IPod

[Dave Bryce]

I'vve finally made the jump. I ordered a 15MB IPod on Friday.

 

In anticipation of it's arrival, I've been sitting here slowly feeding my CD collection into my computer; and, frankly, I'm getting psyched to be able to carry around 300 of my favorite albums wherever I want to take them.

 

So, who else here is an IPOD (or reasonable facsimile) owner/user? How (if at all) has owning one of these devices affected your life? Do you dig it? Not dig it? Feel ambivalent?

 

I also signed up to the Music Store and bought a few tunes...I can see where that can get expensive pretty quickly if you're not careful...

 

dB

[dementia13]

I love it. I'm a fiber optic technician in a rural area: I have big drive times between offices that I cover, and there aren't many good radio stations. Being able to carry my music with me is great. I can listen to a complete album, or I can just let it play at random, which gives me a chance to hear a lot of music which I've bought but haven't thought to listen to that much. It's also good for listening to the music I like without annoying other people with it. My tastes in music aren't very common, and I hate people coming back with "What's that weird stuff?". I balked at the price for a year, but once I got it, I felt that it was worth it.

[Marzzz]

It COMPLETELY rules. I have had the 15 gig since last summer, how amazing is it to carry around your entire CD collection in a device the size of a cigarette pack? Try putting 2000+ songs on "shuffle" mode. The iTunes Music Store becomes a dangerous place- so many songs and albums to pull down on a moment's notice! The whole system- iPod, iTunes, store, etc. integrates so well.....put your CDs into storage!

[steadyb]

Originally posted by Marzzz:

Try putting 2000+ songs on "shuffle" mode.

 

I have an original 5 gig and a 40 gig and I love 'em both.

[zeronyne]

I have a first gen iPod. I think they are very cool. I mainly use it as a firewire drive to transfer Logic files, but it's soon going to be a permanent addition to my home stereo.

[progfusion74]

I bought my wife an iPod for our Anniversary (20 GB model). She's got all her stuff and some of mine on it. With iTrip, it is essential for all roadtrips.. I have a ton of music downloads(using musicmatch jukebox) consolidated on my desktop. I have a lot of my CD collection there too (putting it on slowly). The day someone comes up with a well-designed one that works with wma, I get one for myself (I can indirectly get those downloads on the iPod as well). I tend to rotate a week's worth of music on my laptop, which goes everywhere with me, sort of a 6 lb iPod

 

You'll love it!!!

[Soundscape Studios.]

I'm gonna wait untill they come out with 50-80 GB drives (it will happen, you know!).

 

I recently spent untold hours converting every last audio file I own into 192 khz mp3's. (128 is simply unlistenable on the top end). So I now have over 50 GB of music, with much more to come.

 

And as Freddie used to say - "I want it All!"

[Dasher]

Soundscape, hate to tell you, but AAC sounds better than MP3, unless you're at a high bitrate (like 250), and AAC can also get faster if need be.

 

My duo uses one (or two, if I have new tunes) on the gig four nights a week, as home-built backing tracks. As a professional tool, my drummer loves it (but he's a Mac fanatic) and I find it acceptable, usually. Both of them have a disconcerting (literally!) habit of occasionally stopping in the middle of a song. At least it resumes right where it left off, but vamping till ready ain't fun...

 

I don't use it for my music collection, but then I don't listen to much these days when I'm at home, too busy doing it myself, and in the car, I play my rough draft CDs of my current project.

 

Personally, I feel it's drastically overpriced (as is most Apple gear...) I use both Apple and PCs in my studio (6 PCs, one Apple) and think that a machine is a machine, they both do what I bought them for-usually. But my iPod has issues being found when I connect to the Mac. If it worked flawlessly all the time I would like it more, but I still think it costs too much.

 

Dasher

[Soundscape Studios.]

Actually - if sheer fidelity was the only factor, I would encode with Ogg. But reality is that for a compressd format mp3 is the defacto standard, and I wasn't gonna convert everything into something that wasn't universal.

 

Really, with the right codec, and hight bitrate, mp3 is bearable.

[nursers]

iPods are great to back up your photo library etc too

[b_3guy]

My son Travis has one. He bought it with his own money he earned instructing at a hockey camp. The big difference for him is it's easier to carry around (smaller than a CD player) & there's no skipping or stalling from movement. The thing that has been discovered is if you are going to accessorize (buy a case, almost a must because the screen is easy to scratch, buy a remote), you might as well as get the 20 gig. Although the batteries are currently expensive to replace, limit your recharges to only when it's required. Most likely by the time your battery dies, there will be cheaper alternatives. They are already dropping in price.

[Marzzz]

Originally posted by b_3guy:

Although the batteries are currently expensive to replace, limit your recharges to only when it's required. Most likely by the time your battery dies, there will be cheaper alternatives. They are already dropping in price.

Apple recommends more frequent "top off" charges as opposed to "full" charges to prolong battery life. Battery replacement is $99, but with a life expectancy of 2-3 years, you are more likely to get a new one (just like getting a new computer every 3 years or so). Today's Mini iPod will be tomorrow's standard iPod, then it will simply be a matter of how small they can make a useable interface.

 

What I really want to see is a decent interface for my car radio. Griffin's iTrip works OK, but there is a definite drop in sound quality. Between iPod and satellite radio, it will be fun listening in the car again!

[b_3guy]

Originally posted by Marzzz:

Originally posted by b_3guy:

Although the batteries are currently expensive to replace, limit your recharges to only when it's required. Most likely by the time your battery dies, there will be cheaper alternatives. They are already dropping in price.

Apple recommends more frequent "top off" charges as opposed to "full" charges to prolong battery life. Battery replacement is $99, but with a life expectancy of 2-3 years, you are more likely to get a new one (just like getting a new computer every 3 years or so). Today's Mini iPod will be tomorrow's standard iPod, then it will simply be a matter of how small they can make a useable interface.

Funny an Apple tech told me to wait on charging. I stand corrected.

[BDS]

I've got an old 5GB iPod. I love it. It's one of those few excellent products where they get everything just right. It's interesting that another one of my "top 10" products is also a "pod", the Line6 POD ...anyway, at some point I'd like to upgrade to a 40GB unit so that I can fit my entire library on it, but even 5GB is great.

 

Marzzz,

 

If you have a cassette player in your car I'd highly recommend using a cassette adapter instead of an FM adapter. I just picked up a Sony CPA-9C for $20 to replace an old Sony adapter I've been using for about 11 years. The new adapter is a big improvement over my old adapter (clearer sound and better gain), but IMHO even the old adapter sounded better than the Belkin FM unit I tried.

 

Your mileage may vary depending on your car's cassette deck, but it sounds great in my car, much better frequency response and gain than the FM units I've heard.

[RaGe]

I have had a 20Gb iPod for 2.5 yrs and I just love it. All my CDs are encoded at 160kbps (good enough to listen with light headphones) and I am almost out of space.

Now, will I buy another iPod when I need more space? Not sure ... The competition has some great products to offer nowadays although I will miss the cool factor (you know the whole Apple design/theme ... Mac vs PC ... and I am a PC guy).

[Marzzz]

Re: cassette adapter;

 

Unfortunately, my car does not have a cassette player! One option is to patch into the connections for the 6-CD player in the trunk, but that solution costs about $150 plus installation (and I am not about to do it with 8 months left on my lease!). Hopefully the next generation of cars will be more accomodating for both satellite radio and iPods.

[Groovepusher Sly]

Got mine Xmas, nowhere near full. I need a car radio transmitter with more power than the ones available now. My plan is to install an input in the car.

iMusic store + iPod can't be beat!

 

Sly

[EricG]

Always wanted one,.... so i finally ordered the 20GB ipod on Saturday. Feels like Christmas is coming soon... I am like a kid with stuff like this. Also ordered the in-ear headphones, anyone have these, are they any good ? (My ears is so small and since they have 3 different sizes on the plugs I ordered it.)

[SteveMPA]

Hi Dave, I have a 40g and it's like carrying around the Harvard music library in your pocket...so much stuff, you don't even know exactly what's there, and occasionally a treasure is unearthed. I have audiobooks, famous speeches, favorite NPR shows, all of Shakespeare's sonnets in the "notes" section...I have a "smart" playlist of all random songs and it is oddly amazing, like getting a christmas present every 3 1/2 minutes. Congrats!

[JMcS]

This may solve your problem: ( http://www.ccrane.com/fm-transmitter.asp ) I have used one for almost two years with an XM Radio. It works pretty well in my car, and I have used it in the house when I didn't want to re-wire my stereo.

[Kaptain Karl]

Just picked up a 20gigger a couple months back. I could never go without it. My car already had a 3.5mm aux input on the stereo so it was a no brainer there. I ride my bike to work most days and I can't beleive I rode for 8 months without the iPod. I only use about 10gb for mp3 and the rest of it is used for files that I may need while on the go. Sure beats shuffling CD's around.

[synthetic]

I go everywhere with my 30GB, it's almost full (26GB of AACs). I love the sound of AAC, blows away MP3 IMO and was the reason I finally went for an iPod. Plus the disco musak they pipe in at work.

 

Watch out for the iTunes store, it's totally addictive. I spend about $10-30/week, it's just too easy.

[progfusion74]

I do the same on musicmatch ... now if only someone made a device that looks as cool as the iPod and works with AAC AND WMA ... get the best of both worlds

[c4]

The Rio Karma supports mp3, wma, flac and ogg vorbis better sound quality than the ipod and better battery life - 20 gig models can be had for @250

[RABid]

Well drat. I was doing so well lately, but now it is time for a trip to the credit union to withdraw some of my savings. My 20 GB iPod is on the way.

 

I checked out the Rio Karma. While the reviews of the interface are good, way too many people are reporting problems. This does not surprise me. I paid a lot for a 128 meg Rio a few years ago (Rio 600 I think). The first one worked for two weeks. The replacement was dead on arrival. The third unit worked throughout the summer. When I started to use it for jogging again the next spring it was dead. No more Rio products for me.

 

I considered the Mini iPod because of the price but those things are hard to find. I finally called a friend at one of the large online computer and electronic stores. He told me they have 3000 of each color on order, and average of 400 of each color on backorder for customers, and don't expect any sizable shipment until late June. When he offered to give me the 20 GB iPod at cost I grabbed it. There is not much of a margin on those, but every little bit helps.

 

Robert

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

I am definitely picking up an iPod. I'm a recent iTunes convert, so having a portable solution makes a lot of sense.

 

- Jeff

[Dogfur]

I decided on the 40 gig Nomad, and I've been happy with the results. I made this list of highs & lows for a post on Craig's forum.

 

high points:

 

1) Listening to more music than I have in years. That alone is worth the price of admission.

 

2) Removed one of the CD racks in my living room, made for happy wife. A happy Dogfur requires a happy Mrs. Dogfur. Also pulling up a playlist of the wifes' faves and letting it be the background music for the evening can diffuse a bit of tension around the ol' kennel.

 

3) Portable hard drive functionality - bringing in those 96khz 24 bit takes from home to office isn't as big a pain in the ass.

 

4) Portable music library inspires more thorough analysis of music from peers/consultants/friends when it is readily available to hear. The carpool to the gig can wield some unusually constructive comments when you can listen and compare various things in a convenient timeframe.

 

Low points -

 

1) low playback level, not in the same range as other portable electronics. If you are using this in the car with an FM transmitter this means when it stops playing you will get a huge blast of radio static 4X as loud as the tunes you were listening to. Perhaps this issue is only a problem with the Nomad, not I-pod.

 

2) Menu navigation still a bit clunky - hopefully to be worked out in newer models.

 

3) I need to train myself to have all my selections up and running before starting the car, I don't need to be another distracted idiot on the road.

 

4)I would like further file support beyond MP3, WMA, and WAV. Probably in the works, looks like you I-pod guys have a bit more support in this area.

 

5) FM transmitter technology is subpar, but a good idea. Needs work, probably will start evolving quickly now.

 

Cheers,

 

Dogfur

[Markyboard]

Just bought my wife a 40GB Gen 4 after no luck with the RCA LYRA from Costco. She's the beta tester for gadgets in this house (unless they have midi connectors on them). If she gives it a thumbs up I may get one for myself.

[RABid]

After using the iPod for the summer while riding bike I really like it. There are three issues that keep me from really "loving" it.

 

1. Short batery life.

 

2. The battery will completely discharge in a week, even with no use.

 

3. I have not found a way to transfer my song ratings from one computer to another in iTunes. My primary iTunes computer is my work computer. I rip my CD collection at home using iTuner, write those files to CD, and then take them to work. So far I have found no way to save the ratings if I do them at home. Also, I just changed PC's at work and could find no way to move the ratings from one computer to another. I have 6500 songs rated so that iTunes will automatically load any song with 3 or more stars onto my iPod. Now I cannot seem to move that information.

 

Robert

[steadyb]

iPod tip...

 

When you first get your iPod and load it up with songs, you might find, as Dave and I both experienced, that the battery doesn't seem to stay charged as long as it should.

 

This usually is noticed after you've had your iPod for a few weeks, and loaded up a thousand or more songs.

 

What I've found, if you experience this, is to completely restore your iPod using the iPod Updater (don't select "Update", select "Restore") then reload your songs back on. (All your iPod tunes are probably on your computer anyway, so reloading should be easy)

 

You will probably see a noticeable improvement in the battery performance.