Apple iPod 30GB Fifth Generation > Reviews > Ipod 30GB 5G

Author's product rating:   

Sound Quality	Excellent
Ease of Use	Very Easy
Look & Design	Excellent
Range of Features	Diverse
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Clear colour, sound quality high, prices dropped from old version
Disadvantages:	screen scratches, exterior scratches .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is one of Apple's new Ipod fifth generation MP3/MP4 Players.
The advantage of this over a nano is storage capacity and video playback.

FUNCTIONS
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This player can playback MP3 and MP4 only. So sorry to WMA fans out there. You can (with the right software) upload your DVD's on this ad view them say when you are on the train for example. Unfortunately they are trying to make it illegal to put copies of your OWN DVD's onto your devices now. Hopefully this rule does not pass trough even though I am sure it will not stop you :)

On the player, you get extra features as well as just the video and music playback. It comes with a few games (Solitaire, Music Quiz, Parachutes) which are all ok to play when listening to your music (well not music quiz but yeah). You can also download new games off of the apple store which is found on Itunes. Also included are features such as calendar and a simple clock with stop watch. Hey you never know when you may need one.

Sorting through the music could have never been easier. With the new Fifth generation Ipods, You can just type in the name of your song or the first few letters instead of scrolling down a long, long list of music which can be quite tedious.

You can view you pictures in a folder or slide screen formats also. The screen is very bright and has high contrast so you get a very, very good quality picture. This is good because you should hope the screen is of good quality when viewing your videos.

QUALITY
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First off, the quality of the build is very impressive. Unlike Ipod's nano version, this does not feel as though it will break in half. The buttons are put on very sturdy and in line with the outer layer.

The sound quality as well is impressive. I have never heard a scratch or flicker while watching my movies. This is good because the train journey does get bumpy every once and a while so the fact it can withstand that shows it is good.

Video playback is very smooth and clear. I have personally never encountered any problem watching a video. The audio is always in line with the video.

CONTENTS
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With the Ipod, you get a USB charger, a docking station adapter, a set of headphones, and some software to install on your computer (Itunes and the Drivers required). Installation was perfectly easy.

You do not get a case with it so to prevent those nasty scratches on screens buy yourself a case and a screen protector. They can be bought right off of Apple's website. I personally have the Belkin's portfolio one which is excellent because it came with a free screen protector.

You only get a USB charger also. If you wish to charge on the go in a wall or in the car then you will need to buy another charger. Also the computer needs to be on for it to charge.

OTHER
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The battery life lasts through at least two films I have found and then some. It is very good considering the screen is brighter than the old version yet the battery lasts longer. A tip to save battery is to have the backlight off when not needed!

The headphones are Apple's new and improved. They offer better comfort, sound quality and noise canceling. They work very well and yes they are comfortable.

This 30GB model is what I have because you do not need more than that I find. You will find yourself holding films on there that you don't even watch if it is too big. Also buying a larger storage size comes at more of a price and a slightly larger product size.

This product costs around 160£. I bought mine for 165£ off of www.amazon.co.uk. I feel they offer good service and have good return service in case anything goes wrong. I do feel as though I got my value for my money. This has proved to be a very valuable product in my life as I travel trains a lot.

CONCLUSION
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Overall I am very pleased with this product. Even though I only use it for Videos and have a nano for my music I find it very useful. I take it on every train voyage and car journeys to provide me with some sort of entertainment. It has never let me down before. Highly recommend this to anyone looking to buy an MP4 player.

Thanks for reading my review. For more information on the product visit www.apple.com or you can ask me and I will try and do my best to answer your question. If you would like some specs on it you can just ask me if you cannot find them.