UPDATE 06/04 - after a year, very happy with my iPod!
Written: Jun 12 '03 (Updated Jun 21 '04)
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Pros: After a year, going great. Big storage and great design make this a KEEPER.
Cons: After a year, NONE. Very happy with iPod.
The Bottom Line: An excellent player with the best UI. After a year with it, I can't imagine being without my iPod.
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| talairys's Full Review: Apple iPod 3rd Generation White (15 GB) MP3 Player |
(Initial review - 06/03) First, let me say, I am a former Mac user forced to Windows by Corporate America. I know how wonderful the Mac experience can be and I continue to be a closet supporter. So, when my dear husband bought me this IPod, I was in MP3 heaven. At least until I tried to make it work with my Windows based laptop.
First area of concern came when I realized my laptop did not have a Firewire jack and that Mac did not provide a USB connector. After paging through many levels on the iPod site, in very small fine print, we found "adapter not available until June". A trip to my local Mac store confirmed this, so out of the box there was no way to connect my new player. Off to Best Buy and another $50 later, I purchase a PCMCIA adapter for FireWire and was ready to roll.
Then to loading. Granted, this takes a long time with any player, but the MusicMatch software is just substandard to iTunes. The interface is NOT intuitive and how the iPod connects to it is very kludgy, at best. The iPod hung on me several times with it's "Do Not Remove" sign flashing for more than 20 minutes at a time before I disconnected it.
There are tons of wires and all these connectors. The iPod must plug into a wall to charge, it really will not charge properly through the laptop (different for a MAC). Also 5.6 oz of weight is light but heavy, if that makes sense. I had hoped to use this player while exercising, but I am not sure how possible that will be, given it's weight and bulk. But, overall, it is awfully light for a 15Gb storage device.
I finally loaded my first round of about 50 CDs and when it's working, the iPod is actually really cool. The UI is super easy to use, very intuitive. It's nice to be able to get nearly my entire catalog of CDs on there eventually and probably still have room to spare.
I am just overall dissappointed with Apple on this. I know they are trying to reach the Windows market, but this experience has been very painful. I would definately caution the average user in the Windows environment.
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I cannot believe a year has passed since I wrote my first review on the iPod. Many things have changed during this time, including my opinion, so I thought I would provide an update. (6/2004)
1) First and foremost, I have updated my computer system and Apple has made some updates to the Windows software, so I no longer have all the challenges I had loading and xfering songs last year. Firewire is jamming on my laptop and with wireless access built into my laptop (thank you centrino), I can get song info without swaping cards in my PCMCIA!
2) I still love the design of the iPod. Mine has a ton of miles on it, and every day, I appreciate its small size and extraordianary disk capacity. I run and bike a lot, training for a triathlon, and the iPod has been with me every step of the way. It is tough, and has been a great companion. The 15G storage capacity means I am not constantly reloading songs, and it is small enough not to be abother when I run with it in my hand or attached to my shorts.
3) 15G has been plenty for me, I have loaded more than half my CD catalog and still have plenty of room to spare.
4) ACCESSORIES! My iPod has become ever so much more useful now that I have purchase the following:
- AA battery pack. I now have enought battery life to get to Europe and back (and have done so several times) with no problems, iTunes jamming for 8 hours. Sweet
- iPod cover - thank god for the little rubber cover. THe number of times i have dropped it and splashed water on my iPod, without the cover, i am sure it would be dead by now.
- car adapter - allows me to take my whole music library with me wherever I go. Very good for long drives when the 10 CD changer is just NOT enough.
In short, I LOVE my iPod. After a year of heavy use and abuse, it is still going very strong. Yeah for Apple!!!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 390.00
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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talairys
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