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Metric · Gucci

Ipods- I'm clueless

Cecilia · Nine West

You will probably get a million differing opinions on this, but here goes:

An ipod plays mp3s. So does an mp3 player. An ipod is a neat, sleek little gadget. Some mp3 players are neater, sleeker, others are not. An ipod comes from Apple Computer Corp, so when you buy the ipod, you are paying for the name brand as well as the customer service and all that goes with the company. Same for any mp3 player.

Incidentally, an Ipod is actually a knockoff of a Diamond Rio, which was THE ORIGINAL mp3 player. You can still buy these, and because they do not have the name brand recognition that ipod/Apple has, you will get a better value for your money. http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/rioaudio/default.asp?cat=35 Other companies were also earlier in the game than Apple, such as Archos, iRiver, JetAudio, Bantam...the list goes on. Some of these players are superior in quality and value, others are not.

Other than the hardware, you also need to consider software. There are limits as to what an ipod can play. Some mp3 players will play so many formats it will make your head spin. Some mp3 players require you to use their software to do anything, others do not.

With regard to whether an ipod is the best kind to get, that is a very personal question. For me, it is not. My set of requirements (what I want out of the piece of machinery) is very different from anyone else's. Do you want to jog with it? Are you a music instructor toting your entire music collection with you? Are you a DJ? Try googling for mp3 players and you'll get some ideas.

Hope this helps,

Cecilia

Maddie · Coach

I like iPods. Honestly, I'm very drawn to the marketing and they're cute. I also had been using iTunes for a while before I got it so I already knew how to do that. Another good thing is that because everyone has them someone can help you if you have a problem, and if you need to get it fixed or replaced, you can just go to the Mac store. Although maybe not in Calgary. Anyway, to be honest my main reason for getting the iPod was stylem the second was convenience.

honey · Gucci

i have an ipod and i love it, not b/c it's an ipod but b/c i can carry all my music with me all the time. when i was researching an mp3 player my primary concerns were capacity and ease of use. i ended up narrowing it down b/t an ipod and a creative b/c both offered larger capacities and were around the same price. ultimately i ended up getting an ipod mini (style won overall). but after i got it, i wanted to kick myself b/c creative came out with their own version of the mini and if that had been available i would've gotten it.

i think cecilia has a lot of good points and it really does depend on your needs. my mini pretty much meets all my needs so i'm very pleased. also, not to sway you over to the ipod camp, but the popularity of ipods means that accessories and other bonus features for ipods are a lot easier to find which can be helpful.

halleybird · Hermes

I think cc covered all the major points, but I just want to say that I am not even a big music person, and I can't live without my ipod. Once you get one, it's hard to imagine NOT having one.

One recommendation - if you are planning to get audio books on there, get one with more storage. My dad does this and he had to get a second ipod just for music b/c the books take up so much room!

Cecilia · Nine West

honey wrote:

also, not to sway you over to the ipod camp, but the popularity of ipods means that accessories and other bonus features for ipods are a lot easier to find which can be helpful.

The flip side to this is if you get an mp3 player that is more generic in nature, you can get *much* cheaper parts. Like Maddie says, the main parts of the ipod are marketing, marketing, and packaging. That doesn't mean that I don't like them, but if you're looking for value (bang for the buck *g*), they might not be the best choice.

sephorablue · Marc Jacobs

the main reason I got the ipod actually is its navigation. it's SO easy and intuitive--only one button, how great is that? I'm a sucker for a smart, gorgeous design. BF got an iriver b/c it can do live sound capture, but he hates the navigation. I have had a lot of complaints about quality, though--nearly all my friends with ipods have had to either get them worked on or replaced within the first six months. not a great track record. sadly i didn't know that before i bought mine. I'd just heard the raves, "can't live without it," etc.