February 11, 2005

• I do not own a mini, but I did buy a 15GB iPod last year and now really really wish I had bought the 40GB model. I like having as much of my music collection available as possible without having to move stuff on/off. Just sayin'.
• Instead of a mini, I would get the regular. Then, if one day you think "Hey, I need something really portable for just this minute," go ahead and get a shuffle. Let me explain. To warn you ahead of time, I am an Apple Consultant, so I have done some thinking on the subject. (Side note: a bird just flew into our glass back door. We really need to keep that not so clean.) Anyways, the advantage of the regular iPod (over other iPods) is that it is extreeeeemly versatile. You can have absolutely everything you own on it, you can use it to take voice memos, you can keep notes on it, addresses, etc. But mainly, if you are ever in a specific mood, or need That One Song, or whatever, it's there with you, always. Oh, and you can store regular computer information with you, in case you have some files that are particularly important, or need some applications ready for easy install on a new computer. Sometimes, though, it's a bit bulky. Going to the gym, jogging (taking appropriate precautions) or what have you, sometimes you want only a half-day's worth of songs at a time, or one or two audio books, rather than everything, because you're traveling light. If you find yourself in that situation, then you might want a shuffle as well. I don't expect that everyone would find themselves in that situation, though. The mini I got for my girlfriend, because she doesn't have all that many CDs right now, and because, if we're on a long trip, I'll also have my iPod with me, so I figured cute was better than high capacity. However, by and large, I consider the mini a compromise if you have any kind of serious music collection, and one that is unnecessary in today's market. Also, if you do lots of presentations, then the iPod Photo, which is the large capacity one anyways, can be connected to a projector for showing your slides. If you use it enough, then it's a business expense.
• Do you have a history of listening to music through headphones already? Do you like to listen to the radio through headphones? Did you ever listen to tapes through headphones? My concern is that a lot of people are going to buy iPods and never really use them. I do know of one person who has one and never uses it. Hot tubs are like that. People spend a lot of money on them and envision themselves spending lots of time in the hot tub, but they never use it. If money is no issue for you, then I suppose that it does not matter. If money is any kind of issue for you, then I would consider how much you realistically will be using the thing.
• Sandspider: voice memos? I guess you mean with an attachment. I have to agree, though -- the regular iPod gives you the most bang for your buck. The mini is for people who _know_ they want the mini because it's small and colourful.
• If you have 500+ CD's I'd definitely recommend a 20GB (or more) version rather than the mini. Don't restrict yourself to an iPod either. I know they're the coolest, but there are some other great models out there and they're usually cheaper than the iPod. As for me, I have about 100 or so CD's and I went for a 20GB Creative Nomad Zen about two years ago -- and I still love it.
• If you want all your music with you, then go big, get the 40GB. (I assume that 500+ CDs would be more than 20GB, otherwise I'd say go with the 20GB.) However, if you are willing and content to only have a sampling of your music collection with you, then the Mini would suit perfectly. With playlists and smartlists in iTunes, it is super easy to pick and choose what music you want on your iPod. It is also very easy to switch in new music and remove music you get tired of. I have a 20GB iPod. I have over 20GB of music in my collection. I was worried I made a mistake not getting the 40GB, but once I discovered playlists and smartlists, I realised that, in fact, an iPod Mini would likely have worked just fine for me. Still, I'm glad I have the 20GB version.
• I use my iPod also as a (second) backup of all my work of the past couple of years. It has proven useful a couple of times already.
• I've got a 20 gig and love it, I think I would have been unhappy with a Mini, and I'm not an everyday user of my ipod. There is a certain amount of comfort to know that, when I travel, I've got four days worth of music with me (and the bugger isn't even full!), and a couple of books.. Regarding the online store you linked to...the answer is NO!!!!!!!! hear that? NO!!!!!! I wouldn't buy a used pen from someplace that doesn't give you ALL the information (including a street address and phone number)you need to check on it (or follow up on an order).... Buy it from a known source, there is tremendous comfort in knowing you can return something that is defective.
• I have a 15GB iPod and about 300 CDs in my collection. I found that when I first got it, I went into a frenzy of ripping CDs, and after I did the ones that I listen to most often, I got bored and stopped. Thus, I'm only using about 8GB, and that's with a few audiobooks on there. I can see the value in getting the 40GB version (and would have if I hadn't gotten impatient with my savings account), but a 20GB one is probably fine if you aren't looking to keep your entire collection on it.
• calimehtar, yes, I do mean with an attachment. I use mine for general notes as well as rehearsals when I don't want to lug the big computer around for it. It's nice for the occasional press event, when I play journalist, or board meeting, or what-have-you. bernockle, it's not necessary to listen to the music through headphones. Most of the time, I'm listening to it in my car. I rigged up some 8mm->RCA cabling directly into my amplifier that bypasses my stereo. When I have the spare $100, I'll get a car stereo with line-in, which will be far better, or just wait until I can afford a unit that will do both iPod and Sirius, which would be super-cool.
• I go with getting the bigger one too. Stay away from that web site. The .tk ending is just a forwarding to another website (anyone can get one free at dot.tk) and the actual url for the site is http://cheap-ipods.freehostingsite.net/index.html so even at their real site, they are using free hosting. Smells like scam city to me.
• Also, that site is hosted by FreeHosting.net Not really the first choice of legit businesses. Additionally, the order page is not secure and if you click the "click to verify" button that is is the Verisign logo, nothing happens- that should tell you all you need to know. On preview, what JC said
• I'm with the 'full size iPod' voters... they are pretty dang small anyway. And yes -- that site you linked is a scam.
• Save your money and stick with your silent train commute. Everywhere you go today, you are bombarded with messages from others -- words in books, cell-phone conversations, newspapers, music on the radio, television broadcasts, conversations with others on the street, etc. We are constantly processing the words of others. Yes, reading is great, but it's still an act of "listening." And yes, "listening" is great. But I advocate devoting more time to silent thinking -- thinking without a constant stream of others' information flowing into your head, via words, music, video, etc. Anyone who has ever mown a lawn knows that in those moments of message-silence you can solve all the problems of the world. (OK, I exaggerate, but lawn-mowing lets you think without interference and come up with some great ideas.) Stick with the silent commute. Your brain and your soul will thank you some day.
• I've got a big cd collection and a first gen (5gb) ipod... I'm constantly updating playlists, getting tired of the music I have on it, etc. It becomes a bit of a hassle. I'd go for the larger one, if I were you, and sort your music using many playlists. That way if there's not something you want to hear all the time, but only if the mood strikes, you can call it up and smile. also, here's a guide on how to maintain your ipod battery and keep it running at maximum charge. it's helped mine considerably.
• I recommend the big one! I don't have an iPod myself, but I've got a 40GB iRiver which is slightly bigger, and it still fits handily in a shirt or jeans pocket. Not big enough to be a nuisance. Also I've found myself using far more space than I thought (it's about 27GB full). How much space music takes up depends on what quality you encode at. I reckon I get about 20 albums per GB. I think you'll need a 20 GB version at least, and it'll save you some heartache to get a 40GB model and just stick everything on there at fairly high quality. Finally: I love my iRiver but unless you're a geek or need a specific feature I recommend the iPod: much easier to use, not much more expensive than its competitors.
• I recommend the big one! I don't have an iPod myself, but I've got a 40GB iRiver which is slightly bigger, and it still fits handily in a shirt or jeans pocket. Not big enough to be a nuisance. Also I've found myself using far more space than I thought (it's about 27GB full). How much space music takes up depends on what quality you encode at. I reckon I get about 20 albums per GB. I think you'll need a 20 GB version at least, and it'll save you some heartache to get a 40GB model and just stick everything on there at fairly high quality. Finally: I love my iRiver but unless you're a geek or need a specific feature I recommend the iPod: much easier to use, not much more expensive than its competitors.
• I have a 5GB (1st Gen) iPod as well, it gets used every day that I have solo walk or train ride to work. I have about 1000 songs on it, and I listen to perhaps 20 during my commute. If I'm in a fickle mood, I skip through songs, but I seldom if ever see a track number greater than 100 on the pod. If I listened 8 hours a day at work, I'd hit more of the songs. I connect to my computer nightly to update playlists and charge the battery. I use smart playlists to manage the songs based on last played. Right now I have so many "unplayed" that I could easily only have "unplayed" on my iPod. If you use your iPod and computer like I do, a mini makes a lot of sense. If you think you need more songs because you won't sync as frequently or that you'll play more during the day or you want to use part of the iPod as a portable hard drive, then you'll want a bigger one.
• As pretty much everyone is saying, get the bigger one. If, you only have enough room in your purse/pocket/bag, then get a mini. Your music collection will grow once you get this thing. Also, if you use Windows, I recommend using Anapod instead of iTunes to synch your music.
• I disagree with the Anapod recommendation, unless it can do Smart Playlists. Smart Playlists are the best reason for the iPod. I have some that will, for example, give me 1 hour of music from my 4- and 5-star rated music that I haven't heard in at least two weeks selected randomly. Or, when I get tired of listening to all my rated music, I have my Cultural Enhancement playlist that gives me 2 hours of music that has never been played and isn't rated, so I can go and add some ratings to them, and beef up my other automatic playlists. Now, if Anapod does that, and works as well as iTunes with the integration, then that's great. But if the iPod can't dynamically generate the playlists that are made, then I would stick with iTunes.
• Possum: How can you be alone and "without others' information" when surrounded by people at all times? People who are talking across you, more often than not? That's a bubble of zen calm and oneness? Besides, let's not ascribe the same motivation to everyone who uses these things. That's not exactly fair. I lean on music [non-iPod because I'm accident-prone and they cost a month's rent] to soothe a mild paranoid fear of being in public. Would you begrudge me that? Rhetorical question. ...everyone's answered it. If price isn't an issue, I can't imagine a reason not to get the biggie. It's not as though it's a physical box that will be "too big" for what you need.
• I would caution against buying the biggest hd they make, however. I got a 30 gig one and even though I have 3300+ songs on it, most in AAC at 225kb, I still have more than 10 gigs free. I will probably eventually fill up the other 10 gigs, but by that time I might want something else, so buy more than you think you need (there's nothing like having every song you own at your fingertips at all times) but in monitary terms you might not want to go overboard.
• I second the 'buy from a reputable source'. These things are a LONG way from indestructable (I'm on my third) being able to take it somewhere to be replaced (Fry's Electronics) has saved me many days without it, and much postage. Of course, eventually I'll get past the warranty and have to start mailing it off to be replaced. Perhaps I should be less vigorous with it in the first place... As for capacity, go big. I have 20GB and its just enough for what I want to listen to now, but I hate that I can't put more of my collection on it (75gigs and rising) Your only ever going to get more music right? Its not like you throw it away...
• Get as big as you can as you may find that the iPod makes listening to what you want when you want so liberating that you go out and buy lots of albums/songs that you always wanted but never got round to ... then you find out how to download loads of free songs from the net and then you find it's full. And that's annoying!
• In our house we've got opposite ends of the spectrum: I have the 3G 40Gig iPod (thanks to you guys, yet again) and #2 just bought the iPod Shuffle while we were on the west coast. If you're happy to download music to your iPod regularly (and if it's charging, you will anyway), then the Shuffle might even be enough. Its drawback of course is that there's no screen so you don't know what you're going to get - something Apple's marketing department was astute enough to sell as a benefit - but you can choose what songs go onto it using smart playlists so you're not surprised by crap halfway through. On the other hand, a 40Gig will hold more than you can possibly imagine. I'm still only at 23GB after six months, although I have a ton of music to rip to iTunes still. If you have a large music collection and you don't want the hassle of rotating your playlists, then by all means go big. Buy a tough case, no matter which one you buy, and make sure it's one that allows you easy access to the front of the iPod. I got a case with mine but you had to pull it in and out just to see the screen. The mini and 4G have really nice plastic slipcovers.
• Wurwilf: I'll say it again. "I advocate devoting more time to silent thinking." From time to time, withdraw from the messages of others as best you can. Tune out others' conversations if you can. Don't read on the toilet. Don't have a TV in your bedroom. Don't always listen to music as you go about your daily chores. Seek more silence.
• It's silent on public transit? I don't think we're talking about the same situation, here.
• Also, this an "I have a Windows error / Buy a Mac, stupid!" sideline to the question, isn't it? But I'm so glad that we have you to tell us how to live! Oh wait, I'm not supposed to absorb others' information. Except yours? I'm so confused. ;)
• All: thanks so much for the input! I guess I had a few factors going into my decision-making. Unfortunately, money is still a wee bit of an issue, so I'm looking to maximize my dollars here, which is why I was trying to figure out if it's really worth my extra hard-earned dollars to purchase the biggie. As I said, fairly big music collection (and only expanding..), but I do get kind of fickle. There was a 3 month stretch where I only listened to 3 albums on repeat. I like the option of having everything archived and portable, though, and I do often have those "I will shrivel up and die if I don't hear that absolute favorite cd of mine right now" moments (thus maximizing my appreciation/desire for my portable friend). And while I appreciate Possum's advocacy of silence, I'm more in the Wurlwif camp. My brain's on constant hamster-wheel as it is, and music really helps me out, which is why I want something reliable and portable. I always used to listen to my walkman, then discman, then crappy mp3 player, but I want something a little more advanced now that I've got a (slightly) little more income. I wish I had gotten some good reviews re. that site, but I guess it's true that if something seems to good to be true, it generally is. I'm glad for the voices of reason out there! That said, does anyone have any leads on reputable vendors?
• Wurwilf: Please read carefully what I have written before you put words into my mouth and resort to sardonicism. ;) I'm not telling anyone how to live. (I'm advocating, not bossing or lambasting. There's a difference.) And even if I were bossing, it's clear you would not listen. (It's easy to seek silence in the midst of activity when you're deaf. ;) )
• Zombiebunny, if you're going to school, or know someone who is, you can get a bit of a discount if Apple has a presence on your campus. Educational discounts aren't much with the iPod, but they're better than nothing. Short of that, Best Buy, apple.com, Mac/PC Zone, or Small Dog Electronics are all good choices.
• Sandspider, nope, no school..I've been out of college since '93. I've just spent the last 2 years living on a really strict budget (moving to England for 6 months set me back quite a bit, financially). And, now that I'm getting my financial sea-legs back, I've got more expendable cash, but I'm still in bargain-shopping mode. If I'm convinced that I can get away with purchasing the mini and not feeling like I really, really, really should have just ponied up the extra 100 or so bucks, then I'd feel more at ease with my purchase.
• Size is always going to be a balance of convience versus completeness. If your main use is a train I'd say, yeah, go for the bigger unit (iPod or otherwise), so you can just haul tunes around without loading and unloading all the time. If I took the train, I'd be looking for a full-size iPod, or maybe even a Creative Portable Media Centre or somesuch (why waste time at home watching TV, when you can record and watch on the train). I personally have tended to go with smaller mp3 players (solid state and now a Philips GoGear HDD070) because I tend to use them when walking, when portability matters more. If I could easily get cellphones with a couple of gig of storage, I'd just go for an MP3 playing Symbian OS phone for the unadulterated all-my-gadgets-in-one-unit factor. Possum: There's a convention in these things. Answer the question, or Shut The Fuck Up. Anything else is a display of gracelessness and ill manners.
• Well, my fantabulous Chicago morning commute involves a 10 min. bus ride, a half hour train ride, and about 15 min.walking time. The way home is longer (I get off at a stop farther away to get more walking in). When I'm not dependent on getting somewhere for work, I'm a walker. It seems like both iPods are small enough to be completely manageable under any circumstances. I think the clincher for my raving desire to have this device came last night, when I took the train home and sat for an entire hour underground, at a dead halt, because there was a train-related suicide on the northern tip of the line. During that time, I listened to about 15 French foreign exchange students screaming at each other at the top of their lungs. My New Yorker was no solace, as I could not concentrate with the shouting. There was literally nothing more I wanted in the world than any sort of music to sink into.
• Possum: It'll be silent enough after I'm dead. Until then, I'll experience everything life has to offer...including music.
• I recommend getting a lessing restrictive MP3 player than the ipod. Apple is too heavy handed with their control over your ipod.
• If someone says, "I want to buy x, which x do you recommend?" it's obvious they've made their decision. Answers which assist the asker with his or her specific question would be preferable to advocating unrelated alternatives. We can save that for the time someone asks, "What should I listen to on the subway?"
• Well, I find that the hollow reverberation of my soul is quite catchy.
• If money is a consideration, there are several other mp3 players that are nearly as good and for less money. However, I'm not sure how apple is heavy handed with control over my ipod. iTunes is simply not the only online store you can buy music from, if that is what is being referred to. Emusic and AudioLunchbox, to name 2 that are 100% legal in the US, are both great choices. I think I've bought more music form Audio Lunchbox than iTunes and they often have specials as well.
• It's not how big your ipod is, it's what you do with it that counts. (I've got a mini and really enjoy it.)
• MonkeyFilter: I've got a mini and really enjoy it. Sad, innit, how many of us this applies to.
• I have looked into other alternatives, but as tracicle pointed out, I've pretty firmly made up my mind about the iPod. I've been a Mac girl all my life and I'd love to stick with my Apple products. After reading the suggestions here and doing a little more thinking and comparing, I think I'm leaning very firmly in the direction of the 20GB. Seems like just about the right fit for what I'm looking for. Hopefully, my semi-fat tax refund will come through in another week and that is exactly how I'm going to spend it! Whee! I was poking around half.com yesterday and found a few ranging from the low $200s to around $275 (incl. shipping) from sellers with excellent feedback. Not that they'll still be available in a week or so, but it gives me hope.
• Sometimes, though, it's a bit bulky. Going to the gym, jogging (taking appropriate precautions) or what have you, sometimes you want only a half-day's worth of songs at a time Regular iPod for commutes. FLASH player for the gym. You going to work out for 8 hours? If you're jostling about, you do not want a machine with moving parts.