Ipod info needed

[FreakBaller12]

Well i am thinking about getting an Ipod..
The battery recharge problem has been fixed, correct?
Also what's the deal with the 15gb 20 gb 40 gb
How does that work? Like how big is each song, about how many songs can i get?

An ipod users give any reviews?

[dwab3000]

i have the 15 gig one...

its pretty sweet...i have two cds on there now (RATM: Evil Empire, and Redman: Malpractice), the most i put on there is three cds, but it still wasnt full
1 song is usually between 1meg to 5 megs....matters

as for battery recharge, i havetn had the problem, and havent heard of it :confused: .. hmm

[Skoad]

1 gig = 1000 megs
mp3s vary in size depending on length and quality. My average mp3 size for a normal song is around 5-7 megs.

For guess-timations sake lets say 5 megs per song.


So for every 1 gig your Ipod has it can hold approx 200 songs.

15gb=3000 songs
20gb=4000 songs
40gb=8000 songs

It also supports other audio files, such as wav and ACC (supposedly smaller in size than mp3s with same quality). So you can fit a heck of a lot of music on those things...Or you can read apples own website, quote:

"40GB hard drive — big enough to hold 10,000 songs. Do the math: that’s four weeks of music — played continuously, 24/7 — or one new song a day for the next 27 years."

I would own one if they weren't that expensive, they are awesome. So tiny yet so much space. If you have the dough and want an mp3 player, its definately the best out. You can even use it as a portable hardrive, so you can stick anything you want on it, but it will only output basic audio.

Another cool set of features is you can do neat little things like play solitere and a couple other simple games, or upload a text file to it and it will show up on the screen...you know if you felt like cheating on a test or something - i mean if you wanted to upload a book and read it off its little screen.

http://www.apple.com/ipod/

[FreakBaller12]

is it like a computer? like you can delete the song and get that memory back?
I am trying to figure out if there is anyway they can get me where I dont get that many songs.

[tsc]

You cannot change or delete the songs when they are on the ipod. However, when it is hooked up to your computer, you use itunes to manage/add/delete any songs or playlists you want. They're stored in the itunes library, and you can have it configured to automatically update the iPod to whatever songs you have in the library, or so you can click and drag songs directly onto the iPod-- handy if you just want to add one or two (this is how I have mine configured).

The iPod is essentially a tiny computer, in that it uses a hard drive and has a rudimentary O/S. I've heard some problems with iPod Minis freezing up, but the girl I had heard it from isn't of the greatest mental capacity.

I have about 800 songs on my 15gig right now, and I love this thing. I take it everywhere, and it's quite the escape from reality.

[Curly]

I have a 40 gig, I love it. You can also use them as a hard drive to transfer or back up files on your computer. I would really recomend getting a firewire card if you dont have one, it will speed up the transfer a lot. ATM I have about 1780 songs on my ipod and have only used like 7 gigs of the space.

[painTech]

ipods own. the new ones even have some games.

[Bluestrike_2]

Here's some Battery advice, I've lifted completely from Battery Universe I hope you find it helpful.

The iPod has a Lithium-ion/ploymer type battery, these commonly are only rated at 300-500 charges; the iPod in my experience has been rated at 500, (you will see why this firgure isn't anything to worry about).

Lithium-ion is a low maintenance battery, an advantage that most other chemistries cannot claim. There is no memory and no scheduled cycling is required to prolong the battery's life. In addition, the self-discharge is less than half compared to nickel-cadmium, making lithium-ion well suited for modern fuel gauge applications. lithium-ion cells cause little harm when disposed.

A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges.


Some sound advice:
# Avoid full discharges; recharge lithium-ion more often. Repetitive random charge does not harm the battery. There is no memory.
# Keep the lithium-ion battery cool. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.
# Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing date. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.



Some Do's and Don'ts:
#Do charge the battery often. The battery lasts longer with partial rather than full discharges.
#Avoid full cycle because of wear. 80% depth-of-discharge recommended. Re- charge more often. Avoid full discharge. Low voltage may cut off safety circuit.
#No maintenance needed. Loses capacity due to aging whether used or not.
#Store at 40% charge in a cool place. Do not store at full charge and at warm temperatures because of accelerated aging.




How to Charge and When to Charge:
Should I use up all battery energy before charging?
No, it is better to recharge more often; avoid frequent full discharges.
Yes, on batteries with a fuel gauge, allow a full discharge once a month to enable reset

Should I charge my battery partially or fully?
Does not matter. Charging in stages is acceptable. Full charge termination occurs by reading the voltage level and charge current. Charging a full battery is safe and does not cause harm.

Should the battery be kept charged when not in use
Best to store at 40% charge. Cool storage is more important than state-of-charge. Do not fully deplete battery because Li-ion may turn off its protection circuit.

Will the battery heat up during charge?
No, little heating is generated during charge. A large laptop battery may get lukewarm. Do not allow the battery to heat during charge. [If charging the iPod in a dock connected to a PC & if the drive is mounted; the Hard Drive head will still spin, and it will heat up].

What should I know about chargers?
Charger should apply full charge. Avoid economy chargers that advertise one-hours charge. Fastest full-charge time: 2-3 hours.


All info from Battery Universe written up by Isidor Buchmann; founder and CEO of Cadex Electronics Inc., in Vancouver BC. Mr. Buchmann has a background in radio communications and has studied the behavior of rechargeable batteries in practical, everyday applications for two decades. Award winning author of many articles and books on batteries, Mr. Buchmann has delivered technical papers around the world.


Batteries do NOT last forever. The morons at ipodsdirtysecret.com are too dang stupid to realize this. The same will happen with ANY battery. Those brothers, a waste of air...

[FreakBaller12]

Thanks guys and especially blue streak
I think i might just geth the 10k.
Or should i drop the cash and just get like 20k?
I am thinking i don't need THAT many songs.

[Bluestrike_2]

No problem.

May I suggest an iPod mini? 4 gigs. GREAT for running, or jogging, or walking. Also good for in the gym. Pick up a copy of MACWORLD, this month's edition at Barnes & Noble or at the Apple section in your CompUSA. An article about the iPod in cars. Very informative and neat.

http://www.ipodlounge.com

Go there for any info you need. Check out the galley.

[MagMan5446]

Nomad Jukebox Zen from Creative. I have a USB2.0 20gb which kicks *** but they came out with newer versions.

[swanster]

it also doubles up as a portable hard drive meaning you can carry digital images, word documents etc.. with you.

it also has games you can play whilst your bored ( like reading books in school )

[Dryden]

"40GB hard drive — big enough to hold 10,000 songs. Do the math: that’s four weeks of music — played continuously, 24/7 — or one new song a day for the next 27 years."This is marketing speak, so take it with a grain of salt. The encode quality would have to be attrocious to fit that many songs in 40Gb of space. Any lossy compression format for music will sound horrible if you pump the output through something better than $20 Altec Lansing desktop speakers. Even the cheapest ear-bud headphones will sound bad.

How much storage space you'll get is partly dependent on the file format and compression level, but the larger factor is the style of music you listen to. I've got a fairly wide taste in music (just about anything that isn't country or rap), and on my PC now I have 1600+ albums encoded in VBR .mp3 format which I've personally ripped and encoded myself using cdparanoia and LAME with a boatload of filtering switches to set hi and low-pass filters, encoding speed and quality, hi and low encode bitrates and even block sizes. With as near to true, CD-quality clarity that the .mp3 format will achieve, my total count is about 18,000+ songs requiring over 120Gb of disk space.

The iPod, I think, is overpriced, undersized, and suffers from all the DRM "features" that are built into iTunes. The 80Gb Archos costs less than the 20Gb iPod and doubles as a portable USB 2.0 harddrive for any operating system, so you won't be handcuffed into a Windows version, a Mac version, and iTunes.

[Bluestrike_2]

Dryden, your are soooo wrong:

The iPod is NOT, I repeat NOT, locked into one OS. Get your head out of your rear. I use my iPod as a big old hard drive, transfering files and such around. Now, I go from Windows to Mac with it. So, you are wrong. Very wrong. :P


First off, you DO NOT NEED TO USE iTUNES MUSIC STORE!!! You can rip your CD's into the iTunes program. Yet, you need not purchase music from them.

Second, every single music-download company(the legal kind)uses DRM. ALL OF THEM. Otherwise the RIAA and the recording industry NEVER would have gone for it. So does the MPAA(Motion Picture Association of America) on DVD's and VHS cassettes. Ever hear of macrovision? What about the WMV-HD(Terminator 2 EE had it on disc two). You would put the disk in a darn fast computer(it had to be), it would phone home to a server to get permission to play. For god's sake, IT NEEDED PERMISSION TO PLAY! And you dare to call Apple's unfair?

Oh yeah, Windows has it too!! Remember the activation thing on Windows XP. You know 30 days or you can't use it. That's just like it. Almost all expensive apps on Windows uses activation/DRM. Same with serial keys. So, uhhhh, you are using DRM on Windows. Hehe... Besides, the Apple one is rather generous. 5 computers can play the songs. Unlimited amount can store them, just not play them(above the 5). Can burn them unlimited number of times. Although the exact same playlist can only be burned 7 times, a single change to it will reset the number. So yeah, real unfair. Did I mention you can stream/share it to computers on your network? What about, using applications and broadband, stream it over the web(securely, of course)to you at work, or on vacation etc. Besides, the DRM is easy to get rid of. The easiest is using an application. They remove the DRM, BUT LEAVE YOUR APPLE (or you can use an AOL) ACCOUNT INFORMATION IN IT. Thus, if you try to throw it up on a file-sharing network, YOU GET CAUGHT!!! So, pirates, be gone!

My take on the sound quality:

I used to use FLAC(Free Lossless Audio Codec). Then came iTunes 4.5. Now, we have Apple Lossless. So, I recopyed them. :D I copy my CD's to my computer(s) twice. On one, the media server, I copy to Apple Lossless. The average file is about 50-70 megabytes, depending on length. Then, on my G5, I copy it in 192 AAC for my iPod. With local network streaming(sharing) enabled, I can stream it across my network to my 3 computers and the home theater as well, with the eyeHome box thingy(eyeHome= stream photos, movies, songs, etc. across network). So, I listen to the lossless in my home, and the 192 AAC on my iPod. Sure, royal pain in the rear. Yet it is worth it. As a fellow audiophile, I am sure you will agree with me.

Now, on my iPod, I listen to it through Shure e3c in-ear canalphones. Now, while I would love e5's($500), the e3's are great. I do hear the compression, and can tell it's there, BUT! I realize that I am not trying to be overly critical while listening to it. It is, after all, a portable player. All of them have poor audio quality compared to a set of reference monitors.

Yeah, the iPod is expensive. Yet, you sound like an audiophile from your post. How much did your speakers cost? Your canalphones/earphones/headphones? A lot! Same here. Now, I don't want to get into this part. Yet, the user-interface is great compared to my old Rio. The smart playlists are something important to me.

Hour till race time: Olympic theme songs, Without Limits songs, and Prefontaine soundtrack. Then, last song, something strong. Really strong to get the blood pumping.

Hard Rock Cafe : The CD's from HRC

Ready to Race: Very heavy, hard and strong music

After: John William's Hymn to New Englands(Olympics).

On-the-go - Relaxationish music

Pre - Songs from movie WITHOUT LIMITS and PREFONTAINE.

Sleep - Ease (Air theme song from Alton Towers.)

Wake Up Call - Street music and Katanga Canyon from Alton Towers.

You see, I have a HUGE amount of control over what I hear. It is all worth it.

Oh yeah, there is Party shuffle in iTunes, the internet Radio, Purchased Music playlist, My top Rated, and the top 25 most played.

The iPod is the most customizable option on the market. Yes, I have used many others. So, have you used the iPod.





"40GB hard drive — big enough to hold 10,000 songs. Do the math: that’s four weeks of music — played continuously, 24/7 — or one new song a day for the next 27 years."


This is marketing speak, so take it with a grain of salt. The encode quality would have to be attrocious to fit that many songs in 40Gb of space. Any lossy compression format for music will sound horrible if you pump the output through something better than $20 Altec Lansing desktop speakers. Even the cheapest ear-bud headphones will sound bad.

How much storage space you'll get is partly dependent on the file format and compression level, but the larger factor is the style of music you listen to. I've got a fairly wide taste in music (just about anything that isn't country or rap), and on my PC now I have 1600+ albums encoded in VBR .mp3 format which I've personally ripped and encoded myself using cdparanoia and LAME with a boatload of filtering switches to set hi and low-pass filters, encoding speed and quality, hi and low encode bitrates and even block sizes. With as near to true, CD-quality clarity that the .mp3 format will achieve, my total count is about 18,000+ songs requiring over 120Gb of disk space.

The iPod, I think, is overpriced, undersized, and suffers from all the DRM "features" that are built into iTunes. The 80Gb Archos costs less than the 20Gb iPod and doubles as a portable USB 2.0 harddrive for any operating system, so you won't be handcuffed into a Windows version, a Mac version, and iTunes.

[Bluestrike_2]

Another thing:

There are scripts and programs for your iPod. Some will go and fetch cover art and song data, etc. Others will fetch movie times for local theater(s). Some get the weather data for the day, and week. There are others, too.

http://www.ipodlounge.com <<-----Only place you need info from

Also, you can sync(I know on a Mac, not sure on Windows)your iPod to your computer. On the Mac you can make it a virtual PDA. On Windows, you can do similair stuff. Maybe the same, I don't know.

Contacts - Sync to your address book

Calendar- Self-Explanatory

Notes - Very cool feature

Here's one of mine:


To Mr. Thief:

Congratulations! You have stolen my iPod! Now, you are going to die.

This iPod had a small vile of VX poison gas implanted within it. Within ten minutes, this vile will spray it's contents. The gas will eat your skin while you are still alive. Your eyes will burn out, with you still having feeling. You will then get a bunch of bubbles under your still burning skin. Then, you will die a horrid, painful death. Look in the notes section of this iPod, where you found this, for my contact information. There you will find information on how to return this. No criminial charges will be pressed.

Another anti-thief feature is included. When you hook this up to a computer, a program will run, sending an email with your whereabouts, IP address, machine identification codes, and personal information to the FBI, the police in your area(it will find that out), my local police, and to anyone in your address book. You can't hide, Mr Thief. Return now....

After this happens, and it will happen quite fast, a virus will be downloaded onto your computer that will zero your hard drive, turning your computer on when you aren't expecting it. Your system will be destroyed. A worm will then embed itself in your memory modules, motherboard, and graphics card to prevent it from ever functioning again.

Ok, OBVIOUSLY, this was made up. I mean really, VX gas? :Chuckles: If someone were to look at this, I would love to see their expression, with their big, thiefy eyes staring down at the screen. The program one is pretty funny too.... :P

Oh yeah, there is a contact note with my information.

[swanster]

well said bluestrike

you said everything i was gonna say. only in a better way :(

[Dryden]

Bluestrike_2,

In all that combative, incoherent rambling, you made a lot of assumptions about me that aren't true, inferred several things from my post that I didn't write, and provided a lot of marketing babble about the iPod that wasn't necessary and is, in fact, a feature of any PDA, cellphone, or portable jukebox manufactured in the last two years.

Lets address a few facts first:
The iTunes AAC, DRM-protected audio format is only compatible with the iPod.
The iTunes/iPod combination is only fully compatible and supported with Windows 2000 SP4 or newer, Windows XP or newer, or Mac OS X 10.1.5 or newer.
The Apple lossless compression format is a completely worthless, bloated POS. A file compressed with Apple lossless will only see a 25-50% file size savings. Compressing several CDs in iTunes 4.5, I've found that the resulting album sizes for a full audio CD are in the scope of 250 to 370Mb! The exact same CDs encoded with the standards compliant and open source LAME .mp3 encoder average 80 to 140 Mb with identical resulting waveform patterns and audible clarity.
The iPod only offers one-quarter of the storage capacity of similar, competitive products that also happen to be compatible with all versions of Windows, all version of Mac OS (including MacOS Classic 8.5+), and 200+ flavors of Linux.
I have absolutely zero clue what the heck the MPAA, Macrovision, or Windows XP activation codes have to do with anything I originally posted. Further, you admit in your own post that the lossless compression format is bloated, that you have had to rip your music collection twice, and further have to convert it into a grossly inferior 192-bit file format to utilize the space on your iPod effectively. You pay an awful lot of lip service in defence of the iPod, then go on to state how many hoops you have to jump through to get everything working optimally wherever you decide to take your music.

You fail to realize that RIAA and industry imposed DRM security features not only prevent music piracy, but also have the effect of limiting the rights of the purchaser to do what he or she wants with the audio they have legally paid for. Oh wait, never mind ... you admitted that Apple's software is tracking your playlists! Thanks, Big Brother!

I'd much rather only hassle with archiving my CD collection once, in a superior and universal file format that I can truly take anywhere, use it in any way I choose, and be done with it.

[Bluestrike_2]

Let it be known that you opened the door.

It's not that ALAC is bloated. It's just that lossless and uncompressed music is, well BIG! That and the difference between 192 AAC and ALAC CANNOT BE HEARD WITH A PORTABLE MP3 PLAYER!!! Theres this thing called ambient noise.

==================

I have 9 songs from iTMS. NINE! That's it. They were free from the Pepsi promotion. Why? Because I won't stream 128bit AAC into my basement to listen to it through a pair of reference monitors. When AL is available on the iTMS, I will use it. It's just that, well, sending a 50meg file over iTMS isn't that easy for anyone. Imagine the dial up users who want the higher sound quality.

Oh yeah, I have over 1 TERABYTE of storage for DVD's that I archive into a media server for the home theater and around the house. I also have about 250 gigabytes reserved specifically for music. So I am NOT lacking in the storage department. Throw in the hard drives for the other three computers in my house (laptop, workstation, desktop) and I have another terabyte.

===================

Want to know why I jump through these hoops? Because I bought an iPod mini. Four gigs. So, why did I settle for that? Because I use my iPod when I am running l.s.d's(long slower distance[still fast, though]). Really, the music is rather quite helpful when running an fairly easy 20 miler. I don't use it to just sit down and listen to music. That's what my separates and reference speakers are for. So yeah, I jump through the hoops to get good sounding(just not great) music for the background. While running I have more important things to do than analyze music. Anyone who would try to analyze the music on a run is a fool. I bought the 4gb mini over the 40gb iPod not because of price, but because of size and what it would be used for.

Keep in mind that sound quality is pretty compromised in a portable environment, regardless of what bitrate/format you choose. A pair of Shures will block a lot of sound, but there will still be some ambient noise.

For me, space is a much more important consideration[on the iPod]. For my rips, I've been using ALE/ALAC/AL for the the computer/streaming and AAC at 192 kbps for the iPod.

====================

I feel I should have re-worded one statement better, which you misunderstood. When I said copy it twice. Well, I rip it in ALAC. I then compress from the ALAC files to 192 AAC. Ship the ALAC to another comp to stream.

===================
AAC:
http://www.rjamorim.com/test/128extension/results.html

http://209.152.181.168/~hydrogen/index.php?showtopic=20531&

====================

Why I cited examples of DRM:

You used it as a reason why not to buy an iPod.

Besides, I De-DRM'ed all of my 9 downloads from iTMS long ago. So, yeah, it doesn't really affect me. Plus I know my Apple ID info is in the AAC file, so it's not like I am going to pirate them. Just using Hymn or similair, or burning to an audio CD and re-ripping or a virtual disk will de-DRM it. Yet your ID information is still in the file.

================

Rebuttals:

Point 1 - De-DRM. ID left in. No piracy. Point solved.

Point 2 - Yeah, so? What's your point?

Point 3 - To each their own. I have plenty of storage. So keep it coming...

Point 4 - They are meant as portable players. NOT AN ARCHIVE! Show me a 120gb(you said 40gb is a quarter of others) unit with the same size, weight, and interface. Hehehe. You can't....

I only put my CD's in the drive Once. Once. Then, I transcode from ALAC to AAC 192. BTW, I have the LAME plugin for iTunes.

Go here:

Hydrogen Audio:

http://209.152.181.168/~hydrogen/index.php?act=idx

http://209.152.181.168/~hydrogen/index.php?showforum=54& <<-AAC forum

BTW, there was NO god**** marketing babble. I cited scripts. They don't come with the iPod(except notes, calendars, and such). There is no weather, no fetching, no movie time scripts that come with the iPod. None whatsoever. They are made by the user base. As in me. You. Anyone who codes them. Not necessarily Apple.

My overview of you:

You don't like Apple. You use Windows Xp. You are biased, as it is evident with your posts. So, why are you here? He wants an iPod. We are giving him advice. We don't need you coming in here. I sincerely doubt you have owned/do own and iPod.
Shoo!!!

Edit: Swanster, please post what you were going to say.

[Dryden]

Show me a 120gb(you said 40gb is a quarter of others) unit with the same size, weight, and interface. Hehehe. You can't....Again, you're reading things I didn't write. Scroll back up and read my very first post. I wrote that the 80Gb Archos cost less than the 20Gb iPod. And to help you with elementary arithmetic ... 40 is one-third of 120, not one-quarter.


My overview of you:

You don't like Apple. You use Windows Xp. You are biased, as it is evident with your posts. So, why are you here? He wants an iPod. We are giving him advice. We don't need you coming in here. I sincerely doubt you have owned/do own and iPod.
Shoo!!!Again, making assumptions about me that aren't true and showing how myopic a Mac zealot you really are. I have posted several times on AO that I am a Linux supporter and run Red Hat 9 on several desktops both at home and at work. I happen to use Windows 98, XP, or Server 2003 when a job requires it, but would otherwise use either Linux or BSDi Unix for tasks where it is better suited. And for the record, I own a PowerBook G3.

See, I buy and use the product that is best suited for the task at hand, not blindly buy everything with a pretty Apple logo because Jeff Goldblum told me too; not buy products because a company happens to market the snot out of it and co-brand with Pepsi.

The original post from toyatoboy was, "Well i am thinking about getting an Ipod.." He didn't say he was getting an iPod, but rather that he was thinking about getting one. I suggested something else as an alternative, as did a few others, and you blew a fuse.

Apple makes some fine products, and I've already pointed out that I purchase and use them myself. The iPod is a fine product, but my original post stands. It is overpriced and undersized compared to others.

In your first rebuttal you accused me that I had my head in my rear. Maybe that's true, I don't know.

But at least my head isn't in Steve Jobs's rear.

[Bluestrike_2]

the last line was pretty funny.

Ok, back to business.

Yeah, I like Macs. Why not? Final Cut Pro, Motion, Shake, etc. These are all tools created by Apple(FCP was purchased from another company though). Apple takes things in a different perspective. Just look at their packaging.

===============

Calling me a Mac zealot. He.He.

Yeah, that's right. I guess I am. Oh wait, then why do I have two windows machines? Oh god! I guess I'm not.

I voice my opinion. That's it. The same as you are doing. Yeah, I think that for the tasks which I perform the Mac is better. Yet, for gaming, a Windows enviroment is better. It's fairly obvious.

BTW, I'm a Coca-Cola kinda guy. So, uhh, yeah I guess that pepsi bottle caps FRIENDS GAVE ME would make me a pepsi/mac zealot. Quit reaching for straws. They don't exist.
===============


The iPod only offers one-quarter of the storage capacity of similar, competitive products that also happen to be compatible with all versions of Windows, all version of Mac OS (including MacOS Classic 8.5+), and 200+ flavors of Linux.

Yeah, I guess you didn't write that one.

Ok, so I made a typo. 2, 6. BIG DEAL!!! A typo!!!

===============

The Archos.

The only Archos units I can find with 80gb HDD's are for video. Sure, they play MP3's, but who wants to lug that sucker around all day?

===============

In the end, to each their own. I like Apple, sure. Yet, I also own two Windows machines. Ok, so what? Does that mean I am an Apple zealot? There are a few Apple users that voice their opinions so loud that they create the illusion that all Apple users are crazy little zealots. Those are the people that will buy anything Steve Jobs puts an Apple logo on. Those are the people that literally worship the man. I'm not one of them. Never will be. Ok, so let's stop stereotyping people.

Eh, but toyotaboy then said:

Thanks guys and especially blue streak
I think i might just geth the 10k.
Or should i drop the cash and just get like 20k?
I am thinking i don't need THAT many songs.

So I suggested the iPod mini. I only, according to you, "blew a fuse" when you cited false information. Like the handcuffing into one OS.

Now, do I think that there is a lot of marketing crap in this thread? Yeah, you bet! Like, for instance:


40GB hard drive — big enough to hold 10,000 songs. Do the math: that’s four weeks of music — played continuously, 24/7 — or one new song a day for the next 27 years."

I agree, the compression would be pretty damn ******. Sad thing is, most probably wouldn't notice it listening through the standard earphones.

Ok, let's quit this argument and get back on topic. He wants advice. So come in, toyota! Ask away....

[FreakBaller12]

lol you guys lost me with all this crap.
but anyway. Yea i am gonna go with the mini ipod, they're only 250.

for the price and size i think they're great
any accesories i should get, like this firewall cord or something?

[Bluestrike_2]

Yeah, there are a few accessories I would mention:

- iSkin mini. You need a case. Sure, the mini is scratch resistant, but it's not the fall that can kill an mp3 player. It's the shock. Very nice. http://www.iskin.com about $25

- Dock (Optional) Use for line out. Like to your stereo. Higher quality than with the headphone jack. Also used to charge( Dock connector connects to the back)
If you get one to use to play to stereo, you need a line out cable.

- Firewire cable NOT needed(unless you have firewire on your comp)as one comes with it to charge(it connects to the charging thing

- Xtrememac package

he 6-Piece Get Connected Audio Bundle expands the capabilities of the iPod by enabling connectivity to car stereos, home stereo systems, cassette players and computer speakers.

Supports all iPods with Dock Connector.

Bundle Includes:

* Xwire Gold iShare Earbud Splitter
* Xwire Gold Male/Male Audio Cables
* Xwire Gold Male/Female Cables
* Xwire Gold RCA Audio Cable
* Premium iPod Car Charger
* iPod Cassette Adapter

www.xtrememac.com


I don't know how old you are. But if you are in school or college, you get a discount at the Apple Store(store.apple.com). Click education in the left sidebar at the top.

Good luck!!!

Note: All accessories can be seen when you go to purchase the mini.

[FreakBaller12]

Yeah, there are a few accessories I would mention:

- iSkin mini. You need a case. Sure, the mini is scratch resistant, but it's not the fall that can kill an mp3 player. It's the shock. Very nice. http://www.iskin.com about $25

- Dock (Optional) Use for line out. Like to your stereo. Higher quality than with the headphone jack. Also used to charge( Dock connector connects to the back)
If you get one to use to play to stereo, you need a line out cable.

- Firewire cable NOT needed(unless you have firewire on your comp)as one comes with it to charge(it connects to the charging thing

- Xtrememac package


I don't know how old you are. But if you are in school or college, you get a discount at the Apple Store(store.apple.com). Click education in the left sidebar at the top.

Good luck!!!

Note: All accessories can be seen when you go to purchase the mini.


sweet thanks bluestreak, now the mini is only 230 for me. I am going to proly buy a cover.
The ipod comes with like charger and stuff right?

[Bluestrike_2]

No problem. The mini comes with:

The mini

Software

iTunes(4) - Go download 4.5; its 20 megs(download now so you can get a head start ripping

Firewire cable

USB 2.0 cable

manual

iPod updater - Dowload the new version at http://www.apple.com/itunes (same for 4.5)

AC Plug thing(firewire cable plugs into this.)

Tip for ripping:

How good are your ears?

Rip into 192 AAC. Or, download a LAME plugin for iTunes (Google it)

Lame = LAME Ain't an MP3 Encoder

After ripping, store CD originals in a SAFE place. Burn the songs to a CD-R Data CD as a backup. Do this regularly. (maybe once a month?)

[FreakBaller12]

Tip for ripping:

How good are your ears?

Rip into 192 AAC. Or, download a LAME plugin for iTunes (Google it)

Lame = LAME Ain't an MP3 Encoder

After ripping, store CD originals in a SAFE place. Burn the songs to a CD-R Data CD as a backup. Do this regularly. (maybe once a month?)
I have no idea what you mean by this, care to explain?
So let me get this absoulutely straight..
I download songs on the net with the software that apple provides. What kind of music selection is available, basically anything downloadable like on something that begins with a k and ends with an azaa?
I can download them from there onto the ipod. Which i can only have 1,000(well w/e the amount may be)songs on there at once, correct? I can access all of those songs being away from computer. Once the song is on the ipod, it's on there for sure?

Thanks alot bluestrike i really appreciate it too :D

[Skoad]

Archos is also 5x the size of an ipod, my friend had one and the thing was a brick.

And don't talk about kazaa on the public forums, mods might not like it :)

[Bluestrike_2]

I love Grab.... :D Yeah, I'm bored....

Ok, step by step:

This is your library. This is where all your music is stored. You can sort it by a multitude of ways. Ok. On the left is your Source list. It's where you access the music store(99 cents a song - encoded at 128AAC), along with your playlists, internet radio, and a very cool feature known as Party Shuffle. You can assign ratings(the stars you see) that smart playlists will listen to. So, if you have a song that you want to wake up to, but don't want to hear any other time, give it a zero. Then, the smart playlists won't play it :D Same with Party Shuffle.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2637/Lib_4.jpg

Ok, Now let's import a song!!!

This is your Preferences menu - Import. Access by File -> Preferences.

Import:
Select AAC Encoder

AAC Encoder:

Hit Custom on pop up menu:
Choose your bit rate. 192 is nice to start. Compromise between space and quality.

Ok, Almost Done!!!

CD:
Insert CD. iTunes will then show it in sources sidebar. Click on it.
Put a check(blue checks) in the boxes on the left side of a track(s) that you want to import
Click the import button in the top right hand corner. Then, it imports them. They will then be viewable in your Library. Click on and drag into a playlist if you want to put them in a playlist. -Or- Select all that you want in a playlist. File --> Create Playlist from Selection. Then, it is created. Name it and your done!
http://img1.imageshack.us/img1/6972/CD.jpg
BTW, after you set the settings once, you don't have to do it each time. It is saved forever(you can change it though). So skip to CD on 2nd + discs.

Hope this helps. iTunes has documentation in the help section, along with the manual that comes with the iPod mini/iPod.

Edit: Pulled the images for personnal reasons. Wait one minute while I edit and re-upload.

Edit: **** Imageshack.... Got some of the images back up, just Not all. Sorry. But hey, personal info doesn't need to circle around the net(No, it's not a CC or something).

[FreakBaller12]

whoa whoa whoa, it costs 99 cents per song to download them? :(
Can i use songs that i already have DLed?

[Curly]

Yes you can use already downloaded songs...

[sps16]

My best advice for you is to buy a case for it first, dont buy anything else. Mine is so scratched up, it would make you cry.... :(

[LittlePaintballBoy]

Z-Man is a mac tech, not sure how much he knows about I-Pods though. Worth a shot, I guess.

[Hexis]

The iTunes Music Store is completly optional. You can import any MP3s into iTunes. You can also encode your own CDs into it with a single click. You can use iTunes as an MP3 encoder, or use AAC. It's all easy and works great.

I have my 20G iPod 1/2 filled with music. It's all stuff I have on CD and have ripped to MP3 or AAC over the past couple years. I have not purchased a single song on the iTMS.