awesome new ipod, | By | KhyberNY "KhyberNY" (NEW YORK, NY United States) - See all my reviews |
Apple iPod Nano
Saturday, September 27, 2008
awesome new ipod
awesome new ipod, Apple iPod Nano
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Apple's iPod Touch 32 GB - Some Great Updates, Some Updates Still Missing
66 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
| By | Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews   |
Apple's 32GB iPod Touch is still the largest you can buy. The Apple iPod Touch 8 GB (2nd Generation) model is priced so low that it is very attractive as an entry level unit. So from that perspective, the 16 GB model is kind of the ugly duckling since it's not much less than the 32 GB model. If you just need the WiFi browsing, the 8 GB model will meet those needs. If you want to put a decent amount of music and video on it, the 32 GB model is the way to go. I would recommend those who are considering the 16 GB model to step up to the 32 GB model if at all possible.
The unit finally has volume controls, and even adds a few features that were surprising such as the small speaker. But adding volume controls without track controls was surprising to me. And while the speaker is nice and the Nike integration is also nice, neither of those are deal breakers for me. The battery life improvement is noticeable. And web browsing is still great, though the wireless range has not been improved. Overall the best improvement is probably the lowered price, which is a bigger deal to those who were holding off. This is my third, and I'm still looking forward to the next version and more capacity.
For me, I found that the first generation player became much more of a multimedia device than my other MP3 players. I could live with some of the weaknesses, but the battery life really became an issue. That was even after disabling most power hogging features. I made sure to test this out for at least two weeks before making a judgement on this particular improvement. On the new one, the battery life is definitely improved though not nearly as much as advertised. The other big improvement is the addition of at least a few buttons for volume control.
Safari browsing still rocks, but the fact that they didn't upgrade the wireless is disappointing. I will hope that the next version will have stronger wireless and more capacity. If they can do that, they will be at a nice starting point for future generations to build on.
There is a widely publicized issue with wireless browsing on certain types of secured networks. You may have to reconfigure security at home or wait for an update. I have not directly experienced this and I only connect to secure WiFi, except for rare cases. I have still experienced a long time polling and connecting to WiFi networks however. Depending on many factors, you may need to wait for the next software update if this is a big issue for you.
Pros
+ 32GB of storage is a decent size for music and video for most users
+ Nice new lowered prices for each capacity level
+ Safari web browsing and easy WiFi hotspot setup still the best feature
+ Great design with a sleek thin body with slightly more curvature
+ Beautiful 320x480 pixel wide-screen provides pleasing video viewing
+ Turn to the side to view video using the full wide screen width
+ Orientation detection changes view to landscape mode automatically when turning iPod!
+ Brighter screen with great contrast and crisp sharp images
+ Wireless access via 802.11 b/g compliant antenna (still waiting for `n')
+ Wireless searching and video on mode can be disabled to extend battery life
+ Headphone jack compatible with standard phones
+ Genius playlist feature works well enough
+ New apps work great and give you stocks, maps, email, notes and weather
+ Supports both NTSC and PAL video out
+ Unlike iPod classic, all flash memory means less failures and breakage
+ Flash memory also awesome for running / working out, though I use my nano for that ;-)
+ Integration of Nike workout features also nice add-on
+ Cover-flow works better on the Touch with the software update
+ Slightly better sound quality than 2nd generation iPods
+ Small speaker is great for playing games or previewing tracks
+ Apple reputation is probably still worth the premium
+ Plenty of free video and audio teaser content available on iTunes
+ Easy access to iTunes right from your device over your local wireless internet!
+ Apple store provides easy access to more and more apps
Cons
- Still not enough capacity to make it a replacement for your disk-based player
- Still no track controls, though the volume controls and hold are nice add-ons
- Accessories such as cases that fit version 1 need to be replaced due to body redesign
- Screen requires "real touch," bad for those of us in cold weather cities
- Data port still seems cramped
- Still not backwards compatible with legacy docks and cables
- Battery life somewhat improved, but not nearly as much as advertised
- Only minimal usage of WiFi and video will allow regular daily usage on one charge
- No expandability or SD card slot like competing players
- Limited native formats (MP3, MPEG4, AAC) and high software overhead (still growing!)
- iTunes attempts to install extra software when updating!!!
- PDA functions such as calendar syncing and contact management still need work
- Still lacking some features such as built-in FM radio & voice recorder
- Missing wireless syncing and song transfer, features already on the Zune
- No Bluetooth for peripherals and accessories (strange considering Nike integration is based on bluetooth)
- No wireless synching or wireless access to iTunes WLAN libraries
- No WiFi viewing of live iTunes PodCasts
- Still no local viewing of PDF or other common document formats
- No mode to use as disk storage?!?!
- Still relatively expensive in GB/ $ terms
Conclusion
Overall this device is enough of an improvement to lure in more converts. Those who own the first generation iPod Touch or want to store their entire music collection will probably want to wait. Except of course, if you must have one or more of those updated features (improved battery life, Nike integration, etc). In that case, you can find comfort in the slightly improved sound.
Enjoy!!!!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Finally a leap in the right direction
Finally a leap in the right direction, Let's start with the first thing I love about it; NO MIRRORED ALUMINUM BACKING. Now now, I know that this is a huge thing for some people since it's sort of Apple's signature and all, but I'm so happy that it's not there since all it does is get scratched up and ugly anyway. Instead it's replaced by a wrap-around brushed aluminum design which doesn't scratch nearly as easy and will stay looking great for years to come (at least my shuffle of the same design has).
Another thing I noticed about the player is an almost silent noise floor. For the not so geeky crowd, the noise floor is the level of audible background noise caused by the unit itself (that hiss you hear when music isn't playing). Although most people never notice it because they use the standard Apple headphones, it becomes more noticeable with higher end headphones that possess a greater frequency range. Again, this may not seem like much, but to an audiophile like me you can't begin to put a price on it.
I'll cut in real quick though with something I'm not too crazy about that Apple is promoting the hell out of right now so I can get it out of the way, and that's the "Genius" feature. The problem is that "Genius" is more "Retarded" than anything else... I wish I could think of a better way to put it but I really can't. You see, when you activate Genius, it's supposed to find similar songs on your iPod or in your library for you to listen to and also recommend other music you might like. The problem is though that there appears to be little to any rhyme or reason to how it selects these songs... For example, activating Genius while listening to Grow Up and Blow Away by Metric (Alt with a soft rock overtone), created a playlist with things like Kill the Poor by The Dead Kennedys (hardcore punk rock). It got it right now and then but was usually the difference between night and day. It's not a feature you're required to use to play your music though so no harm done.
Also new to the nano is the use of accelerometers like those present in the Touch and iPhone, allowing you to tilt it to watch a video or enter cover flow to browse albums quicker. You can also give it a quick shake to enter shuffle mode, but this isn't as useful as the other features I just mentioned... If the games that are already present on the unit are any indication however, Apple looks to be planning to use this feature extensively and to its full potential in the future.
The biggest thing that I feel will draw people in however is how big this player isn't. It's roughly the width and length of two sticks of gum sitting next to each other, and only about as think as if there were two more stacked on top of them. Making it incredibly convenient to carry with you virtually anywhere. And at only $150 for an 8GB and $200 for a 16, it's becoming harder to pass these up even with the stiff competition from other competent companies like Sandisk (Sansa) and Creative (zen).
Don't feel like it's a total overhaul though, features that haven't changed are plenty as well.
The overall interface is the same, and can have a bit of a learning curve if you use the brute force figure it out as you go approach (this was my fist actual iPod myself, since my previous was a menuless shuffle) but can be easily used to it's full potential by logging onto the Apple website for the full manual.
The docking port looks the same as any of the other iPods, but that doesn't always mean it's compatible with various players. I don't own any docks myself, so I can't comment personally. Although I'm taking a wait and see stand on this though, as many docks seem to have compatibility issues as each generation comes and goes.
Overall it's a wonderful little music player that surely wont disappoint, from the casual listener to the hardcore music junkie, it's a must to be considered for anyone in the market.
Update 10/14/08: I've noticed as I use the player more that occasionally the click wheel has a tendency to "lag" a bit behind or is slow to respond. Hopefully this issue will be fixed in a software update though, since from the way it happens I don't think it's a hardware issue. In any case, it isn't a huge deal unless you plan on playing a ton of games. But that doesn't mean that it wouldn't still be nice to have it fixed.
Apple iPod Nano
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Almost "Untouchable"
1,267 of 1,298 people found the following review helpful:
Almost "Untouchable", | By | C. Franz (Zurich, ZH Switzerland) - See all my reviews |
Size and Dimensions
The iPod Touch now sports a more rounded design on the back, making it look slightly thinner and more like the iPhone than the original did (it is not really thinner than it's predecessor, just looks that way). Unfortunately, the back plate is still made from stainless steel, and this plate attacts fingerprints and scratches almost magically. After one year of near-constant use the backplate of my first gen Touch looks a bit like a wild etch-a-sketch (I carry the Touch in my pocket). Interestingly, the glass on the front appears (after one year of heavy use) to be absolutely scratch-resistant. It's the backside (that also carries the custom engraving) that quickly becomes blemished. I would have preferred a brushed metal/aluminium backplate. I had to look it up, but the new Touch is slightly lighter (a few grams) - but it looks thinner (thanks to the tapered edge design). The rounded edges make it fit my palm slightly better, making it feel just right (to be honest, the original Touch was already very, very good in this respect). Other than that the outside dimensions exactly match that of the original Touch. The most visible change from the front is that the steel from the backplate now frames the glass much like it did on the original iPhone.
Touch Screen and Controls
The screen is simply gorgeous. It's bright, crisp, has great contrast, and can adapt it's brightness to the ambient light. In direct sunlight, much like it's predecessor it becomes difficult to read correctly. In shade it's perfectly readable -- a feat considering how bright a display has to be to achieve that. Color temperature of the display has shifted slightly downwards (or, to sound less pompuous: the display's colors have shifted slightly from a blueish to a golden tinge, something you wouldn't notice unless you have the two devices side by side).
The touch screen is very responsive, and as I stated before, absolutely scratch-resistant. Surviving a full year in my pocket along with metallic objects such as my keys is a testament to it's durability (looking at the stainles steel backside is a constant reminder just how badly it could have been scratched). As with the original Touch, the same problems occur when you try to control the device 'blind' (i.e. while it is in your pocket): without looking at it, you simply can't. Fortunately, Apple has addressed the most important drawback with this design: a hardware volume control. The screen's resolution remains at 480x320, which is very good (certainly better than my iPod Classic's). Interestingly, I've found out that ripping videos to this resolution does not necessarily yield noticeably better results than for the iPod classic's (320x240) screen, so I now rip to that resolution, conserving some memory.
iPod / iTunes
After one year of owning the original Touch I have to remind myself that this device originally is an iPod -- or rather a digital music player. As it turns out, although I also use it for music playing, this function has more and more been relegated to a background task -- a task, nontheless, that it handles really well. The coverflow, browsing and display functionality has evolved nicely from the original (1.0 and 2.0) versions, and are still the best in the market. The interface improvements support nice touches such as displaying a song's lyrics on single tap, bringing up the volume/cue controls on double-tap of the home button, an alphabetic slide rule when browsing titles, etc. Still missing is a search function, though. And, especially in light of the gorgeous display capabilities and the recent addition of a new visualitzer (in additional to the existing ones in iTunes), I would have loved to see a visualizer on the Touch as well. The biggest (and in my oppinion delibarate (as in spiteful)) omission is this: you still can't enable 'hard drive mode', i.e. use the Touch as a mass storage device. The biggest boon is improved battery life.
Video is crisp (still no contrast control, though), and audio playback is just as you expect (again: I'm no audiophile. I'm absolutely happy with most player's audio capabilities). Again I'm not using the Apple-provided white and quite sub-par headphones. I'm using separately purchased ones. New for the second gen is a built-in speaker. Audio quality here is not actually terrible, but close. The sound is tinny, weak, and just somehow comes out of the iPod (mono, of course). I believe that the addition of the speaker has a specific reason different from HiFi: it makes playing games on the Touch without headphones so much more enjoyable. But for listening to music I would prefer headphones or active speakers. To be honest, I prefer not listening to music from that speaker.
iTunes integration is top-notch as before. Some sort of bug-fix now has made data backup much faster, and both iTunes and the Touch now sport a new kind of smart playlist that is called 'Genius'. Initially, I wasn't impressed by this feature. Although iTunes 8 has had this feature I regarded it primarily as a well executed new way to sell song and hence didn't use it. On my iPod, however (which only carries a subset of my library due to memory contraints), this feature literally rocks. On my first day alone it had me re-discover five songs I never knew I had (much less liked).
On the downside, the Touch still does not support playlist groups, which is a constant annoyance to me. I'm also disappointed to see that the Touch still can't synch wirelessly, nor can it be used to access shared playlists (other than downloading them, of course). An application in the App store offers this functionality, albeit only for non-DRM'd titles, proving the point that this is possible.
Images (from iPhoto) can also be synched to the Touch, and nothing is more fun than showing off your iPod's capabilities using a nice picture and 'pinch' and 'swipe'. Interestingly (or rather: unfortunately), iTunes appears to down-sample large images to a smaller resolution, probably to conserve memory. This may make sense, but I would like to be able to have more control over this feature (i.e. decide myself what the image's resolution on the iPod should be).
Accessories - the Big Bad Ugly
Unfortunately, Apple has changed the pin-out (*again*) for the iPod connector. As a result, some 'made for iPod' accessories either don't work, or don't work fully any more. For example, my Altec Lansing active speakers can't charge the Touch any more (it was able to charge the 1st gen Touch). This is truly, truly annoying as you don't know if your iPod works with your 'made for iPod' devices any longer, and makes purchasing new accessories a game of chance. My car has a (hideously expensive) iPod integration that luckily still works (including re-charging). Still, the iPod connector compatibility (or lack thereof) is becoming a big mess. Just imagine you want to buy an accessory for your kid or friend, and too late find out that it does not work with it.
WiFi / Internet
A year ago I purchased an iPod, and got a fully integrated web accesory kit. As it turned out, the addition of WiFi and full internet access is a killer feature to me. The web browser (a mobile version of Safari) is very capable. Much has been said about the fact that Mobile Safari does not support Flash. This is annoying if you visit sites that use it. The pinch/slide gesture-based interface works so well that I regularely use the Touch for normal web surfing. The general experience has increased over the past few month, no doubt in no small amounts due to the fact that many sites have beed re-designed with the iPhone in mind. Since the Touch's browser is exactly the same, it inherits the benefit. WiFi speed is good (although it still uses the 802.11b/g, not the n variant) - and mostly depends on the hotspot you are connected to. It remembers the hotspots it has connected to (much like a laptop would), and can also connect using WPA. There are other Web enabled applications that come with the iPod (Maps, which can pinpoint your location by the position of hotspots close to you), Stocks, YouTube, and Weather, which are nice, but remarkable. WiFi reception range is average, but definitely below that of some PC laptops.
Then, the Touch also comes with Mail, Calendar and Adressboock, and these do become killer fieatures, especially when coupled with an Exchange server or (as Apple would prefer) MobileMe. Mail supports 'push' technology, meaning that (almost) as soon an there is an incoming mail (and your Touch is connected to a hotspot), you are notified by a little discreep 'bleep'. Reading emails, including mails with rich content works very well. Composing any but the shortes emails, on the other hand, is bothersome, verging on annoying due to the small virtual keyboard). Still, simply being able to do this makes all the difference. Live Calender updates have saved my bacon a few times already, as you do not have to remember to actively synch your iPod after you have made a change to the calender.
Integration with Exchange (at the point of writing) remains a tad spotty, with no messages appearing for s few hours, and then suddenly many appearing at once (I initially suspected a configuration issue on the Exchange Server, but this appears not to be the case). Depending upon how you configure MobileMe on your Mac, the results are similar to what you can expect from Exchange (with the difference, of course, that Apple is running the servers for you). Unfortunately, MobileMe currently does not synch your Notes.
Nicely executed is the integrated iTunes store. While possibly just another mechanism to generate sales, I simply love the fact that if I hear or remember a song, I can almost always instantly purchase it and have it on my touch within seconds. Songs purchased on the Touch synchronize back to your main library in iTunes (into a rather silly 'Purchased on Touch' playlist). If a download has to discontinue because the network connection was lost (or for any other reasons), it will continue as soon as the connection to the Internet is restored.
Interestingly, the touch sports (I'm a sucker for lame puns) the required hardware to connect to the 'Nike + iPod' sports accessories built-in (i.e. you do not have to connect the dongle). I say interestingly because these devices utilize the bluetooth frequency band, yet the Touch does not support bluetooth devices (headphones, mikes, car integration and printers come to mind). Since I use a shuffle for work-out, this is not a must-have feature for me.
Applications/App Store
If Mail, Calendar and Browser are killer apps, Apple has added another killer feature to the Touch (and iPhone) that expands the device's usability (and customizability) by orders of magnitude: the App store. In appearance similar to the iTunes Store, here you can choose from literally hundrets of applictions (of greatly varying quality, though), purchase and install them instantly. Prices run from free to roughly 10 USD (there are some more expensive titles, but the majority are priced at a couple of USD). The apps are presented in three different ways ('featured', 'top', browse by category), plus you have the ability to search for keywords.
Although the 'signal to noise' ratio isn't that great (there are quite a lot of useless or awfully executed applications), there are some jaw-droppingly good apps that truly enhance your Touch. Among the first to mention is Apple's own (free) 'Remote' app, which allows you to remote-control iTunes on your Mac or Apple TV - with real-time full visual feedback, and full search capability (allegedly, it is also a real boon for Apple TV users, as it provides a virtual keyboard as input means. Not having Apple TV, I can't comment on this). Then there is an application that allows you to stream all your music (well, the unprotecte at least) to your Touch - over the Internet to wherever you are (interestingly, this App was not produced by Apple).
Greatly enhancing the Touch's usability are eBook readers (the Touch is almost perfect for rading books, giving you that 'Star Trek' info pad feeling) as well as off-line news readers. Another important category are applications that enable you to easily transfer (and view) files from your Mac/PC to the Touch. I would have expected Apple to integrate this feature into iTunes (perhaps rudimentary support for PDF), but third party providers are more than happy to bridge this gap for you. And for the geeks there are VNC and SSH clients that finally allow them to control their server cluster using an iPod.
For those who want radio, there are lots of offerings for IP radios. Of course this means that your iPod must remain in range of a hotspot to use this feature. Mine does, so I alos now have radio -- and re-discovered just why I never missed it. I'm simply not a radio guy, I guess. I do know that many people miss it, and wish apple had gone the last mile and also added an FM tuner.
Two Apps I'm sure that will arrive soon at the App store is due to another addition to the Touch: support for extenal microphones. Apple's hi-end earphones have both a remote and mike built in, and are said to be compatible with the 2nd (and only 2nd) gen Touch. Audio note pads, and VoIP apps (a la Skype) that allows phone functionality over WiFi are sure to follow soon (note: I have seen these apps available in the US stores; sadly they are not yet available here in Switzerland Also, I interpret Apple's docs that the 2nd gen Touch supports external microphones, as they have not yet shipped the combined mike/remote headphones to me).
And then there are games. They currently are the biggest category of all applications. The Touch, with it's integrated accelerometer, 480x320 color screen and touch interface makes a nice gaming device, and developers have come up with some truly fun and innovative games ('Toy Bot' may serve as a great example). Apple may have realized that this is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the Touch: the Gen 2 device sports a speaker that makes little sense - except to improve the gaming experience (believe me: playing an accelerometer-based game with headphones on can be verry little fun when it gets exciting). And improving the experience it does. The Touch is ill suited for classic 'control pad' based games (e.g. Tetris, Pac Man), and most of their Touch adaptations suffer accordingly. Other games, however, adapt nicely to touch/accelerometer input (Monkey Ball, Crash Cart etc), or are a natural fit (Labyrinth, Sudoku, Solitair, Othello)
Super-geeks can also download the iPhone/Touch SDK and create their own applications. This is not for the faint of heart, as you first download a few gigabytes (Apple's XCode development environment), and then will have to code in Objective-C (an extension to standard C) and use the Cocoa framework. Plus, you'll need a Mac to do so. The environment is actually very good, and includes an iPhone simulator to test your software before deployment.
I should mention that most of the improvements (with the exception of the hardware upgrades: mike support, built-in nike support, volume buttons and battery life) can be had for free on your 1st gen Touch (if you have the 2.0 Update), or a couple of bucks if you havn't upgraded yet. Unless you (like me) want the larger memory (my first gen only has 16GB), the decision to upgrade to 2nd gen may be difficult.
Summary:
The 2nd generation iPod Touch is an almost perfect device. It combines top-notch video/audio, world-class UI, great casual gaming, hundrets of apps, and full access to the Internet into a single, beautiful package. To sum it up neatly: Untouchable. Well -- almost. It has one big flaw if you have invested in accessories: it may not be compatible with them, as Apple has changed the iPod connector pin-out (again). With those reservations, I recommend the Touch to anyone. Also great: owners of the 1st gen Touch can get most of these goodies with a simple, inexpensive software upgrade.
Hits
+ great display
+ good audio
+ gesture-based interface
+ accelerometer for controls
+ great integration with your music library (via iTunes)
+ long battery life
+ wireless music store
+ wireless App store (killer feature)
+ Speaker for gaming
+ Mail, Calendar and Address book with Push
+ WiFi Internet (killer feature)
+ Remote App (free) for your PC/Mac's iTunes/AppleTV
+ SDK freely available for anyone
+ Microphone and remote support
+ Nike + iPod without dongle
Misses
- incompatibility with 'made for iPod' devices (bad, bad, bad)
- stainless steel backplate (fingerprints and scratches easily)
- no wireless synching
- no wireless playback of streamed iTunes content (an Appstore application can stream unprotected content, though)
- no visualizer
- no search function
- no playlist groups (why, oh why?)
- no GPS nor FM radio
- Notes not synched with MobileMe
- no hard drive mode
- no synching documents (except third party Apps)
- downsampling of photos
- currently tops out at 32GB (would have preferred 64)
- no bluetooth
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The coolest device we have ever owned
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
The coolest device we have ever owned, | By | Epi Man (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews |
I am pretty sure we have already downloaded $20 worth of apps. I am embarrassed to be gushing - but this is a really impressive little device.
Apple iPod Touch
Saturday, September 13, 2008
What an Amazing Invention
What an Amazing Invention, | By | Stephanie Sane (from the Asylum) - See all my reviews |
But a friend has an iPhone and she showed me the nifty apps you can download. I played around, looking around in the App Store and found Kanji Flip. Okay, no Nano for me, not now. I got a Touch. You see, I was recently given the Rosetta Stone for both Japanese and Chinese . What a challenge, studying two languages, so different from English, at once. And their writing systems are so different. It's one thing to learn to speak, quite another to learn to read and write.
Yes you can do Pinyin and Romanji, but that's writing for foreigners, you wanna learn the language, you gotta learn the written part as well. And that's where the Touch or the iPhone come in. I downloaded Kanji Flip, Japan Flip, a Japanese Dictionary and I'm studying away every chance I get. They have similar little apps to help you with your Mandarin, but I've been working diligently with Japanese for two months now and am having a bit more trouble with Mandarin, though it's only been a month. I've decided to learn the Japanese writing system first, if I can, then tackle the Chinese.
What a chore, I know.
But the Touch isn't only for flashcarding Kana and Kanji, you can stuff it full of music, photos and even watch movies on it and you never have to worry about an annoying phone call interrupting your work or play.
This is quite an invention, this iPod Touch
Reviewed by Stephanie Sane
Apple iPod Touch
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I Actually bought one (Unlike some people) and I love it!
I Actually bought one (Unlike some people) and I love it!, | By | Andrew A. Burnett "Re-Invent Hip-Hop" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews |
I previously had a 30GB Video Ipod and It lasted me about 3 years. Its being repaired for a new battery now, but I figured I would upgrade since my library had grown.
Not much has changed to these new ones, except the interface a little. I love genius and I am stoked that it was worked into the functionality. It remains about the same size as my 5th generation? video and so still fits my old rubber case (which is nice).
Probably the best thing about it is, doing a comparison between my roommates 30GB ipod video and this one, I find that the audio quality on this one has improved quite a bit. I don't know if its the connectors or maybe a d-a converter, but it definitely sounds better. I am a recording engineer so I might be a little more apt to hear it, but its cool.
Overall I am stoked about my new ipod. Its a great device! I will be sad to see apple move on to more of a multi-tool type device, but that doesn't sway my review on this one. Enjoy!
Apple iPod Classic
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Original - Survives
The Original - Survives, | By | Stephen Hall "books911" (USA) - See all my reviews |
I own the 160 GB iPod Classic that has now been discontinued, but there are few differences (perhaps the biggest being the much slimmer shape of this 120 model), and I did get to check this updated 120 GB version out at the store, when picking up the new nano and touch.
Firstly, the 120 GB version is again smaller than the largest capacity available last year, but it is a single platter hard drive, which allows it to maintain the slim shape of the 80 GB version from last year. More storage, a hundred dollars less, and just as small. That is progress despite calls from others that the classic isn't exciting. It still serves its purpose as the original iPod idea. Big capacity in a simple to use device.
Next, the software has been slightly updated on the iPod Classic. It now includes Genius, like iTunes and the other new iPods. This allows you, when on a song you enjoy, to select the genius feature. The iPod will then compile a list of songs (playlist), which goes together with the original song you were listening to. This helps you rediscover music in your library, with a playlist to fit your mood at the time. I have been using the genius feature for a few days now, and it is impressive the way it compiles these playlists. I was skeptical, but overall, it does a good job. Furthermore, as another review mentioned, the iPod does seem more responsive with this update from what I saw at the store compared to my original 160 GB iPod Classic. Some speculation has been that the older iPod Classics will receive the software update of this new one, but I'm not holding my breath on that.
Overall, the original iPod concept was so good, and that is why the iPod Classic is still a solid choice for a music and media player. It will hold thousands and thousands of songs (up to 30,000 according to Apple at 128 bitrate). I also backup some important files to my iPod Classic, in disk mode, so that I have that additional extra copy of my most vital files. When you have such a large iPod, you can do that. It shouldn't be forgotten either that while the display of the iPod Classic isn't as good as the iPod Touch or iPhone, it is still quite good and you can play music videos, TV shows, and movies purchased on the iTunes Store.
Battery life for this new 120 GB model improved over the 80GB model from last year. Apple now estimates it at 36 hours audio and 6 hours video.
I'd recommend the iPod Classic without hesitation, to those who have more than 8 or 16 GBs of music in their iTunes library and want to carry their entire collection. Furthermore, if you have videos and video podcasts you want to always carry with you, again, you can't beat the storage. I have the lower capacity flash devices as well, but the big hard drive based iPod Classic continues to play an important role in my iPod Collection.
Apple iPod Classic
curvier, lighter, cheaper, iPhone-ier
curvier, lighter, cheaper, iPhone-ier, | By | James L. Wright Jr. (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews |
Improvements include: iPhone Firmware 2.1, which opens access to the AppStore and fixes some of 2.0's bugs; an internal speaker (not terribly loud, but it'll do in a pinch); the Nike+ support; a new form factor that is lighter and curved for easier holding (though if you use it on a flat surface it's not as stable as the 1G); 6 hour video / 36 hour audio battery life; support for the new iTunes 8.0 Genius playlists (similar to Rhapsody Channels and Pandora, but limited to your on-device music collection).
If your primary need is for an audio player, especially for podcasts and audiobooks where the device sits in your pocket for hours on end, I'd recommend you consider the iPod Nano. The new 4G Nano tops off at 16Gb, which works out to nearly six months of spoken-word content. And at $199, you get twice the storage for less than the 8Gb Touch.
Where the Touch shines is in its interactivity - a gorgeous video-viewing experience that won't strain your eyes like the Nano, full Safari browser and other Internet-enabled applications (with a WiFi connection), gorgeous 2D and decent 3D gaming, PDA-like functionality. It's called Touch for a reason - it screams out to be looked at, touched, played with, caressed, even licked. It's a full-blown computer in your hand; to use it as a mere digital audio player makes Steve Jobs cry.
I wouldn't toss a 1G Touch for this device, since you can upgrade to the 2.1 firmware and get most of the goodies in software. But if you're looking to upgrade from a smaller device and want something with the additional potential to replace your Palm, PSP or Nintendo DS Lite, this is a compelling option.
Apple iPod Touch
Solid New Features + More Affordable
Solid New Features + More Affordable, | By | Stephen Hall "books911" (USA) - See all my reviews |
I want to concentrate primarily on the new features:
First, physical volume buttons are now placed on the side of the iPod Touch as they are on the iPhone. This is very convenient. It allows you to adjust the volume of your music, without having to pull the entire device out of your pocket and activate the screen. A time saver.
Second, many people requested a built-in speaker for the iPod Touch like is available on the iPhone. Apple listened. However, there is one important point to make on this! The iPod Touch is incredibly small, and Apple is forced to put an incredibly small speaker. The speaker in the iPod Touch sounds worst than the speaker in the iPhone. I have compared it side by side, and it's fairly significant, and the iPhone speaker isn't that great to begin with. However, in a quiet room, the speaker is still useful for previewing a song you might want to buy, or for playing games. However, still, if you want great sound, you need to connect your headphones.
Genius - This new feature is really surprisingly good. When you're listening to a song you enjoy, select the genius option. It will create a playlist for you, with songs that go together nicely with the one you started with. It helps you rediscover great music from your collection with a playlist suited to the mood you're in. I didn't think it would do a good job compiling this list, but it has been quite impressive.
Applications - It's great to have the ability to buy (or get some free) applications right on the iPod Touch. Furthermore, with the software update this new iPod Touch comes with, the Application installation process is so much smoother than it had been even on my iPhone. It now works how you want it to, seamlessly. I like having a weather application that includes doppler radar images, and that is free. I also have several games on it. There is a great variety of applications available from hundreds of third-parties right on the iPod itself, so you are certain to find something that interests you. I really like the new release of Spore, for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Apple is really pushing the games and quietly suggest they are challenging Nintendo and Sony. They are innovative and interesting games, but I think they have a ways to go, to challenge those game makers.
Nike + is now built in too, so if you have the shoes and the puck, the iPod Touch is ready to receive the data from it. Battery life is improved to 36 hours audio and 6 hours video according to Apple. I find the audio number fairly accurate if you don't light up the display much, but the video number is a slight bit harder to achieve.
Of course, the new ipod Touch does look and feel even better than the first generation, from my small experiences with the previous one. I also think it feels cooler than my iPhones, but obviously your interpretation may very. I like the metal back on the iPod Touch. It looks classy, though it is prone to scratches.
One of my favorite features continues to be, when in my home on Wi-Fi, to reach down for the Touch, use Safari web browser and look something up. It's great.
Overall, it was a solid update for the iPod Touch. I wish the speaker could be better on it, but I believe that is due to the physical restrictions of the small device. I could have knocked it to four stars for that, but I think most people realize a built in speaker isn't the way you want to listen to most audio on an iPod to begin with. I'm impressed by the second generation iPod Touch, and I think with the third party applications getting better and becoming more popular, more people will consider the Touch.
Apple iPod Touch
Updated iPod Touch Delivers Nice New Features
Updated iPod Touch Delivers Nice New Features, | By | Stephen Hall "books911" (USA) - See all my reviews |
I want to concentrate primarily on the new features:
First, physical volume buttons are now placed on the side of the iPod Touch as they are on the iPhone. This is very convenient. It allows you to adjust the volume of your music, without having to pull the entire device out of your pocket and activate the screen. A time saver.
Second, many people requested a built-in speaker for the iPod Touch like is available on the iPhone. Apple listened. However, there is one important point to make on this! The iPod Touch is incredibly small, and Apple is forced to put an incredibly small speaker. The speaker in the iPod Touch sounds worst than the speaker in the iPhone. I have compared it side by side, and it's fairly significant, and the iPhone speaker isn't that great to begin with. However, in a quiet room, the speaker is still useful for previewing a song you might want to buy, or for playing games. However, still, if you want great sound, you need to connect your headphones.
Genius - This new feature is really surprisingly good. When you're listening to a song you enjoy, select the genius option. It will create a playlist for you, with songs that go together nicely with the one you started with. It helps you rediscover great music from your collection with a playlist suited to the mood you're in. I didn't think it would do a good job compiling this list, but it has been quite impressive.
Applications - It's great to have the ability to buy (or get some free) applications right on the iPod Touch. Furthermore, with the software update this new iPod Touch comes with, the Application installation process is so much smoother than it had been even on my iPhone. It now works how you want it to, seamlessly. I like having a weather application that includes doppler radar images, and that is free. I also have several games on it. There is a great variety of applications available from hundreds of third-parties right on the iPod itself, so you are certain to find something that interests you. I really like the new release of Spore, for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Apple is really pushing the games and quietly suggest they are challenging Nintendo and Sony. They are innovative and interesting games, but I think they have a ways to go, to challenge those game makers.
Nike + is now built in too, so if you have the shoes and the puck, the iPod Touch is ready to receive the data from it. Battery life is improved to 36 hours audio and 6 hours video according to Apple. I find the audio number fairly accurate if you don't light up the display much, but the video number is a slight bit harder to achieve.
Of course, the new ipod Touch does look and feel even better than the first generation, from my small experiences with the previous one. I also think it feels cooler than my iPhones, but obviously your interpretation may very. I like the metal back on the iPod Touch. It looks classy, though it is prone to scratches.
One of my favorite features continues to be, when in my home on Wi-Fi, to reach down for the Touch, use Safari web browser and look something up. It's great.
Overall, it was a solid update for the iPod Touch. I wish the speaker could be better on it, but I believe that is due to the physical restrictions of the small device. I could have knocked it to four stars for that, but I think most people realize a built in speaker isn't the way you want to listen to most audio on an iPod to begin with. I'm impressed by the second generation iPod Touch, and I think with the third party applications getting better and becoming more popular, more people will consider the Touch.
Apple iPod Touch
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)