What Size is Your.....IPod?

I keep a big backlog of individual songs so's I can keep it on a random like a lil' radio station, and rotate albums that I have just bought/fell like listening to at the moment.

I don't know about this PC stuff? Don't ipods use Music Match? Isn't there iTunes for Windows?

Apple 10 GB iPod (Mac/Win) $299

Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30 GB Digital Audio Player $279

Might be worth researching pros/cons.

Think the newest models do. I've Music Match on my comp already, so will be cool if I can use it there too.

Isn't there iTunes for Windows?

Not that I know of, but prove me wrong!

They don't tell you the bit rate or the average length of a song based upon their calculations. For example, I have 28 GB of mp3s on my computer and it is only 5,500 songs. So, according to this I can get approx. 7800 songs on a 40 GB iPod. That is also assuming that the iPod holds 40 GB exactly which it probably doesn't. Probably more like 39 GB or so.

The main reasoning behind this is that most of my mp3s are 256 kbps which is much much better sound quality than 128 kbps. I'm sure you could fit 25,000 songs on a 40 GB iPod if they were all 56 kbps but your iPod would be full of unlistenable junk.

Good point, Dean. I'll add this codicil, then:

If any of you have something other than the IPod, how is it? Tell me why I should consider your model?

Any user opinion is better than a dry review.

I'm not sure exactly when I'll buy it, but should be before Xmas.

Holds over 2,500, 5,000 or 10,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format(3)

http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html

128 kbps is terrible. They should be ashamed recommending that. Dunno the difference between AAC and VBR, but I can't imagine it's terribly drastic / enough to base a marketing campaign on. Also, VBR is most common, I believe.

As I can't afford the 40 Gig, the hype isn't a prob. Never pay attention to hype, anyhoo.

Gigabytle scam is indeed tedious.

(xpost)

Yes, but you can get three times the amount of data on a competitor's player than on an iPod for a similar price.

more annoying than the number-of-songs misrepresentation is the whole loosey-goosey gigabyte scam!

OTM.

Also, all this "128 kbps is terrible" blah blah is nonsense. Digital sounds shitty, period, if it's sound quality you're interested in you're not listening to digitized music in the first place.

I guess that's a valid viewpoint if you're of the "buy it because it's cute" mindset. But for me, $500 is a bit much of a vanity purchase. Also, there is quite a difference between 128 kbps and 256 kbps. If you're not concerned with sound quality, I'm sure there have to be some tape walkmen that are far much more attractive than an iPod. Although maybe not as cool.

Yet another objective opinion;> As long as the player will work on my system (OS: Win 2000), beaucoup good.

I'm searching for worthwhile value....

128kbps AAC is as good if not better than 192Kbps MP3. The fact is that the iTunes encoder is really, really fucking good, and you can hear the difference. I listen to everything on my powered studio monitors now so whatever with the audiophile argument.

Hope you find what you're looking for Nichole. Best of luck.

iPod interface still seems way better than any other MP3 player out there.

(And audiophilia is still lame.)

And if you are concerned with sound quality, then you're not interested in digital, which, at 256 or 128, has still been compressed all to Hell.

by the way I have a 10-gigger that I got for amazingly cheap (otherwise could never afford one), and I love it like a child.

anyway mine is 10, and i don't think i will fill it because i keep only things on it which i wouldn't mind hearing on random. i don't have enough digital music that fits that bill. and am too lazy to record mp3's off records

if i get more into playlists, i guess that situation could change

I've encoded the same materials at 192 mp3 for uploads/sharing and then played it side by side with my 128 AAC files for iPod/home use and can't tell a lick of difference. I wouldn't be surprised if 128 AAC beat out 192 mp3 depending on the encoding software. I find that a lot of folks overlook the fact that different software encodes things differently, and it's important to remember this when comparing sound quality.

you're clear for windows itunes or musicmatch jukebox, either way nichole. i think new ipods are packed with itunes, but you can download the mmjb plugin as well. it's either/or as far as interfacing with the ipod, though- once you install itunes it takes control of the ipod. it can be undone but it takes some monkeying about.

i found that itunes was just way easier for dealing with an ipod (esp. when digital music collection>capacity of ipod) but i keep mmjb installed for the supertagging abilities. supertagging is just unreal and apple needs to rip it off stat.

mine's a 10gigger and def. not big enough. i could be happy with 20, but 40+ would eat my music collection whole, so another gen or two and i'm all over that.

once you are set up, take a piece of music you know and run it through a bunch of different formats and bitrates, and pick what sounds right to you. it may depend on what kind of music you listen to as well. i generally use 160k mp3 since i encoded most of my steez before windows itunes, but i'll def try aac just to see. 160 works for me b/c most of my portable listening is done walking down loud city streets or in the car. occasionally i get the icky digital feeling, especially if i'm listening to well recorded jazz or something, but most of what i carry around is hip hop, most of which is compressed to hell in the studio anyway.

the fastest way is to back out to the firstest menu. then "play" will resume the song. if you are anywhere inside the playlists or browse sections, it will start a new song depending on where you are.

if you are inside settings, extras, etc. it will resume the old song.

of course you can select 'now playing' and return to the window. but all you really have to do is go to the main menu, i.e. bang on the 'menu' button a few times before hitting play.

probably not all that helpful.

No sweat xpost

em. I think that turned into a rant. Sorry.

http://www.archos.com/img/products/290x230/av120.jpg

uglier for sure, but same storage, displays video and images and has decent random play option

forgotten already