The "Shall I get an ipod" Thread

[Highlander999]

Just to add my superb and highly valued opinion on a topic I know very little about...

I am still on my first iPod and I have never had any problems with it. It has been dropped down the stairs, in a car accident, thrown at a wall when drunk and it still is going just like it was the day I bought it.

 

[barmyarmy]

it still is going just like it was the day I bought it.

It came to you broken?
ipods and phones can become ibricks pretty easily but provided you have some kind of warranty you should be fine.

 

[shravi]

I voted for the third option to be a douche. How rich are you? I mean, we can all give you suggestions but we need to know whether you're saving for no reason or actually have very little to spare.

 

[Cricketman]

TBH an iPod is just as expensive as most equivalent MP3 players.

The Zune (Amazon.com: Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black): Electronics) is probably the closest thing you are going to get to an iPod in terms of docks and stuff but its still about the same price as an iPod Classic http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPod-cl...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1231201796&sr=1-1

If you want more then 120GB, you can get a refurb 160GB (Apple refurbs are brilliant quality, I can say that from experience.) Here's the link - iPod classic - Apple Store (U.S.)

Personally I think Zunes are ugly as. Go for the iPod, it's a quality device. The sound is great, the durability (unlike many people have said here) is fantastic - only it will leave the fickle minded wanting to get newer models because they get updated so frequently and each model is so much better then the last. But the classics shouldn't face many significant updates then maybe a storage bump.

iPod earphones suck. Get some $15 skullcandies or something and you'll be good to go.

If you want to be different, Archos (Amazon.com: Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB): Electronics) stuff looks awesome.

 

[Kshitiz_Indian]

The fact that you need huge storage points you to an iPod for reliability. Archos has some stuff but I've heard that their support is non-existent.

As Rohit said, the Zune and iPod cost basically the same, and if the zune has docks, then it also can be a viable alternative. It comes down to looks maybe, but in iPod you have to convert all your music to AAC and then transfer it, all this through iTunes. Can sometimes get irritating for huge size of files.

A new Apple iPod 120GB classic (Black) link is here - Newegg.com - Apple iPod Classic 120GB (BLACK) same price as the Zune. Though I do find the Zune good looking, unlike Rohit.

 

[sohum]

I bit this bullet this winter, although I did so more because I wanted to experience a portable touch-sensitive device with wifi more than anything (I've stopped listening to music on a portable device regularly once I was done with High School).

If you're going to transfer music regularly, let me tell you right off the bat that you're going to hate iTunes. It is truly one of the worst pieces of software written, in my opinion.

I had a Creative Zen Nomad Jukebox 30GB before this (it's still going strong, although the battery life isn't the best--but it can be manually replaced, unlike an iPod) and it was a solid device. If you're going for a long-term device, I would certainly go with a Creative of some sort.

As you said, the positive for the iPod is the explosion of the accessory market. Almost everyone has an iPod these days, so most manufacturers build docks only for them. I doubt you will find reasonable docks for most other devices unless you want to turn over a lot of cash in exchange.

 

[siddharth2002]

Though bit over-priced, iPod is still the best portable media device out there. I have bought about 3 of them so far. So, just buy it along with some nice pair of headphones. The iPod headphones are awful and very painful for ears.

siddharth2002 added 2 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

It comes down to looks maybe, but in iPod you have to convert all your music to AAC and then transfer it, all this through iTunes. Can sometimes get irritating for huge size of files.

A new Apple iPod 120GB classic (Black) link is here - Newegg.com - Apple iPod Classic 120GB (BLACK) same price as the Zune. Though I do find the Zune good looking, unlike Rohit.

MP3 320 Kbps VBR is the format to go, do not use AAC, WMA or all the usual rubbish companies seem to throw at us.

 

[m_vaughan]

Never had an iPod...not surprisingly. Currently am using the Creative ZEN X-Fi 32GB, which basically continues my long-running love for the series. My first player was the Creative ZEN, 20GB from which I moved to the Vision M 60GB, and now this. The previous one had more space, but I love the fact how small the X-Fi is. But I miss the touchpad of the Vision M. Not a very big fan on the nine button concept.

Also the space drop has actually made me ensure I dont just rip entire albums, when I only listen to a few of the songs (Obviously there are exceptions - Coldplay being one).

The Wi-fi features are nothing great, and do not really use it much. But then its nice to have something in the first place. The ear-phones are believed to be the best stock version supplied with any MP3 player (online reviews), although personally since I had been using Auranas from before, I cant exactly tell you how good or bad they are. They are noise-isolation phones though.

 

[TheGreemSim]

I used to have one a few years ago, then forgot about it and eventually lost it. Over the past few months I've been toying with the idea of buying a new one, or maybe one of them zune things.