The Best of The Best!

I bought my own iPod about 2 years ago and I am still in love with it. I am thinking about paying the $100 for battery replacement program from Apple, but not now since I have a car charger. I bought this piece for $300 from CompUSA. Later I also bought a car charger, iTrip (FM Transmitter), and holder to use in my car.


MAJOR FEATURES LIST :
Disk Space: 15GB (up to 3700 songs at 128 kbps AAC)
Formats Supported: MP3, WAV, AAC, MP3 VBR, AIFF
Screen Size: 2 Inches
Connections: Firewire & USB 2.0
Power Source: Rechargeable via USB cable, Internal Battery, AC/DC Adapter, Rechargeable via FireWire cable
Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium Battery
Battery Life: 8 hours
Dimensions: 2.4in (W) x .62in (D) x 4.1in (H)
Weight: 5.6 oz.


PROS :
Apple iPod is very compact and light weight. I specially like the touch pad controls. I like the fact that there are no actual buttons.

The 15GB storage space allows storage of a lot of songs. Currently I have about 1600 mp3 songs which have an average of 160kbps or more. The specification says that it can hold 3700 songs but that is only if the songs are in acc format at 128kbps. But to me song at 128kbps don't sound that good. But over all I am satisfied with the storage space; it give me half the amount specified by the user manual. I used to carry around a huge binder full of CD's but not anymore.

The built-in equalizer is very helpful but at a cost of some battery life. Also the back light helps when in dark areas or in a car at night. I use it most when I drive so I can see what is playing at night. One thing I will suggest is that set your back light timer to 2 seconds. It will just stay on long enough for you to see what you need to see.

The iTunes software is easy to use and customizable for anyone’s needs. It allows you to create many different types of play lists. I have the Griffin iTrip and it requires your iPod to have some FM station mp3 files. When you play you songs using the iTrip you don't want it going through the Stations one after the other so all you do is create a smart playlist that will have all your songs and omit all iTrip stations.

The transfer rate on from my computer to my iPod is great. The firewire port allows faster transfer than USB. But nevertheless, either one will get the job done fast.

The ability to upgrade the iPods operating system (firmware) is awesome. It will keep your iPod up to date and bug free. My iPod used to freeze up once in a while when I first got it, but after I updated the firmware I haven't had that problem since. Downloading the updates are not that difficult either, all you do is login to Apples website, download the software, install on your computer, and update your iPod.

Apple designed iPods headphones with comfort in mind. They go on easy and hardly ever irritates my ears. The sound quality is clear and sharp as ever. You will not even notice that they are there. It has a long cord, so you can put the iPod in your pocket, backpack, purse, etc and it will not get in your way.

Last but not least, iPod’s ability to search for any song quickly on its hard drive is definitely wonderful. You don’t have to sit and search through it for minutes to find the song you want. You will have to get used to the way iPod displays your songs to be able to find your songs quickly, nevertheless, it is will quicker than changing CD’s and seeking the right track.


CONS :
There are only a few things that I would consider to be cons. First, is the battery life that does not last the specified 8 hours after one year or maybe less depending on the usage. This does not bother me currently because I keep it charged constantly so I don’t run out, but I am thinking of getting the battery replaced through Apples Battery Replacement Plan. It costs about $100 and they will replace the whole iPod instead of the battery. On their website they say it takes around two to four weeks.

Secondly, the shiny surface which is not impervious to scratches, fingerprints, bruises, etc. I have a lot of scratches and fingerprints on my iPod; I have also dropped it several times but it is still working fine. I bought a clear plastic case for it but when I put that on, the iPod will not fit in its holder in my car. So after some time of switching back and forth, I just gave up the case. The scratches do not bother me at all or the music, but it just looks really old.

Finally, the only other that I don’t like about this particular iPod is that when I run out of space, I have to remove some of my old songs to put new one in there. I like to have all my songs in one place. Hopefully when I get the battery replaced, they will send me a 20GB instead of a 15GB one. Hey, one can always hope.


EXPERIENCE :
I have been using my iPod everyday for the last year and a half and I have loved every day of it. I take my iPod everywhere I go, whether it is to the shopping center or a picnic. I love listening to music and my iPod is the greatest thing that ever happened to me after to my wife of course.

I love having all my songs with my anywhere I go. I can listen to almost any song that I own at anytime. I specially like to take my iPod with me when I am jogging. Its light weight and compact size keeps my mind on my jogging more than worrying about it falling and breaking in to pieces.


CONCLUSION :
Considering the flaws and the advantages of Apples iPod, it still stands out in the big crowd of music players in the market today. The good always prevails over the bad in everything in life. I would definitely recommend getting an iPod over any other music player. Now Apple has a variety of iPod’s out there; you can get whichever fits your needs the most.


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