<p>Yup... I'm corrupting the cafe but have you noticed that everyone got a ****ing ipod for christmas? it's getting so annoying seeing those white earphones everywhere.</p>
<p>i have an iriver and it's soooo much better.</p>
<p>Uh.... I'm stuck using a cheap $40 mp3/cd player, a 32 meg mp3 player from 1999, and a minidisc player where you have to record to it in real time. And what I want is the Archos Gmini400. And everyone got an iPod for christmas... the only person who really needed it is my friend who has been using a 1st gen ipod for awhile now</p>
<p>but i got an rca lyra with 20 gigs so it's all good</p>
<p>@poison.ivy: I used an Archos Jukebox Recorder 20 until I received an iPod Mini. I am far more impressed with the "geek factor" of the Archos, especially with its (hacked) support for homebrew applications. I really wish Apple would open a up a bit. The iPod has many flaws in my jaded technophile eyes. I want total control. So does Apple. . .</p>
<p>That said, you're using an iRiver. Those things are not cheap. If you're going to splruge on a non-hackable (legally) consumer audio device, you might as well go with the market leader. In this case, it is the analagous iPod Photo. By doing this, you get much better software support and a larger aftermarket modification community.</p>
<p>Yeah so I got an iPod.</p>
<p>Ipods rule, this coming from a music fiend...gotta love those 40GBs...</p>
<p>Actually, Catch-22, I have a few qualms right off the bat:</p>
<p>Assuming you have a fourth generation iPod:
* can't view bitrate of encoded files on the now playing screen
* can't opt to sort by folder, not by playlist
* non-replaceable lithium ion battery results in an unintended $60/year investment. Fortunately, while under warranty it costs less. Unfortunately, lithium ion batteries need replacement, on average, shortly after the default Apple warranty expires.
* can't browse by filename instead of id3 tag
* no song uploading, only downloading
* synchronization ON by default, leads to wiped iPods
* can't instantly return to the now playing screen. Pressing select after adjusting the volume at just the wrong time causes you to scrub, not return to the now playing screen. Another example is that I very often need to turn down the volume of the music to avoid hurting my ears. I cannot do this fast enough when 'm buried in a menu heirarchy.</p>
<p>I have many more gripes, but I don't have time to list them now. I love my iPod, but I have very fond memories of being able to control MY USER EXPERIENCE with my Archos.</p>
<p>What's wrong with the good ol radio?</p>
<p>It doesn't start with an "i", "e", or "g". Obviously, you're not hip.</p>
<p>(disclaimer: I am kidding, I hope you realize)</p>
<p>Nom-Some of your complaints are valid (the battery for one, although I haven't had problems with mine), but a lot of them seem to revolve around the iPod's organization. For me at least, the iPod+iTunes combination has been a godsend in keeping my music organized. As long as all your files have id3 tags, the interface is incredibly easy and efficient.</p>
<p>A few other points. While synchronization is the default option, iTunes asks you before re-synchronizing. You have to click "yes" to a dialog box to delete your music.</p>
<p>The lack of song uploading was put in to appease the RIAA. Many shareware programs circumvent this block.</p>
<p>You can use the "Sound Check" feature in iTunes + on the iPod to equalize the volume among songs.</p>
<p>The iPod was designed to be elegant and simple with only five buttons. You seem to be wanting something complicated and unwieldy. That's fine, but that's not a valid criticism of the iPod. I'd rather have simple design, than the ability to see the bit rate of the playing song... you might choose the latter.</p>
<p>Exactly. I agree. I belong to a minority consumer bloc that has different expectations. I can only hope more businesses realize that it is this group that boosts product longevity, not the base user population.</p>
<p>I know about Sound Check. Using it on some songs, particularly live recordings, has some peculiar effects. Songs with large ranges of volume are rendered too quiet to be audible. It is not dynamic nor aware of the music its playing. I don't expect it to be, but until it is, I won't be satisfied with the feature.</p>
<p>I use PodPlay to upload songs-- I know about third party software for pretty much whatever I want (excluding a tool to identify hard drive information. There seems to be a firmware firewall of sorts, screening the correct data. More informaiton some other time). I simply object to the idea of the RIAA limiting my hardware functionality. This usually leads to a rant about the INDUCE act, which I'd rather not begin right now.</p>
<p>The iPod hardware design is elegant and functional, true. The Archos I referred to is complicated (10 buttons, 5 ports) and unwieldy (I affectionately term mine "The Brick"). . . true. However, firmware plays a also huge role in design.</p>
<p>Although I know it will never happen, my dream is for Apple (or any other portable audio player producer) to release a public SDK for their device, including firmware development support. It should be allowed by the company but labelled with a grandiose warning about how installing it voids your warranty, absolves the company of legal impunity, and may cause fever and chills. Make it totally unsupported by the company excepting a few pre-release pointers on new models. Then, watch the users form a cult. Trust me, that product would be riding high for years with the work these users would put into it. Just make sure that the housing is designed by an human interface expert, not an engineer.</p>
<p>Get the Nomad Creative Zen Micro.</p>
<p>'Nuff said.</p>
<p>eek, I got none of that because iPoor and so is my family :/ I got a lovely pair of vibrating slippers though</p>
<p>my ipod was stolen out of my backpack. So i'm now among the ipodless. I'm trying to get a new one through *******<em>s.com, though (not a scam, seriously). I miss my ipod so much. I have about 2000 songs on my computer, and there's no way I can carry that many CDs around every day, so I'm forced to *gasp</em> choose only select CDs to bring to school. sad. (hah, I'm kind of a music whore)</p>
<p>er, that's f r e e i po d s.com. got censored i guess.</p>
<p>usna...that was funny..ipoor hehe..i dont have a ipod either:(...grrr and everyone around me does..i always see ppl on the train ..like everyone!..gah...</p>
<p>^
|
"i was forced to use this sn:(" - w.t.f. care to explain? sn are not all that hard to create </p>
<p>i hear dell's dj or jukebox is better.</p>
<p>I didn't want an iPod. I didn't get an iPod. So....I got a Palm Pilot instead.</p>
<p>"i have an iriver and it's soooo much better."</p>
<p>That is, of course, ignoring the shoddy firmware support.</p>
<p>i have a sony walkman</p>
<p><em>hides</em></p>