled as to why other companies can't seem to come up comparable intuitive interfaces. yesterday i checked out the Sony player (375 for 20GB, crazy, but it had mega battery life) at the store, and there were little buttons all over the place, it wasn't immediatly apparent to me how to use it.

[Styles 0]

Yeah I can say the iPod is great to use. Just copy your songs to iTunes, and as soon as you plug in your iPod, it automatically copies all the new songs. And then the scroll wheel is also easy to use for scrolling, adjusting volume, stopping/starting, next track, etc. It's very well designed. I also enjoy the shuffle feature and just trying to guess which song/band will come up next.

 

Silly question (I'm sure it would be in the intructions) but is there a way to shuffle with just a certain band? Like if I wanted to listen to just one band but didn't feel like choosing one album, is there a way to listen to just one band on shuffle mode? Hopefully that made sense. My feeling is no unless I'm missing something.

[GeneMean 0]

Have shuffle songs turned on.. Music->Artists (choose your band here)->All (should be listed atop all that artist's albums)