Which ipod Should I Get?

[Peter]

I figure the 60GB is the way to go for a music obsessive like me, but am looking for opinions from those who have used them. The 4GB Nano is appealing due to it's size. Will I really need all that storage? What file format/compression balances top flight sound with managable file size? Thanks.

[kh1958]

The Nano's hard drive is too small to be worth considering.

Buy the 30gb or the 60 gb, preferably the latter. I made the mistake of buying a 20 gb first. As a consequence, I bought both a 20 gb and later a 60 gb, contributing more than was really necessary to Apple's profits.

I figure the 60GB is the way to go for a music obsessive like me, but am looking for opinions from those who have used them. The 4GB Nano is appealing due to it's size. Will I really need all that storage? What file format/compression balances top flight sound with managable file size? Thanks.

[BeBop]

Break free! Creative Labs.

[Eric]

Break free! Creative Labs.

Agree, worth a look!

[Peter]

My kid's got a Creative Zen. I was not pleased with the sound quality.

[BeBop]

I'm happy with mine, but to be honest, I've never owned any other brand.

I'm kinda anti-iPod (or anything else ultra-trendy), but if you've checked out the alternatives and like the iPod best, by all means, that's the way to go.

[kh1958]

I am extremely happy with my imac, and the ipod works wonderfully in conjunction with an imac. I would not even consider any other product in either case.

[spinlps]

I all really depends on how you're going to use the iPod (or any MP3 player for that matter).

If you want a unit for the gym, running, biking, etc... then go for the Nano. It's a flash player, so no moving parts and (in theory) no skips. The Shuffle is also a flash player, but I'd still opt for the Nano just to get a screen.

If you want to use the iPod as primary source on your hifi or absolutely must have all (most) of your music with you all of the time, then go for the largest unit you can afford.

If you want to just take a portable player on the road or to the gym in lieu of a stack of CD's + player, then a smaller (size and capacity) unit may be the better option.

I have a 4 year old 10GB player and 50+ GB of music. Most of that is my CD collection... I bet I haven't transferred even 5% of my LP's. So my music collection is going to be larger than iPod capacities for some time. At 192k VBR rip rates, I usually have between 1200 - 1300 songs with me at any given time. On average, using the iPod during the commute and in the office (10 hours playing time) I'll usually get through 120 - 150 songs per day. That number is lower when I'm traveling. I received a free Shuffle over the holidays which I plan on taking on my next trip to see if its an acceptable option.

As tempting as the new 60GB units are (and they really are), I don't see any reason to upgrade until the one I've got shoots craps. Even then, I'm leaning towards the Nano.

One last factor that shouldn't be overlooked: How much time you want to spend "managing" the songs on your iPod.

If you want a set it and forget it player, thae get the largest you can afford. As long as your music collection doesn't exceed the iPod's capacity whatever you rip will transfer to the iPod automatically.

If you opt for a Nano or smaller capacity iPod or your collection exceeds the iPod's capacity, then you'll need to manage what songs are transfered manually or through playlists (smart or regulary).

Good luck. And let us know what you get!

The Nano's hard drive is too small to be worth considering.

Buy the 30gb or the 60 gb, preferably the latter. I made the mistake of buying a 20 gb first. As a consequence, I bought both a 20 gb and later a 60 gb, contributing more than was really necessary to Apple's profits.

I figure the 60GB is the way to go for a music obsessive like me, but am looking for opinions from those who have used them. The 4GB Nano is appealing due to it's size. Will I really need all that storage? What file format/compression balances top flight sound with managable file size? Thanks.

[kh1958]

Among the organissimo crew, I would expect that the music collections of virtually everyone exceeds 60gb by a large margin.

I don't see the ipod as the primary home source of music, for which I retain CDs and LPs.

The Ipod is instead a great portable source of music--whether you are travelling by car, foot, airplane or train.

The best approach is to be very selective in transferring music to the ipod--only pick the songs on a CD that appeal to you the most. In general, only in the case of rare classics would one transfer every cut on a CD to the ipod. That way, you can have a much greater diversity of music on your ipod.

The only management I want to perform is to add songs, so having the biggest player possible is the best option for me.

[John L]

Get the one that makes you look the coolest when you strut your stuff.

Get the 60 GB, of course.

[jazzkrow]

I kinda like my Toshiba Gigabeat 40 gb unit.

Took me a while but I figured how to download album covers for each cd entered.

I used 192 (bps?) the lowest amount of compression-and have 400 cds entered-and have just 7 gb left.

Took me a week to do the whole job.

Leaving the last 7 gb for extra special new acquisitions as I was super picky on what I put on the Gigabeat-and don't expect to take much out.

Mucho hard bop, West Coast, some swing and big band-but heavy on Blue Note TOCJ...

Costco had the 40 gb Toshiba for only $249, a deal I could not pass up....

[John L]

Has anybody gotten into multiple iPods yet? Hard Bop iPod for the left pocket, Swing iPod in the right pocket, some heavy Funk in shirt pocket Mini... 140 GBs: armed and dangerous!

Edited February 7, 2006 by John L

[Brad]

Any one see that article in last Saturday's NYT about iPod customer service and how the hard drives are going fast?

[blake]

Apple announced today that they've lowered the price on the Shuffle players and introduced a new 1 gig Nano.

Here's a bit of the press release...

"512-megabyte Shuffle will now sell for $69, down from $99 previously. The 1-gigabyte model will sell for $99, down from $129.

The 512-megabyte version holds about 120 songs.

The new 1-gigabyte Nano, the sleek iPod model that won rave reviews from critics and consumers when it was introduced last September, was priced at $149.

The 2-gigabyte Nano sells for $199 and holds about 500 songs; a 4-gigabyte model sells for $249."

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Played with a 'nano' at an Apple store the other day. Just make sure you've gone on a diet and aren't puffy from water retention as your fingers need to be as sharp as pencils to get that wheel to listen to you.

I doubt whether Bronco would buy one.

[couw]

I doubt whether Bronco would buy one.

introducing a new proverb for this age of small buttoned technical ditties:

Would Bronko Buy One?

aka WBBO?

[md655321]

You can get great deals on repfurbished ipods from the apple store:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...btn.x=0&btn.y=0

A 20 gb black and white is only 189. I have one and I enjoy it immensely. You can get a 40gb for only 249 as well.

[scottb]

I asked for a cheap MP3 player for Christmas just to load up some tunes to exercise to. My wife went overboard and gave me a 2G Nano. I love it. I filled it with just greatest hits from my collection and ran of space pretty quickly. I have virtually no jazz on it. (because I prefer not to exercise to jazz)

It makes me want one with a HUGE memory so I could load up everything, but then I remind myself what I actually use it for and it is really about perfect for that.

[trane_fanatic]

I love my Zen, so many more features & great price.

[PHILLYQ]

My son has a 30GB Ipod and loves it. It sounds very good

[Randy Twizzle]

I saw a young woman walking through the World Financial Center while holding her iPod Nano up at eye level. I assume she was doing this in order to show the world that she owned the hot new accessory for the young urban professional. I'm a caring, tolerant individual, but I wanted to grab the damn thing and smash it into little (or littler) pieces.

[John L]

I saw a young woman walking through the World Financial Center while holding her iPod Nano up at eye level. I assume she was doing this in order to show the world that she owned the hot new accessory for the young urban professional. I'm a caring, tolerant individual, but I wanted to grab the damn thing and smash it into little (or littler) pieces.

OK, you take the Nano and I'll take the goil.

[BeBop]

I wish I had the newspaper at-hand, but...

I read yesterday that the iPod doesn't accept music downloaded from the new better-sound-quality (less heavily compressed) on-line sources.

[Clunky]

I was given a 4Gb Nano at Xmas and it's great , I have no intention in copying all my CDs and LPs onto it.

In fact I have as yet only used about 1/4 of its capacity. Perfect for going running etc. Sound quality is very nice. Even the derided ear buds aren't too bad.

[andybleaden]

Has anybody gotten into multiple iPods yet? Hard Bop iPod for the left pocket, Swing iPod in the right pocket, some heavy Funk in shirt pocket Mini... 140 GBs: armed and dangerous!

Yeh !

Why the **** does my wife think this is unreasonable

I was planning ( would not dare) to have a Creative Jukebox 30gb ( which I have already and it is brilliant!! ) for the Blue Note collection, one for the ECm collection, one for classical and one of course for a mixture of Prestige /Riverside and maybe Savoy .

I guess I would also need one for a mixture as well

the trouble is that there are days when I guess the mp3 player makes me more anti social ...." yes you watch that awful looking programme on the telly I am going to chill with some mosaics and some cider in the garden ( ok it is freezing cold- but I will be fine)

whats wrong with that?

as for the ipod/creative thing- the creative that I have is sublime, honey for my ears, aural massage - I hope I spelt that last one right. I fear that the ipods through up problems that others do not. I also have a 1gb flash stick for cycling to work ...that too is faultless