The MP3 player I had before I bought the 30 GB iPod Video was a Creative Zen Xtra 30 GB jukebox, which played music, but it was very bulky and needed software to be installed before it could be used as a removable hard drive.
The iPod Video on the other hand is very thin and so able to fit in your pocket easily. I use it as a removable hard drive which is easy as all you need to do is plug it into a usb port and then you can see it as an icon on my computer, and no extra software is required other than Windows XP drivers to use this feature unlike some other MP3 players.
Copying music to the iPod is always going to be the most time-consuming and annoying part of using an MP3 player instead of a CD player, but the iTunes software makes this task quick and easy simply dragging and dropping tracks from your hard drive or CDs onto the iPod. DVDs are also easy to put onto the iPod although a seperate piece of video converting software is needed to convert them to the correct format for the iPod to play. There are many different pieces of software that can be used for this, many of which can be downloaded very cheaply or even for free. Videos from the iTunes music store do not need to be converted, and once the video is in the correct format videos can be transferred to the iPod just like music by dragging and dropping. To put pictures on the iPod, simply put all the pictures you want on the iPod in a folder, and tell iTunes which folder they are in, and then whenever you plug in the iPod, any new photos in the folder will be automatically copied to the iPod.
30 GB is more than enough for all your music, all your photos and a fair few videos and still have room to use it as a fairly large portable hard drive.
The iPod is one of the simplist pieces of equipment to use that I can think of - it has a play/pause button, a forward and a back buton and and a menu button all intergrated into the click-wheel, and the centre button. Probably one of the easiest-to-use MP3 players ever made.
One of the main annoyances is that the iPod video does not come with a mains charger and it will cost you around £20 to get an adapter. Also, if you want to plug it into a TV to watch videos or photo slideshows, you can plug the iPod into a TV using the headphone socket, but the cable you got with your digital camera or video camera won't work - you need to get the one from Apple for £15. Also, the battery life is not great, but i suppose thats to be expected if you want something as small as the iPod Video. It will give you about 2 hours of video playback and about 8-10 hours of music (less if you keep turning on the backlight to change track/album etc). Having said that, I still think it's the best MP3 player around and would happily recommend it to anyone.
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Good first review nicely wrote welcome to ciao, lou xxx
emma155 18.08.2006 19:26
Great first review. Emma :)
rabbiter 18.08.2006 19:22
30GB!! That's amazingly rediculous amount lol - but I guess if you are using loads of videos then it could go quickly enough. I don't like the short battery life though, I like something with a longer time, or something which you can at least just sway batteries, but that's me. A good opinion - Rach =)
The JBL On Stage* 400P loudspeaker dock is a complete sound system for your iPod and ... more
iPhone one that will become the new centerpoint of your personal entertainment space. Imagine a total audio system in one place with no extra wires running across you...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: A cracking design, light weigt without floating away, excellent sound, good screen, easy to use. Disadvantages: It doesn't come with much, accessories are expensive, captive market(it costs the same wherever you look), itunes software
scottylowe86 07.06.2006 ·
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Review of AppleiPod30GB
Aug 18th, 2006
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