iPod Classic

[Fallon Piper]

Hello, I have been thinking lately about getting an Apple iPod Classic 120Gig. Now being able to have over 30.000 songs sounds killer, but they have this crap with iTunes...which you have to pay for. I don't believe that I have to pay for crap once I shell out $249+ on this thing, I have a Media Converter so I think I could take all of the music I have stored on my PC and change it's format and then swap it onto my iPod right? If not and I am forced to pay for music after I paid a butt load for this device I'm not going to bother, what are the pros and cons of the iPod Classic etc?

I also have a friend who was given one of these, and it dose not turn on, I would imagine it would be due to a dead battery since he has a usb cable that was given to him with it but no dock or charge cable. His is a 4GB, never seen one of those in that low a GB amount.

[Hollud]

iTunes is actually a free download from the Apple web site. The only thing you have to pay for is when you want to buy music and movies from the iTunes Store. That said, you can still operate iTunes as per normal without having to use or access the iTunes Store.

The iPod Classic is a great portable media player and a great icon in the eco-system of MP3 players. You can store music, photos and videos on your iPod so that you can take your media wherever you go. And if you don't have a humongous music library to fill your iPod, you can have it double-up as a external storage device. You can play some basic games and have other features like a world and alarm clock, putting small notes on your iPod, chronometer and countdown timer.

However, you must note that the iPod Classic uses a 1.8" hard disk inside. Although the hard disk is equipped to stop spinning when it detects a fall, dropping it often could damage the sensitive electronics within. And while it does have a 25 minute buffer to fill songs onto its memory so that it can spin down the hard disk and save battery, it's not a good MP3 player to take out when you're jogging. The iPod Classic is pretty, but that metal on the back can scratch, so you may want to invest in a proper casing for it.

What you friend has probably is the iPod Nano, which is the smaller-sized iPod in the range that Apple offers. It has flash memory, instead of a hard disk, which would explain the smaller sizes. The USB cable supplied with all iPods doubles up as the charger and the dock cable to transfer data between your computer and your iPod.

[Hawkflight]

Okay, let me put it this way:

Pros: Podcasts
Cons: Everything else

Get a zune. It's cheaper, has a bigger screen, and has a built-in radio. And it's sturdier and fingerprint-resistant. Then download iTunes and import the podcasts onto the zune if you want podcasts.

[Fallon Piper]

Humm interesting, so the usb cable doubles as a charger as well when hooked up to a pc? Sounds very odd compared to what I am used too. I'll have to look up what podcasts are lol, this is the first time I am thinking of dealing with iPods and such. So the iPod Nano is more stable I take it? If not I will take a look at a Zune, I've head a lot of good things about Apple's iPods and so on so that is why I have looked at them, though since I am new to these things I'm open to everything to get a good first time purchase.

[Hollud]

Get a zune. It's cheaper, has a bigger screen, and has a built-in radio. And it's sturdier and fingerprint-resistant. Then download iTunes and import the podcasts onto the zune if you want podcasts.

A Zune may be cheaper, but consider the future of the device. Microsoft has left the future of the Zune hanging in the air. Even the dude who tattoed himself with the logo of the Zune was reportedly thinking of lasering off the tattoo. Word on the street is that Microsoft will integrate the Zune interface into the Windows Mobile platform.

The iPod nano uses flash memory, which means that you can take it out on your daily jogs and trips to the gym. MP3 players with hard disks are considerably more sensitive, so reserve them for road trips or when you're at the library.

I would suggest going down to the nearest Apple Store to try out an iPod. If you know a place that sells the Zune, see if they have sets on demo for you to try out before you make your decision. :)

[Joppy]

Hi,

I got an iPod Classic (80 GB) about a year ago.

You don't have to use Apple iTunes, there are alternatives. For Windows, there is a nice little application called 'Share Pod'. It is easy to use, and you can use it to both copy music to the iPod, and to copy music from the iPod to the computer.

If you are running Linux (Which I do), there is 'GTKpod', and also a few media players also lat you put music on the iPod.

Regarding the iPod itself, the charge/playback times are good. But I have had problems. Within a month or two of getting my iPod, the harddrive failed. Thankfully, Apple replaced it free of charge.