<p>I have decided to purchase an ipod for college, but I really dont know which one to buy. Should I, perhaps, get a different brand? Anyway, I have to choose between a shuffle, mini, photo, H2, etc. I want one that will last for a long time, so I think I have knocked the shuffle and mini out of the way. Do you think I should wait until graduation in June, or buy it right now.</p>
<p>Personally, I like the Ipod 30 GB photo, cause i like the color!</p>
<p>Definitely get the iPod. In my opinion, you should definitely get at least 20GB. A) you can fit a lot of songs. B) use it as an external drive and c) you can use it to record lectures!</p>
<p>Do yuo think the cost of the 30 GB photo Ipod is high? Should I wait until June, after graduation, to buy it? Do you think the cost will come at all by then?</p>
<p>How do you record lectures on an iPod?</p>
<p>I doubt the price will change much. But at times, stores will have special promotions and such. So if your not in a rush to get one, hold out until the right deal comes along. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine to get one now.</p>
<p>Recording lectures are easy. You can buy an external attachment that fits on your ipod that will record lecture. You can look up iTalk from Griffin or a recording device from Belkin. The attachment works as a mic.</p>
<p>I have the old iRiver iHP-120. I used to have an iPod, but it's battery was too poor for me. The new iRivers supposedly have the same 16-18 hour battery life. They're a little harder to navigate and less user friendly, but they have a built in mic, and fm tuner. Ipods are overrated in my opinion. My ipod battery lasted max 7 hours on a charge... I even had it replaced and it still worked horribly.</p>
<p>normalkid- Trust me, I purchased a 40GB iPod just before the prices dropped, (which I was kinda upset about) and I think it is worth 100x the price it was ($399 at that time)!! I love my iPod, and it is definitely worth the cost. Also, with the new iPod Photo, you can do so much more with it!! If I were you, shell out the extra cash and buy a 30BG iPod Photo. they are so easy to use, and there are many extra features with the Photo. You can wait a little while to buy it, but if I were you, I couldn't wait! Trust me, whatever price you pay, you will think your iPod is worth its weight in gold, I promise! Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your iPod!!!!! :D</p>
<p>Jenz- You can purchase a recorder for about $40 which connects directly to the iPod! I'm telling you, these things are incredible... Worth so much more than they cost!</p>
<p>normalkid10, iPOD has a fatal problem concerning its integrated battery cell. it cannot be changed by yourself once its useless after re-charging many times(about one year or a little more). And customer service will charge you about $300 for a new cell, almost a new iPOD. Skip your idea, don't buy iPOD :)</p>
<p>Thanks for everyones input...</p>
<p>So i432 - what brand do you think I should buy?</p>
<p>ok, honestly, these battery problems are very difficult to encounter. If you run your battery down to the point where the screen is barely lit each time you use it, you will encounter battery problems. However, if you don't abuse your battery, you won't have a problem. When you are not using it, keep it docked or plugged in, and the battery will be fine. I've had mine for over a year, and know people who have had them for longer, and the battery still gets its eight + hours in.</p>
<p>i432, as I mentioned earlier, I had my iPod replaced due to a crappy battery. It is free of charge, as long as it's under the 1 year warranty. You can extend the warranty for like $40-$50. It's not terrible... Apple has good support, but the iPod wasn't for me. iPods are geared for casual music listeners, and my Iriver is an audiophile's dream.</p>
<p>If you are not going to go the iPod route, buy an iRiver... As Marines920 wrote, it "is an audiohpile's dream." They also really kick @$$. :D Good luck!</p>
<p>another awesome thing... the iRiver comes in a sweet red which goes nicely with all your Cornell gear!! ;) lol</p>
<p>Yep. normally no battery will collapse in the first year and if used properly it can last longer than two year or what. but in long term, it is always better to buy something flexible. Does everyone really need 30GB mp3s? I have no idea. and more storage means less battery durance. I prefer BenQ. There is a model with 512MB and its #7 battery can last about 10 hours.</p>
<p>I am planning on purchasing a 5GB iRiver (red, of course) for everyday use, and I will leave my iPod in the car connected to my stereo with its plethera of good music as an alternative to the radio.</p>
<p>i got my ipod "open box" at best buy, which just means it has a couple scratches on it from the previous owner. if cost is a big concern, then i'd say its a good idea, it works just as well as a new one</p>
<p>I have an iPod.. I love the player itself-- It's simple, organized, and battery life isn't a problem. I just despise iTunes. I think it's hard to use and every time I add more music it updates and deletes old CDs. (Any of you smart computer-savvy kids know how to fix this? :p lol)</p>
<p>I would take iriver h10 anyday over ipod.</p>
<p>why is an h10 better than an h320? I'm thinking of buying it for an anniversary present. thanks</p>
<p>quynh: I guess it's just my preference. I think the older H series looks kind of chunky and clumsy (in comparison to H10 that is). The size of H10 is amazing - even compare to ipod, it's considerably smaller - plus it's fully loaded with native features ipods don't have: fm radio and voice recording and a color screen, the only tradeoff I can think off is probably its smaller storage size, but I think even 5G is seriously more than what I will need. A bit off topic but anyway I don't think H10 is any superior in terms of its capabilities compare to H320, other than its newer design.</p>