iPod hell/p?
by Jourdan Abel
25 September 2006
I realize I could answer these questions myself, but it would take more research hours than I can spare right now, and want your expert and smarty-pants opinions. Also I’m very insecure when it comes to technology/spending money.
So. I was until recently the begrudging owner of a 40GB 4th-generation iPod, which broke 6 times in less than 2 years (they always replaced it with a refurb, which would promptly break with a sad little whirrrrr-stick of the moving parts), and which Apple has recently taken back and replaced with a brand new in the box 80GB 5.5 generation iPod. This move has turned around my opinion of their customer service, and I’m happy with them and this action.
But I am gun shy about getting too attached to this untested 80GB ipod. It’s new, what if it’s a lemon, too? Do I really need an 80GB ipod? I have never had more than 19GB on my 40GB (though this could be that I was starting from scratch every few months).
What I want out of an iPod: one that works and does not break every 2 months. I’m nervous about the 80GB being a lemon, too. Unsubstantiated, yes, but it’s not worth it to me to have an ipod if it breaks as often as my last one did. I have a slow, old computer, and I don’t keep my music on it (my music lives on Ben’s computer in Philadelphia, and some on my little 1GB memory stick), and it’s a pain to reload everything every month onto the pod. I would also like something small enough to run with (the 40GB pulled my shorts down). Now I’m tempted by the video capabilities, and the seducing allure of watching TV on the pod. Will the screen size drive me nuts? I believe Tom said something about enjoying this feature on the T, but I might have made this up.
My question to you: What should I do with this 80GB?
1. Return it for a credit, hold onto credit until 80GB proves itself as a working, functional, non-lemon iPod. Or apply towards new computer when current computer dies, use Education site for free ipod special they run every Fall.*
2. Return it and get a 30GB (for movie watching) and a shuffle (for running). Or just a 30GB, pocket the credit for something else, buy arm band for music-while-running.
3. Return it for a nano, watch movies at home, pocket the credit.
4. Keep the 80GB, I’ll appreciate all the space when I become addicted to Lost, and it’s not a lemon.
*I’m currently running a souped-up circa 2000 PowerBook (the old black kind from college), with upgraded memory/systems. But it don’t hold much, and it don’t work fast. It seems sorta silly to have an iPod that could kick my computer’s ass, several times.
Sep 27, 12:15 PM
Even back when I was so mad at “the man” that I downloaded shitty music just out of spite, I never went over about 15G. I would be skeptical that 80G of good music has yet been created by mankind.
I have yet to see the movie interface, but I can’t really imagine spending lots of time watching movies on a little screen like that. You might keep your photos and your favorite YouTube or TheShow clips on there but to fill 80G you’re going to need entire movies/TV shows. And if you care about losing them, you’re going to have to keep them someplace safe anyway. That someplace probably has a better screen. Maybe on the T or someplace where the laptop is inconvenient it might be worth it. But unless you plan on spending more than 12 hours on the T between uploads, you’ll be able to get by with 30G.
If I were psyched about the screen and watching TV on the T, I would get the 30G and put the rest of the cash towards a more reliable external hard drive or server space in California for data storage. (I’ve set my old desktop up as a fileserver of sorts and that has been pretty nice). Since my laptop is portable enough for me and has a pretty sweet screen, I think I would just get the shuffle or nano. But my cell phone is pretty competitive with the Nano already. I’d save my money.
Sep 27, 03:55 PM
Tom should declaim that his computer is a Dell.
Sep 29, 09:27 AM
You need a new computer. Using that G3 PowerBook for anything more important than Blitz is kind of like building a city in a flood plain, and then surrounding it with walls so the river and a nearby like just get further and further above it with each spring runoff. Someday (and soon) something terrible is going to happen; quite frankly, I’m amazed you haven’t gone insane from the struggle of running Firefox and the OS simultaneously.
I’d get the shuffle and bank the rest towards a new MacMini, since, unless some sort of miracle has occured, you’re probably only able to use your “laptop” when it’s plugged in and used to a largely static computer. The 30 gig iPod would let you carry all your music with you all the time, but do you really listen to all your music all the time? Is 240 songs really not enough? Besides, watching video on a 2.5in screen is unbearable unless you’re waiting in line at he DMV.
Oct 2, 03:35 PM
Ipod shuffle is definitely the way to go. Its more robust and, at only $90, if you break it, its not the end of the world. I agree with Cosmo, put the rest towards a mac mini.
Oct 2, 04:07 PM
I appreciate everyone’s feedback and help. I returned the ipod this weekend to the apple store for a credit. I think I’m going to go the shuffle/new computer route. Or maybe, the shuffle now, new computer later route. Another question: Am I better off buying an external harddrive now, keeping everything on it, and then buying an iMac when my laptop breaks, or buying a mac mini now, using my laptop as the screen (can you do that?) and then buying a new screen later? Or am I better off with a mac mini and a screen, given my kindergarten-level uses of the computer? (Btw, the laptop’s running OS X, so it’s not totally and completely horrible to use, and I only use it for: downloading podcasts, digital photos (granted these could happen faster), playing music, getting recipes off the internet, some word documents, and email. Oh, and watching DVDs sometimes. This is pretty much all I’d want my new computer to do, but faster. And burning CDs. That would be nice too.)
Thanks for your help! I’ll bake a thank you cake for anyone in Boston. (If easily accessible by T, preferably the red line.)