special jet black casing with red Click Wheel * engraved autographs from all four band members on back * white earbuds * includes $50 iTunes Music Store coupon for use towards purchase of "The Complete U2" digital box set * exclusive U2 poster *
1 U2 iPod Rocks!
I got this device for a Yule present this year. I did not know how much I needed it until I actually got it! To be perfectly trivial, I like the color scheme because it is so striking. And, what's inside the device is even better. Yes, it's probably a bit of a rip in terms of MB's, etc.. but hey, it's very pretty to look at. Aesthetics combined with excelent engineering is hard to come by these days. Be aware that you are buying a "special edition"; sometimes you gotta pay for looks as well as intelligence. Overall, since it was a gift, I feel rather happy about the whole deal.
2 Can't get something for nothing
Decide for yourself what you think is better:
1) Fall for a bogus offer and sign up for a bunch of trial offers which are impossible to cancel. Tons of spam. All for the "promise" of a refurbished iPod.
2) Ignore too-good-to-be-true hype and find a legitimate way to save money on an iPod.
3 The truth about iPod "offers"
Don't fall for the "get an iPod for free" scams in the fake "reviews" posted here. It's spammers harvesting email addresses for their ridiculous products.
Think about it for a moment. How can somebody afford to give away $250+ gadgets just for signing up for some trial offers? Answer: they can't!
The San Francisco Chronicle also says these offers are bogus. Search sfgate.com or Google for "David Lazarus Free iPod not really" and you will see what the people running these programs are really doing.
4 Great MP3 Player But...
Using the supplied earbuds, the iPod does not disappoint. But the 4th gen iPod has a feature which proves to be a problem, at least for me.
I want to use better headphones than the earbuds supplied with the iPod because, while they sound ok, I find them uncomfortable and feel I can improve my audio and comfort with a better set.
The feature I'm not happy with is that the 4th generation iPod will pause the music when the headphones become disconnected. This at first seemed to be handy, but when I tried using my Sony MDR-V600 over the ear headphones, the music keeps pausing, without the plug ever becoming disconnected. This happens frequently with every bump or jiggle and even when the lock is on. Its really very frustrating because you have to pull it out of your pocket, unlock it and press play again. What a chore. And as of this writing, it is not an option you can disable.
Some say the trouble is in using headphones with a bit larger metal base around the plug as its the metal base touching the metal on top of the iPod that causes this, I don't know.
The fix I have read about in iPod chatrooms, is that some people are using gaskets made of cellophane to insulate the top part of the plug base from the iPod, or just putting tape on the top of the iPod and cutting a hole in it to allow the plug to go through. Seems like a screwball thing to have to do after spending $299 to $350 on a player, just to use a better set of headphones.
To read more on this issue check out the iPod discussion forum at Apple's web site. If I had read about this issue first, I would have bought a different player. If not for this problem, I would rate this iPod a big 5 Stars...but as it is I will only give it 3 stars
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go out and buy some tape...
5 I would buy it again
Disclosure: My husband is a programmer with a kick-butt comp and we have a fiber-optic lightning fast internet connection, so my opinion of the performance of loading to the iPod and downloading from iTunes are shaded by those factors and may not represent the norm.
I got my iPod for Christmas from my husband. I love U2 and I have a big collection, so this seemed like the perfect addition. My husband was hesitant to buy it because he is convinced that "new technology" in digital players is right around the corner, but I must have been convincing in my, "but I want it now!" approach because he did buy it. I'm not really that spoiled, I'm kidding, sort of.
Back to my review, I am not particularly tech-savvy. I am an average computer user with average computer skills. I found the iPod and its software to be quite intuitive. The click wheel is easy to use, even when climbing a mountain on the elliptical machine. I find the battery life to be quite acceptable, I use it at work from 6-8 hours a day and it hasn't died on me yet.
I found iTunes to be very easy to install and use. I love being able to set up playlists. This is very handy if you plan on using your iPod for working out. I can set 50 minutes of exercisey-type songs in a playlist and work out without skipping around for a song with a good beat. I've bought quite a few songs from iTunes. It works easily and is very fast. The songs are affordable if you're like me and usually only like 3-4 songs on a CD.
Downloading to the iPod over the firewire connection is automatically done by iTunes. It goes pretty quickly. If I am downloading a bunch of songs onto my iPod, I usually plan on letting it sit for 15 minutes or so to update completely. I have ripped songs from about 500 CDs onto iTunes and it was easy to use, but you have to have a large hard drive. My husband is complaining about the space the songs take (I don't know why he's complaining about my 2300 when he has like 10,000, who the heck can actually listen to 10,000 songs???)
All in all, I really love my iPod and I use it all the time. Two complaints though. This iPod gets scratched if you even look at it. I bought a silicone case for mine yesterday which stinks because it covers up the swank look, but its just getting so darn scratched. Another complaint I have is about the song shuffle. I listen to song shuffle in the car most of the time and my commute is pretty long. The song shuffle just doesn't seem to be very random. I hear a lot of the same songs over and over again. I checked on iTunes to see if I had it set up wrong or something, since you can select for it to play your higher rated songs more often, but I don't have it set up that way and it still seems to hit the same songs a lot.
If you can get over the sticker shock this is a fun and useful toy.
6 U2 Ipod
I agree I used impulse and purchased this.......
I dont regret it really its nice looking but so are the others....
I am a big fan of U2 so I decided to buy it but shouldve used a bit more discretion........
7 Ipod, therefore I am
I received my U2 Special Edition iPod for Christmas this year from my darling Mom, and I opened the box with great anticipation. There it was, in my hand: beautifully simple in design; black, red and chrome; shiny, sleek and... mine. I didn't know when I started to charge it, set it up, and fill it with music (as of this writing, over 3000 songs, from downloads and my personal CD collection, and that means I'm still only 3/5ths full!) that this little device would, in a small but important way, change my life.
My iPod is my music, anywhere I want it, any time. No more being tied to a CD player and my umpteen bulky cases of CDs, no more being stuck with the radio and its endless jabbering DJs and horrible commercials. No more having to edit what I listen to for the benefit of those around me. Beyond music, I can download audio books.
Why the iPod? The design is so simple and beautiful that it has set the standard for MP3 players, Apple technology has proven itself stable and powerful, Windows users like me can use it, there are a wide variety of accessories available for it, there are several good online communities devoted to the iPod where you can learn new things, and iTunes is easy to use for loading music into your iPod.
Why this iPod in particular? Because I madly love the black and red. Before the U2 Special Edition came out, I was interested in the iPod, but I absolutely despised the cold clinical white plastic models, and thought the Mini had inadequate capacity. Your aesthetics may vary, which is, of course your right. You may disagree (and may even inflict your poorly spelled (e.g., "eye-soaring"),or otherwise idiotic review of this iPod on us) but isn't it nice that Apple gave me this cool option, while not taking away your beloved white plastic?
Another reason why this iPod in particular: I love U2. They just keep getting better.
I invested in a good protective case for my iPod, Shure E2 earphones, and a protection plan from Apple. I'm strongly considering the Logic3 I-Station Speakers, or the Bose Sounddock, and an audible.com membership. My car (Honda Element EX) came with an aux port, and a simple trip to Radio Shack to get a $6 male-to-male 3mm cord hooked up my iPod to my car stereo. It's heaven.
My iPod is, for me, just perfect.
8 Amazing digital audio player, but stop kidding yo'self...
Don't let the ads and all the hype and promotions fool you... this thing isn't half as extraordinary as they say it is... which makes in just amazing because they make it seems better then better and greater then greatest, ya know what I mean? I probably lost you, but whatever. This iPod is great I have about 1200 songs on it right now and it works like a charm... have listened to it for about three hours and it has lost about 2/3 of its battery (probably 'bout an hour left). So the music quality is awesome... those headphone are the best earbuds (unarguably ever) and that red and black color is to die for (not really... only if you're willing to cough up 50 extra bucks for U2 signatures on the back and and the color and enclosed $50 dollar coupon...
CONSIDER THIS, THOUGH-everybody's been syaing how it's such a waste of the extra $50, but if Bono from U2 wins that Nobel Peace Prize--its gonna be worth ishloads of value--and then you can laugh in the faces ofall those SEu2ipod haters.
AND WAIT! A lot of people think iTunes is overpriced--there actual sales! not kidding--the maroon 5 album is 8 bucks, that ludacris album Chicken and Beer is $6.99, and there's a gazillion others under 9 bucks. not bad albums, too. Plus the free downloads aren't that bad. Well, that's enough said.
Bottom Line: It's the best around. Period.---Oh wait---Comma, this thing blows everything away. If you want to read about other so-called crappy are breath-taking features, read the other reviews... I'm not gonna waste my time with all that.
9 4 and a 1/2 stars good enough
im hyunjoos son im a guy...my mom got me this ipod for my birthday and man it rocks. first and formost people seem to caomplain about not being able to get the music on their cd. Well i ahve sumthing to tell yall if you follow the instructions carefully even if u have a laptop as (......) slow as mine it will still work. so maybe you just need to try to do the software again. Do it as slowly and carefully..dont skip any steps or try to zoom through without patience. and people also seem to complain bout scrathches and finger prints on their ipods...well thats why apple made cases u idiots!!!! dont go complaining when u didnt buy a case earlier! be more mature about it! and last but not least why are allof u people complaing about having dropped ur ipods on the floor and "broke the scren" thats ur (......) fault and not apples! so stop complaing cause of ur stupid clumsiness...
now onto my review...
pretty good easy to get music on..my one and only complaint is that the touch wheel thing gets annoying..after listening to my ipod for 2 hours my thumb was dead from continuously using the wheel...so im just gonna say that people who listen to music alot should better have some therapy thing for there thumb joint after using this ipod for a long time..and also battery life suks...i ussually get only aroung 3 and a half hours...so dont listen to the dumb lies.....but overall it deservees 4 and a half stars
10 Now for something completely different...
For those of you out there expecting something different than the regular 4th generation 20GB iPod - you are absolutely right! It's black and red instead of white and grey. Disappointed? You shouldn't be because this thing is cool and whether you're a U2 fan or not you'll love the difference. Yes it runs 50 bucks more than a regular iPod but consider the fact you're already willing to shell out $300 for an MP3 player! Another fifty bucks to avoid the ghastly white color is worth every penny as far as I'm concerned...
11 Apple 20 GB iPod U2 Special Edition
I really like this iPod because it's the same design as the normal 20GB version. I don't care if U2 has their own iPod because they're a good band and this is a really cool MP3 Player. Like some other reviews I probably would think it's smarter to spend fifty dollars more and get the 40GB version but if you really like U2 this is the iPod for you. It can hold up to 5,000 songs on this really small device. The iPod photo costs $500-$600 but it's much more thicker than the iPod. It's exactly the same but what's even greater on this iPod is that it has U2 signatures on the back which make it look unique. You can't personalize your own words on it but it still looks really cool. I would buy this iPod no doubt!
12 ipod U2
So i did my research on this ipod making sure it's what I wanted to spend my money on. The ipod U2 edition is $350. It came with a $50 coupon to what the Amazon called iTunes. I thought great i can buy more songs with this coupon! I knew that ipods were good and went ahead and bought the ipod U2 edition. The coupon that comes with ipod can ONLY be used toward "the complete U2"($150 box set). You can not use it for anything else. If you want a 20 gig ipod just buy the normal ipod for $300 and save $50. I have nothing against ipods but the U2 edition is a waste of $50.
13 Not what I expected
IPODs are IMHO overrated and over-hyped. My sister just got the U2 SE IPOD for her birthday and initially I was insanely jealous. I've been mewling over getting a portable MP3 player for sometime and haven't pulled the trigger. Everything I read about the IPOD says it's the best thing in the world and all other digital music players are just IPOD wannabes. My sister came over on Thanksgiving with her new shiny IPOD and handed it over to me to play with. I spent the next couple of hours giving it a work through. The first thing that popped into my mind was "Why is this so great?". While the UI is rather intuitive it lacked one feature in particular I want. How do I get the song meta info on the IPOD??? Well out of the box you can't, you can always use iTunes to look at the meta data about the song (Year release, bit rate, etc.), but that's not the point. I think a $300 device should provide this information, many other digital players can do this, why can't the holy grail of digital players do this?????. Next I was shock by the lack of volume this device produces, when I turn it all the way up I expect my ears to hurt, not the case with the IPOD. In a nutshell I'm not convinced that the IPOD is the right digital music player for me. Dumbed down UI missing competitor features, low volume, doesn't work as USB HD (can't copy my songs around easily without stupid iTunes), no WMA support (yes, you can convert them, but what's the point).
14 Turns heads and holds 5000 songs...what's wrong with that?
I just bought my new U2 iPod right after I sold my first generation. Let me tell you, after having no problems with my first iPod and none with this one (so far) I will never own another MP3 player as long as I live. I've owned iRocks, dell jukebox, and many others, but none compare. The games, calander, contacts list, and notes are just add ons for a superior sounding piece of equipment. Some say its ugly, others don't, but hey...you're entitled to your opinion. I've had plenty of people come up to me and tell me that they loved the colors. But, if that's not what you want to hear by all means don't buy one. It holds 5000 songs and has an equilizer which you can customize to your likings. You can also customize a play list while you're on the go. Just hold the center button while listening to the song and it will add it to your playlist. I find this helpful right before a long car ride. I just create my list and plug it into my FM transmitter. The sound is increadible, and can be plugged in to any computer speaker system by just plugging into the headphone jack.
The only thing I must warn you about are the finger prints on the center button. I used mine for a week to a week and a half before I bought my iSkin with the cover over the click wheel and the center of the click wheel has a permenant finger print on it. I can't get it off no matter what I try.
Best of luck purchasing your iPod. You won't be dissapointed.
15 Because White is so dull and boring
Yes, I put off getting an ipod for a long time, partly because white is such a boring color. So now that I can have a non-white ipod, I went for it. Also, U2 is in my top five bands of all time. So for apple to call it "The U2 edition" totally suckered me big time. But I don't mind one bit.
I probably don't need to explain how great the ipod is. It is the ultimate way to listen to music. It will change your life, as Rolling Stone says. So what should I talk about, in a desperate attempt to make this review get lots of "Helpful" votes? How about the poster that comes in the box? Okay.
The saying on the poster is deep and profound: Bono says:
"the hardest thing to do is to stick together. Mates, family, marriage, business, bands... it's like resisting gravity. It's like King Canute sitting in his chair trying to talk back the tide. But you can, and we have, and we will, turn the waves around... the alternative is too predictable. You rid the room of argument, you empty your life of the people you need the most." Bono 04
It is amazing to me that even somebody as successful as Bono can have a hard time keeping his friends, family, marriage, and life together. And the fact that Bono is so honest with the rest of us... well, he moves up a few notches in my book. Although he was already near the top.
Bono's honesty and kindness even amidst his huge success is enough to bring hope to the rest of us, as we spend our days toiling along in some boring corporate job and wishing we had the guts to reach for our dreams.
16 Quite simply, it's a great piece of technology
I just purchased the U2 Special Edition and I love it. It was an investment, much like my laptop. I love how it feels and the fact that it's a different color from the bland white one everyone is carting around.
Upon hearing the criticism that it scratches easily, I bought a hard plastic casing with a belt clip to put it in as protection.
The Special Edition does cost more, but I am sure that Bono and the gang have to get their cut...and that happens to be the additional $50. It depends on how much you happen to like U2. I didn't mind paying for something a little different than what other folks have.
The sound quality is great and I found iTunes very easy to use, especially for someone as technologically unadept as I am. I likely won't stop buying CDs that I really like, and will download singles from albums that don't have but a couple of tracks that I really want to hear.
It's really not for use in the gym, or to go jogging with. The cost alone tells one that. But if you have a long commute or do long walks or some other mindless choice that music makes a lot easier, then its fabulous and fun.
Pop for the 20GB if you can...and if you're a real music lover and just want to be different..the U2 edition is kind of cool.
17 Great device with 2 drawbacks
Got it for Xmas and musically it is everything advertised. Great sound. Easy syncing with iTunes. Simple navigation. Good looks. Even the earbuds work well (and since I use these to exercise, I'm pretty picky about this). Two drawbacks, though: battery life is nowhere near advertised - I'm getting about 4-5 hours per charge and it claims 12 - and this model seems to scratch pretty easily. Other than that, it's a wonderful device.
18 Excellent item
i found this iPod to be the coolest iPod out there, and it is so easy to use. THIS DOESN'T COME WITH THE NEW U2 CD, IT HAS A COUPON FOR $50 OFF THE BOX SET!! that is a common misconseption about this iPod and just wanted to make sure that you know, if thats one of the reasons you are buying it... the two things i recomend to buy along with this is the Apple Product Protection Plan, found on their webpage, for $60 it extends your warranty to two years parts, labor and tech support... another item is the contour ipod hard case, it is all around the best case, and it has a port opening for your computer connector... DEFINENTLY A MUST BUY ITEM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE U2!!
19 iPod "yes" -- iTunes "no"
The iPod works great. The iTunes on my desktop does a pretty good job of moving music around, etc., etc., like the reviews below suggest.
The catch: iTunes online downloads are not worth the hassle. Your have to keep purchasing CDs for reliability!
I purchased the 'digital box version'... pumping my investment in this little machine to $450. My mistake: I will never use iTunes again.
The first time I tried downloading this set, I got about 1/3 of the U2 music (the total download time, even on a fast connection is 'hours'... ...) For some reason, the connection timed out. iTunes says, just click on 'check for purchased music' and it will resume.
Not so... after several iterations with the e-mail support staff, where they are telling me it is my fault, I take the whole thing into an Apple Store. Not only do I find out that they cannot help -- there is only this detached e-mail link, but also, half of the Apple Store STAFF HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH iTUNES themselves.
Their suggestion: ask for a rebate, and buy the CD.
After about 8 e-mails, they refer me to their 'technical support' -- apparently, your first e-mails go to just go into the 'ether'... They finally admit, it was THEIR PROBLEM.
So, now I have my 'digital box set'. I've learned my lesson. No more iTunes purchases for me!
20 Illogical and delightful
I can't think of anything more illogical than buying this u2 special edition Ipod. I can't think of anything more delightful than owning it.
The case against buying an Ipod and in favor of buying one of the alternatives, the Iriver, for example, are good ones. Yes, the Ipod doesn't support as many formats, yes, it is too trendy and too expensive. Similarly for the u2 special edition. Yes, it's overpriced and the $50 coupon for the digital box set hardly compensates for this since anyone seriously interested in the u2 special edition ipod probably already has all their albums.
So, it just doesn't make sense to buy this thing. Or does it? I suspect when you first hold the u2 special edition ipod in your hand, you'll get a great warm feeling come over you as I did. Turning it over and seeing the band's signatures will provoke another "I can't believe it!" feeling. Then there's the slick design of the ipod itself and its interface. This is a well designed creature. And, sure, Itunes is frustrating at first, but you'll get used to it.
The Ipod is all about form over function. The detractors are entirely right about its flaws and miss the point entirely.
If you are the kind of incorrigible u2 fan that is considering buying this ipod, as one of the afflicted, I can assure you: you won't be disappointed. Just don't try and explain it to anyone else.
21 Great system, great looks
I received the iPod U2 Special Edition for Christmas. Not because I'm a huge U2 fan (a fan, but not a huge fan), but because it so matches my car's interior. Hey, who said all gifts have to have a practical, reasonable explanaition?
I love it, and there are some errors in earlier reviews which I wanted to address.
1. This is a 20Gb unit, not 40, and a 3rd generation. It does not have a color screen or photo viewing options. It DOES act as an external hard drive on both Windows and Mac systems.
2. iTunes is VERY easy to use. It can automatically search an online database of tracknames and then update your iTunes and iPod for those CD's that don't report that info automatically. It is a two click process. Under Advanced, just select Get CD Track Names. Then under File, select Update Song's on iPod. If yur CD is not found in the online database, you can help the iPod community under Advanced by Submit CD Track Names.
3. The iPod, no matter what flavor you get, is the BEST music player on the market. Hands down. Sound, ease of use, design, and available accessories (including car kits by many auto manufacturers like BMW, MINI, etc.) make it the best. Apple has many plans for the iPod, making it the center of its digital world. Look for it to have even more features in future updates.
I don't regret waiting for this generation of iPod, I don't need the picture viewing of the newer models, and this is the coolest looking iPod of all!
22 Extra $ for some bling bling?
Don't think the hype is worth the extra cost above the normal white ones.
Yeah it comes with the songs and all but most U2 fans will either already have them or will steal them off of the internet anyway.
23 Great for the gym!
It's small and it's great for the Gym! I just got it. The music sounds great and it's really easy to use! You will be happy with it!
24 Waste of money for athletic people
#1 complaint is when running the drive can and will lock up, #2 after a playlist is done you have to stop and start a new one, #3 there is no substitute for live radio, #4 or is this #2? The headphones are ridiculously uncofortable, #5 battery life is not as advertised, #6 what a pain to load songs, #7 the software automatically sets skips on live albums (U2 Under a Blood Red Sky becomes broken up), #8 the case scratches easily. I have sent mine back to the company because of the above reasons and I hope this will open peoples eyes to how much of a waste of money this device is. Stick with a $15 fm/am and use the extra cash on something better.
25 If You Want To Stick Out Like A Soar Thumb...
Many will be intrigued by the U2 iPod's unique look, while others will be rather put off by it. You can't argue its unique style, and will go down a treat with the poseurs among us. The engrained autographs are a clever idea but not really worth extra money, the only thing worth the extra bucks is the U2 package which enables you to listen to all of U2's songs.
This is basically the 20GB iPod, with a new colour scheme, fancy autographs and hundreds of U2 songs. But for the extra money, I don't really think its worth it. Its good, no denying that, but for what it is, a fancier iPod, just get the 20GB.
I would hate to think people buy this iPod just for the looks, and couldn't care less what band endorsed it. But unfortunately, this is the case. I am a huge U2 fan but would still rather get the normal 20GB to save some money, I've already got all the albums, I'm not going to fret over the 25 unreleased songs. I dont really care for the colours, its different but a little ugly if you ask me, the normal white one has a sleek feel to it, this looks a bit cumbersome.
26 I now have found what I'm looking for...
If you would like an iPod and you like U2, get this. I spend hours staring at the elegance of this player. It's also pretty cool. And how can you put a price on that? Be cool, be different, think different.
27 this is a good one
this is a good one. I liked it. Tell us what you think. Write a review of this item and share your opinions with others. Please be sure to focus your comments on the product. Read our review guidelines for more information
28 Shell out the extra fifty bucks and get the 40GB model
Early in the twenty-first century, MP3 players became a very popular way for people to listen to music, and with good reason - rather than hauling around a whole mess of CDs, people were able to fit practically their entire music collection in the palm of their hand! By far the most popular MP3 player on the market is the iPod line, from Apple Computers. How does the 20 GB model, redesigned for 2004 in a limited U2 edition, measure up? Read on for my review.
PROS:
-THE DEVICE CAN FIT UP TO (APPROXIMATELY) FIVE THOUSAND SONGS! If you're like me and you have tons of CDs (and I mean numbers of CDs in the hundreds), THIS DEVICE IS FOR YOU! More likely than not, you'll be able to fit most of your discography onto the device!
-EASY TO USE ONCE YOU GET THE HANG OF IT. The click wheel and buttons may be a little tricky to use at first, but once you get the hang of them, you're going to wonder how you ever lived without them! It's MUCH easier using this interface than the one on earlier iPods.
-THE FOURTH GENERATION MODELS HAS BEEN SLIMMED DOWN CONSIDERABLY. The new version of the 40 GB iPod is slimmer than its older 40 GB counterpart, making it much easier to carry around.
-A DISC WITH THE SOFTWARE YOU NEED IS INCLUDED. The iPod works with Apple's iTunes program, and you'll get a CD that has the program on it with your iPod.
-SOFTWARE IS EASY TO USE. All you do to get music from your CDs into your iTunes library is stick the CD in your computer and press import! It's as simple as that!
-WORKS WITH A PC, NOT JUST APPLE COMPUTERS. I was a little worried about this being a compatibility issue - fortunately my fears were short-lived.
-HEADPHONES INCLUDED. And the headphones included are actually very good ones! They are the earbud style, and they get the job done very well. I think people diss the headphones too much - they work fine.
-THE IPOD THE BEST ALL-AROUND DIGITAL MUSIC DEVICE ON THE MARKET, PERIOD! Essentially, everything other players do, the iPod does better.
-BONUS FEATURES. The device includes some games, including Solitare and a ball-busting game similar to the arcade classic, Breakout. But the best of these bonus games is, by far, the music quiz. The player will play a song from your library at random, and you must guess (from a list of five songs) which one is playing! The faster you answer, the more points you get! This gets especially interesting when your digital music library gets to be as big as mine is.
-IT'S GOT A BACKLIGHT! This way, you can easily navigate your music library in the dark!
-NO OTHER IPOD LOOKS THIS COOL. The black and red color scheme of this U2 model is just plain awesome, and it really makes me wish they offered other colors on other models.
CONS:
-RIP OFF! For just fifty bucks more, you can get the 40GB iPod, which has DOUBLE THE MEMORY! This U2 version, while cool looking, is a total rip-off. It comes with a coupon for $50 of the Complete U2 musical set, but since you're spending $50 extra on this iPod anyway, that's kind of meaningless. Even the normal 20GB version costs $50 less!
-GETTING MUSIC ONTO THE DEVICE IS CONFUSING AT FIRST. You MUST use iTunes for this - you can't simply click and drag. But once you get the hang of it, you'll agree that iTunes is a good program.
-RETITLING SONGS/ARTISTS/ALBUMS GETS ANNOYING. This is a VERY time-consuming process, but if you DON'T do it, you're going to end up with a jumbled mess of songs in your library. On the other hand, if you DO retitle them all, you're going to lose MANY hours of your social life.
-THE CHROME-STYLED BACK OF THE DEVICE IS POORLY DESIGNED. Because of the chrome stylings of this part of the player, it can easily get fingerprints on it, and get scratched. Why couldn't they just make the whole thing out of the same material?
-MANUAL IS NOT VERY HELPFUL. The manual is very small and doesn't have too many pages, and it doesn't really say a whole lot that will help you - you're better off just using the info that's on the iTunes installation CD.
OVERALL:
Let me put it simply - Maybe you don't need a 40 or 60 GB yet, but chances are your music library will grow enough that you'll need one eventually, making that model the better choice in the long run. If you're going to shell out the cash for an iPod, you might as well get the best one of all. Final verdict? If you're gonna get an iPod, shell out the extra fifty bucks and get the 40 GB. It's a much better bargain.
29 Buy Sony and RCA's media players instead
This is a good music player and looks pretty nice.It is overadvertised and everyone has one so its not even unique. There are many better players at comparable prices with 20GB or greater harddrive.There are many accesseries you have to buy for it which you'd get free with other mp3 players(SONY Walkman digital music player and my favorite the RCA jukebox and video player)
It holds less songs than Sony's(Sony-13,000,Apple-5,000)
You can't watch movies in color on a 3.5inch flatscreen(you can on RCA's)
Accesaries not included
Case-$20-$45(included with Sony's and RCA's)
USB cable-$30(included with Sony's and RCA's)
No free songs(30 free with Sony's Walkman digital music player)
Dock $40(included with Sony's and RCA's)
30 Great IPOD - except for one little thing...
It actually looks a lot better in the flesh than it does in the picture. It's smaller than the picture would have you believe -and that's a good thing. It's simple to operate too.
The silver metal back of the U2 IPOD does seem to add a little additional weight to the product. The metal back of this IPOD does pick-up fingerprints too.
The music sounds great - except - those cheapo earbuds that come with the IPOD - they're almost non-usable. Many people find these earbuds to be extremely uncomfortable in their ears. It's to the IPOD's credit, that even if you decide to stick with the freebie earbuds that come with it, the music still sounds good.
But - if you've decided to bite the bullet and make a considerable cash investment like this on the IPOD, it really doesn't make sense to go with third rate earphones. Put the expense of buying a nice pair of earphones in your budget right now if you're considering getting one of these sweet babies.
But overall - I say Go For It!
31 the perfect ipod
when I heard of the release of the two new ipods(ipod foto and ipod special edition)I hurried to the nearest apple store. I decided to get the ipod special edition because I like u2 and it included lots of songs so if you sum up it is pretty cheap. the 20gb ipod costs $299 plus you get 50 bucks off the box set. I would recomend this to anyone that loves ipods and that wants an original one. the laser signatures at the back are very cool. This is my second ipod, i have one from the previous generation and they both work perfectly. Buy this and you won't regret it.
32 Real Reviews PLEASE - Not Opinions About Personal Aesethics
First, you cannot judge most products by a tiny photo but in particular Apple's product. Some (if not most tiny photos) do NOT do a product justice. While the color scheme may not be one that you might immediately associate as going together - when you ACTUALLY see it - it's quite nice. That's not to say everyone will like it but you should at least see and touch the product before being so sure it's "ugly."
Note - this is has the same specs as the White iPod - it's a grayscale screen not color. Only the iPod Photos ones have color screens.
The U2 itunes "box set" is $149 for everyone. By buying this iPod, you get a $50 dollar certificate towards that set - (aka: $99 dollars ).
I have no idea how limited this limited edition is so no can really guess it's future value but iPod's definitely hold their value more than other portable mp3 players AND you have something that has a value of $50 dollars that you can sell or in the near future on eBay (or Amazon auctions, of course) - now whether you can sell it for $50 dollars or even more, that's hard to say but it does have value as some if not many, many U2 fans who might want to download the set but might not be able to afford a new U2 ipod would be willing to buy the certificate off of you.
So, don't be so quick to judge this iPod - it works just as great as every other ipod - the first great invention of the 21st century AND ...
it's an official Apple release
it's a different color scheme,
it's a limited edition,
AND with etched signatures on the back.
It does cost $50 more than the regular white iPod but in addition to the four things mentioned, you get a certificate for $50 dollars towards the digital box set. If you are going to buy the digital set, you will be spending EXACTLY the same amount but you get an limited edition iPod.
If you have the inclination, you can sell the certificate - maybe it's worth less than $50 - maybe more (you never know) but it is worth something to many people so ... THAT's THE REAL MATH!!
33 You don't get it!
It is designed to match the new album colors, genious. Bono and the Edge were involved in the design process. You have all of U2's autographs engraved in it forever! If you think it's ugly, you don't get it, so don't review it. I am a huge U2 fan, and I wouldn't even think of owning another Ipod. It rocks as much as they do!
34 I thought it was ugly too until...
I grew to like it. Face it people, there are many things in life that looked ugly when we first laid eyes on it but grew prettier as time passed. A prime example is the difference between Japanese vs. German automobiles. Japanese autos look great when a new design is first released but as times passes it gets uglier and uglier. German car on the other hand, looks kind of clunky at first but gets better and better looking as time passes. That's why old Benzes are "classics" and an old Lexus is a piece of crap.
The same can be said for this new black and red scheme. Yes, it looks ugly when you first see it because of the contrasting colors but over time, it becomes better and better looking. I think given enough time it will become a collector's "classic" while the white ones become crap, destined for the garbage after a newer model is released. I for one think it's worth paying a little more now for a limited edition that will most likely develop a following where it's value will hold up longer than the generic.
It comes down to, do you want to be just another boring face in the crowd with an iPod or do you want a special edition that's available to the exclusive few who will pony up the extra $50?
35 so ugly it hurts
who came up with this choice of colours? I think the ipod is a great device and I thought Apple were on a quest to educate people about what design means and what is of good taste...
I can't imagine how revolting it will look in a white cradle (unless they made a red one)
U2 is fine, although I never listen to them... I'm not the only one. And yeah, why U2 btw???
how 80s (in a bad way)... The sadest thing is that their competitors are probably working on gear inspired from it, as there were since the first imacs, get ready for more eye soring red and black devices.
36 Wow... What Idiots...
Well, this is my idea. Since we don't have a box set price yet, lets assume it's $150 regualar.
Black/Red U2 Special Edition iPod + $350
U2 Box Set + $150
$50 Off Box Set With iPod Purchase - $50
-----------------------------------------
$450 for iPod and Box Set
Normal iPod (20 GB) + $300
U2 Box Set + $150
-----------------------------------------
$450 for iPod and Box Set
You aren't saving any money, so if you're just getting it for the color and you don't really care about U2, DON'T GET IT! $50 extra is a little too much to spend for a gift certificate you aren't going to use.
Otherwise, the iPod is fine! Sure, you only get 18.2 GB of space when you get it, but you can fit over 6000 songs on it!
37 BUY INTO THE IPOD REVOLUTION
Again Apple has revolutionized the music listening session. The incorporation of the Ipod & U2 is pure genious. The U2 Ipod is beautiully crafted & has the feel of a solid piece of aluminum. All other MP3 players are flimsey compared to the Ipod. Dude ... it's all about the music & experience. The ipod sound is state of the art. Also nice to not have to use flash memory since this 20 GB holds all the music anyone is gonna need. Regarding the integration of U2 & Ipod, I believe the band was savvy by creating the first digital music box set that comes integrated with a player. Some may say commercial. I say awesome! Just drop the cash, get the U2 Ipod and watch all your friends drool in envy. Definitely worth every penny! Best product of the year!
38 i dont get what that guy had ageints it
this ipod rox my sox!!! it is soo durable it has already been through the wash once ...... and it still plays every thing just fine! nothing was messed up. i dont think its ugly i think it looks awsome .... but thats all just opinion. the black and red is soo cool ...... but the coolest thing are the ingraved signatures! i love U2 they rock. it also comes with $50.00 off of "The Complete U2" .. "The Complete U2" has almost every U2 song ever made!!!
well if you dont like this ...................................... well your crazy!
(PS> it is a little over expenceve)
39 Somebody still thinks U2 is cool. His name is Steve Jobs.
The iPod is great, of course, if wildly overrated. Compared to other hd-based mp3 players, its keep-it-simple-stupid automagical usability and ultra-hip branding have made it the product of choice for people who want easy solutions; i.e., almost everybody.
And when I heard about a black iPod, I was excited. Even the imprimatur of out-of-it dinosaur-rockers (and onetime anticorporate types) like U2 wasn't enough to dampen my anticipation. Then I actually saw the thing.
Whoa, it's ugly. The red and black color scheme is ugly. The gloss black will be even uglier with fingerprints on it, and the red will be even uglier with the blue-and-white LCD lit up (the white markings on the click wheel don't help matters either). Even the text under the signatures is ugly.
And, as it turns out, the much-hyped U2 'digital box set' will be available on the ITMS and is neither exhaustive nor exclusive. Now that anyone can get their hands on the 'box set' (educated guess: it is already up on p2p networks as I write this sentence), and now that the product didn't turn out as visually appealing as the words 'black iPod' might've suggested, what reason is there to buy this iPod instead of one of the regular ones? Well, it'll match your throwback Jordans.
