hpvamp's Full Review: Apple iPod 1st Generation 5 GB (MAC) MP3 Player
This is quite simply, the best all around MP3 player available today that money can buy.
Here is an overview of its main features:
5 or 10 GB hard drive (depending on model)
(this equals to 1000 - 2000 songs!)
Can store data as well as music
Rechargeable battery (rated for 10 hours)
Small form factor
Backlit Display
Contacts feature (works like an address book)
Seamless integration with Apple iTunes
*Note it is possible to use iPod with third party utilities for the PC*
Fast Firewire port for MP3 upload (allows 100 songs a minute)
Easy to use interface with sort by song name, artist, play list, shuffle modes
Software equalizer capable of individual settings for each song
Charges through computer’s firewire port or an included AC adapter
After using the iPod (which I received as a gift, thank you very much to that person who gave it to me) I am convinced that it is the currently the best MP3 player on the market. It’s main downside in my eyes is that it’s high price puts it out of the range of many consumer budgets. However, if you, (or your friends), have deep enough pockets and are in the market for a MP3 player the iPod is for you. Keep in mind you need a firewire port in your computer to use one (and practically all Apple computers released in the last 2 years have this standard). The iPod is built to be used with Apple’s iTunes software and the software and hardware are tightly integrated. Simply plug in the iPod to the computer’s firewire port and iTunes will launch, and automatically update all of the songs on the iPod to include everything in your iTunes library. Alternatively, you call also set up iTunes to only synchronize a specific play list with the iPod. Regardless of what you choose, the actually synch process is extremely fast (about 100 songs a minute) and blows past the speeds of any USB based MP3 player.
Another feature that techies will find useful is that the iPod can double as a portable hard drive. Simply choose an option in iTunes and you can have the iPod show up as a hard drive on your desktop, providing a great way to transfer large files. In fact, mac users can actually boot up their computer off of the iPod!
The iPod also supports vCards (the industry-standard electronic business card format) for storing contact information. Users can access this information directly on the iPod using a built-in interface.
Holding the iPod in my hand for the first time it was truly a sight to admire. There is one main dial and 5 buttons that let you control the device. The menus are user friendly and the dial is sensitive to speed (which allows you to scroll to item 950 of a 1000 song list with ease by just flicking the dial around faster). Sound fidelity is excellent, and the included EQ function can be used to enhance the sound. You can play songs by playlist, by song title, or by artist, or shuffle any of those modes, leaving you with a multitude of choices to manage your music. The backlight is bright and clear, enabling viewing in even the darkest circumstances. It simply WORKS… most people can figure it out without reading the manual. I have used the device walking, running, in my car, and at home. It works great in all these situations.
Enough with the good, here are the flaws I found with the iPod:
90-day warranty is too short for such an expensive product
The iPod is easily scratched, a case is recommended (about a $20 expenditure here)
The battery meter is sometimes inaccurate, especially if you like to skip around with the songs a lot (thus requiring the hard drive to spin up more than normal)
The earphones may be a little too big for the average ear
That said, I did not find any significant flaws with the iPod. Its capacity and small form factor are unrivaled in the industry. This combined with the speedy firewire interface, and ease of use of iTunes make this a killer product. If you have a recent Mac and like listening to music on the go this is for you. PC users might want to check out the information from third party developer mediafour for compatibility information. Their website is: http://www.mediafour.com/products/xplay/
Discontinued by manufacturer, replaced by model #M8976LL/A FireWire interface for fastest digital transfer available Download audiobooks from Audible....More at Amazon Marketplace
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