to iPod or not to iPod

[Cyborg]

Hi, everybody!

I want to buy an iPod 20GB (not the one that takes pictures) and the reviews on it have me wondering: this iTunes software, is it the only way to upload mp3 files? I read iTunes is integrated with some kind of mp3 store where you can buy songs to upload to iPod.

The reason I want an iPod is that I already have "ripped" the albums I own into mp3 files and have them on my computer. I want to upload these files, and I need not to buy any songs for I have already purchased the albums I ripped. So, what I'm not sure is: Is iPod just a regular mp3 player to which I can freely upload any mp3 files I want, or do I have to follow certain rules that iTunes tells me to?

I'm very unsure about this, I think the reviews confused me. Thanks for the help.

[annis]

The iTunes program is just a tool to manage existing MP3s. It has some extra bits to make it easy to spend money, but that's not required.

I use iTunes on a Mac, so the integration is quite tight. An attached iPod looks like a disk drive. Not sure what a PC without iTunes would think of it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it acted the same there.

Any existing MP3 should work just fine on the iPod. Management of the music on the iPod might be ugly if the ripping didn't include the usual meta stuff (album, band, genre).

[Feles in silva]

Hi, everybody!

I want to buy an iPod 20GB (not the one that takes pictures) and the reviews on it have me wondering: this iTunes software, is it the only way to upload mp3 files? I read iTunes is integrated with some kind of mp3 store where you can buy songs to upload to iPod.

The reason I want an iPod is that I already have "ripped" the albums I own into mp3 files and have them on my computer. I want to upload these files, and I need not to buy any songs for I have already purchased the albums I ripped. So, what I'm not sure is: Is iPod just a regular mp3 player to which I can freely upload any mp3 files I want, or do I have to follow certain rules that iTunes tells me to?

I'm very unsure about this, I think the reviews confused me. Thanks for the help.

Cyborg-

Yes you can play MP3s you made on the iPod. You must use iTunes to load these MP3s into your iPod however. But it is free. It works fine on a PC too.

Note that the iTunes music store songs use the AAC format, and not MP3, but it plays both just fine.

You only need to spend money if you want to buy songs from iTunes Store.

On a Mac, as was mentioned above, the iPod appears as just another harddisk. In fact on the Mac you can write any kind of file to the iPod since it is just a regular filesystem. Not sure if this can be done on a PC.

[Cyborg]

Thanks to both of you for your input. I forgot to mention I own a PC, not a Mac. Feles in Silva, do you use it with a PC? And does the player come with an iTunes install disk?

I'll buy it, then. It seems to be exactly what I want.

[Feles in silva]

Thanks to both of you for your input. I forgot to mention I own a PC, not a Mac. Feles in Silva, do you use it with a PC? And does the player come with an iTunes install disk?

I'll buy it, then. It seems to be exactly what I want.

I've used it with both platforms - Mac and PC. The iTunes software is included yes with the iPod. You can also download it from the Apple site if you want. The integration with the PC is actually very good - almost Mac quality . Enjoy!

[benissimus]

I use a PC and the iTunes program does not recognize many albums of songs that I have, most of which are ripped from cds, even though windows media, realplayer, and winamp don't have a problem. I have to say I hate iTunes, but at least I have enough songs that I can upload enough that I like to my iPod.

[sisyphus]

i use iPod on PC. Yes, you can partition it to accept data files as an ordinary disk, in addition to your music files.

i've had no problems with it identifying CD content, but i've never had to use it with "ripped" CDs. It can have problems identifying classical content, but i guess that's because there is just so much of it.

i don't really like the iTunes interface, but i only need it to download CDs, so it's not a big deal. In fact it won't work on my girlfriend's Win 98 machine at home, so i have to do it in the office.

If you're a musician you might want to borrow one to try. Some people can't bear the sound quality at anything less than the best. That means the internal disk spins up much more frequently. That uses power. If you're one of those people you will probably want a clip-on battery pack addition, which doubles the physical size.

Eidt: i would never have bought an iPod for myself. i was given one as a present by a trepidatious girlfriend. To my surprise, i loved it, from its utility to its shape. Even its size to weight ratio makes me feel i have something of value in my hand. The UI is basic but works OK. i'm hoping it will be refined rapidly, but given it's Apple i'm not going to hold my breath. i haven't looked around but i'd be surprised if someone hasn't already written an alternative to iTunes.

[GlottalGreekGeek]

I have never used or even considered purchasing an iPod, but I do sometimes use iTunes as an mp3 player on the computer. While I do not think that the interface is great, I have never had problems with using it to play mp3s ripped from CDs. When I rip CDs I first take the pure wav file, then I use a Linux program called "lame" (it's a command-line program) to convert the wav file to mp3.

Somebody I know loudly badmouthes iPods, since she's had bad experience with having her iPods breaking quickly, waiting a long time to have them replaced, and having them break quickly again. She suggests getting another portable mp3 player, though I don't know if they're any better. Just thought I should pass the warning.

[arslongus]

I'm very unsure about this, I think the reviews confused me. Thanks for the help.

A colleague enlightened me to ephpod http://www.ephpod.com. It has some nice features which iTunes does not. I have found it to be superior to the Apple product.

[stephalufugus05]

so i recently received an ipod, and let me tell you, it is the most awesome thing ever!! I highly recommend getting one, if you don't already own one! i-tunes isn't all that bad either, but i find myself getting trapped into purchasing music all the time! haha (by the way, every Tuesday, they have new free downloads for you....they aren't always the greatest, but every once in a while you come across a pretty good artist)

hands down....get the ipod! you'll love it!

steph

[Emma_85]

Ipods? MP3 players?
Now you are making me feel like a cavewoman
I still have my little portable cassette player, what's wrong with that?
No, seriously, they sound like a good idea... you should be able to store loads of music on it if it's got 20 GB!!! My HD tells me it doesn't even have a GB of free space left on C at the moment

[GlottalGreekGeek]

Ipods? MP3 players?
Now you are making me feel like a cavewoman

Cavewomen rock

I am about the last person at school to not have an iPod. Mainly because I feel no compulsion to have portable music. I listen to enough music when I'm at home; when I'm out of home, I want to be aware of the world around me, not listening to some song I could hear later at home. Another reason is that headphones have been proven to cause hearing loss if used regularly (earbuds have not been proven YET to cause hearing loss, but since the problem with headphones is that the speakers are too close to the ear, I fail to see how earbuds could be better).

Besides, if I were listening to music on my iPod, I would no longer be able to "eavesdrop" on what people are playing on their iPods (often I can hear what's playing on somebody else's iPod when I'm less than a meter away).

[classicalclarinet]

If I were buyig a new ipod I would get the Nano at this stage: looks cooliesome. http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

[richc]

I just picked up an iPod about a week ago. I like how I can buy music on iTunes
for 0.99 one tune at a time. I can also listen to a song and decide wether or not
to download it or not. I think the first time I saw an mp3 player I was fascinated
by the fact that it had no moving parts, and shaking it doesnt affect the sound.

Basically I use mine for the gym. Hate the place, hate working out, all of it, but at
least with some music I can relieve the tedium. I wonder if there's any Homer
mp3's out there or audio disks at amazon. Hmm. Have to take a look

[Episcopus]

Hi rich, are you huge?

[richc]

Me nope! Not at all.
Used to be a mover before I went to school. That was a workout.
Now I just try and counter the effects of working at a desk.
Dont even know what a latissimus dorsii is. Some kind of fin?

[swiftnicholas]

I wonder if there's any Homer mp3's out there or audio disks at amazon.

Hi Rich,

I've seen a few mp3 files of recitation of Homer, but for some reason (I'm not sure if it's some kind of copyright protection, or just because I have a cheap generic mp3 player) these are the only two that I was able to put on my mp3 player.

http://turdpolish.com/greek4.html

http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/sh/index.htm


I hope you find them helpful.

~Nicholas

[richc]

Fantastic! I've got them on the pod now.
Good that its the first book. I notice its harder to follow it by hearing than
by reading.
Thanks Nicholas, Now during my workout I can be edified as well as tired.

Cheers
Rich