paintnbike's Full Review: Apple iPod 3rd Generation White (10 GB) MP3 Player
Hello everyone.
I'm new to e-opinions, so this is my first review = )
I bought my third generation 10 gb iPod in late January of this year for about $250. It is one of my favorite posessions and I don't know how I lived without it before.
The iPod definitely makes an excellent first impression. Its packaging really gives you the impression that you have bought a high quality product. The box is a cube that folds into two halves. In one half is the iPod itself, installation CD's, and some accesories (earbuds and foam covers). The other half contains the firewire cable and the AC adaptor. After having folded the box into its two halves, you see "Enjoy" written on the case that contains the CD. I thought that was a nice touch. On the other side, you see "Designed by Apple in California". The iPod itself is wrapped in a plastic sheath (with "Don't steal music" in four languages written on it).
The iPod itself also makes a good first impression. You realize right away what an excellently designed product the iPod is. It is extremely small (about the size of a deck of cards) and weighs as much as two CD's. It fits comfortably in your hand, and it's touch sensitive buttons are a delight to use.
After having charged the iPod for the first time (it comes with a small charge so that you can choose your language and set it up), you need to install the iPod's software and sync it with your computer. Set up was simple and took about five minutes. I really enjoy the simplicity of the included iTunes music software. After installing this and loading my music into it, all I needed to do was hook my iPod into one of my firewire ports. iTunes launches automatically and I was amazed at the firewire's speed (each song took about a second to load onto the iPod).
Then I took my iPod for it's first real "test ride". The menus are very simple and it took about five minutes to get "the hang of it". However, I soon realized, much to my dismay, how easily the iPod scratches. Its acrylic front and polished steel back absolutely attract scratches. If you don't have a case for your iPod, don't even think of putting it in your pocket with something else (keys, wallet, or even a piece of paper!) if you don't want scratches all over it. This is really unforunate, because I love the look of the iPod. I have to be very careful with it, or cover it up with a case that detracts from its beauty. This is one of the only things that irritates me about the iPod.
Other issues: Battery life is as advertised - 8 hours. However, that is on shuffle, without touching the buttons, and with no backlight. Do not expect more than 6 hours if you are going to be constantly scrolling through your music. The iPod's battery will also wear out after 500 full cycles, and it will cost you $50-100 to replace
Also, the touch sensitive buttons are very, well...sensitive. I personally like this, but you will definitely need to use the iPod's Hold button if it is playing in your pocket.
The iPod also has an amazing selection of accessories. There are tons of different cases, FM tuners, battery packs, a media reader, a microphone, and many more. I have the iTrip FM transmitter and I love it (I'll save that for another e-opinion = )
The included earbuds are adequate. If you are really into music and are used to high quality sound, you might want to consider buying after-market earbuds/headphones.
I bought this product so that I could carry all my music with me everywhere I go. I feel it does that with beauty and style, with room to spare on its 10gb hard drive (I have 500 songs on it, and its less than 1/3 full). I use it everyday, and like I said, I don't know how I lived my life without it. I feel its $250 price tag is a bargin for such a finely engineered piece of technology. I would definately suggest that you consider this MP3 player if you are in the market for a portable music player.
I hope this e-opinion was helpful, and thank you for taking the time to read it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250 Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
All preowned iPods are quality tested and receive a cosmetic check and cleaning an inventory of all components download and play tests product repacka...More at Target
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