Rating: 
Summary: My iPod
Review: As a longtime Apple fan forced to live in a PC world, I was thrilled to finally get my iPod for Windows. After getting used to the design, it's a great gadget to play with. And let's face it - it's a gadget. I continually hit the 'menu' button which I think should be a 'select' button. I can't really call it an Apple flaw.I have not had the freezing up issues others have expressed. Software loaded easily. Musicmatch loaded ok too - but it's not horribly compatible if you're planning on using iTunes. Drag and drop technology would be beneficial - but these are trivial issues. The 40GB holds so much music - you are almost required to build playlists. When fully loaded - or anything over a few hundred songs, it can be cumbersome to locate individual songs. I can't always let it randomly play this or that. Wayyyyyyy to controlling for that. I have only really used my iPod when travelling. It's great for plane rides. I have yet to buy the adapter to use in the car - but when I do, I can kiss FM radio (except NPR) goodbye! I also have not yet used it while running - but hopefully there will be no issues w/this. It's an expensive investment. IMO, totally worth it for a music lover. If you don't feel the need to put as much music on it as I have, save yourself some money and go w/a lower storeage iPod.
Rating: 
Summary: Less than five stars? You can't have really used one.
Review: At a time when the eye-popping technology advances such as seeing the Internet on an Ethernet connection have slowed to incremental improvements, my 20 Gig iPod is a huge quantum leap forward. The iTunes software is a near miracle when mated to the iPod's elegant interface. So what if you have five or ten thousand songs if you can't find them? I am able to find any album, playlist, or song in literally seconds, using just one thumb to twirl the wheel and push a button. The versatility is stunning. You can listen with a headset or on *ANY* sound system, car or home. With a $7 Radio Shack adapter, I use the iPod as the source to drive a 300 Watt amp and speakers that rock my house, or at least the room the speakers are in, with near live rock-show volume. The incongruency between my old 60-pound-each speakers and the 5 ounce iPod on which I have my entire CD collection stored (about 300) is like seeing magic. Or, you show up at a friend's house with your entire collection in your pocket or on your belt. The fidelity is indistinguishable from a commercial CD. I also have a mic and intend to record *all* lectures given in class beginning in a few days. These also can be organized and found with incredible speed and ease. This is one cool product. Initially, iPods seem pricey, but Wow! do you get bang for the buck. The price is very reasonable when you discover the power and control that you hold oh so comfortably in one hand. I honestly don't see how anyone would buy something else (and I looked at stuff for a month). You do need a fairly recent (2-3 year old) PC or Mac. The only negative is the poor headphones that that come in the box, but that's easily fixed with about $15-20. A Homerun product . Everything else is minor league. The iPod is the show.
Rating:
Summary: Wanderful piece of technology and style!
Review: Before I've owned my Apple computer I have been wandering why it has been pricey relatively to cheapo PC. No questions anymore. There is absolutely no way to compare. Apple has proved to me its stunning quality, speed and amazing improvements from release to release. The iTunes software is really piece of wonderful engineering and I have been enjoying it for quite long time. So I've been shopping for digital music box. It is not true to say that I had no concerns about high price of this iPod and carefully checked characteristics and features. Eventually I have decided to try, partially because Apple store has 10 days return policy. The sound quality is nothing to compare to! I own most advanced KOSS headphones, but after trying those tiny Apple's ear-bugs! WOW! Sound is reach, full of dynamic and exceptionally clear and precise. The navigation is SO SMOOTH that you take it for the first time in your palm and it's it! I'm browsing through huge number of records with 2-3 moves.
I would like to say that since I have started with Apple equipment I started to believe again that human being are intelligent! It is not crappy piece of hardware that you have to struggle to make it working.
To those who are looking on anything else and maintaining some skepticism about futures/price I would say: try it! It make you music listening just plain fun. You think about music, it's it. The integration of iTunes and iPod is example of well thought engineering.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but could be better
Review: By now we all know what the iPod is and what it does - but just in case you don't, it's a device similar to what the walkman was 20 years ago that plays music from an internal hard drive instead of a cassette tape. You can currently get an iPod in 3 different sizes, 15, 20, or 40 gigabyte hard drives (not including the new mini iPod which holds 4 gigs). It will play several different file formats, not just mp3s. You can play full quality (16-bit) wav or AIFF files, as well as AAC or Audible files. The unit can also be used as a standalone hard drive. This is all controlled from a simple touch-sensitive interface that allows you to scroll through your songs in a very organized way - either by song name, artist name, album name, or according to your own playlists. You will control the songs uploaded into the iPod from a computer, either a Mac or a PC, and Apple limits you in your ability to upload a song from an iPod onto someone else's computer (i.e. it knows which computer is yours). This is to prevent illegal file sharing. It works well in general, and will hold thousands of songs. The exact number it will hold depends upon the quality of the files you import into it. I have the 15 GB model, and I mostly use full quality AIFFs or the highest quality MP3s and I've barely gone over halfway. By the time I fill the thing up, I'm sure they'll have something else for me to buy. There. Now that's out of the way I can get on with the opinion side of things. It's an overall great product that has helped revolutionize the way we listen to music, some of it good, some bad. Most of my complaints about the iPod center around its lack of features, rather than current features that don't function properly. The unit seems to offer very little compared with the technology that's available today. Why isn't the screen in color? Why doesn't it offer more PDA-like features? These are incredibly inexpensive features to install and would make it a far more valuable piece of equipment. Why doesn't it communicate wirelessly with Airport systems? Why isn't there an easier way to manage playlists from within the iPod itself, not just from a computer? Why isn't there a touch screen/stylus interface for even easier, less cumbersome usage? With all the technology coming to life today, the iPod seems to be remarkably less than what it could be. I also find the problem of non-sharing between computers to be annoying. While I appreciate and agree that such elements should be controlled, cars still drive over 70 miles per hour - we leave it to the consumer to decide not to speed and break the law. Apple shouldn't decide for us. I'm a songwriter and I store song ideas in my iPod to take to writing sessions. The problem? When I want to leave a copy with a co-writer for him to work on, I can't because the iPod won't let me transfer a song to a computer that isn't mine. Here is a completely legal transaction being blocked by Apple's stringency. It can be very annoying. I'm looking forward to what Apple does in the future with this device. Hopefully they'll make it more functional, incorporating the current and inexpensive technology available right now.
Rating:
Summary: Not Perfect, but Best in its Class
Review: Compare the iPod to any other portable mp3 player in its class (meaning the price and storage capacity). The iPod beats them all in the areas of:
1 Durability (hard drive harder to ruin than on other players)
2 Ease-of-use (intuitive interface)
3 Aesthetic appeal
4 Highest quality audio output (great equalizers)
5 High Quality backlight
6 Useful palm-like organizer (but could be better)
7 Built-in compatibility with iTunes, audible.com, and other audio services Unfortunately, the battery life could be better. I also have a complaint about the syncability of the iPod with multiple computers. The ease-of-use is also a downside, as the iPod does so much for you, if you do something unexpected, like sync with two computers, the results can tend to be unpredictable. Nevertheless, the quality of the sound (it seems like you can get a louder output on the iPod than other players, which may contribute to the shorter, but acceptable, battery life) is better than other players. The size and ergonomics are the best. The price is a little higher, but justifiable considering the benefits. Finally, my recommendation is to understand the player's downfalls before you purchase. Realize that this is a hard drive and even though it is better at standing up to a beating than others do not shake it vigorously, throw it, drop it, or put it in water. Just like any piece of electronics, especially those with precisely moving parts, it will break. I do not normally advocate buying a warranty, but in this case BUY THE LONGEST WARRANTY YOU CAN. If you use your iPod or any other similar player, the chances of you dropping it or it breaking from normal wear-and-tear are high. The warranty will be cheaper than replacing the unit. With all of those warnings etched upon your mind, go ahead and make the purchase. It will drastically increase the personal value of your music collection by making it more useful than ever to you. You will not regret this purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Deja iPod
Review: Deja iPod Somebody who is watchful will no doubt notice that about a year ago I gave a 30 Gigabyte iPod an enthusiastic review. Now I am on my fourth iPod, and I thought I might drop in with some summary comments. In case you think that I am a wealthy man who keeps an iPod in every room, his office, and the car, let me assure you that I still own only one, but it has gone through several phases. For starters, I still believe that the iPod, with its technology and playing ability, is still the MP3 player to beat - when it is working. Both the iPod's own software and the desktop packages for the PC and the Mac are excellent. The machine is capable of excellent sound, and has additional features that make it surprisingly versatile for both the casual and professional user. The number of add on gadgets is breathtaking. In a word, it is the perfect tech-toy. Well, almost... How did I manage to get up to 4 iPods. Well, the first revealed that the stereo plug is a bit more fragile than it should be. The second worked for almost a year and then, one day, translated itself to heaven, leaving me with a functional external disk drive, but no music. This second was replaced with the 40 Gigabyte model. Unfortunately, this iPod revealed a design flaw where the sides could separate in cold weather. Note that cold weather in this case consists, for my iPod, of the short walk from my car to my office and back again. Thanks to the wonders of extended warrantees this process has been 'relatively' painless. I am now hoping that I have discovered the last design flaw and can look forward to a few years of peace and music. Obviously, the lesson here is that iPods need more care than you might think they would. Or they do in Michigan at any rate. Or they do if they belong to me. Note that I have steadfastly refused to give up the ghost and switch to a different brand. This is because, when it is working, it is amazing. So good that the irritation is almost worth it. Another thing I have discovered is that the Mac software does a marvelous job of reloading the music files onto my iPod each time. My suggestion is that you carefully assess your ability to treat a piece of hardware with disciplined kindness before making the investment. Or you can determine if you earn enough to afford to continually renew the warranty. If you are the careful sort, the iPod will become an irreplaceable companion. If you aren't then take the necessary steps to make sure it is a replaceable one, because you will miss it when it is gone.
Rating:
Summary: Love it, but if you're on Windows, it could be improved...
Review: Don't get me wrong, I'm an iPod fan. I am. At least, I really, really want to be. OK, I love the way the iPod works and looks and plays once my music is in there, but there are some shortcomings. Really, the biggest problem for me is that it has no idea how to handle multi-user environment in Windows XP. If my wife signs on to her account in our home office, my iPod asks her if she wants to erase my music and replace it with hers. It should know that I'm not signed on, and that the iPod is mine and not her's. Better yet, it should know that the two of us share the same music, although I'm sure the music industry wouldn't be happy with a husband and wife doing this, right? I decided that I didn't want iTunes to pop up and update when the iPod's in the dock and she's signed on, so I configured it. Naturally, I now need to update manually. I can get around these problems, but if Apple put as much thought into moving the iPod to Windows as it did into all of the fancy packaging, I'd have no troubles. I'm hopeful that they'll fix this. [A MONTH LATER] After a month of owning my iPod, I now realize that iTunes is the weak link in the whole equation. The iPod is a superstar, behavior-changing product. iTunes is very basic and doesn't have the kind of robust organizational functionality one would expect. Think about it: you have 10,000 plus songs to manage and organize, but very little database functionality beyond basic searching and sorting. Once you've got your 500 plus CD collection in there, plus all the music you've downloaded, creating a large playlist is an existential pain. You spend half your time searching around through a seemingly endless directory of titles, artists and albums. I'd love it if iTunes asked you if you wanted multiple copies of the same song in a playlist. I'd love it if I could click on a song and find out which playlists I'd put it in. Sadly, none of that exists. In a world in which Apple is thought of as being ahead of the curve, iTunes seems a bit behind. That said, I'm sure they know it and are working to improve it.
Rating:
Summary: Converting CD's onto your computer
Review: Download the latest version of musicmatch v8.1. This is a music jukebox and one version is free.
Open up the jukebox
Insert the CD into your machine.
Go to View and make sure the recorder button is checked.
Then click record and it will convert your CD into mp3 files. Hope this helps
Rating:
Summary: Get this 40 gb ipod for 100$!!
Review: Email me at yoshisk8er14@aol.com and i will send you the link. Save money!! Thanks!
Rating:
Summary: IPOD is great - lthe music lovers product
Review: enough has been written about the IPOD - I have been using mine for 2 months now - it is really well done - the click wheel userinterface lets me find what I want to hear quickly - I have the 40GB model with about 25 GB of music -
also I have started buying music from iTunes music store - the integration is really tight - although the prices are kind of high...... I did get the presidential debates for free - that was cool
Reality check - the battery management is a little funny - sometimes I pause, put on the controls lock - and then come back the next day to find the battery pretty drained - I do the same thing another time, and the battery has not been used.... also, I find myself taking the ipod out of the 40 dollar belt holder a lot - the weather is cold, so this is kind of a pain - I guess I need to shell out for the remote...
All in all - it is the best player out there for mobile use - but still leaves some room for improvements
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