Test-Driving the $99 iPod

Mosseberg Solution ^ | January 12, 2005 | WALTER S. MOSSBERG

[mastercylinder]

At last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, numerous companies were showing off gadgets aimed at dethroning the most successful electronics product of the past couple of years: Apple Computer's iPod portable digital music player. Many hoped to challenge Apple by offering smaller, lighter and less costly players than the company's lowest priced and littlest iPod model, the $249 iPod Mini.

[listenhillary]

Have consumers found a way to replace the battery when it eventually dies? What happens when you send it to Apple for service if you have music that isn't "approved"? Do you throw it away instead?

I've seen mostly good comments about the NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra series. Up to a 60GB HD. Any opinions?

I've got an Archos AV100 20GB which is a discontinued model. Picked it up for about $180. Seems to worked fine as an MP3 player, 5 hours battery play time and live recording sounds pretty decent. The manual was horrendously badly written. I intended to use it for image storage, but gave up after finding you need to purchase additional "modules".

[eno_]

Have consumers found a way to replace the battery when it eventually dies?

The battery is recharged by the USB port. Lots of consumer electronics have sealed batteries. You will get tired of it before the battery life is reduced to below an acceptable level.

[randita]

ping

[SamAdams76]

Get the real iPod over the iPod Shuffle. I've had a 40GB version since September (I have a huge library of music so for most people, 20GB wil be plenty), and it is the best thing I ever did musicwise. My collection of over 1,000 CDs is now boxed up in the attic (destined for Ebay one of these days) and so all that CD clutter is now out of my long-suffering wife's living room. I simply have an iDock hooked up to my stereo and I can play my entire library on this incredible device.

The iPod shuffle looks like it might work out for those with a very limited music library or those who are physically active and don't want to risk pounding the pavement with a hard-drive based device like the iPod.

Otherwise, I see no reason to go with the iPod Shuffle. Even the price difference is not that great when you think about it. $149 will get you a 512MB Shuffle but for an extra $150, you can get that 20GB iPod and have 40 times the capacity with all the bells and whistles (for another $100 you get 80 times the capacity). To me, it's a no-brainer.

One of the little things I discovered recently that just amazes me about the iPod is that it keeps data on every song you play and transfers that data to iTunes so you always know what songs in your collection are getting the most play and when was the last time you heard it.

I live on playlists and select them based on the mood I'm in. The iPod Shuffle doesn't give you that option. All your songs are on a single playlist and you get what you get. So if at all possible, get the real iPod.

[SamAdams76]

Have consumers found a way to replace the battery when it eventually dies? What happens when you send it to Apple for service if you have music that isn't "approved"? Do you throw it away instead?

Don't believe the horror stories. Replacing the battery is painless and you can get a replacement kit online for about $30 or less and do it yourself at home. It took me all of two minutes to pry my case open to get at the battery with a small screwdriver. It's no big deal. Not that my battery was dead already but I dropped it on the sidewalk (my fault) and the battery had become dislodged. All I did was reseat it and it worked perfectly ever since.

[SamAdams76]

Do the Ipods load/play standard MP3 files?

That's about all I play on it! The only thing that the iPod won't play is WMA files but iTunes will let you convert them to the MP3 or AAC format (provided the WMA file isn't DRM protected). But even in that situation, you can burn your protected WMAs to CD and then reburn them as MP3 or AAC (MP4).

The AAC songs you buy on iTunes have the same kind of protection but you can also get around them by burning them to CD and then re-ripping them (though you might lose a little sound quality doing that).

Currently Microsoft and Apple have a little war going on regarding WMA vs AAC. (What else is new)

[Musket]

...can be exploited by a maliciously-crafted playlist...

So if I never use anybodies playlists but my own I'm not vulnerable, correct?

[BunnySlippers]

The iPod shuffle looks like it might work out for those with a very limited music library or those who are physically active and don't want to risk pounding the pavement with a hard-drive based device like the iPod.

Apple has LONG had a two tiered product offering ... Macs vs iMacs, PowerBooks vs iBooks etc.

I just bought my fifth Mac computer (I'm one of those) ... and I have never regreted opting for their high end line. I'll be getting a 20 or 40 gig iPod, a Bose SoundDock ... and maybe those amazing Bose headphones.

[jjw]

I wish Apple the best of luck with this iPod stuff. It seems that whenever a company jumps into the business of making mass market electronic devices they eventually get creamed by low cost producers. I can't see how this will pan out any differently.

[Swordmaker]

Not exactly a Mac Ping but a $99 iPod PING!

IF you want on or off the Mac Ping List, freepmail me.

[Dont Mention the War]

The AAC songs you buy on iTunes have the same kind of protection but you can also get around them by burning them to CD and then re-ripping them (though you might lose a little sound quality doing that).

There's a freeware program floating around out there that allows you to, ah, "unprotect" those protected AAC songs, with zero loss of sound quality and no fumbling around with CD burning necessary.

[CheneyChick]

LOL - you sound like me. I had the first generation iPod 3 years ago, upgraded that and then also got a mini last year. Now I have decided I "need" the shuffle. I use them all for different reasons - the big iPod mostly sits in the Bose SoundDock in the LR. The shuffle is the perfect thing for running, tho - lightweight and not susceptible to skipping as a hard drive would be. I don't need a display because I have a workout playlist for running and for the gym.

[BunnySlippers]

I wish Apple the best of luck with this iPod stuff. It seems that whenever a company jumps into the business of making mass market electronic devices they eventually get creamed by low cost producers. I can't see how this will pan out any differently.

Normally I would agree with this statement ... and it may be true of the iPod Shuffle. But the regular iPod's amazing feature is the iPod wheel. It is truly innovative and allows for one hand operation. As Steve Jobs has been know to say, "it's insanely great".

I think Apple will retain its edge on the regular iPod. Apple will always be a problem for those who just don't want to pay the extra amount of money for innovative features and cutting edge industrial design.

I think you'll agree that even when buying a toaster there are people who set out to buy qualiity and a good looking appliance and others who buy the least expensive toaster that does the job.

[freedumb2003]

Don't try to look for a deal -- you might find an iPod for $10 less.

It's like Bose -- just pay the $ at your nearby store.

I recommend the 40Gb iPod -- you get the charger and base that ake it close to worth the difference to the 20Gb.

[jjw]

Good points. I agree that there are those out there who will pay whatever it costs for neat high quality stuff--and surely that's what this is. To me it seems that this device is like selling a dvd player for $300 when the rest are now going for $50 and the cheap ones for $25. I've invested in companies in the past who were doing similar kinds of things and it didn't work out for me as I had hoped. I have no doubt that there will be decent competitive units with displays for $30 within 2 years from the likes of Sony.