iPod is iMazing
Written: Oct 14 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Portability: |
|
|
| Battery Life: |
|
|
|
Pros: An icon of design that is amazingly beautiful in form and function
Cons: The software it comes with should be discarded and replaced with a free download.
The Bottom Line: Don't hesitate if you want an MP3 player that's ultra portable and simple to use, yet full featured with professional quality sound.
|
|
|
| musikboy's Full Review: Apple iPod (20 GB, PC - M8741LL/A) MP3 Player |
I have been listening to MP3 based music for the last 3 years, I owned the very first Nomad Jukebox and just about every hard disk-based player since. The Apple iPod is a true masterpiece...but pricey. Just like other engineering marvels; the Mercedes-Benz S500 sedan, a Mont Blonc pen or a Cartier wrist watch, you don't need to spend all that money to get the job done. But if you can afford it, you will appreciate its beauty, functionality and engineering.
The external presentation of the iPod starts at the moment you receive the box. Yes, the box itself is a work of art. You feel as if you need to go slowly to enjoy the experience of receiving something which is packaged so beautifully. It makes you consider the care that went into designing it must be a reflection of what's inside.
Sparkling, gleaming chrome and brilliant acrylic white are the only two physical characteristics you notice right away. This is a small brick the size of a pack of cigarettes. It looks carved, not assembled. The chrome case has no screws, bolts, clips or any other apparent telltale signs of assembly. the chrome basket, rectangular is shape with rounded corners, is topped off with a white acrylic front panel, with it's only moving part a single white button. The top of the iPod has two connectors; the firewire port & the audio out jack and a hold switch.
Second Generation Perfection!
You can tell this is a second generation product since it works so flawlessly. The first version had an ingenious mechanical wheel in the center, which after some use became clogged with dust, food - who knows. This version is a stationery touch-sensitive wheel which operates like Version 1.0 but has no moving parts. Another hint it's a V2.0 product are the little things, like a dust cover over the firewire connector. Amazingly thoughtful and simple solutions to problems which only true usage would expose.
The Sound
Ok, let's skip to the most important element now. The sound is excellent but not perfect. After comparing this with my standard for sound quality, the Nomad Jukebox 3 (NJB3), I believe it has a slight advantage over the iPod in sound. I immediately checked the iPod for deep, robust bass which I was pleased to find available but the control of tonality was not what I would have asked for. There's no user-adjustable EQ, instead it offers a list of tone settings like: pop, jazz, vocal, spoken word, disco, etc. The iPod could easily have offered an 8 level customizable EQ setting with nothing more than a software upgrade, but they chose not to. That aside, I found the quality of sound to be wonderfully satisfying. On certain difficult tracks recorded at 320K, the iPod introduced slight distortion when compared to either my NJB3, the SlimX or my Neo Jukebox 2.
Ease of Operating is Amazing!
Here's a test. Hand any MP3 player to you mom and tell her to listen to music. The ONLY player that's so easy to use, even MY mom can operate it is the iPod. There is no learning curve. Compared to the Slim X or the NJB3 which are laden with esoteric features that complicate operation, or crippled with tiny displays that require me to wear glasses to see, this baby is a joy to use. Why is it so easy? Because it works like a mac! Now, before this becomes a religious discussion, I am a loyal 20 year PC user (OK, 19 years to be exact) who knows technology. Am I going to convert to a Mac because I like my iPod? Not a chance. It's just so simple to use and so friendly, you'll want to have it with you all the time.
The Actual Features.
Almost all music players can use play lists, the iPod is no exception. It handles play lists well and they are accessible from their own menu option. The iPod also has a shuffle mode, which is different than other MP3 players. It can shuffle ALBUMS! which is a wonderful feature. It can also shuffle songs. The system is designed beautifully to handle shuffling songs on the entire iPod, on a single play list or within any "choice" of music you make. You can select an Album and have shuffle on, for example. Another major improvement is the feature called "sound check" which gently levels the volume of everything you listen to, without adding distortion or audible artifacts. One other player, the NJB3 also has this feature, but music must be encoded with their own PlayCenter software or the feature won't work. Finally there's the "Composers" option, obviously for classical music buffs. This will let you sort by composers as the name implies, no matter who the artists are.
The Software...
...the iPod comes with should be taken out back and shot. It's an older version of an otherwise wonderful product; MusicMatch. Unfortunately the folks at MusicMatch have been drinking too much of their own koolaid, in other words, they tried to make the iPod work like MusicMatch instead of the other way around. Warning. If you have MusicMatch Plus V7.2 - DO NOT install the software. It will downgrade immediately and will crash your system, at least it did mine. Go immediately to www.ephpod.com and download the amazingly intuitive ephPod to run your iPod. It's perfect, a little buggy but it's free. Once in the ephPod environment, you will have total control over your iPod/computer interaction and it will be a wonderful relationship. Notice right away how fast it is compared to MM, also notice you can add hundreds of songs in one step. Finally notice it's free, did I mention that? Send the author $25 if you love it, which you will, and it's worth it.
The Accessories.
Notice immediately that Version 2 of iPod comes with it's own remote and case. This was a big improvement over V1.0 released last year. The remote has one quirk to it, you have to push the connector into the iPod really hard to get it seated well or the remote won't work. It too is built with the same care and quality as the iPod itself. It's simple, beautiful and functional. The case, however, is another issue. It too is simple, nothing more than a curved U-shaped container, it has a plastic belt clip on its rear. The belt clip is the problem. Squeeze it too hard or clip it to something uneven and the tiny fragile plastic loop holding the connector pin and spring will snap. Mine did, I will soon be pursuing a warrantee repair. If you are more careful than I, this may not be a problem.
The Bottom Line
This is a GREAT Music Player. The only problem I have encountered is a flimsy case clip. The only downside is the lack of WMA format support and the higher price compared to comparable models. If you have to have WMA support in a tiny player like the iPod, wait for the new ZEN model due from Creative in the late fall.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 499
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
musikboy
|
|
Location: Sudbury, MA
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Company CEO avid photographer and dedicated music lover 48 years old with a one daughter.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.