Apple 20 GB 3rd Generation iPod M9244LL/A

How much music would you like in your pocket? No matter the size of your music collection, there's an iPod for you. iPod comes in 10GB, 20GB, and 40GB models and packs up to a whopping 10,000 songs, so no matter what you choose, you'll be carrying an incredible amount of music all sorted, arranged, and cued up to your liking. At a glance: High capacity: The 20GB hard disk drive puts over 5,000 songs in your pocket. Ultra-portable: Measuring just 2.4 by 4.1 by 0.62 inches and weighing a mere 5.6 ounces, iPod is small enough to take with you wherever you go. And with 8 hours of continuous play-time on the rechargeable lithium ion battery, iPod can keep playing as long as you do. Made for Macintosh and Windows PCs: Autosync your entire iTunes or MusicMatch library over a super fast FireWire or USB 2.0 connection*. iPod works with iTunes or MUSICMATCH Jukebox Plus, allowing you to manage your music and create custom playlists on your Mac or PC that automatically transfer to iPod whenever you plug it in. Music at your fingertips: The innovative touch sensitive scroll wheel and buttons make finding your music a snap and the backlit LCD screen and illuminated buttons let you find what you're looking for in any light conditions. Premium sound: A powerful built-in amplifier and high-quality headphones enable iPod to output audio in a wide dynamic range. This allows you to hear heart-thumping bass and crystal-clear highs for a superb listening experience. Your iPod

1 shamelessly flawed
This is a potentially great product that's on the market despite being shamelessly flawed. I bought an ipod, but found that customer support was expensive and useless; I use it for jogging and basically the battery gets me through only one workout before it needs recharging; iTunes, which is the only way to get songs onto the iPod, is terribly limited. Most of all though, it's the battery that makes me resent Apple most. They're making a fortune selling something that (surely they know) is terribly flawed. It also makes you feel disgusted with the mass media, which is pushing this product because it's "cool," without paying to attention to whether it actually works.

2 Died after 1 year and 8 months.
I used to love my ipod,but the fact that it recently died on me after a year and 8 months of use has left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. The most painful aspect is that I did not abuse it or use it heavily. The apple store guy at the genius bar informed me that a replacement would cost $250. Better than paying full price, but I am utterly disenchanted and will not pay for another ipod given my experience. Sorry Apple, you got to do better on the reliabilty issue before I even consider another ipod.

3 GREAT THING TO HAVE
Ipod is definatly better than CDs, I love it! I downloaded all
my favorite songs on the Itunes music store and on my cds and then downloaded them to the Ipod. I like it because it never skips, I can walk around with it everywhere. I take it everywhere
and is fun to take everywhere. I own it and keep it in my room
and play it sometimes when I want more music. I am gonna try it
for the car sometime to see how it works in the car, especially
when I'm on the road. It is definatly so much better than CDs.
I've downloaded more than 150 songs on Itunes on my computer.
Great item.

4 I love my ipod!
What a great device. It stores everything I could want and then some. Its battery life is a little disappointing after several months, which is why I'm giving it four stars. The navigation is smooth and very effective. Long plane flights and car trips seem far shorter with this gadget in my hand.

Highly recommended!

5 Awesome Player!
The Ipod is kinda pricey, but worth every penny. Great size. Sharp looking. Well designed and made. Opted for the 20G as I have a fairly large music collection. Hardly used any space even after having loaded a few hundred songs. I use a pair of well regarded, inexpensive Panasonic headphones thus sound quality is excellent. Ability to load and organize music is simply wonderful and quite fast via USB connection. The touch wheel is the best feature. While waiting for a case to arrive, I've covered the back with 3M paint tape to avoid scratches. Watch out if you're going to use a USB 2.0 interface. One card and driver kept causing the PC to crash when attempting to load music. Belkin USB card and driver work great. No crashes or problems. I agree battery life not great, but acceptable. One complaint I do have is the price gouching for Ipod accessories like auto charger cord, dock, cables, etc. I'm in heaven. No longer bored at work nor forced to talk to others. I can simply enjoy my tunes now as I work.

6 The iPod is Great!
Apple has done it again! Every product they have is wonderfully designed and crafted. I just got my new iPod and it is amazing. The sound quality is fabulous and the iPod seems to be able to play music at a much higher volume level which is excellent. Here are some of the major pros and cons:

Pros:
1. Large music capacity
2. Great sound quality
3. Sleek, stylish look
4. On-The-Go playlists
5. Battery Life
6. Easy click wheel
7. Light weight and small design

Cons:

1. A bit pricey - but its worth it
2. Battery is not user-replaceable
3. It can be diffucult transferring calendar files to iPod

Well, I hope that I helped out in your search for an iPod. In the end I say that u should BUY THE iPOD! It is a wonderful gift idea for your child or just even for yourself. It is also a great ideda for a stocking-stuffer. Good luck!

7 I'M DITCHING MY IPOD FOR AN iRIVER H320
I've had my ipod for only a few months and have already realized my purchase was a mistake. I'm trading up for the more flexible iRiver H320.

The ipod can still be described as a nicely designed, high capacity, mobile music player... but that's all. Newer players, like the iRiver H320, are a music player, voice recorder, picture viewer (with color screen!), am/fm radio, and can store important documents as well.

Why am I trading up? Because I'm currently carrying around too many portable devices and the iRiver integrates them into one machine.
I currently use my ipod for music, a separate voice recorder to record lectures, a separate thumb drive to carry around assignments in progress and any digital pictures I've taken stay on my desktop, never to be seen by another soul. (Hey, you name the scenario where you can 'casually' whip out your desktop machine to show off your digital images. If it exists at all, it's rare.)

Don't any of you ipod agitators dare tell me that microphones are available for ipods to allow for voice recording. I have tried using those crappy little add-on microphones to record lectures, as have many of my friends, and the results are reliably crappy. Students, if you're trying to get your parents to buy an ipod, and are justifying your request with the ipod's ability to record, you should know your sales pitch is hollow. Did I mention ipod microphones are crappy?

The ipod has been popular because it's a simple and reliable music player. The iRiver gives you more functions and supplies them with even more ease and reliability than the ipod is able to supply its' single function. Since your computer sees the iRiver as an external hard drive (automatically recognized by both PC's and Mac's) and not specifically as a music player, you can avoid using any new software and can avoid the OS compatability bugs that come with it.

Not to malign the ipod too badly. It's a fine music player.
But why settle for a lesser product when you can have a better player for the same price or cheaper?

Don't cheat yourself, get an iRiver H320.

8 Beware inflated prices for iPods!
Some of these sellers are nuts. The 20Gb iPod is now $299 brand new from Apple, and they have loads. DO NOT pay any more than that! Sheesh.

9 Pointlessly difficult.
I work in the IT dept., and have had to configure 4 different systems for people with iPods, and am perplexed at why this has to be SO PAINFULLY DIFFICULT.

- The iTunes software is wonky, and often takes several tries to install successfully.

- Thus far, I've had to reinstall on several systems, because after a while the applications refuses to open.

- It takes multiple attempts EACH TIME to establish a connection with the unit via USB2.

- The software only supports Win2k Pro and WinXP (despite a large number of users still on Win98SE).

- Once the software and hardware are properly setup, it's needlessly difficult to figure out how to move files from iTunes to the iPod.

- You can't even use it like a regular portable disk, you're stuck using some asinine proprietary interface. Weak!

I've had $40 USB1.1 MP3/WMA players that were INFINITELY easier to use, and performed adequately. Plug in player. Drivers automatically load. Buy song. Drag & drop. Play. EASY. Per my last invoice, I've spent literally 6 total hours working on getting 3 different iPods working of 4 different system. 6 HOURS!!!

I'll admit, the iPod has great sound, a very large capacity (which is wasted, since it doesn't seem to work like a portable media drive), and is as sturdy as an M1 tank... But I thought Apple's whole bag was "easy to use." I've been in IT for years, and this is one of the more difficult accessories I've ever had the displeasure of trying to configure.

This could very well be the most overrated and overpriced piece of junk that Apple has rolled out yet. I'm sure the mass market will LOVE it, and the legions of techies who will inevitably spend hours trying to get it to work will hate it. Brilliant.

10 The Centerpiece of My New Audio Life
In a former life, I must have been a guy, 'cause I definitely have a thing for gadgets. That said, I was almost pathologically reluctant to jump on the new Audio Technology Bandwagon. WalkThingies were about as high tech as I got when it came to music (and it even took me several years to warm to those) ... give me simplicity and some non-corded geographic space between me and music, and I'm happy.

I achieved critical mass in the persuasion department when several deeply trusted (and tolerantly amused) friends suggested I make the transition via the iPod. I caved and haven't looked back since.

Lots of these reviews can explain the pros and cons of the iPod far better than I. Heed the sensible-sounding ones for the details if those matter to you. In my year of experience with the device, I have nary a complaint. Rather, my affection grows, and I begin to understand those folks who speak of iPod love and inseparable bonding.

What I can offer is this (and I can't explain it rationally): between my iPod and the brilliant Altec-Lansing InMotion Sound System, I now have recreated, and can transport (virtually in the palm of my hand), the best approximation I've had yet to the feeling I got decades ago from vinyl and a record player. With the added bonus that I have access not only to a full library of music, but also a library of books (the iPod plays Audible.com's proprietary .aa format). If you are looking for that sort of relatively seamless transition into the higher-tech audio age - the sort CDs and older mp3 devices never quite satisfied - I truly believe the iPod offers a happy solution.

I do miss liner notes, the space-occupying visual affirmation of having "a collection" and the tactile experience of record/disc covers. Give a little, get a little. I cope.

One gadgety note: a year ago when I got my 20-gig iPod (way more than sufficient for my needs as I'm quite willing to swap stuff in and out occasionally rather than look to the device as permanent storage), the product came with a USB cable. As I understand it these days, the newer versions come with only a FireWire cable. If your computer doesn't have a FireWire connection, you will need to purchase the USB cable separately. Just check the package label or specifications list to make sure.

11 Too expensive and dependent on Apple for battery
This would be a nice product if they'd bring the price down to a more reasonable number (let's say, less than $199.00), and it would be even better if Apple didn't make you so dependent on them to replace the battery. Do you realize the complications with returning the iPod to Apple?? That battery dilemma is going to be a real issue to many of us in 1.8 to 2 years or so...

12 Garbage
I got mine less than a month ago in the US (I live in Brazil)
a few days ago I was walking back home when it suddenly froze, no more sound just the screen at that exact moment, nothing much you can do about it since not even frenetic button pressing or pluging it on the computer solved, well now I have to take it 150 km from my place to an Apple shop and if reposition is necessary I'll have to wait about one more month. So I couldn't more pleased with my sweet iPod ,thanx apple

13 LCD Of terror
Coat your ipod lcd in a 2 inch sheet of plexiglass. Mine broke within 2 weeks and they cost more to repair than a new ipod. Beware.

14 This is my 3rd MP3 player -- and by far the BEST EVER!
I'm a software engineer and generally a major geek when it comes to my electronics. I've been mulling over tons of data on all the various portable MP3 players available... After about a week of agonizing over possible rivals to the iPod, I came to the conclusion that the simple question of "what do I want?" could be answered by the simple answer: an iPod.

The iPod is small, sleek, feels well-crafted, beautiful, simple, elegant and works really well. By "works really well," I mean that it interfaces with your computer easily, plays music beautifully, and just *works*.

The iPod is the standard to which MP3 (Portable Digital Music Players) are judged. It seems expensive, but that's because it's at least twice as good as you could possibly hope.

I've owned a couple MP3 players before this, one was flash-based and the other hard drive. Neither hold a candle to the iPod. This gadget is magnificent.

If you are sitting on the fence between getting and iPod or something else, don't let the price make the decision. What's $50 if it seperates a object worth cherishing from something meant to play music?

15 Like music? Get an iPod
I've used several (about a dozen) different mp3 players. Sony, Samsung, JVC, others. None of them match up to the iPod in my opinion. Easy to use, durable, great sound quality (if you're smart enough to use Apple Lossless format), and lots of great accessories. Sure, you could go buy something cheaper...just know that you'll be getting what you pay for. I've heard people talk about problems with battery life and such, but mine has been working wonderfully since I got it about a year ago. Rarely have I not gotten at least 7 1/2 hours of play time from mine. I wouldn't trade my iPod for any other mp3 player, but I'm sure planning on trading my PC for a Mac after the outstanding experiences I've had with Apple products. One suggestion though, for those that do want to get an iPod...get it straight from Apple, it'll save you some money over what you'll pay here on Amazon.

16 Nice, Pricey, but Support?
I have had my iPOD for about 4 months. Like other reviewers have commented, the system is sleek, nice, and quite expensive. The playback quality is only fair when using the included ear buds, but improves to average when played through a component stereo system or quality headphones. Its main advantage is that you can download music tracks from Apple's music download site and play them without converting their proprietary format (M4P, an encrypted MP4) to MP3. It will also play Audible content, another proprietary audio format. It does not, however, play MP4s nor does it make use of the advanced capabilities of the MP3PRO format.
The iPOD manual states that one battery charge will allow you to listen for about 8 hours. My battery lasts only about 2 hours per charge. Researching further, I found that the battery has been a common iPOD problem. Apple will replace the batteries free if the iPOD is less than a year old, or will replace it at a substantial fee if you have lived a bad battery for over a year. Unfortunately changing the battery is not a user repair function. You must send it into Apple. My experiences with this process and Apple has been extremely POOR. They had my iPOD for nearly a month. Apples records showed that it had been repaired within two days of receipt. Apparently it had been waiting for return for the remainer of the time since Apple uses DHL express delivery. This problem has still not been resolved after two phone calls, and I am still waiting.
There are other pocket sized large capacity MP3 players out there. I would certainly recommend another. This is a case where you don't get what you pay for.

17 ipod must die
My ipod froze several days after I got it causing me to reboot. It kept freezing every day from then on, the battery life sucked, and by the end the music playing from it sounded hollow and basically, the thing crapped out. Ipod sucks, apple sucks, and I am getting
the Rio Carbon when it comes out.

I suppose I might have just gotten a lemon, but for $300 apple should have better product control. So if you are in the market for an ipod....beware!

And one more thing, everyone is getting the ipod, making me not want to be like everyone else in a sea of white cords and ear buds. Am I alone on this???

18 Review of 4th gen 20GB iPod
Of the 3 players I've tried, this is the only one that has worked to my satisfaction. The other two players were both from Creative and were different sized Nomad jukeboxes (30GB and 40GB). My problems with them were not in the players but rather the software that is used to manage my audio files and sync the player with my home system. The creative software was just completely useless. I got frequent failures and crashes. I tried complete re-installs and wipes to no avail. This was unfortunate as the two players were significantly cheaper than the iPod (factoring in the extra disk space). There is just no point having a player that cannot be synchronized.

I could rag on the software for hours but there is no point in doing so. In the 4 weeks that I've been using iTunes I have yet to experience one crash, one lock, etc. I use WinXP SP1 (2 now). My one gripe with iTunes is related to ripping music. iTunes is extremely sensitive to the device being used. I have a few systems at home and only one rips at a reasonable speed. The iTunes forum has offered some suggestions but I have not tried these yet. Since iTunes supports MP3 I use my other solutions for ripping. Burning a disc from iTunes has not been a problem.

You can download iTunes for free and I would suggest you try it before buying an iPod. I found its interface pretty clean, but it has a decidely Applesque character.

I purchased my iPod through a friend at Apple so the cost was not quite as bad as others. The iPod has performed flawlessly with syncing and playing. It has some features that the Nomad players don't have but others do (contacts, etc.). I don't use it for those features so I cannot comment on that part.

Acoustically I found all the players to be pretty good. They all easily drove my Sennheiser HD 580 headphones. I haven't given the included earset a try yet.

I read various complaints about battery life. I haven't had the chance to use the player on a long plane flight yet. It works fine at my desk for several hours. In my car, I use the Belkin cigarette lighter attachment. This works very well as it has a jack on the side for my Sony CD attachment (which also works very well) and a volume control. If it only had a remote for advance I'd be in heaven.

Not to completely bash Creative, the reason I jumped on the MP3 juekbox bandwagon was my positive experience with a Nomad 128 flash player. The flash player worked flawlessly, was easy to use, but was too limited in capacity to be practical for long trips.

I never tried the Rio Karma or the iRiver HP120. Support for some of the more esoteric encoding formats is not appealing to me. The iRiver would have cost me even more than the iPod. I have no idea what software either of those two use. I've used Apple products in the past and have found the quality of their software to be very good so my decision was pretty simple.

19 Oh yes
This is a great product. Very tiny (and there's a smaller version in the iPod mini)

It's a bit pricey but for its quality it is worth it.

If you want information on how to get a free iPod e-mail umwolvs99@cs.com.

This is a very solid product, though. Definitely the best on the market.

20 Awesome product
This product is awesome, I just got mine for cheap, if you are intrested in a $10.00 gift certificate good for amazon.com just message me, pikachen@walla.com ask me about it and in return i will also tell you more about the ipod, ipod minis are good too but this bad boy holds lots of music, perfect to go with iTunes.

21 Buyer Beware
The I Pod is by far the best of all MP 3 players. However, it has its problems mainly with freezing. My kept freezing and none of Apple suggestions seem to work. So if you want a player that doesn't freeze and just as easy to use go with the new mini disc player. You'll be less frustated and happier you did.

22 A long time satisfied iPod user
This is my second iPod, and I'm just as happy with it as I was with my first. There is nothing wrong with this iPod. For those people that complain about the battery life, all you need to do is plug it in at night, let it charge while you sleep, and you're ready to go for the next day. I've never been without my charger for more than 6 hours or so, so the 12 hour battery life is more than enough for me. The interface couldn't be easier, the buttons are easy to use, and plus it looks cool. You can't go wrong with this new iPod. I recommend getting laser engraving, because my first iPod was stolen, so an engraving of your name and phone number couldn't hurt.

23 Bad battery
Bad battery, i had it 2 days and had to return it because the battery sux, but i just called today and they told me they are going to give me a new one :D

*edit* just got my new ipod that the apple company sent to me, and its working marvelously! i love the ipod! MUST BUY!!!, but if you dont buy it on your home town,and the ipod comes defectous, you are going to have a hard time getting a replacement! so if your going to buy one, buy it in the apple store, i bought mine for $349.00 US.....here in panama, and in amazon is at almost 400 bucks! but oh well, im happy

24 Bad Battery
There are few things worse than paying $300 for an MP3 player, spending more than an hour setting it up, and then finding out that the battery is no good (apparently a fairly common problem with the iPods). Now I understand that many batterys go bad after one year of use - at $99 for a replacment battery, it looks like the total cost of the iPod will be well above the origional investment.

I definately regret chosing the iPod

25 what does this play
it doesnt play CDs or cassettes or vynal LPs so it is basically useless. It is NOT a music player.

26 Why Pay More....
Why spend more than you need to. Amazon is way overpriced on the 20GB iPod model. Spend less and buy it direct from Apple.

27 Excellent machine with a few ideosyncracies
I must admit I am very pleased with the IPOD-4 I just purchased. While it arrived with a small nick, I decided not to return it but get on with using it. It is a marvelous machine, with excellent third party add ons that enhance its utility. The iTRIP is fabulous, turning my car into a sound stage. The AltecLansing portable speaker system keeps me in tune at the office, and the sound from the JBL Creature II speaker system has lit up my home.
The only three downsides I have found (and for these issues Apple gets 4 rather than 5 stars) are the nick on the back plate that should have been caught prior to delivery, the fact that I cannot shuffle songs on playlists, only on the master list, and the fact that I cannot hook my IPOD up to more than one computer I own.
This bugs me because I don't want to listen to my songs in alphabetical order (how anal retentive for a company like Apple to forgo this flexibility). In addition, I have music on anumber of computers I own, yet cannot transfer them easily with my IPOD without losing my already uploaded songs (again anal retentive on the part of an otherwise creative comapny). Nor can my wife and son have different songs on my computer that they can download for use on their iPods.
Other than that, a great machine at a new lower price.

28 Undoubtably the best MP3 player
I've had little to no troubles with my 20GB iPod, although others beg to differ. The iPod is wonderful in many ways. I personally prefer it for its unique style. With iTunes, the iPod is very easy to use and better than any other MP3 player I've used. The negative side-- the battery life! I've found mine to last 6-8 hours... If you want better battery life, get the new model of iPod. Even though it doesn't look as cool, battery life is very important.

29 At your own risk!!
I'm only giving the ipod two stars, and i'm being generous. why?
I ordered my Ipod, and within two weeks it had stopped working. I happily sent it back and was, weeks later, given a replacement. This time it didn't work right out of the box! After hours on hold and begging for a refund, I was told that I couldn't have my money back because I didn't send it back in the first ten days!(if only I could have predicted the breakdown of my expensive impulse buy!)
so, I was sent a third Ipod. Get this...It was engraved to someone else, and even included the other persons email address! It wasn't even a new pod, but a referbished one. I emailed the young lady who's pod it was, and she answered that the whole thing was "f'd up".
I decided to keep it, because at least it worked this time, but be careful before you leap. Apple didn't help me at all, and i'm stuck wishing i'd stuck with cds and mixtapes. BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK

30 Is it just me??
I love iPods..I've had the 15gb for a while and recently purchased the 20gb from Amazon. But the one they sent me doesn't even turn on, charge, or anything. Am I the only one who got a totally not working iPod from Amazon?? Now I have to send it into the AppleCare Depot to get it fixed and sent back. This will take at least 2 weeks! At least I have my 15 to tide me over.. :(

31 The iPod - Sleek, elegant, and kick-arse
I've owned a first generation iPod and a 3G (for a short period of time).

In general, I have found that it's one of the most convenient ways to store a huge amount of music. This is why it's become such a cultural phenomemnon. Not only that, it has one of the most convenient, intuitive user interfaces designed thus far. There's room for improvement still, no doubt, but the scroll wheel used to maneuver menus is very convenient and delightful to use. The clicking noise that the iPod makes when moving from selection to selection grows on you. One thing that is important though is to remember to organize your music by playlists...otherwise, if you just do a song browse, you could be spending all day rotating that scroll wheel at top speed. Even when you're fast, it still takes FOREVER to go through 500 songs...much less 10,000.

Between the 1g and the 3g, there's been alot of structural design changes that are subtle to anybody who's never owned owe. While the 1g suffered from problems with the earbuds breaking off at the stem and cracking located at the earphone input, the 3g has cleaned up those issues.

The touch sensitive buttons on the 3g takes a little getting used to...I do prefer the solid tactile feel of having real buttons on the 1g, but at the least, the 3g avoids any mechanical wear problems. My only other complaint about that is that the touch button seem a little less responsive on the 3g.

If you're going to buy an iPod, go with the 4g. It combines the best things of the 1g and 3g, and besides, it's cheaper! Who cares about the belt clip case...there's better ones from third party companies.

As for battery life....I've never had issues. The 1g had great battery life. The 3g was shorter. It think the people who complain about it somehow manage to use it 24-7 (kudos to people who can do that at work and all). Fast-forwarding really shortens the battery life, maybe it's these impatient people that are whining and all. But even with fast-fowarding, there's at least a good solid 6 hours of music, IF you are constantly fast-forwarding. It's even better when you don't.
I'm not sure how well the Zen or the iRiver are in terms of battery life and fast-forwarding, and maybe they are bigger and cheaper, but I do know that the competition hasn't surpassed the iPod regards to elegance of design.

32 Last Year's Model Costs the Same as This Year's Model?
Amazon price: Apple 20 GB iPod M9244LL/A $299.99 (Last Year)
Apple.com price: Pod w/Click Wheel (20GB) M9282LL/A $299.99 (This Year)

Come on, Amazon, get the new gear in stock or give a decent discount

33 iPod...Okay
I never tried another mp3 player, and I don't think I will.

I see lots of reviews claiming the iPod is worse than that iRiver thing, and since I've never tried the iRiver, I can't justify that. But I'll say that the iPod is fine for me.

It was a pain restarting the computer 3 times trying to install iTunes, but I guess that's a given. The CD importing (to iTunes) was slow, so eventually I just imported them all to Windows Media Player and then put the folders onto iTunes, because that was simply faster.

It actually took me awhile to figure out the clickie-wheel thingie, but once I figured it out, it was pretty simple to use. The "Hold" feature was nice, but I forgot when I had it set and couldn't adjust the volume, which annoyed me.

It was easy to connect to the computer and update, but it does it automatically, which is a pain when you're listening to music and it suddenly stops. It's easy to sort music by Album, Playlist, Artist, and Song. I think the battery life is okay, but I've never tried to go around for the alleged 8 hours w/o a charge.

All in all, I think it's pretty nice. Definitely better than a CD player. If you're really looking to get more bang for your 300 bucks, you should probably shop around a little more.

34 Worth the money
If you're on the fence trying to decide whether spending $300 on an ipod is really worth it, I must urge you that it truly is. After pondering day after day about putting down the $$ myself, I decided to go ahead and purchase Apple's premier product. After using the ipod for several months, I've come to appreciate the great extent of the memory as well as its convienently easy-to-use structure. Being a student currently enrolled in summer classes at college, the recording option on the ipod has also been a helpful addition to the multi-purpose music machine. I can go on and on about the other purposes the ipod can serve, but you've probably already read them in the product description. All in all, my advice for those who are unsure that the ipod is worth the $$, is that you will not be dissatisfied with the product.

35 20 gb ipod = Its your decision.
Well I purchased my ipod a few days ago. Since the 4th generation just came out I was able to get a fantastic deal on a stylish 20 gb ipod. When I opened the box I was suprised. It came with a remote which sells for 30.00, It came with a spiffy case which sells for 40.00 and a dock which is going for 40.00 these days. Apple does overprice their accesories and also the same goes for the ipod. But now the 3rd generation of ipods is getting cheaper. The battery life has been the same with all other ipod users which is bad. It also holds 5000 songs " apple rates that number by a 128 bitrate with each song lasting roughly 4 minutes". The ipod also doubles as a hard drive. Ok so I do recommend the 20 gb ipod. Dont listin to the people who are saying it sucks and its garbage. They are just saying that because they cant afford it. But now they can.

36 4G iPods are available
Since everyone is making such a fuss, the new 4th Generation iPod are available on Amazon. The iPods featured on the current page are the older 3rd Generation.

(...)

37 Duh!
> THIS IS NOT THE IPOD THAT WAS RELEASED A FEW DAYS AGO

If anyone bothered looking at Apple's website, it would be obvious that this isn't the new iPod. The new iPod has a click-wheel and the part number is M9282LL/A (not M9244LL/A). Do some research before buying!

Anyway, this 3G 20GB iPod includes a dock, carrying case, and wired remote which the 4G doesn't include. But the 4G iPod offers the click-wheel and the new firmware which yields better battery life and has the new interface.

38 This is NOT the new iPod
It seems amazon wants to clear out some inventory before adding the new one.

THIS IS NOT THE IPOD THAT WAS RELEASED A FEW DAYS AGO

(this may seem obvious...but I know of a few people that have been burned already)

39 Amazon very misleading.....
I already own this item and am very pleased with it. I use my audible.com to download my books, etc. I love the fact taht i can listen to any of my cd's at any time. Of course the only drawback, as mentioned many times above, is the battery life. Its not that bad, i just have to remember to charge it every two days. What I am upset about, however, is that i just purchased the above ipod as a gift, thinking i was buying THE NEW ONE! i went to the electronics store here and went to ipod and found the 20gb ipod. it was not clear that it WAS NOT the new one. it has already shipped so i am stuck. Oh well, an ipod is an ipod is an ipod. I just felt amazon should have been more diligent in making sure this was not misleading, as there are many people like me, who are not 'in the know' about these types of things. or is it just me?

40 Where is the New IPod on Amazon
Apple announced a new IPod with a battery life of 12 hours and $100 cheaper. Amazon is selling their IPods at the new low price but do these models have the new 12 hour battery life? I have written Amazon three times now asking this question and they won't give me a straight answer. Don't buy this product until Amazon starts selling the 12 hour batteries.

41 New IPOD released today. Don't Waste your cash on this one.
There is a new IPOD being released soon. They are at least a hundred dollars cheaper and with more battery life. Don't waste your money on this item.

42 Pricey, but nice
I'm thinking of buying this as a gift. I myself already own the 15 Gig. version and am quite happy with it. There are many other choices out there, and not all of them bad. The Dell DJ, Rio Karma and the iRiver H120 can be had for a lot less and are very solid performers. None of them are "shoddy" products as some of the reviewers will have you believe but they each have their advantages and disadvantages. The reason I chose the iPod is because of its slick design and its support of the AAC codec. If you have cash to burn, get the iPod. If not, any of the aforementioned products will do very nicely.

43 simply weird
it said dopwnload up to 40000 songs, but i can only download 4000....isnt that weird?? im weird

44 Pros and Cons
i pod is undoubtedly one of the best portable music machines around... It looks stunning, sounds pretty good, and got amazing touch-sensitive buttons that not only looks darn good but works (quite surprisingly) well. So what's the problem??? i pod can be incredibly annoying for many reasons:
One of the biggest flaw is its remote control, not only does it look poor, when compared to its ultra cool daddy, but it doesn't work well.. What do I mean? You cannot actually move from one file to another file! - fair enough you might not actually care when you first buy the machine but after using the machine for months you will notice how annoying it is to take the machine out from your bag or your pocket everytime you want to skip from album to album.
Next flaws i mention are much more trivual compared to the first one but nevertheless still criticisable... So what else is there that may discourage you from buying the machine? Well, One of the biggest advantage the i pod has from its competitors is its stunning looks, the reason i pod, and not other jukebox is so popular nowadays is, in my opinion, is its looks and it's simple user interface. So, if the machine loses its looks then there is half the reasons to buy the darn machine. That's exactly the point i am trying to get- YES the machine does look cool when you first buy it, but the machine is incredibly easy to scratch and its large screen gets scratched even by putting the machine in your pocket. It's virtually impossible to preserve the machine at the same time as using it.
The last flaw is that the machine is not for people with weak heart. I nearly got a heartattack within the first week of using it. WHY?- the machine freezes. it can freeze for a minute and if long 10 minutes, and during that time i wouldn't be surprised if the weak hearted people die from heartattack. Trust me i may sound pretty pathetic but it is a bit of a shock when you see your $399 investment freeze in your hand for over 10 MINUTES! Oh boy you don't need that kind of service for the money you pay- after i bought the machine i found that there are many machines that work with same principles but with relatively lower price. But if you don't care about these and your top priority in jukebox is for its looks than i pod is nevertheless is in the league of its own.

45 Powerful, well-designed product!
I just got an iPod 20 last week and I love it. I love the way it sounds, I love the interface, and yes, I even like the remote. I use it and iTunes on a P3, 733Mhz with Win2000 and everything works great.

A few cons: beware of Apple's accessory racket. I had to buy the USB/Firewire cable extra- $20... for a wire. I also bought the skin, which amounts to a piece of fitted rubber and a plasic belt clip... $30. So $50 (plus tax) for a wire and a piece of rubber... hmmm... Also, I've noticed that occasionally, the song I'm listening to cuts off right before it's finished. However, I think I might be brushing against the controls, which can be very sensitive.

In response to the other reviewers, I actually like the remote. It's small and out of the way. To have an LCD on the remote like the comparable iRiver would not only be a distraction, but it would just be one more thing to break. LCD's can be fragile anyways, and to have one flaling around on the end of a wire sounds like bad news. Also, knowing the quality (or lack thereof) of iRiver construction, I really wouldn't trust this. Plus, every other player I've investigated has problems the iPod doesn't: poor navigation, shoddy construction, to large, crackly earphone connections, and a million little extra features that function marginally at best.

If you want a radio, buy a radio. If you want a voice recorder, get one of those little tape recorder thingys like the police use. But, if you want a seriously great mp3 player, get an Ipod!

46 Save those pocket changes!
This is a music aficionado's best friend. For all those people who are sick of carrying hundreds of their favorite CDs on the go can now rest easy, thanks to the Ipod. I bought the 20 GB and I can literally store thousands of my songs from my plethora of music collection. The size makes it very practical to carry around, whether for exercising purposes or just a way to enjoy even more that momentous morning trip to your wonderful job.
However, the only problem I have with the Ipod is its battery life. I don't know about the other Ipods but mine only seems to have a battery lifespan of 4-5 hours tops. I wish it was a little longer than that but you can't really have everything perfect. Do not, however, let this miniscule imperfection deter you from purchasing this magnificent item. So start saving those annoying pocket changes. Trust me, you will now be disappointed.

47 Save your moeny and buy the iPod 15 GB
Yes you should buy an Apple but buy the 15 GB iPod. Do an Amazon seach for "Apple 15 GB iPod M9460LL/A". Granted, you will only be able to store just over 3,000 songs instead of 4,000, but you will save about $100.

Here is more information...

Should You Really Buy an Apple?
-----------------------------------
What if you don't like tofu? What if you are not a vegetarian? What if you are not a member of the Sierra Club? Can you still own an Apple product?

Yes, you can own an iPod even if you are not an Apple Nerd. The iPod is a special exception. Buy your iPod now. Just don't tell anyone.

You Can Have Your Own Radio Station!
---------------------------
Seriously, the iPod is like getting to have your own radio station. You play your songs whenever you like.

Want an MP3 Player in Your Car?
-------------------------------------
A quick solution is to plug the "TransPod" car docking station into your cigarette lighter. It can hold your iPod right where you need it. You slid your iPod in and the TransPod broadcasts whatever your iPod is playing. You listen through your car's FM radio while the TransPod charges your iPod. This sound quality is not as good as headphone jack but the headphone jack is still open if you want to use it instead.

Have Your Favorite Songs With You!
---------------------------------------
Software such as "Nero" will let you rip (convert) tracks from your CDs to MP3 files. The included iPod iTunes helps you manage your music with a variety of tools including Smart Playlists that will automatically include new songs as you add them to your iPod. Rip at 192 kbs for excellent quality and you will get about 200 songs per GB. As you go to lower sample rates more songs fit onto your iPod but you may get strange digital chirping or distortion.

Accessories
-----------
Apple leads the way with the most accessories offered by third party vendors. In addition to the TransPod, you can change the case color by changing "skins". You can also have a little docking station with speakers in your home with products like the Altec Lansing inMotion Speakers. Do an Amazon search for "iPod Speakers."

A Fast and Cheap Computer Backup
--------------------------------
You may find that even if you rip every song that you like, you may still have many Giga Bytes to fill. Why not let the iPod be your free computer backup? All of your key files from your PC may only take up a few gigs. You will still have room left over!

Digital Voice Recorder
-------------------------
Tell your parents you are buying a digital voice recorder so you can record lectures. For about the same money buy the iPod. Although limited, the iPod can record up to 150 hours or more with a recorder adapter.

Don't Forget a Case
-------------------
You will scratch an iPod unless you are wearing cotten gloves. No joke. But iPods have more case options than anyone. Search Amazon for "iPod case." You will find everything from Neoprene wetsuits to waist and arm straps. A case also offers some protection from bumps.

Do I Have to Use iTunes for Downloads?
--------------------
You can purchase downloads from iTunes but also consider purchasing from other sites including Real.com and Kazaa.com.

Buy A Warranty
------------
The iPod is basically a hard disk drive in a case. Guess what happens when your drop a hard drive on the floor? It breaks. The AppleCare Protection Plan for iPod M9404LL/A is another $50 but if you ever drop your iPod you will wish you had the warranty.

What's the Catch?
--------------
The iPod is intended for the 3 % of the world that uses a Mac. Macs use "FireWire" instead of the USB connectors your PC probably has. So you probably need an Apple iPod Dock Connector-to-FireWire-and-USB 2.0 Cable for about $20. (...). For (this price), consider the Apple "iPod Dock" which also gives you USB plus a docking station to hold your iPod.

Summary
-------
Buy an iPod, but as of 2004, get the 15 GB model. Buy it from Amazon. Amazon has some of the best prices on iPod products. And with Amazon you can trust that you will really get a new product.

Have Fun!

48 a great device
i'm not a gadget guy, but i'm glad i have an iPod. i've tried other portable MP3 players, but the capacity, ease of use, and support for the iPod are excellent, far and above the rest.

the good things are obvious, but here they are again: great software in iTunes, decent UI on the device itself, great capacity, and super small.

the one bad thing is quite annoying: the unit sometimes turns itself on (even with the power locked off) when i power it on or sync it with my win XP laptop, so i've walked off with it on when i thought it was off. so much for the expected battery life!

the 20GB unit comes with all of the things you'll need *and* a 6 pin to 4 pin converter device, perfect for my thinkpad x31. i didn't have to buy that 30 cable, i should have read the box more closely. it also comes with the stand (not really needed for day to day operations), software, and a small remote for your headphone line.

all in all reccomended for the music lover. i like to download shows from NPR and load them on my iPod or use it for cross country flights. it's a perfect device for those situations, and many more. i'm quite pleased i purchased this model as opposed to the larger model, i just wouldn't need all that space (but the money comes in handy).

49 My love affair with my iPod continues
My iPod works reliably and I'm quite satisfied with the battery life. Not quite sure what everyone else is so steamed about. This is the coolest toy I've ever had!

50 I really wanted it to work!
I bought the 10GB ipod when it was being discontinued at target for $150, which i thought was a great deal. It would've been a great deal if the ipod hadn' stopped working after about 2 weeks. I dont know if i just got a lemon or what because everyone seems to think ipods are the best. AT first it did work great. After about the 3rd time transfering music onto it i had some problems, it would just stop mid transfer and freeze up for a while and then i could get it to work again. Then it started making my computer crash everytime i plugged it in. Finally it just wouldnt even recognize it as being plugged into the comp. i dont know what was wrong with it or if it could've been fixed. all i know is that i really like it when it worked but it was just too much of a headache for me to try to fiddle with. anyways i took it back and am now researching other players.

51 After the Honeymoon, I want a Divorce
I've had this for 2 weeks. Now that the honeymoon is over, let me tell ya....

While Apple's iPod is in a class of its own, I think the hype surpasses the quality of the product.

1. Songs skip.

2. Without a remote with an LCD display, you have to grab the unit itself. With sweaty hands at the gym, that's nerve wrecking!

3. With the remote, since there's NO DISPLAY, you can easily return to the main menu.

4. When you are playing a song and choose to navigate through the menu to select the next song, sometime the song that's playing stops - sometimes not.

5. Is it my imagination or do some songs cut off early?

6. Many songs/artists/albums appear twice! Or there's a case where I look up artist and find Janet, but I don't see one of her songs. I have to go to Genre and there that song is. Why wasn't it under her name? Confusing!

7. The RCA video/music player is already stepping into the next level. I almost regret not getting that instead, but I'll buy it later.

My suggested solution(s) to Apple:

Create a darn remote control with an LCD display. Sony's top minidisc players have them. Other MP3 players have them. It CAN be done. Offer it as an "extra" accessory. People will PAY to be able to stash that iPod in a safe place and navigate through music safely with a remote control.

52 QUICKLY BECOMING OBSOLETE
The Ipod was once a King of all digital music players but it is very close to becoming obsolete. WHY? #1 Battery life, #2 lack of recording ability, #3 Proprietary software RESTRICTIONS. MP3's really don't sound anywhere near as good as CD's. Sure you can play WAV files on an Ipod but it uses up battery so fast (3 HOURS!) that it isn't feasible, especially since you have to pay Apple $100 to replace your batteries every year or two. The future of music will be higher quality with bigger files, but since higher bandwidths require more battery power, Ipod will not have the muscle to compete with other players. Look for a player with an internal Lithium Polymer battery. Also, try to get a Jukebox that is plug-and-play and doesn't need drivers or software.

53 About to be blown out of the water.
you can now order the Creative jukebox zen touch, which has a similar touchpad touchsensitive interface as the IPOD and 20GB harddrive, USB 2, blah blah ,blah

THere is something that makes it vastly better than every SINGLE mp3 player out there
a 24-hour battery, that's right it can play for an entire day.
I think that that might just blow IPOD's PITIFUL 8-hour battery out of the water
it has three times teh battery life for $279
a 20GB IPOD is $399, over a hundred dollars more for the same features and 2/3 less battery

oh yah it only weigh 7.2 ounces, thats only 2 more than the IPOD and a whole 2 ounces less than the original ZEN
Yep IPOD IS DEAD TO ME

54 18 months/500 charges
Essentially the iPod is a glorious thing: a tiny little whitegood that delivers all your music straight from your pocket with no need to suffer the clackety clack of train tracks or the bore-on epoxy of all those fools. Great: Read the manual, test the drive, you're laughing. However, the manufacturers fail to point out the battery's tiny little grasp of power and the 500-recharge shelf-life of said irreplaceable cell. Also, this evening, a mere week after purchasing the thing, my iPod has frozen up and is now required to be left for 24 hours to get over it's rather inconvenient tantrum according to Apple, who must have known about it's shortcomings waaaaaay before I called to let them know. It's a ridiculously great product, or rather it would be, were the battery not rubbish and also that it appears to have been released for human consumption without really caring if it was going to do all the things that it was meant to without all the hassle somewhere along the way, yeah?

55 Battery Life is key and the ipod had failed on its battery
If it wasn't for the inaccurate battery indicator and rediculously small amount of charge it will hold and retain, I'd give the iPod 5 stars. While you may be able to get 6+ hrs of "continuous" playback on one full charge, that will hardly be the case in real life. If I mix music listening with file transfer on my iPod, battery life is the sorriest I've seen out of any portable device I've used. On a full charge with an almost brand new ipod, and yes, it was properly discharged during the previous cycle, it would only last about half an hour for file transfers. Apparently, the continous harddisk spin contributed greatly. I purchased my ipod as not only a walkman, but a portable storage device as well. And that's what's worth the extra bucks to make the iPod stand out from the rest of competition. And if the battery won't keep up with the device, I can only give a generous 2 stars.

56 Looks great, small size, great sound
The iPod, like all Apple products deserves awards for its designs. The player is the sleekest and most compact hard drive based players on the market. It holds about 5,000 songs that you can organize into different folders and playlists. The sound of the player is great, even with the headphones that it comes with.

The bad: The battery life is absolutely horrible. If you're going to spend $400+ on an MP3 player, you would expect more than 4-5 hours of playing time. Using the equalizer and the apple iTrip drops that playing time even further to only 2 hours!

The software is generally pretty easy to use, but I would prefer that the iPod be recognized as a portable storage device.

Overall: Best looking player on the market and it has quality earphones out of the box. If you're looking for a player to take with you on the go, this is the player for you, but if you want to listen to your MP3s with an FM modulator on the way to work, I suggest you find a player with better battery life such as the Dell Jukebox.

57 Just what I needed
I went to a store that had about 10 portable audio players on display. I was immediately sold on the iPod for it's ease of use and functionality.

Pros
The dial is awesome - easy to select items.
Selecting music is easy - Accelerated jog is nice.
Sound is very decent - Earbuds are more than adequate with clean sound.
Compact size - Great portability. I even stick it in my short pocket.
Customizable Main Menu - I don't buy individual songs so I have only Albums and playlists displayed.

Contacts and Calendar - I use this daily. Alarm and clock are handy for me.
Wired Remote Control - I leave this hooked up to my car stereo.
Games - Solitare is nice when I'm waiting around and there's nothing to look at.
Case with clip - very sturdy

Cons
Battery - Drains quickly when downloading songs since the Firewire connnection does not recharge on a PC. Battery life is about 8 hours.
Doesn't play wma files.
iTunes -
1. Auto mode requires you to keep songs on computer, so I use manual mode.
2. Most new music is not worth listening to anyway.
3. Also it would be handy to view what's on my ipod and what I want to add in same window.
4. Can't upload from ipod to compter. You need anapod for that.

Overall I find this to be a great solid device with the limited PDA being a good feature. If battery life was around 12 hours it would get 5 stars.

58 Not Perfect, But Best in its Class
Compare the iPod to any other portable mp3 player in its class (meaning the price and storage capacity). The iPod beats them all in the areas of:
1 Durability (hard drive harder to ruin than on other players)
2 Ease-of-use (intuitive interface)
3 Aesthetic appeal
4 Highest quality audio output (great equalizers)
5 High Quality backlight
6 Useful palm-like organizer (but could be better)
7 Built-in compatibility with iTunes, audible.com, and other audio services

Unfortunately, the battery life could be better. I also have a complaint about the syncability of the iPod with multiple computers. The ease-of-use is also a downside, as the iPod does so much for you, if you do something unexpected, like sync with two computers, the results can tend to be unpredictable.

Nevertheless, the quality of the sound (it seems like you can get a louder output on the iPod than other players, which may contribute to the shorter, but acceptable, battery life) is better than other players. The size and ergonomics are the best. The price is a little higher, but justifiable considering the benefits.

Finally, my recommendation is to understand the player's downfalls before you purchase. Realize that this is a hard drive and even though it is better at standing up to a beating than others do not shake it vigorously, throw it, drop it, or put it in water. Just like any piece of electronics, especially those with precisely moving parts, it will break. I do not normally advocate buying a warranty, but in this case BUY THE LONGEST WARRANTY YOU CAN. If you use your iPod or any other similar player, the chances of you dropping it or it breaking from normal wear-and-tear are high. The warranty will be cheaper than replacing the unit. With all of those warnings etched upon your mind, go ahead and make the purchase. It will drastically increase the personal value of your music collection by making it more useful than ever to you. You will not regret this purchase.

59 iPods: It's Plusses and Minuses
Here are the reasons why you should buy an iPod:
1. It is compact, you can take your ENTIRE CD collection with you. The iPod slips very easily in your pocket and is pretty light.
2. It is extremely easy to use. Plug it in and it automaticcally all the songs from your computer (iTunes) to your iPod. Very very fast connection and updating. It only takes about 4 seconds to update an average sized album. Amazing huh?
3. It's very very convenient. One thing I really about the iPod is that you can create playlists so your songs can play in a particular order. You can make as many playlists as you like and it'll take like 10 seconds. If you want to burn the songs into a portable CD player, it'll take a good 20 minutes, AND you get worse music quality. You can change your playlists as many times and you want.
4. It's got a lot of other features on it. The games are really fun. You can also put notes, calendar, and contacts on it.
5. The sound is really good. You get equalizer and you can adjust to maximize the quality of music depending on the genre.
6. The design ROCKS!
Some not so great points about the iPod:
1. It scratches very easily and unless you don't mind that, you're gonna have to buy some kind of case for it, which will make it slightly bigger (but some will make it more fashionable).
2. The battery really doesn't last that well compared to some other mp3 players out there. To get the most out of your iPod battery, do not fully discharge it before you recharge it. (There's no memory effect.)Supposedly it lasts 18 months if you listen to 6 hours of music a day. (Still not that bad!)
3. The price is pretty up there... But say, you use it everyday for the next 1.5 years, the iPod costs 75 cents a day. (Referring to the 20GB version). And chances are you ARE gonna use it for more that 1.5 years.

Some final words:
Go for it, you really won't regret the purchase. The iPod is a timeless thing. The iPod really opened my eyes to music. I now listen to a wider variety of music. With iTunes, purchasing songs you like can never be easier. Once again, GO FOR IT!! NO REGRETS!!

60 I love my iPod!!!
I got my Ipod as a sort of anniversary gift. It is the 5th mp3 player that has been in our home. My husband and daughter each have one for their music but I was trying to find one with lots of memory for my audio books and different magazines that I listen to. First my husband bought me a RIO Nitrus 1.5gb. I returned that and told him I would wait for something better. Then he surprised me with a Napster Samsung for my anniversary. It did not support files from Audible.com and was big and bulky. I exchanged it for my iPod and it is the best decision I ever made. It is very simple to use. I really like the i tunes software also. The 20 gb ipod is the best choice I think because it comes with many things that in my opinion you are going to end up bying at some point. I use my ipod in the car mostly so I looked into an fm transmitted and bought one that gave me nothing but trouble. IT was very difficult to use and sounded horrible. I found on the Apple web site the iTrip fm transmitter and it was the best purchase. Now weather at the gym or in my car or even cooking dinner, ear buds and remote or iTrip, I have it all. It is well worth the mony paid for it. When this one dies I will definately get another.

61 Love it, love it, love it!
My PC only has 10 gig of hardspace and most of that is used by other programs. I was concerned that that would be a problem. Some reviews said that you had to keep everything that's on the iPod in iTunes, meaning I needed 20 gig of disk space on my PC for 20 gigs of space on my iPod. This isn't true at all. You can set up the sync option so that you do it manually. That way you can import songs into iTunes, transfer them to the iPod, then delete them from iTunes.

Also, there are replacement batteries. www.pdasmart.com sells them for $55.

I love being able to leave all of my CDs behind and just carry my iPod with me everywhere I go. It's a brilliant invention and the best one out there!

62 A review in spanish... (with english resume for americans)
FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS: IN SHORT, WHY COMPLAIN ABOUT WMA SUPPORT LACK? IT SUCKS BESIDES AAC ANYWAY, I OWN A DELL PC WITH WINDOWS XP AND I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCE ABSOLUTELY ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT AND THE BATTERY ISSUES, WELL, I GUESS IT'S JUST EXTREMELY BAD LUCK, CAUSE I HAVE NOT ANY PROBLEMS OF THIS KIND NEITHER, REGARDING THE MONEY ISSUE, WELL... IT'S UP TO YOUR POCKET, BUT BELIEVE ME, THE DESIGN, SOUND QUALITY, FEATURES AND INNOVATION, MAKES IT WORTH EACH PESO, OR PENNY IN YOUR CASE. I AM A PC USER, BUT A ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZE THAT APPLE IS ONLY IN FIRST PLACE, OTHERS ARE JUST COPPIES WITH THE USSUAL AMERICAN THINKING: "THE MORE... THE BEST", AND THAT'S NOT TRUE IN ALL CASES, MINIMALISM IS IN BOGA, THIS PLAYER IS THE BEST, ACCEPT IT OR NOT... BUT IT IS TRUE. GREETINGS FROM MEXICO.

No entiendo las quejas de tantas personas, contar� mi experiencia a continuaci�n:

Un amigo compr� un iPod, el modelo de 15 Gb, y como no tiene computadora me pidi� que le bajara canciones, para este efecto tuve que bajar el iTunes, programa que nunca antes hab�a usado, y fu� una sorpresa darme cuenta lo intuitivo y f�cil que es de usar, de inmediato pas� mi librer�a y por suerte todas mis canciones est�n en formato mp3, las pocas que ten�a en formato WMA las comvert� a MP3 y listo. Al conectar el iPod a mi computadora (para lo cual tuve que comprar el cable USB por separado... mi �nica queja talv�z)solo tard� unos segundos en ser reconocido y en unos minutos toda mi librer�a de 600 canciones estaba en el disco duro del peque�o aparato. Soy un poco met�dico y meticuloso, por eso es que me puse detenidamente y con diferentes sistemas de audio a comparar los formatos WMA, MP3 y AAC, y es una sorpresa notar que el formato AAC es incre�blemente superior a los otros, por lo que pienso codificar todas mis canciones a formato AAC, me tomar� un poco de tiempo pero vale la pena, la calidad es insuperable, y el sonido del iPod, combinado con sus peque�os pero poderosos aud�fonos, hace una experiencia �nica el escuchar m�sica con el nuevo juguete de Apple. Obviamente despu�s de solo una semana de poseer el iPod de mi amigo, no dud� y compr� el m�o propio. No he tenido absolutamente ning�n problema de compatibilidad, los accesorios son fant�sticos. QUIEN QUIERE FORMATO WMA??? Cr�anme, lo he comparado detenidamente y no tiene nada que hacer al lado de AAC, y la diferencia con MP3 es casi imperceptible; los extras son maravillosos, la funci�n de disco duro, las notas y la sincronizaci�n de contactos y el calendario... por lo tanto, adopten las nuevas tecnolog�as, no hagan caso de las malas rese�as, pues son problemas que ya han sido resueltos por Apple, o personas con muy muy muy mala suerte. En cuanto al costo, pues depende de su bolsillo, pero cr�anme, el dise�o, la calidad del sonido, los extras y la inovaci�n, justifican cada peso gastado.

63 Warning: This is a rich person's disposable status symbol !
The battery replacement is $99 plus shipping. Apple essentially designed this to be a rich person's disposable mp3 player. The batteries have a very short life and cannot survive recharging for very long and don't hold much of a charge.

The Apple site is full of advice on how to prolong the life of the battery.

To purchase the ipod is to purchase a very fragile pet with a very short lifespan that is very tempermental.

Warning: This is a rich person's disposable status symbol and little more.

2nd Problem:
I played with an ipod and became so frustrated with selecting the correct song that I gave up on it. There are constant complaints about how easy it is to hit the buttons and to affect the ipod accidently. There are warnings at the Apple site that it is easily turned on with incidental touching and that is one of the reasons that the battery wears out too soon.

Hopefully competition will force Apple to improve this device. It is the highest priced disposable music device that I have ever seen.

64 A work of art that works perfectly
I chose the 20 gig model because the ipod mini is just too small ( for my collection and my hands). Although the price is on the the steep side for my budget I went for the 20 over the 15 simply because the extra space and accessories seemed worth it. This is my first Hard Drive player and after looking around for a year I decided that style means a lot if you have to carry something around all the time..so Apple was the only choice.

I am famous for post purchase guilt but this thing was worth every penny. The box it comes in is beautiful and the ipod itself really is something to behold. It is much smaller than you might think from all the pictures and it feels solid. And the looks....well small wonder it is included in the Architectural Digest list of great designs.

The interface is really simple..it took maybe 5 minutes to get the hang of it. I have 1400 songs on it ( most in AAC format) and it has tons of room left. It sounds great but if you are just starting to build an iTunes collection I would recommend ripping all your songs in AAC since when I play an AAC song next to an MP3 song the quality difference is noticeable ( this is the format's fault ..not the ipods). I was also happy that this sucker can crank out quite a respectable volume level which surprised me too.

If you have been thinking of getting a player don't worry too much about the money... the joy you will get out of an iPod make it worth the cost. If you are trying to choose between the 15gig and the 20gig ..the carrying case, dock and remote control that come with the 20gig make the $100 price difference meaningless ( you will end up buying them separately anyhow..trust me).

65 Not a review, but a request...
With Apple hard at work on the next-Gen iPod, now may not be the best time to buy. Here's what I'm hoping we'll see when the new Pods show up late this summer, in order of request:

1) High-quality line-in for recording. Current solutions are awkward. What we need is line-in for recording lectures; reporter interviews; concerts; and for Garage Band musicians to record jam sessions on the fly. This one feature would demolish the entire Minidisc market in one fell swoop, but Apple is probably worried about the additional complexity and the certain complaints about bootleggers from the recording industry, who they need to support iTunes.

2) A better camera dock solution. The current Belkin kit ($99) is awkward and slow. An on-iPod solution (such as an SD card slot or mini-USB2-in jack) would greatly enhance the iPod's use as a digital wallet. Just think: Professional Camera geeks are shelling out $1,000 to $2,000 for measly 1GB-4GB flash cards, when they could have 40 GB for $499.

3) An optional color-screen model. Viewing pictures, downloaded home movies et al on the fly; album art; games.

To be useful, the screen would have to be somewhat larger than the current screen, and possibly require and entirely new form factor. But surely apple can do a much better job than the laughably awful $699 XPods that Microsoft will be pitching...

4) If we're really dreaming, how about giving the high-end iPod a TiVo-like option? Have a TV dock that includes video and audio in-out and records shows, etc. onto the iPod. How cool would that be to record & carry 30 hours or so of your favorite video whereever you want? Sony already has a clumsy attempt at this with its GigaPocket technology; surely Apple could do it one better.

66 Not worth the price premium anymore
Bought one of these to replace my first generation iPod with a dead battery instead of coughing up the $99 apple wanted to replace the battery. Theres really not a whole lot in the way of improvements in my eyes between this and the earlier iPods. I ended up returning it after a week, mostly because I was also in the market for an external HD, and this player doesn't support that.
This unit is still the leader in terms of size, but it is lagging pretty far behind the competition in terms of battery life, features, sound quality, and value. I'm sure Apple can just float by for another year or two in this manner, as this unit was at one point the best personal MP3 player, period. This is obviously not the case anymore, but, like other Apple products, people will be willing to buy nearly anything with the Apple logo regardless of the competition.
Still a solid contender, but by no means the undisputed champion anymore. If size and style aren't your only considerations there are better products elsewhere.

67 Once again, Apple is in the lead.
The 20GB iPod which I just got recently is the first mp3 player i've ever owned, and I think it is a masterpiece in electronics. I've never even considered getting any other player because in the past, any of apple's products are far better than anything like it made by another company. And once again is has proven to be so. This little device is amazing. Here is what I think about all the accessories and features of the iPod.

iPod Dock: I find that it is uncomfortable using the iPod when it is sitting in the dock, so usually I just lay it down on the desk inside my iSkin exo2. Note: It does look a lot cooler in the dock.

Wired Remote: The remote is a nice invention because as long as you stay in one playlist you can move back and forth between songs using the remote, change the volume, or fast-forward/rewind a track.

Carrying case/belt clip: This case I think is actually quite high quality. If you need to lay the iPod down on a scratchy surface or carry it in a backpack, this case protects it quite nicely. The belt clip is very strong. I usually need two hands to unclip it from my waist.

Earbuds: These are the best earphones I have ever used. The foam coverings are very comfortable, and they are easy to put in your ears and they don't fall out very easily.

AC adapter/Firewire cable: There isn't much to say about these. Both work exactly like they are supposed to.

Games: Out of the four games included, Brick and Parachute are my favorites. The music quiz puts a list of five of your songs on the screen, and plays a sample of one of them, and you have to select the correct one. The longer you wait the less points you gain. In Parachute, you have to shoot down helicopters with your tank before they drop parachutists. Once they drop parachutists you can still shoot them for two points each. In Brick, you have to keep this little stick bouncing up and knocking out bricks by moving this board around. Then later in the game two sticks start bouncing around and it gets tricky. And Solitaire is obvious. Overall I think the games are a good addition to the iPod.

Notes: This is a really cool feature. You can put on as many text notes as you want, up to 700k each. Just drag text files into the notes folder after enabling disk use.

Contacts: I don't use this feature but it looks pretty cool.

Clock: The clock is a good thing because then you don't need to carry a watch around. And you can set an alarm, and if you make the sound a beep, instead of one of your playlists, it makes the noise without speakers/earphones hooked up.

Calendar: This is very cool. You can see an entire calendar for 100 years on your iPod.

Battery: I know this is what most people want to know about. Well, this is how it goes with me. After a charge, I unplug it, and the battery icon stays full for about half an hour. Then it goes bellow full and back up to full, back and forth for about fifteen minutes, until it finally stays bellow full. Then, at about 21/2 hours, the battery icon just went down to above half, meaning it will stay there for another thirty to forty minutes at least. Then the second half goes down much faster than the first half, making the total time about 5 hours.

And that's about it. The iPod definitely deserves a five star rating, and I hope apple keeps coming out with these amazing inventions.

Two thumbs up to Apple Computer.

68 Waste
Who really needs 5,000 songs if all you can get is 8 hours of play time...Who will buy 5,000 songs... honestly the mini is the better choice. It holds 1,000 songs which should be good enough for anyone and costs a lot less. Also you can change the songs too.

69 ...And it plays mp3's too!
Wow. And I was expecting a regular mp3 player with a lot of space. This thing is absolutely amazing. To be able to navigate through thousands of songs by name, album, or artist is so convenient. Not to mention the games, the planner, and the ability to use the hard drive as computer storage. The ipod has completely revolutionized the way i listen to music. No more messing with cd's or only choosing a certain selection of songs for a portable device. The 20 Gb ipod has enough space to suit a DJ. I have put all of my cd's on there, so when i want to listen to one, i just grab my ipod. The sound quality is amazing. Don't let that "near CD quality" statement on the box fool you into thinking it has that 128 kps raunchiness as most mp3 players. The quality of sounds, especially when you use the ipod headphones, is better than any conventional cd player. Bottom line: if you're thinking about gettin an ipod, go for it. I recommend going for this one; the 20 Gb model, because it comes with all the necessary accessories (with the exception of a adapter. If you don't have firewire, make sure you get one of those) If you get the 15, you'll end up spending the $400 this one costs after buying all of the accessories, and the 40 is just overkill. I can't see myself ever using more than 10 Gb. If you are thinking of getting a mini, don't. People are supposedly having problems with them. Wait until Apple has worked all of the kinks out. Plain and simple; the ipod is the mp3 player to get and the 20 Gb is the ipod to get. I just got mine after breaking my minidisk player (what a pain that was!) and i'm glad i did.

70 iPod Pro's/Con's
The iPod is an excellent technoligical advance in the field of portable digital music. The iPod started the revolutionary idea of portable jukeboxes made by other companies. So, why not go with the original?
Features:

Portability; lightweight, sleek design attractive
Storage; depending upon which model you chose, you will have more than plenty room for your music collection.
Clarity; Sound is crisp and clear
Menus; Easy user interface to navigate to artists/songs/albums
Disadvantages:

Battery Life; Up to 8 hours if your lucky. Backlight drains much of it. It is able to be turned off to conserve battery life.
iTunes; Terrible operating system for managing your music. The iPod works on an "Update every time you connect it" basis. The iPod is updated with the songs in your iTunes library. I was hoping I could add music to the iPod and delete the songs from my hard drive afterward. If the song isn't in your library when its connected, the song will be removed from the iPod.

Although the iPod has a few flaws, it is definitely a good idea for any previous CD player user. Wrap up: Good Mp3 player, crisp clear sound. Sleek looking design with backlight and buttonless interface. Bad battery life, bad software.

71 iPod: What else could you want in life?
I got my 20GB iPod yesterday, and everything works perfectly. My 855 song library downloaded in about 3 minutes. This device is amazing. The dock is okay cause it makes it stand up and not get scratched on the desk but it's hard to use while it's it at that angle. I don't use the remote very much because you can't change from playlist to playlist with it. By the way I do use a mac, so if some of you windows users are wondering how everything went so flawless with mine, there's the answer. Do not buy one if you have a PC. iPod's are made by apple and they don't let PC users get away with staying with a bad computer and using apple's amazing creations. Get a mac, get iTunes, and then get an iPod, and you will not be sorry. I mean it.

72 Perfect Digital Music Player
Simply the best MP3 player made in yet. Beats anything by IRiver, Creative, Dell or any company.

Apple has created the sleekest product in electronics history. Its a sweet shiny white and chrome machine that fits in the palm in your hand. There are absolutely no buttons to press on an iPod, everything is touch-enabled which is much much better and easier to navigate. You won't have to worry about buttons wearing away over time. Plus, its design is so damn cool its not funny.

The 20GB model is not a great as a deal as the 40 but its still better than the 15GB because it comes with an inline remote control and an iPod dock (very necessary).

You must install iTunes in order to use iPod. Nevertheless, iTunes is the best music player for the PC yet. 100x better than Windows Media Player, and nearly 1000x times better than the old school WinAmp. iTunes has better playlists, better methods of organizing music, and a much much more simpler design than anything out. iTunes is as a sleek program as the iPod is an MP3 player.

Why is iPod so expensive? Its because of its near CD sound quality. All the non Apple MP3 players tend to distort music quality to a VERY noticeable level. Do not choose to buy one of those 60GB MP3 players for like $200, they have horrible sound quality and klunky design.

Why did I give this product 4 stars? Its only because Apple's iPods cannot hold a charge after near 18 months of use. Meaning you need to get the ENTIRE IPOD replaced by apple, for $100. However, you can get the extended warranty from the AppleCare Protection Plan and it'll cover you for 24 months, which is a good deal. Don't hold out because of this tho, because if you're buying such a product, you should take care of it.

Hail to the iPod and a new generation of portable music!

73 Great product - and works fine w/WinDoze XP
I've had my 20 GB (G3) iPod for about a week now. Here are my interim thoughts:

- I have a WinDoze XP Pro PC, and it interfaced cleanly the FIRST TIME, with the iTunes software. I imported my MP3's into it, then drag/dropped them into the iPod (set as a disc), and it worked perfectly

- The unit functions perfectly, and I get about 6-8 hours of battery life. This doesn't bother me, as I understand that the thing is a miniature Mac computer, and as such, computers suck power. Just the nature of the beast.

- Sound quality is excellent. I have the EQ set to Bass Booster, and I get good dynamic range. However, I did go buy Sony phones for it, as I believe that Sony makes by far, the best phones

- No freezing or reset issues AT ALL. Flawless operation every time.

- Overall, I think this product is styled and built to the highest quality standards in the industry. I am very pleased with the unit overall, and glad that I bought it. I was more than happy to pay a premium for a product like that.

- I learned the user interface in about 5 minutes. iTunes took a while longer.

Many thanks to Apple for such a fine product!

(I only gave it 4 stars because I never give anything a perfect score.)

74 Simply The Best!
The sweet spot in the iPod lineup! Everything you could possibly want and more. If the price is holding you back...live a little and spoil yourself (or get the iPod mini). You'll be glad you did. All other players are poor imitations at best. Most of the others look, feel, and act like a metal brick. When it comes to accessories, no player can match it. And iTunes: lightyears ahead of the rest. I've used them all. None even hold a candle to iTunes. All other companies producing players and software should just hang it up. The fat lady has sung. Apple/iPod/iTunes is the champ!

75 if the only the battery worked
I have purchased three ipods for myself, and over 10 ipods for friends in the last year. All of my ipods and about 3/4's of the ones I gave to friends have had battery problems. Within six months of use, the battery only holds a charge for about 1 hour, sometimes less. Since we all use the ipods independently, you can rule out user error. Also, the battery needs to be constantly recharged. This makes a wonderful piece of equipment almost useless, and a constant source of frustration. Also, you get no help from Apple when you try to contact them. Unfortunately, the ipod is not built to easily replace the battery. All in all, the ipod is a wonderful innovation with a fatal flaw.

76 You gotta love this
I just git this 20GB one, and enjoy so much.

77 Its success says it all
I started with the original 5 Gig iPod. I was impressed then, and I'm impressed now.

My only complaint is this (which keeps it from getting 5 stars). Battery life. The original iPod lasted at least 10 hours. The new ones, only 8. Why Apple took this step in the WRONG direction is beyond me, but it was a big mistake. Even so, the iPod rocks. I love it.

78 Great but not perfect
Pros:
* Looks cool
* UI is very usable
* Sound quality is great
* USB & firewire is handy
* Lots of accessories available

Cons:
* Case and display, while great looking when new, scratch way too easily and are constantly marred by fingerprints in real life. Get a protective case.
* While a song is playing, the center button select fast forward/rewind mode -- moving the dial around will skip to that section of the song. While is great and all, when using the iPod in active situations (riding bikes, running, etc.) it's way too easy to hit the center button when all you want to do is adjust the volume via the wheel.
* The iPod puts out much better sound than the earbuds that come with it can deliver.
* iTunes isn't the greatest software. Try Xplay.
* All the accessories are overpriced.

79 not too many feature for the price
I have tried this player in person
sounds is not so special
the control is not that hard, but somehow the dial is too easy to move, that may make some mis-operation
there're 2 things I don't like
1. no .ogg support, after found the high-fidelity of .ogg format, I made thousands of them to replace mp3s I made, alas, this player don't support
2. no recording feature
$399 is way too high with fewer features, I personally not recommend, no matter the cool look, function and support are more important for me

80 Defining slick.
This is one of the most well executed and designed pieces of equipment I've ever seen. The auto-update feature makes it beyond user friendly. You plug the thing in, and it does all the rest for you. The wheel allows you to scroll through hundreds of songs quickly and neatly. The remote means that the ipod can sit in your backpack and you still control playback. The sound quality is at least as good as the best portable cd player I've ever owned and generally much better. Buy this. You want it. You can even download audiobooks. Not only a little cool.

The only complaint I have is actually about ITunes. After downloading songs from cd, I have to restart my computer before I can listen to them - on the computer that is; they still download to ipod just fine. Don't know why, but that's a minor inconvenience amidst a thus unmarred experience.

81 Overall Great Product
Small, light, holds 5000 songs. Wanted the 40 Gig modle, but settled for the 20. But I've decided I didn't need the 40 gig. I put all my music in it and have only filled a third of the way. The address book and calender feature only works if you're hooking it up to a mac. And once you've set it up to either a mac or PC you can't switch without loseing all your music. Those are the only two reasons I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

82 BLOWN AWAY!
Wow, this mp3 player is amazing. We all know the design is sleek and beautiful. What many people fail to mention, it seems, is the sound quality. It's amazing! the sound is so crisp.
The Apple company itself is great to their customers. I got my Ipod in 2 days. It shipped from China, all the way to Colorado in that time!
If you have a Mac, its amazingly easy to get started. Its so easy to transfer songs onto the Ipod, etc.
I have not tried it w/ a PC yet and I am a PC user; it's just that my friends have Macs, so I take the opportunity.
Now, the battery life, 8 hours. People complain about that, but do you honestly need more? Just remember....when you get your Ipod, use what battery life is contained with it until you have none, and THEN recharge it. Its a lithium ion battery, meaning it has memory...so you'll waste the battery if you charge it before it has no juice left.

83 Very useful device EVEN if you dont listen to music
First, in my views ipod is a very well designed product with a simple and usable interface. It works very well and I use it with a windows pc. I tried another hard drive based player earlier, but its interface was more cumbersome than ipod and it was bulkier too. I would not buy those memory based mp3 players because swapping things in and out is not what you want to do. You want to store songs/books etc. in one go, not every day. Maybe change once in a while but not every day. A Hard drive is a MUST!
There is no point in my telling about the ipod because so many have already done so. Its a great device.

I dont listen to music on my ipod. Then whats the use of buying the ipod? Because I listen to audio books. And ipod is the perfect device for that! You can buy and store as many books as you want and listen to them on your ipod. Ipod automatically remembers the position in each book. Audible.com is where I buy my audio books from (Amazon sells audio books through them too). They have a subscription service using which I get any 2 books that I want each month for a monthly price (not much). Even if we dont have time to read books ourselves, we can listen to them while commuting! I would have never been able to read all these books if I didnt have ipod and audible. Another reason not to go for those memory (non-harddrive) based players is this. Some Books can be very long and you cant store them in a small memory unless you sacrifice quality. Not many mp3 players support audible.com format. Ipod works perfect! now i can listen to books any time I am getting bored or travelling/commuting. Its effortless and wonderful!

84 convenient, but not the best
First of all, I have to say that the iPod is definitely more convenient than an everyday CD player. Finally, you can have all your songs in one place, so you don't have to carry around a bulky CD case and search for the CD you want. For someone constantly on the move, like me, that's a blessing. Also, the iPOD is small and light, small enough, in fact, to fit into your pocket, purse, or backpack. The 20GB version also comes with a carry-case that means your iPOD won't be damaged if you put it in your backpack or purse.

Now, I use iPod with a Windows PC, so I don't know if my problems only apply to Windows users, but I've found that often, songs won't play, or they'll skip. In my book, this is incredibly annoying. Also, some CD players let you listen to the radio in addition to your own CD's, but with iPod, this is not the case. The other thing is that, if you use the earphones that come with the iPod, be forewarned: they're small and uncomfortable (they start hurting after a while), and they frequently fall out.

In short, while the iPod is an extremely convenient device, I don't think it's worth the money. If it were me, I'd go for a reliable CD player, despite having to lug around a bulky CD case, but it's up to you.

85 IPOD and nothing else
Like to start by saying, I am a PC fan, been that way for the past 10 or so years. But this has changed my mind about apple products. I have the 15 GB, and got this 20 GB for my wife. The 15 GB is a little slimmer. Everything else is the same. So what ever I say in here goes for both. I can't pack my 15 GB yet, and I have alot of music in it. I haven't tried anything else in the mp3 players, but really I don't think I will ever do. The software with it needs a little more work. There are alot of softwares out there for it, and better than the original one. As for the car. I tried the radio transmitters (transmiting to radio channels 88.3, 5, and 7). Bought two, and they both are just as bad. I invested into a modulator, and believe me, it is sooooooo much better. All in all, can't see me listen to music anyother way from now on. A friend of mine had an mp3 player in his car, but can he take his with him to the house, jogging, traveling..... NO, plus he still changes CD in the car (cause he can't fit all'of his music in one CD) :(

86 iPod batteries suck
i purchased an ipod and was very disapointed when i found out i had to buy a new cable before being able to use it. also the battery is lithium ion which means that it is practically worth less after 300 charges. that suck
it wouldn't even play for one hour. you can learn how to change your ipod battery at posci.com but mine broke while i was doing it. also the metal on the iPod gets scratched very easily.

after the ipod broke i got a new mp3 player. i got the iRiver ihp-120. it has a lithium polymer battery and it last for 3000 charges instead of the puny ipods 300. also the battery last for 16 hours twice as good as the ipod. the iriver hasn't gotten scrachted once. as an even better plus te iriver has a very high quality microphone which is awesome. lastly the irier cost less then the ipod DO NOT GET THE IPOD GET AN IRIVER I SWEAR YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT

87 Fabulously designed player...unless you want it to last
I bought my first iPod 5 GB player in Feb. 2002 because i was going away for 5 weeks and didn't want to lug a bunch of CD's around. I loved it immediately, and in the next two years everyone who has come into contact has loved it, both when playing with it at parties where it acted as DJ and in cars where it kept us entertained for hours.

So what's the problem? In exactly 2 years since i've owned the iPod, i'm now on my THIRD iPod which yesterday died a death. The first one inexplicably died with a hard disk crash after a mere 8 months. Apparently i didn't qualify for a replacement, but due to company screwups Apple accidentally sent me one anyway. This second one almost immediately started showing battery issues, going from the spec. of 10 hours down to as little as 5 hours of battery life. After 4 months I couldn't take it any more and moved onto my THIRD iPod. In exactly one year, this one has crashed with a hard drive failure and Apple says it will cost me $249 + Shipping to replace it.

So the count is 3 iPods in 2 years, with the original costing me $399. I think I think that although the design is genius, nobody at Apple bothered looking at how the thing would work in the real world, for someone who uses it every day. I didn't even drop the thing, i believe it just wore out (well, 2 of them did and the third had the notorious case of the battery hijinks).

To summarize, the iPod is a terrific design, and buy it if you plan to use it sparingly. If you actually intend to use it almost every day, you're throwing your money away and will have to replace it fairly quickly. If you don't mind spending $300 or $400 every one to two years, then it's okay. If like me you're outraged at buying a product that fits your needs for 5 years but only lasts barely 2, then go elsewhere.

88 Big Price, Cool Case, No WMA Support
It's newer. It's cooler. It's way hip, but it still doesn't support WMA playback leaving Windows users to install new software and rip their music into yet another format. I've checked it out, and have decided that I am saying "No" until the iPod sincerely supports Windows.

89 An amazing MP3 player!!
It took a lot of research and time until I decided I should buy an iPod. I (and my parents) were getting a bit tired of me leaving my CDs around and I was always to lazy to clean them up so they got scratched or went missing around the house. That and also having a lot of songs led me to want an MP3 player. Not just any old MP3 player though, a really good quality one. One that would work when I needed it to, one that had enough storage space, had a nice interface, wasn't way to expensive, and one that was portable. It took me a while I until I came to the iPod. It had everything I wanted in an MP3 player except it was a bit expensive and I wasn't really sure it would work flawlessly with my Windows PC.

After a load of reading up on different players like the Dell Jukebox and the Karma and the Zen, I really thought I'd like to get the iPod. I also went to the Apple Store to try it out.

I spent the (money) on the 20 gig iPod because it came with accesories I would need if I got one and the low end model, the 15 gig one didn't come with it. In the end it would have been more expensive if I got the 15 gig one with the accesories. Also keep in mind you need to buy the ... USB2 cable if you do not have firewire. You can charge your iPod while or not while you load songs to it via the AC adapter cord. The other cord is the USB2 plug.

I took the iPod home with me, got iTunes for windows, ripped my songs to my hard drive, and was ready for anything. After installing the software the iPod came with, I plugged it in and iTunes loaded up and all 272 of my songs went to the iPod in no time. I also then charged it up to the max and listened to it while I was charging it. At first it sounded a bit scratchy and stuff and then I took it off the dock and it was fine. Then I put it back on the dock and it was fine too. Hasn't done that since. The songs load in no time, the sound quality is amazing, and the interface is perfect. The unit itself is sexy!

So yes, the one gripe I bet you have is the price tag. Yeah, I will admit (the price) for 20 gigs is a bit steep compared to the competition but there are advantages. First, the interface of the iPod itself. It is clean and organized and so easy to use its not even funny. The first time I used an iPod was in the Apple Store last summer and I picked it up and in seconds I knew how to get to everything with relative ease. The buttons are touch sensitive and you don't press anything. It's almost like magic and it's amazingly sleek. You won't find many products that make you go wow when all you do is press some buttons. The backlight is also useful and none of the other MP3 players really have the look of the iPod and the feel that make it so easy and great to use. The iPod is also obviously made by Apple and I haven't used or seen any Apple products that have problems and aren't good. The thing works flawlessly with iTunes for Windows and I have had it since Novemeber and it works perfectly. Apple makes quality products and you can tell they made an effort with the iPod.

Buying an MP3 might be the last and only portable unit you will need for your music, so why not spend a bit extra to get an easy to use, sexy, and 100% quality product by getting the iPod?

90 Do your research and you won't have any complaints
This is by far the absolute best MP3 player on the market today...no comparison. I purchased a 5GB several months after they first came out and have since bought a new 15GB. I've read many of the reviews on this site as well as others and am dumbfounded as to the things other users complain about. First off, do your research and don't complain that the iPod doesn't come with a USB 2.0 cord. You should have know that before you made your purchase. It's concerning that people will spend $300-$400 without properly researching the product. Also, to the users who say the iPod should have PDA functionality, such as color/touch screen, wireless capability, etc, think about what you are buying. You're buying an MP3 player, not a PDA,. Get over it and stop complaining. One point that is well made it that MusicMatch does have it's problems when used with the iPod. However, the iPod was designed to work with the Mac. Apple does offers iTunes for free to PC users and since this is Apple's own software it seems to reason it works better with Apple hardware. This to me is intuitive, so why are other people so misinformed.

Simply put, this is an extraordinary piece of equipment. Apple is the innovative leader and will remain so in the future, I hope. Otherwise we would be left using inferior PC hardware that would function on Microsoft software, which is pathetic. THANKS APPLE.

91 You pay for a brand name
Overly expensive
Prohibitive file transfer (one computer only)
Bad battery life
Battery replacement costs at least $50 more
USB/Firewire cable not included
No playlist generation on the fly
Limited file type support
Small screen
Oversensitive/difficult to use touch interface

But if you want to spend hundreds for a brand name, be my guest...

In the meantime I will go against the status quo happily with my Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox Zen in hand.

92 Don't settle for second best.
I just upgraded to a 20gb iPod and I love it. I still have my 5gb iPod and I still love it. My 5gb iPod will not go into retirement that quickly because I can get over 8 hours of battery life. That is god send if you are skier like me. For everyday use, the 20gb is the bomb! If you are on the fence of getting one, (like the Nike Commercial), just do it. You will not regret it. And why settle for second best if you can get the best. Don't sell out on yourself. I would have given it 5 stars if the battery life was the same as my 5gb. At least I still have my 5gb for the slopes.

93 Love the iPod 20GB
Love, love, love it. I'd been thinking about ordering one for several months, but some of the reviews talking about FireWires and difficulty working with a pc made me hesitate. I'm on the downhill side of 50 and technically challenged. But I've had zero problems, and within minutes of taking the iPod out of the box this granny was boppin' to the oldies. I downloaded music from iTunes and copied my CDs.

My pc had IEEE 1394 port (didn't know that was a FireWire), so I didn't need any extra cables. I simply loaded the software, plugged-in the iPod dock and was ready to go. The only negative thing I can say is that I wished that the Quick Start manual had been a little more detailed on the buttons and scroll circle. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out that I needed to run my finger around the scroll dial since I had never actually seen an iPod work. Like I said, I'm technically challenged. Even so, I figured it out without too much frustration.

The sound is great. The software is easy to use. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

94 Wow
My entire CD collection fits into a tiny corner of the hard drive. The user interface is light years beyond the other players I looked at. Finding the exact song I want out of the ~2000 I've put on it so far is a snap! I can also use it as a portable hard drive when I need to bring my work home! I'm impressed...

95 Awesome - buy it
(This is a review I wrote for the 40GB iPod. Most of it applies to this model as well.)

What I like best about Amazon reviews is that, unlike Consumer Reports or other technical reviewers, they come from people who own the product and use it every day. Hence a disclaimer - I got my iPod a week ago.

That being said - it is awesome. My iPod is connected to my PowerBook, where I have almost 5,000 songs stored in iTunes. All I have to do is put the iPod in the cradle and it automatically syncs. The first time took about 30 minutes or so - after that it hasn't taken more than a minute or so. It's much easier than other MP3 players. (For Christmas last year, I bought my dad a Rio MP3 player. Teaching him how to load songs onto it was a huge pain.)

The sound quality is as good as it gets for an MP3. I bring my iPod everywhere and am listening to songs I forgot I have. It's also forced me to go through my music library and make sure everything is labeled properly (if it's not, it's going to be hard to find on an iPod, as it doesn't have a search function).

The games it comes with are mindless timewasters, which is what they were intended to be. The music quiz is pretty cool though. The address book and calendar functions are useful, although a bit of a pain to update if you don't use Mac's Address Book and iCal, as you can't use iSync.

The only complaints I have are minor:

-When attached to the remote control, the earphone cord is too long. While it can be tucked in a pocket if you are wearing normal clothes, it's a pain when you go to the gym or for a run.
-There's a slight pause between songs, which is annoying when listening to a complete concert.
-Like many newer cars, mine doesn't have a tape deck. Hence, the only way to play my iPod through the car stereo is through an FM transmitter - most of which have lousy reputations.
-The functionality of the calendar and address book could be improved, although I'm sure that will come in time and iPods will be fully functioning PDAs as well.

96 Quick Warning for Windows Users
One note of caution for Windows users:
The iPod does not support WMA format. If you've been recording all your CD's to your computer using Windows Media Player, it defaults to WMA format so you'll have to convert your library. Call it a dirty Microsoft trick, but it's worth knowing.

If you're just getting into the scene then no worries: you can still use Windows Media Player to record your CD's, just go into the options and tell it to record using MP3 format and then you can use that on the iPod.

I think the internal hard-drive competition right now is between the Rio Karma and the Apple iPod. The Karma is smaller (better for a pocket), has a longer battery life and supports WMA format, the iPod is made to be iTunes friendly and just plain looks better (though the Karma's docking station is way cooler).

Both are great players, though I think Windows users may want to lean towards the Rio simply for the support of the WMA format.

97 So Small . . .
And yet you forget about the size once you hear it.

Having started out with 78s, then 45s, 33 1/3, CDs, this is truly amazing in every aspect.

It is small, lightweight and flat enough to fit into the pocket of your jeans. But it manages to hold an entire music library with room to spare and reproduces excellent sound. The sound quality is unsurpassed.

Transferring files, from Apple's iTunes, is a painless, quick and easy way to do it. After the download you can sort them to folders you create. iTunes has quite a vast arrany of music ranging from Billboard hits going back to the 50's up to the latest hits on the airwaves. You will find almost everything you want there and even a few albums/ songs that you don't know about. The price is the standard 99 cents per song; $10 for an album.

But it is the iPod that makes it all amazing. In less space than you could store a CD jewel case (and think of all the fun you will have with NEVER having to open one of those cellophane wrappers again), you can have nearly 5000 songs or 500 complete albums! The sound quality is excellent and even though I am using it in enemy territory (I am a PC devotee), the Apple people don't begrudge you that choice and it loaded, set up and works with any PC imaginable.

The loss of one star comes from the impossible tuning system though. The wheel/ scroll device is OK but it makes it nearly impossible to quickly back and forth from one album/ song to the next. Something more in the line of a PALM touch screen would be better suited but as the sound quality is excellent, the ease of use is unbeatable and you will have this with you for quite some time, that is a minor glitch.

One recommendation: get one of the small, inexpensive devices that lets you play the iPod through your home or car FM stereo sound system. Don't be mislead by the claims that it drifts in and out. If you are playing it at home, just keep the iPod near the stereo and you will never have to worry.

All in all, it is truly the next step in music.

98 i no
the ipod is wonderful, but you have to remember that it comes out of the box formatted for mac, and if you are a windows user like i am, you absolutly MUST reformat your ipod to windows. its a pain, but once its formatted to windows, it works like a dream

99 bad sound quality
I've had this product for 10 days now, and i'm very disapointed with it. I loved it when i opened the box, charged the batteries, turned on and found out about the extra features it had (contacts, notes etc). The dispointment was when I found out i had to pay extra $40 for firewire card. After downloading some CDs into the iPod there was more disapointment.
I'm just surprised that not too many people perceive the bad sound quality of iPod. The Bass is very bad even in good headpphones. Even my girlfriend that is not a sound freak perceives the difference from my other mp3 players.
Of course the battery life is discouraging too, but this is a known issue mentioned by many users.
I'm returning my iPod today and thinking of iRiver instead. The more songs iPod can hold and play them in bad quality the more reason to get rid of it.

100 Was skeptical, but I have seen the light!
I bought my iPod a couple weeks ago and really love it. Some people complain about the touch controls, but I love them. They don't take any getting used to at all. I'm a Windows XP Pro user, and had no trouble getting anything hooked up or installed. The thing about it not coming with a USB cable... who cares? If you're anything like me you have thousands of these stupid cables laying around already. They're easy to find, and you can find them cheap. I use iTunes, and would recommend that, as it was obviously made for it. It works flawlessly, and so smoothly. I was up and running in five minutes tops, and I had three gigs of music on my hard drive!
Pros:
*easy to use
*easy to learn
*sound quality is fine, some complain, but I have no problems with it, and I'm a total music buff. If anything, the bass could use a little work.
*I love iTunes!
*organization within the iPod is smart and it's pretty customizable
*buy it from Apple and have your name engraved on the back, that's too cool!
*works great plugged into my home stereo, it sounds just like a CD playing in there
Cons:
*still worried about battery life, though I use it all day at work (8 hours) and it makes it all the way through. If you're real worried, but the AA battery pack and have it in your bag or whatever for long trips, just as a precaution. But for normal daily use you won't need it.
*wish it charged through the USB cable
*heavier than they claim (2 CDs), I think it's morethan that, but it's still light

I'm happy with it, and I was worried that I may not be after spending so much money. But I love it,and whe ni dont have it with me i always wish i did. It's a sweet little toy that is one powerful little jukebox!