iPod is not all bliss . . .
Written: Jun 11 '04 (Updated Jul 12 '04)
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Pros: Nice size, nice look and feel, large display, intuitive menu system
Cons: Compatibility with windows PCs, battery charging, touchy controls, hard to move music files.
The Bottom Line: Windows users - do your research before you buy. You may find other jukeboxes are more Windows friendly.
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| timbo64's Full Review: Apple iPod 3rd Generation White (15 GB) MP3 Player |
Since most reviews concentrate on the pros, I'll highlight some cons. Not things that would have stopped me buying the iPod, but things that would have been nice to know.
1) You will need a special adapter for using iPOD with a Windows PC that doesn't have a firewire connection. This is sold separately, and don't be surpised to find it out of stock. It takes away all the joy of receiving your new iPod if you discover you can't plug it into your PC, and you can't find a supplier who has the adapter cable, so make sure you get both if you have PC without firewire. (So, do your research before you buy...most new Windows PCs have the option of firewire, but the 90% of installed Windows PCs out there probably don't. And at the time I bought, the Apple Store website didn't mention this adapter might be needed.)
Here is the link to the adapter you will need.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9126G/A
It costs about $20 extra.
2) File moving - the music library is hidden from Windows Explorer and your music files cannot be simply uploaded to a second or third PC with the Apple provided software (iTunes). This is the price Apple agreed to pay to the record labels for permission to distribute their music via iTunes - you can only have your song library on one PC at a time. The iPod forums will tell you how to get around this, but why should you need to use a workaround? Other jukeboxes do not have this restriction.
The best freeware application I have found which will do this for you is iPod Agent. You can get it here:
http://www.ipodsoft.com/ipodagent.aspx
It will let you upload your music to any PC and synch your iPod with any PC, not just one PC.
Other observations:
3) Controls are supersensitive - hit the wrong button when setting your iPod up and you may find your language turns to Japanese (it happened to me!) - I needed to do a complete re-set to change it back.
4) Battery life - sometimes I leave my iPod to charge for 24 hours, and the next day it shows that it has only 25% charge. This is a glitch in the way it displays battery life, not the battery itself and it is not uncommon with iPods. The battery is actually one of iPods only Achilles Heels - it will last around 500 charges, or about two years with normal use, then needs to be replaced. A technically complicated procedure that will cost $100 for a replacement battery at today's price.
5) A note on the Belkin FM Radio adapter. This is a great accesory, making it easy for you to link your iPod to your car audio system wirelessly.
You can see it here:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201526&pcount=&Product_Id=140984
It should have a range of several feet, meaning you can put it anywhere on your dash - as long as the batteries are at full charge. But normal batteries on the Belkin unit will only last for about 10 hours of continuous use - so you'll quickly need to (also) invest in AAA rechargeable units.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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Epinions.com ID:
timbo64
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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