Ipods

<p>A few questions about Ipods:
1.) Are they compatible with Windows, or do you need to have a Mac?
2.) To download songs to an Ipod, is it basically the same thing as burning the song to a CD?
3.) If you download songs legally, how much does it usually cost per song?
4.) What's the deal with the battery only lasting one year. Does this mean that the Ipod is only usable for a year?
5.) What's a good Ipod model to get if I just want something to listen to while I'm jogging and don't want to spend a fortune on an Ipod that not only plays music but works as a TV, a radio, a DVD player, and a time machine?
6.) What are some legitimate, non-napster-like websites to download music from? Can you download stuff from MSN or Apple's website?</p>

<p>Thanks for any replies.</p>

<p>1.) PC and Mac
2.) You download the song, add it to iTunes, tell your iPod to update
3.) like .99 cents a song
4.) Lasts about 3 years or so. Then you have to use a replacement kit. The kit costs around 100 dollars. You can do it all yourself with that. It's not too hard.
5.) iPod only plays music and can be used to store television shows/movies. I actually just download all my things, and then if I want i'll convert them to the iPod format
6.) iTunes is the only one compatible with the iPod, sort of. You can just download mp3s(through legal/illegal means) though and add them to your iPod</p>

<p>As for question 5, I would recommend either the shuffle or the nano. They're both flash-memory based, so it will never skip, and they're both really small and light. I have friends with both, and they're really happy with them. I'm actually planning on getting a shuffle for myself for when I don't want to carry my mini.</p>

<p>Is there any difference between the older iPods like this:<a href="http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Apple_iPod_20_GB_MAC_PC_M9282LL_A_%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Apple_iPod_20_GB_MAC_PC_M9282LL_A_&lt;/a> and the newer models like the mini and nano, other than that the mini and nano are smaller and have less memory?</p>

<p>my son's ipod nano experienced "pixel leakage" it as a real pain to work with best buy about this, but apple was very helpful. apple worked with me on a replacement, so when i went back to best buy, they finally agreed that if apple was going to replace it, they would give me store credit. </p>

<p>my son is going to get a new phone instead of another ipod. i encouraged him to do that. </p>

<p>i guess the problems with pixel leakage and early ipod nanos was a very limited manufacturer problem, but i don't want to deal with it again.</p>

<p>I have a better idea. Get an iRiver. MUCH better than an iPod.</p>

<p>Nah, I'd rather just get an iPod. Does anyone know of any differences (sound quality, battery replacibility, anything else) between the iPod mini and the older version, the iPod Fourth Generation 20GB?</p>

<p>No there's no sound quality difference. I'll say this though, I think the 5th Generation iPod is a better deal. 30 gigs of space, thinner, better battery life than previous generations.</p>

<p>When you say 'mini' are you refering to the iPod mini, which is no longer made, or the nano??</p>

<p>The 4th gens with the black and white sceen were solid. I heard that the color-screen 4th gens had some sound distortion issues.</p>

<p>I personally own a mini (first-gen green) and adore it. They're near impossible to hurt! My sister's (forst-gen pink) has survived being dropped over 3 feet on the concreate w/o a case and flying out of the backseat of her car and bouncing off the dash in a car wreck. It has a tiny chip in the back from being dropped, but no real issues. I've dropped mine more times that I would like to admit, but it's been in a case since I pulled it out of it's box. They sound good, battery life is decent (I've had mine for a year and still only have to charge it once a week!) and it's suprisingly small when out of it's case/in the right case, If you can still find a mini, I would recommend it.</p>

<p>i also have a question having to do with ipods and the music you put on it...i wanted to add some files from my windows media player onto itunes so that i can put it on my ipod. the problem is that when i ripped them onto my computer, they were protected. is there any way for me to "unprotect" them so that i can put them on itunes without having to rerip everything?</p>

<p>I think it's technically illegal to take the encryption off of a protected file. Someone else my know how, though.</p>

<p>wbow, you may be one of the few people to get bestbuy to give you credit for anything, but Apple is v. good on replacements.</p>

<p>they should let us download songs for free if we have an ipod. ipod costs sooo much!</p>

<p>technically, they let you do that. it's just not legal. but I dunno anyone who fills up 30 gigs of their iPod with fully legal music.</p>

<p>i didnt know that "unprotecting" the music was illegal. i don't really understand how it could be especially since the media player gives you an option of copying it protected or unprotected. what's the main difference? do you get in trouble if it's not?</p>

<p>A few questions about Ipods:
1.) Yes, they are compatible with pc's
2.) Basically, you drag mp3 files from your computer to itunes, which is the "hub" of the ipod. You can also rip cd's and put the files on the mp3 player
3.) you download the songs legally from itunes. songs cost 99c per song and more for videos.
4.) Its not true that the ipod battery lasts for one year. and even if it was, the ipod would still be usable for more than a year. there are ways to replace the battery
5.) get the ipod nano or 4th generation ipod. the 4gen doesnt play videos.
6.) download the apple itunes software.</p>

<p>cheaper songs are 88cents from walmart downloads, and i know a few free illegal sites if anyone wants them.</p>

<p>Wal-mart songs don't work on iPods.</p>

<p>iTMS does give out free songs every week. They're in a little box in the bottom left hand corner. It's generally unheard of stuff that's about to be hugh (ex.- that "pon the replay" song that was so big last summer). They also give out some random TV shows and stuff (ex- that new NBC show young lawyers is currently free).</p>

<p>
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Wal-mart songs don't work on iPods.

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<p>that's why ipods suck.
iRiver owns them. ;)</p>

<p>Yeah, but iRiver players don't work with Macs. Plus, the last I looked their players were more expensive than the comperable iPods.</p>