to shuffle, or not to shuffle

[targa]

a just went to Apple.com to look at the mini and on the front page of the store they are advertising the "new" iPod, 20GB and 60GB, which now have color LCD screens

maybe i will go with the 20GB

if i were to get a mini, i would get the 6GB version...

$250usd / 6GB = $41.66 per gig
$300usd / 20GB = $15.00 per gig, and a color screen

[Matra et Alpine]

The techology isn't "old".

You missed the point.
Apple sold the iPod initially because it was new and "different.
There are MANY variants around, many doing it cheaper and some doing it better.
The "technology" in all of these is 30 years old

By that logic your flash based players are as old or even older technology.
It IS a fact that the users interface of th iPod is still number one. I have never seen an mp3 player with a better interface. A bad interface isn't an issue with small capacity players (like 1GB) but it becomes an issue when managing multiple gigabytes of music.

Check out the playesr with better and bigger screesn and you'll get the point
Playlists ? All but the cheapest have them now.
All modern ones use the directory structure you create on the cards to relfect this.
BEYOND that you have buttons to browse, play, step back and forward. All software technology that HP patented 20 years ago and present in all of them. The screen on the iPod is the worst going for the cash. Even the new "photo" iPod isn't even as good as my daughers mobile phone that plays MP3s

Most people don't have a lot of music so a 20GB iPod could contain all of their music and you would avoid the hassle of all these loose small cards that you can lose.

And how many carry the cable to share the music between players ?
Fine you've got it in your 20Gb iPod, how do you play it on the horse riding across a field - or in the rally car between stages ? You REALLY want to carry $300 for that ?
Technology isn't always the best solution, sometimes more of the simpler is

Add to this that the integration between iTunes and the iPod is perfect. You can "share" your music along multiple iPods as well. Just plug them in a let them synchronise.

Clearly you've not even looked at the level of "integration" available without shelling $$$ to Apple.
Daughter number one's PC is setup to AUTOMATICALLY rip a CD to her memory card she plugs into the front of the PC
And not a single cable in site
Sharing MP3s is easy with all of them.

That said, get an iPod mini. I have a first generation american model that I imported the moment they came out. I choose the mini because even the biggest normal iPod (60GB, 40GB back then) isn't big enough to contain all of my music.

so already the need to "move music" between the main storage you have for it and the iPod is required.
That's just taken away the original unique selling point for the iPod
As soon as you have a main music stores area ( we use our server for it ) and your player you have the concern of moving music regularly and the hassle of cables etc JUST the same as all those pesky cards you thought so bad

My point in responding initially was to point out there are alternatives, many of which are MUCH cheaper and some of which are 'better'.

Of course just as telling a Skyline-fanboy that there are better cars than R34s makes no difference, I leave you to your opinion.

[Matra et Alpine]

a just went to Apple.com to look at the mini and on the front page of the store they are advertising the "new" iPod, 20GB and 60GB, which now have color LCD screens

and oddly NOT able to play or record movies the same way ALL of the competition with colour screens does.

But hey there will still people buying MG cars thinking they were good based on the hey day of the Midget and 'B'

The other technical issue is the iPod mini uses the Hitachi 1" drive.
For 4Gb I'd rather go solid state, especially for soemthgin I want to tbe able to take on horses, bikes, tracks and even the occasional rally stage

[SilverG35SportC]

Alot of my friends have either 20g or 40g 4th generation i-pods. From what I conclude they break...most of them have had to send them in for service for different reasons..a click wheel broken..battery messed up etc.. I however have a 1gb shuffle its its awesome...Although I would have preferred a 20gb I do not have that kind of money. Because my brother already had i-tunes I bought the shuffle. Its crazy small and its really good for exercising and you dont have to worry about getting a screen scracthed. Thats about its only downside aswell-lack of a screen. Id say if you have the money, buy a 20g but expect problems but if you are tight on money go for a 1g shuffle.

[Clivey]

I have a 60GB Photo, and apart from scratches on the back there's nothing wrong with it. Oh and if you have a dock for your iPod then you don't need to mess with cables every time you want to move songs about. Just leave the dock plugged in then when you wanna manipulate music just plug the iPod into the dock. I go running and biking with the 60GB in my pocket and the only thing I've ever felt necessary to buy for it was better earphones than the ones that came with it (but you don't get decent quality earphones with most players these days).

I used to mess around with a Minidisc player but now I never use it and the only thing that's stopping me from selling it is the knowledge that it's worth more as a back-up portable music player than it is to get £10 for it.

As for memory cards, I have a newish PC that has a card reader built in but still I don't want to use that for music...I like to have a good variety with me without fiddling with disks so i just load great chunks of music onto my iPod. Hell you can even get a Belkin SD card reader for the iPod to allow you to take the SD cards out of digital cameras and load the photos onto the disk saving you from having to have more than one SD card or a laptop with you.

[Matra et Alpine]

I have a 60GB Photo, and apart from scratches on the back there's nothing wrong with it. Oh and if you have a dock for your iPod then you don't need to mess with cables every time you want to move songs about. Just leave the dock plugged in then when you wanna manipulate music just plug the iPod into the dock.

How many dosck do you own ?
Every PC nowaydsa has a memory card slot - including PDAs and digital cameras and etc etc.

I go running and biking with the 60GB in my pocket

personal prefernce, I'd reather not risk $300 of gear when I go "rough".
Cheapest MP3 player we own means none of us woudl be too upset if it got broken

I used to mess around with a Minidisc player but now I never use it and the only thing that's stopping me from selling it is the knowledge that it's worth more as a back-up portable music player than it is to get £10 for it.

In 5 years time the iPod will be limited to that purpose too.
One of the reason I prefer to buy my memory EXTERNAL is I can know I can contineu to use it. Camera, phone, car stereo, mpr player and external mass storage. All with no cables

As for memory cards, I have a newish PC that has a card reader built in but still I don't want to use that for music...I like to have a good variety with me without fiddling with disks so i just load great chunks of music onto my iPod.

True, IF you're going to want 40-60Gb then rotating hunks of metal are still cheaper
See the usage described earlier where the extra cards are beneficial and WAY ahead of trygin to keep 5 players "syncrhonised"

Hell you can even get a Belkin SD card reader for the iPod to allow you to take the SD cards out of digital cameras and load the photos onto the disk saving you from having to have more than one SD card or a laptop with you.

Didnt' knwo of SD reader accesory for iPod. So someone must think it's a good idea. So why not just use it, especially as it's more reliable, faster and more rugged than spinning disks ( how quaint )

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

The iPod is the best way to go for reliability, stability, and credibility. Those Creatives may have a couple of features up on the iPod (EAX is pretty cool, chaging song speeds, and the acoustics) but the iPod is really the best of the lot. The colour screen ones are pretty cool, you can view photos on them, even if they are a little gimmicky.

You cannot go wrong with an iPod- in our family of Apple, we have had 5 for ages and none have showed any signs of flagging. I am impressed with my Shuffles ability to go anywhere, even underwater . It has not been away from my person while I have been in Prague, it only comes out of my pocket to put on new songs and to plug into my stereo.

[Matra et Alpine]

The iPod is the best way to go for reliability,

According to PCWorld magazines user survey it came out different

"Owners of Creative and Sony music players reported fewer problems that would affect their ability to use the device: 8 percent of Sony owners and 12 percent of Creative owners--versus 16 percent of Apple owners--indicated such a problem. "

[Rockefella]

Well, you COULD get a Sony PSP, with our technology, a 5 to 10 gb memory stick for it will be only 50 bucks in the next 2 to 3 years. Plus, you have music, games, video, images, and a 1337 LCD.

[baddabang]

I have a shuffle as does sam. Its all I really need, I dont exactly need 20gigs of music space (who does?) Anyway It can only run for 12hrs. which kind of sucks if your on vacation and do not have access to a USB port to charge it. Plus you can use it for a memory card in gt4

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Agreed baddabang- and have you had any problems with it? I haven't. It's been brilliant.

[SilverG35SportC]

I find sometimes with mine when I go backwards in an album song by song that sometimes it will just play a random song and go back to the album. Sorta weird but ill live with it.

[my porsche]

Just bear in mind the stupidly exspensive battery changes evey year or two (depends on usage) if you get an i-pod..

ive had mine 5 months and the battery lasts for...get this...an hour and a half
and i only have 450 songs on it!! like 2-3 gigs, which i easliy put on there so 1g wouldnt be enough, spring for the 20g as has been said before: youll thankyourself latrer

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I've had mine since Christmas and the battery lasts for it's entire 12 hour life.

What you need to do is not be stupid with the charging, little bits here and there.

heres the problem as i see it, the battery has a memory.

[my porsche]

I'd reather not risk $300

the photo starts at like $600USD i think , but you get the 3 year warranty for like $40 and it covers everything except throwing it into a wall, so your covered