Rating: 
Summary: Stop carrying all of those CDs around !!!
Review: I'm not an Apple aficionado but this device is truly amazing; the packaging alone is a work of art. The iPod is very simple to configure and pretty intuitive to use. The Music Match software is another storyInitially I had difficulty figuring this piece of software out, as the tutorials seem to be written assuming that you have used this type of sofware before, and the terms are all familiar to you. My first major mistake happened when I copied about 135 tracks off of various CDs and then adding another track that I had to configure manually. After it copied, I right-clicked it and added the song title, artist etc. and then clicked OK. Much to my horror, all 136 songs were selected and it changed the artist name on all of them. Arrrrrg. I didn't notice that when you add a file to a genre and then select it, it selects all of the songs in the genre even though they are not highlighted. There is a pane in the window used to make changes to the genre, artist, etc. that shows all of the files, but I didn't notice it; took me over two hours to fix the 135 tracks. My next Music Match issue was getting it to see the iPod. I found that if I turned the iPod off, connected it the PC (not Mac), launched Music Match, and then turned on the iPod, it found it every time. However, after I downloaded 350 tracks to the iPod, it said "Do not disconnect" for over an hour after it seemed to have finished. I disconnected it, and then I could not turn the iPod off or get out of the "Do not disconnect" screen. I had to plug it in to an outlet and hold the Menu and Play keys for five seconds to reset it. However, on a much happier note, the reset only changed the iPod's clock and a couple of minor settings that I had changed. All the music that I had downloaded was there!!!! I played it at work all day, and it performed flawlessly, and to my non-audiofile ears, sounded wonderful. It totally drowns out all of the cell phone chatters on the bus, which is also wonderful. I've read complaints about the touch-sensitive buttons, but I since I didn't have the original iPod, I have no companison to make. I find them really easy to use and responsive. I would highly recommend this device to anyone who's tired of hauling around with a pile of CDs, or constantly having to reload a tiny capacity MP3 player.... hey, I have one of those; think I'll sell it on eBay.
Rating:
Summary: An iPod for Windows User
Review: Hi, I thought I'd add some commentary here, because I actually have a new 15 gig iPod which I use with my Windows PC. It worked GREAT for the first few days, but then started having weird problems. It would tell me the iPod was full, when I still had 10+ gigs of free space on it. I thought maybe the HDD was fried, so I ended up calling Applecare. They were very nice and spent 2+ hours on the phone with me. The end result though, was that my iPod was no closer to working and they had me uninstall the software for it, and it wouldn't reinstall. They told me to check my system and hung up with me. Well, after that, I tried installing other apps without a problem. On a whim, I downloaded Ephpod...and had no problems transferring my music over. I did later get that same iPod full error, but realized that my battery was merely exhausted. After charging it, the ipod transferred normally again. It was all just a case of a bad error message. My only problem is that now I can't get the software for it to load back up onto my machine, so I just installed MusicMatch (which stinks!) onto my other PC and use it to load my CDs and then Ephpod to move them over. Works like a dream! Ephpod also handles contacts, audible content and much more! So, Windows users, don't be scared to own an iPod. Just make sure to charge it up before you start syncing to avoid any technical scares, like I had! By the way, I love my iPod!
-Alia
Rating:
Summary: Godsend
Review: I received my iPod yesterday, and I fell in love instantly. Weeks before I had been using my MiniDisk Player which was fine for what it was, but I lost my minidisks and so I had no music to listen to. Also the oblong shape of the case was really weird and wasn't conducive to pockets. Now, the iPod is a really small device (it fits in my hands, and my hands are tiny) and weighs practically nothing. I installed the drivers for the iPod with no problems, and when I hooked it up to my iBook it immediately read all my files and downloaded them into it. It took a few minutes to understand how the playlists work, but all in all, I'm extremely happy with it.
As far as 15 gigs versus 30 gigs, that's a big jump. I had about 180 songs on my iBook at the time, and it barely made a dent (something infinitesimal), so it'll be a while before it 'fills up'. Unless you have a lot of music you want to listen to on the fly 15 gigs is a good, solid piece of hardware.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Cool
Review: I wanted to post this opinion as a Windows user. Even though I wanted one, I was hesitant to get an ipod, even when they became available for Windows - because I didn't know how well it would work. When I saw the new ipods, I decided it was time to give it a try. I got the 15gb. Happily, it worked pretty well with my Sony Vaio PC. Once I figured out how to add music to my library & create playlists in MusicMatch, it was simple to transfer to the ipod...I tried both manually dragging songs to it & syncing it - both worked fine. (The ipod shows up as a seperate window called something like an external device. Be sure and click on "eject" after you're done transferring, so the ipod will be safe to disconnect) I have had the pleasure of seeing an ipod work on an ibook when I loaded a friend's 5gb ipod, and it is much easier...but still, I wanted to let PC users know that it works fine with MusicMatch, because I've seen a lot of reviews stating otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: It is the best
Review: I am a Windows XP user and have had no problems with my Ipod. I know some people reported problems with MusicMatch. I have used the program for years and when I bought the Ipod it synced up no problem. It is VERY easy to add CD's or downloads and sync to the Ipod. I still own the older version of Ipod, 10gig version. LOVE it!! I travel alot and it is the best thing for on the plane or in the hotel. Highly recommend to anyone, including Windows users.
Rating:
Summary: as good as ever
Review: upgraded from the previous iPod and I found this one to be noticeable better than the first. I did a lot of research before buying the initial iPod and after a few hard drive based MP3 players came out, I had to do some more research whether to re-invest in the iPod or not. If you are looking for strictly an MP3 player, the iPod is impossible to beat in design, ease of use, functionality, and ergonomics. Sadly, it does not offer a video screen to view mpegs but I'm sure that will be available in another year or so.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible on Windows
Review: I Have a good 6-8 hours of effort into getting my brand new 15gb windows ipod to just have a playlsit work. The included MusicMatch software for PC is basically totally broken (and this is confirmed by numerous posts on sites like ipodlounge.com). The standard advice is to go buy another program like xplay since the included software from Apple doesn't work. The problem with the third party programs is that most haven't been updated to work with the latest crop of ipods. ANyway its a joke to pay $400 for an mp3 player and have to then shell out another $30 for software just to put songs on it. Not sure if this is apple's way of suggesting that everyone buy a mac or just their incompetence with the platform, but if you are a PC users I suggest looking elsewhere. I am very disappointed and am returning mine.
-H
Rating:
Summary: Best Mp3 Player out there
Review: Since there was only one review about the Ipod, and it was completely uninformed(I don't think this person even had one), I thought I should share my experience with what I consider the best technology product I've bought in recent years.
Let me first say I have the original(bigger, bulkier, less memory) model so this review isn't entirely geared to the new model. But I've seen the newer edition, and I wish I had waited a few months to buy mine. It is smaller, thinner, and can hold more songs. The sound is great, even with the original headphones that are provided. What really stands out, however, is the organization and simplicity of the product. You can find any song within seconds whether you search by artist, song, album, or type of music.
This product is great--there are a lot of people who hate Macs out there for whatever reason, and the first reviewer is one of them. I am usually very critical of technology products(my first mp3 player was awful), but you will not be disappointed if you purchase an Ipod.
Rating:
Summary: Another super awesome product from Apple!!
Review: Apple has done it again! The iPod was already cool enough- the ability to play and store many MP3, WAV, and AIFF format files. Also, address book contacts and calendars, almost making it comparable to PDA's! And now it has the ability to hold even more MP3s at an even lower price, the addition of the AAC format, two new games, a text viewer, a better backlight, and even controls that are completely touch sensitive- no moving parts! And the dock, too- really sweet. Apple just manages to keep making things better. And it makes you wonder- if this iPod is this cool now, how much cooler will it become in future releases? Keep it up, Apple!
Rating:
Summary: WARNING!!!...if you have a PC.
Review: Don't be fooled by Apple's assurances that their new IPod will work with a PC. It won't. Yes, there is supplementary software, and a Firewire attachment. But when you hook the whole thing up, the chances are it won't work...
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