Ipod really that good?

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

There is no compromise for an iPod.

All college students have iPods. Well I see so many of them walking around with the white earphones. I personally don't use the iPod ones, I like my Sony fontopias much more.

iPod's audio quality is unmatched. Compare it to Creative, Dell, etc, and you will see on consumer reports that IPOD WINS!.

audiophiles hate ipod for lackluster audio.. lol ever heard of apple lossless? im sure that doesn't really come with any other mp3 players.

don't get the ipod mini. it's like a girly thing in my opinion. plus you save only a bit. I bought my 20gb when the ipod mini was still 249. 50 more for a 20gb capacity is worth it. Plus, get educational discount and its 269.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
There is no compromise for an iPod.

All college students have iPods. Well I see so many of them walking around with the white earphones. I personally don't use the iPod ones, I like my Sony fontopias much more.

iPod's audio quality is unmatched. Compare it to Creative, Dell, etc, and you will see on consumer reports that IPOD WINS!.

audiophiles hate ipod for lackluster audio.. lol ever heard of apple lossless? im sure that doesn't really come with any other mp3 players.

don't get the ipod mini. it's like a girly thing in my opinion. plus you save only a bit. I bought my 20gb when the ipod mini was still 249. 50 more for a 20gb capacity is worth it. Plus, get educational discount and its 269.

You trying to set some kind of record for ignorance and misinformation in a single post?

 

[tiap]

Originally posted by: gfx
hi... i have a 20gig 2nd gen ipod... (yes they work on USB 1.1)

pros:

MAC... they make everything well
long battery life... 12+ hours of constant music on a full charge
very light weight and thin
stores 20GB...(duh)
GREAT sound quality... if you rip music... or download it at 320kbps... your gonna hear the difference

cons:

you cant transfer music BACK to your computer... which is a terrible con
for someone who formats as much as me... its annoying... you have to restart your comp 3 times every time u install i tunes + ipod
on the windows format you cant use some of the cool features like the planner or the phonebook (to my knowledge)


my opinion... ipod's are good... but prob best suited for the MAC users... there are a lot of 20-40 GB players for the same or even cheaper price... sure maybe they are a TAD bit bulkier (were talking about less then a half inch) but in my opinion... id go with a different mp3 player... make sure to find one that plays WMA... and .ogg if you can find it... newegg is ofcourse the best place to look

Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

Encrypted only music from Itunes? I can't just upload my MP3 songs into it?

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

Encrypted only music from Itunes? I can't just upload my MP3 songs into it?

You have to either use itunes or a 3rd party alternative such as ephpod or anapod to put music on the ipod in a format it will play. If you just drag & drop music using a file manager, it'll be on the ipod for storage purposes, but the ipod won't play it.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

Among the worst? Now you are just talking out of your ass. There is a reason the fellow over at dapreview considers it one of the top 3 players.

From his X5 review, "<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.201">
I can sum it all up by saying that the X5 has made it onto my short list of favorites, along with the iPod (4g) and Rio Karma. Recommended.</a>

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

Encrypted only music from Itunes? I can't just upload my MP3 songs into it?

You have to either use itunes or a 3rd party alternative such as ephpod or anapod to put music on the ipod in a format it will play. If you just drag & drop music using a file manager, it'll be on the ipod for storage purposes, but the ipod won't play it.

wow more difficult that it seems, i mean not ready out of the box.
Anyone know if Ipod and Itunes have a FAQ where they explain what can it do and not do? I keep searching on apple for a FAQ list and can't find it.

 

[MrControversial]

I have a mini and at 4GB it's more than enough. I mean, I don't even know if I can think of 1,000 songs I like.

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Ipod really that good?

Ew, no. They're well liked because Apple has spent a lot of money building an image for themselves and the ipod through advertising and most people are gullible.

word !

 

[addragyn]

A bunch of monkeys and their keyboards is no sustitute for Real Life. Clearly there are many differeing opinion here. Go to the store and try them out.

Don't buy on specs alone, try out the software and the UI.

Some people blast how iTunes/iPod works. Welcome to 2005! Metadata, it's a good thing...

 

[MrControversial]

Ipod is the PS2 of music players. It's not the best hardware out there but lots of people own one. It has it's raving fanboys who think it's the best thing under the sun and people who call everything that plays music "ipod". Compare specs, compare features and then decide for yourself. The only reason I have an Ipod is because I got it free when I signed the lease for my apartment.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
wow more difficult that it seems, i mean not ready out of the box.
Anyone know if Ipod and Itunes have a FAQ where they explain what can it do and not do? I keep searching on apple for a FAQ list and can't find it.

Worse, IMO, is the fact you don't really have a choice - you can use their buggy software, which coincidentally installs malware (QuickTime) on your PC without your consent, or you can use buggy unsupported 3rd party software. It also limits you to Mac OS or Windows (unless there's a Linux program out there to put playable music on the thing - but I can't imagine any Linux users who'd use, much less buy, an Apple product).

Any more questions, just ask here.

 

[barnett25]

Originally posted by: Gurck
Worse, IMO, is the fact you don't really have a choice - you can use their buggy software, which coincidentally installs malware (QuickTime) on your PC without your consent, or you can use buggy unsupported 3rd party software. It also limits you to Mac OS or Windows (unless there's a Linux program out there to put playable music on the thing - but I can't imagine any Linux users who'd use, much less buy, an Apple product).

Any more questions, just ask here.

Quicktime malware? Without consent? It says "requires Quicktime" on the iTunes download site. If you hate Apple just say that, don't throw in all this other stuff.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

Among the worst? Now you are just talking out of your ass. There is a reason the fellow over at dapreview considers it one of the top 3 players.

From his X5 review, "<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.201">
I can sum it all up by saying that the X5 has made it onto my short list of favorites, along with the iPod (4g) and Rio Karma. Recommended.</a>

seriously, get a rio karma. it dosent look as cool, but plays so many formats, many without a gap(so you can play live albums without the annoying stops like in an ipod), interface is great, noly downside is fi you have small hands or is left handed.

also, since it plays ogg/flac/mp3/wma/wav it's likely you wont have to convert any of your music to play it on the karma.

best sq, best interface for right handed people and now bug free and hdd problem free(less than 1% now, which is comparablr to almpst all the other players)

though it isnt shiny, it is a great choice and a favorite of most audiophiles. (It's the #1 loved player of dapreview.net)

from 1000 Things about the Rio Karma
Austin Vaughan Wed Apr 13 2005, 08:58AM
dapreview.net article

What is this?

A collection of geeky details about the hardware, software, operation, and design of the Rio Karma. We obsess about digital audio players here at DAPreview, which is why this kind of stuff is interesting (to us, anyway). The Karma holds a particular fascination as our house favorite.

 

[AbAbber2k]

I really like my iPod, but I hate the fact that it doesn't act like a portable HD. If I could just plug it in and drag&drop files into it it'd be almost perfect. Personally I'd rather have a Creative Zen Touch or the new Rio or Dell offerings. They tend to offer the same space with better functionality at a lower price... and they're slowly learning how to build sexy hardware.

 

[Umberger]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
I really like my iPod, but I hate the fact that it doesn't act like a portable HD. If I could just plug it in and drag&drop files into it it'd be almost perfect. Personally I'd rather have a Creative Zen Touch or the new Rio or Dell offerings. They tend to offer the same space with better functionality at a lower price... and they're slowly learning how to build sexy hardware.

what gen. ipod do you have? i have a new one, and you absolutely CAN use it as a hard drive. you just have to go into the ipod options in itunes, and check "enable disk usage". Maybe it doesn't work w/ the older ones, but it sure does w/ mine.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: barnett25
Quicktime malware? Without consent? It says "requires Quicktime" on the iTunes download site. If you hate Apple just say that, don't throw in all this other stuff.

Yep, malware. Note the existence of QuickTime Alternative and what that says about QT itself...

Originally posted by Excelsior
Among the worst? Now you are just talking out of your ass. There is a reason the fellow over at dapreview considers it one of the top 3 players.

From his X5 review, "<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.201">
I can sum it all up by saying that the X5 has made it onto my short list of favorites, along with the iPod (4g) and Rio Karma. Recommended.</a>

What does he have to say about it being more expensive than any other player, yet being among the worst in sound quality? Not playing ogg, flac or wmv? Not having an FM tuner or radio/voice recording capabilities? Having the worst battery life of any player? Forcing you to use either itunes (complete with malware install) or unsupported third party software?

You fanboys need to stop being swayed by phlegMTV commercials and letting other people shove their agendas down your throats, and try thinking for yourselves instead.

 

[imthebadguy]

yes, they be good, there is nothing better

 

[daniel1113]

Stop feeding the trolls and they will naturally vacate the thread.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: daniel1113
Stop feeding the trolls and they will naturally vacate the thread.

Sorry, I find it difficult not to at times

 

[barnett25]

Originally posted by: Gurck
What does he have to say about it being more expensive than any other player, yet being among the worst in sound quality? Not playing ogg, flac or wmv? Not having an FM tuner or radio/voice recording capabilities? Having the worst battery life of any player? Forcing you to use either itunes (complete with malware install) or unsupported third party software?

You fanboys need to stop being swayed by phlegMTV commercials and letting other people shove their agendas down your throats, and try thinking for yourselves instead.

I don't know about the OP, but I don't care about ogg, flac, or wmv (I think you mean wma), I just want an mp3 player. I also don't want a radio, because honestly there isn't anything good on <strike>clearchannel</strike> fm radio today. Does anyone use voice recording? Many people find iTunes to be the best solution to music management out there, if you don't, fine. The battery life is good enough for me, personally at 18hours for the mini (the regular iPod is way too big IMHO). And the sound is good enough for anyone who doesn't spend more on the headphones than the player. I also have yet to find another mp3 player that has a UI half as easy to navigate as the iPod.

The iPod isn't the best choice for everyone (and obviosly not for you), but for what I would call the "average" user it is a very good mp3 player.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: barnett25

Originally posted by: Gurck
What does he have to say about it being more expensive than any other player, yet being among the worst in sound quality? Not playing ogg, flac or wmv? Not having an FM tuner or radio/voice recording capabilities? Having the worst battery life of any player? Forcing you to use either itunes (complete with malware install) or unsupported third party software?

You fanboys need to stop being swayed by phlegMTV commercials and letting other people shove their agendas down your throats, and try thinking for yourselves instead.

I don't know about the OP, but I don't care about ogg, flac, or wmv (I think you mean wma), I just want an mp3 player. I also don't want a radio, because honestly there isn't anything good on <strike>clearchannel</strike> fm radio today. Does anyone use voice recording? Many people find iTunes to be the best solution to music management out there, if you don't, fine. The battery life is good enough for me, personally at 18hours for the mini (the regular iPod is way too big IMHO). And the sound is good enough for anyone who doesn't spend more on the headphones than the player. I also have yet to find another mp3 player that has a UI half as easy to navigate as the iPod.

The iPod isn't the best choice for everyone (and obviosly not for you), but for what I would call the "average" user it is a very good mp3 player.

Ok, if everything is "good enough for you" (though I'll be honest - you sound like a parent excusing their dull, trouble-making child), as you claim, why not save a few hundred bucks and get a budget player? They don't have all those benefits either. I've yet to hear a valid argument from an ipod proponent on these forums. If the best you can do is lie about not wanting all the benefits of better & less expensive players, perhaps you should consider why you feel the way you do about the ipod... Do you watch a lot of MTV? Do peoples' silhouettes against flat color backgrounds factor into your opinions on it? Are you 20 or younger? Do you want to be just like everyone else?

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: barnett25
Quicktime malware? Without consent? It says "requires Quicktime" on the iTunes download site. If you hate Apple just say that, don't throw in all this other stuff.

Yep, malware. Note the existence of QuickTime Alternative and what that says about QT itself...

Originally posted by Excelsior
Among the worst? Now you are just talking out of your ass. There is a reason the fellow over at dapreview considers it one of the top 3 players.

From his X5 review, "<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.201">
I can sum it all up by saying that the X5 has made it onto my short list of favorites, along with the iPod (4g) and Rio Karma. Recommended.</a>

What does he have to say about it being more expensive than any other player, yet being among the worst in sound quality? Not playing ogg, flac or wmv? Not having an FM tuner or radio/voice recording capabilities? Having the worst battery life of any player? Forcing you to use either itunes (complete with malware install) or unsupported third party software?

You fanboys need to stop being swayed by phlegMTV commercials and letting other people shove their agendas down your throats, and try thinking for yourselves instead.

You automatically assume I am an iPod fanboy? Get over yourself, jesus christ. Do you not remember my thread about the upcoming X5? Hell, you even poster in it. I am merely trying to use the example of someone who has gone through a sh!tload of DAPs, and considers the 4th iPod one of his top 3 players, that it isn't as bad as you proclaim. I agree with you that it doesn't have the features I wan't, but you constantly label it as an uberexpensive POS, which is so far from the truth, it is ridiculous.

The 4th gen 20GB iPod is only $8 more than the H320, with both prices being from respectable vendors. The way you talk about it, you'd think it would cost $500 for the 20GB.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: mwmorph

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: tiap
Ipods are probably the best, but expensive.
If you do get one, get a prog called Anapod for around 25 bucks. Itunes is absoute junk compared to this prog. It lets you copy music back and forth and literally use the ipod as a mobile hdrive with any data, not just music. The nicest feature is that it is not bloated like Itunes.
You can copy your mp3 to dvd for backup or to cd and they will play in some car cd decks.
USB1 is slow, so do as the video encoders do, let it run overnite.

Ipods aren't the best, they're among the worst. You're right about the expense though - it's not cheap to advertise constantly, especially during sports playoffs, and they have to recompense these expenses somehow.

Ipods follow the universal mass storage standard. This - not anapod - is what allows them and many other players, such as iaudio and iriver offerings, to function as plug & play hard drives. Unfortunately, due to copy protection concerns, the ipod will only play music which has been encrypted by itunes or a third party program such as anapod, ephpod, etc. - while other players allow you the far easier option of manipulating their contents with a file manager.

Among the worst? Now you are just talking out of your ass. There is a reason the fellow over at dapreview considers it one of the top 3 players.

From his X5 review, "<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.201">
I can sum it all up by saying that the X5 has made it onto my short list of favorites, along with the iPod (4g) and Rio Karma. Recommended.</a>

seriously, get a rio karma. it dosent look as cool, but plays so many formats, many without a gap(so you can play live albums without the annoying stops like in an ipod), interface is great, noly downside is fi you have small hands or is left handed.

also, since it plays ogg/flac/mp3/wma/wav it's likely you wont have to convert any of your music to play it on the karma.

best sq, best interface for right handed people and now bug free and hdd problem free(less than 1% now, which is comparablr to almpst all the other players)

though it isnt shiny, it is a great choice and a favorite of most audiophiles. (It's the #1 loved player of dapreview.net)

from 1000 Things about the Rio Karma
Austin Vaughan Wed Apr 13 2005, 08:58AM
dapreview.net article

What is this?

A collection of geeky details about the hardware, software, operation, and design of the Rio Karma. We obsess about digital audio players here at DAPreview, which is why this kind of stuff is interesting (to us, anyway). The Karma holds a particular fascination as our house favorite.

Uh...I hope you don't think I am actually interested in the iPod. I am gonna pick up an X5 myself.