reidnez's Full Review: Apple iPod 1st Generation 5 GB (MAC) MP3 Player
The iPod is an MP3 player capable of holding 60 hours of music. Based on a 5 gigabyte hard drive the diameter of a quarter, it automatically synchs to Apple's user-friendly and powerful iTunes software by way of a FireWire connection. Firewere transfers data several times faster than a USB interface–if I remember correctly, the iPod is capable of filling itself to capacity in under 10 minutes.
Slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes and weighing in at around 4.8 ounces, the iPod is supremely portable. The metal back and plastic face are extremely durable, with no protruding parts to snag in your pocket or get ripped off in the event that you drop it–an occasional drop, by the way, will rarely result in more than minor cosmetic damage. And with 20 minutes of skip protection, your music will continue unfased.
10 hours of battery life are more than enough for just about anyone's needs. The iPod charges fully in under three hours by way of the same FireWire port and cable used to synch it, and can be plugged into your computer or the included wall adapter. By the way, (I don't think this is mentioned much) I've found that the unit will charge significantly faster when the wall adapter is used. I attribute this to the observation that when plugged into your computer, the iPod's disk is constantly spinning. This must consume power that would otherwise go to the battery.
The interface can be self-taught in a matter of seconds. Its key component is a large, smooth-operating jog dial which allows you to scroll though 60 hours of music with ease and also serves as a very linear volume control while music is playing. For the impatient, the iPod's database can be searched while music is playing. Music is indexed by song, playlist, (created on your computer and automatically carried over with each synch) artist, and album.
Problems: In one instance, the display chimed in with its "no battery power remains" display while 3 out of 4 bars showed on the battery indicator–the battery should have had several hours of life left, and in fact did. My father's iPod has also crashed more than once; holding the play and menu buttons for 10 seconds reboots the software and seemed to fix the problem. Though the iPod has excellent skip protection, it is not ideal for jogging. Under constant jarring, the hard drive has to spin for much longer to find each track; this drastically decreases battery life and might have an adverse effect on the unit's health.
Apple has greatly limited the iPod's market by making it usable only for owners of newer FireWire-equipped Macs. Aftermarket software is now available which will synch iPod with a FireWire-equipped PC, but the seamlessness that iTunes provides will likely never be there.
Others complain of the lack of a case; Apple explains that they simply choose to leave manufacture of such accesories to the aftermarket and indeed, there are now a number of choices to be had for covers and the like. I have chosen to leave mine uncovered because I don't mind that it gets scratched up a bit; the iPod is built to be thrown in pockets and the like. The included earbuds are alright, but I still prefer conventional headphones for their greater comfort and bass response.
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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