To iPod or not to iPod?

I am looking at buying a new (20+ GB) MP3 player <click here to post your recommendations>. Of course I am looking at an ipod, but I want to know a few things so that I don't buy the wrong thing for me. Post suggestions or links to sites that might better answer these questions.

- When unprotected .MP3 music is put on to an iPod, can it be played on different machines (during the day at work, and then later at home)?
- If I place my .MP3 files on to an iPod, can I copy them off onto my work machine? If so, what do I need to do so? (two "docks," one for home and one for work?)
- When the iPod is connected to my machine(s), does it show up as a hard drive or do I have to install and use Apple software to get to it?
- Can I use winamp to play the songs (when connected to a PC)?
- Does anyone sync the iPod calendar app with Outlook? Thoughts?
- If you have an iPod photo, what are the implications of putting your photos on the iPod? Are there any protection issues? Can you copy them on to different machines or would this not be a good backup solution for my photos?

Note:
I have no interest in protecting my music.
I have no interest in purchasing anything from Apple, but if the iPod is best, that is what I will buy.

Thanks for your comments.

Hey all. I am thinking of purchasing a new portable MP3 player. I wanted to see what your thoughts are. Mainly, I am trying to decide on purchasing an ipod or an equivalent competitive device. If you could care less about my situation, reply now with your preference.

Here's my situation, which may or may help you.
- I have my entire unprotected MP3 collection on both my home and work PC's. I absolutely must be able to listen to my music on any of my three PC's.
- I have over 18GB of MP3's with at least 50 CD's still to rip (all 128kbps or more - avg: 192kbps)
- My "work" car has no CD player, but has a cassette/AM/FM
- I drive two cars, approximately 3 hours a week (approximately 30 short trips) so any normal setup time must be at a minimum.
- I take three to five 12+ hour car trips per year
- I fly two to three times (round trip) per year (4-hours per flight)

Additional Details that may or may not directly relate
- I LOVE winamp
- I also have well over 5,500 (4+GB) of digital photographs
- I have 7 protected songs from itunes
- I live in the United States
- I prefer beef over any bird

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. If you have an iPod and wish to answer some of my iPod specific questions, <click here> for my other thread on that subject.

I completely dig my Iphoto Ipod.

I suggest it to anyone.

My comments in cyan -- great word "cyan"





You're welcome.

Absolutely get an iPod. I've had mine for years and love it. Don't get the radio transmitter thing; get a cassette adapter. The transmitter works, but it takes a bit of setup time and never matches the quality of the cassette. I don't have a cassette player in one car, so I have to use the FM transmitter. Consequently, I don't use it very often. Check the winamp plugin to make sure it supports the model you're looking at. It works great for mine. Name your ipod "Beef".

- When unprotected .MP3 music is put on to an iPod, can it be played on different machines (during the day at work, and then later at home)?

With iTunes, the iPod will associate itself with one computer and songs can be copied onto the iPod but not off of it. With the winamp plugin, you can play songs from the iPod on any computer.

- If I place my .MP3 files on to an iPod, can I copy them off onto my work machine? If so, what do I need to do so? (two "docks," one for home and one for work?)

Again, with iTunes no. With the winamp plugin yes.

- When the iPod is connected to my machine(s), does it show up as a hard drive or do I have to install and use Apple software to get to it?

It shows up as a hard drive, but music that it can play goes on it in a seperate format. You need to use a program designed for the iPod to copy music onto it that it can play. Other files you copy onto it like a hard drive in windows explorer. You don't have to use iTunes for it though. There are plenty of other programs. (I obviously like the winamp plugin.)

- Can I use winamp to play the songs (when connected to a PC)?

Yes, if you get the plugin. Winamp will play directly from the iPod.

- Does anyone sync the iPod calendar app with Outlook? Thoughts?

Nope. I've got an old palm for that.

Thanks to both of for your help. Especially the bit about the cassette/fm adapters!

Have either of you experienced problems with your ipods? Battery life issues, lockups, etc?

Have either of you (or anyone else) used an iRiver or Dell device? Thoughts?

Hey Sheepdip I've merged both your topics, I figured you could just continue from here asking as many iPod/mp3 player questions as you liked.

Back on subject, nope, never had any problems, I've only had my ipod since Sept but I'm pretty happy with it. Battery lasts me about a week. I use it for 2 hours a day, well give or take 2 hours a day. 1 hour on way to work and 1 hour on return. So usually around wednesday or thursday evening the battery is almost dead so I just charge it overnight. It also depends on how many songs you "skip", if you just let it play the songs and never skip I'm sure you'd be able to go longer than a week without charging. But since I have it on random and I skip through my songs, it pushes the hdd to work harder so it uses up more of the battery life.

My brother has a Dell device, he's pretty happy with it and it looks almost the same the only diff he found was the price. So if you're concerned about that I'd stay away from the iPods as they tend to be pricie, at least around here they are.

I know that the iPod has tons of toys you can get, I don't know if there are as many accessories for hte competition so if you're planning on "supping" it up you may want to stick with iPod.

I haven't had any issues with lockups ever. Battery life has been good, it's getting down to the point where I should probably change it. There are kits now that make it incredibly easy. I've had a couple friends do it. As long as I hook it up to my computer whenever I'm home, it never dies on me when I want it. Same thing I do with my cell phone.

i think that the ipod looks better than all the competition it completely wipes the floor with them.

IPOD IS EVIL!

they break easy, they look pants and u can get more storage for less!

get a Creative (the company) one

vnt memba the web addy, bang it into google n see wot u get

please, im begging you, do not get a dell product. they are absolute duck excrement. lockups, in my experience have been a huge problem. i thought it was DOA out of the box. i turned it on and i had a lock up and a rebuilt libabry. Battery life is great an all, its big, bulky, doesn't do very much, and for 50 dollars more, you can have a somewhat crippled palm on an ipod [outlook contacts and such] there are many little useful apps you can load onto your ipod, unlike a dell. there are no hacks and such for it, and is pretty much limited to the dell dj explorer, the dudebox explorer [30$], and musicmatch [shudder] Another thing about dells is that they break. i've had mine for two years, and then after one fateful turning on, i got the "click" of death, and a "hard disk error" message. Do yourself a favor and get an ipod with the APP, [there is a battery issue; they make you replace the ipod after around 18 months because they wont replace just the battery]


ps: to all ipod haters: is the only flaw you can find the syleishness of the product, and the fact that it does well in the market. After surfing around on some websites, the only thing i can find it, "the only reason people buy ipods is because they look nice" and "ipod is taking over, dont buy them"...Why? is it so bad that apple makes a good product?

I have an iPod and I can tell you that my reason for hating it has nothing to do with its success or stylishness. It has to do with the fact that iTunes suffers from HORRIBLE performance and Apple will not allow other software access to the API so that I can manage MY MP3s. I will never buy songs online. If I want the MP3 I will go buy the CD and rip it. I don't steal them. I mean it, the iTunes performance on Windows is absolute crap.

itunes performance on a pc is also based on a pc's power. it runs fine on mine and i do notice it can be a bit resource hungry. there are other ways to manage the ipod such as the aforementioned winamp plugin. nobody is forcing you to use itunes, if you took the initiative to look for these ways, you would find many freeware [and some shareware such as Anapod explorer] applications to use. all in all, the ipod is a fine machine. ive been using it for about a month and battery life is fine, the user interface is something other companies can learn from, and the playback quality is great. i barely notice skips in the songs, even though it has to cache them every 45 seconds or so [1411 kbps songs, each running at around 35-60 megs] [go lossless!!] as you wold expect, this would be terrible for battery life considering you would ahve the hard drive spinning every 45 seconds, but its fine. i highly reccommend the ipod to anyone willing to shell out $300+ for an mp3 player.