ipod

Many portable MP3 players have hit the market in recent years but few have been so well executed as the Apple iPod. With sleek looks and a huge storage capacity for music files (MP3, AAC), Audible audio books, and other files, this player still beats all the other ones out there.

What I really liked:
- huge storage capacity
- nice looks, feels great in my hand or pocket
- absolutely LOVE the scroll pad so I can go through thousands of songs in an instant
- above average battery life (approx. 8 hrs)
- Firewire (a/k/a IEEE 1394, iLink) connectivity is FAST (noticably faster than USB 2.0 when transferring large amounts of data)
- can be used as a removable disk for data backup purposes

What I didn't like as much:
- pricey
- no color display, although this would probably come at the expense of battery life
- case and screen scratch easily (make sure to use a case!)
- no USB cord included for those without a Firewire port

If you received the MusicMatch software with your iPod, make sure to check out Apple iTunes (both for Windows and Mac), as it integrates much better with the iPod (both made by the same company, makes sense right?). iTunes also includes the iTunes Music Store where you can download songs for less than a buck each.

In short, iPod and iTunes is a combination that is truly hard to beat!

In what has to be the slickest execution of a new piece of hardware yet, this Apple-linked but PC-compatible product will make all portable music players obsolete in no time flat. I have been following trends in this area for a long time, and my last big MP3 player investment was in a SONICblue Jukebox. Wow, how fast things evolve! That machine, cutting edge 2 years ago, had a 6 gig hard drive and allowed only for rather slow uploading of music through its balky software interface via a USB 1.0. In addition, its organizational abilities were limited.
The iPod is about 1/10 the size of the old Jukebox, absolutely ultra high tech looking, with backlighting that awes and controls that work intuitively, and it uploads easily through its firewire cradle or a USB 2.0 (optional) connection.
Music can be categorized and recalled quickly, with the scroll control making it all simple to access.
Sound quality is awesome, its earbuds light years ahead of anything similar. Capacity is incredible (the 15 gig unit will hold 3,700 songs, the 30 gig unit twice that number!) and battery life is just fine. The cradle will recharge and synch the unit to your PC, but I bought the optional car charger for longer road trips. I also bought the FM transmitter that attaches neatly to the unit and allows you to play the iPod through your stereo sans wires, though the cassette adapter works better for that purpose.
A word about Apple's customer service: WOW! I ordered the unit on a Sunday, with the additional $19 for custom engraving on its silver back. In an hour I got an email that my order was being processed, and in 6 hours I got an email that it had shipped! The email included a tracking link, and I watched it move from Taiwan across the world in 2 days. I got it on Tuesday evening (!) and it was factory sealed/shrink wrapped and in fine condition. When I opened it (even the packaging is high tech) and took it out of its protective inner wrapper, I was delighted to find the engraving was there and was done just perfectly.
If delivering a great product and offering perfect service is to be lauded, Apple must be given the highest kudos possible.

Have had my 30 GB iPod since November 2003, and am still loving it. Very few complaints - the sound quality is excellent, the user interface is easy to use, and the syncing with iTunes works flawlessly.

Probably the best feature of the iPod is the easy to use/navigate user interface - it's a snap to find the song you want quickly or build a playlist on the fly. It's also nice how the statistics from your iPod use such as number of times each song is played, date last played, and ratings (0 to 5 stars) carry over to iTunes and vice versa. The smart playlists from iTunes also work, so, for example, I have a playlist on my iPod of all songs rated between 3 and 5 stars which haven't been played in the last month. Pretty nifty.

Highly recommended - a little pricey, but you won't regret it - I get way more use out of my iPod than I did from my first MP3 player - a flash memory based one with a mediocre interface and small storage capacity.

PS: The iTunes Music Store is cool!