finally getting an iPod - what features do *you* use?

[phillyraqs]

Oh, and another note on getting an ipod - definitely check out the refurbished ipods at Apple - The Apple Store (U.S.)

Right now, they don't have anything over the 30 GB video ipods (for $159), but their stock changes all the time. These ipods are usually brand new in the box, and you save up to a hundred dollars. That's where I bought 60 GB ipods for my husband and I last Christmas.

No problems so far with them, but I purchased a two year apple care plan just in case, which I strongly recommend.

[severina]

Target.com and Overstock.com also sometimes have refurbished iPods. I just bought a refurbished Nano for Mr. Severina for Christmas so his eighties rock doesn't have to comingle on my iPod with my ME and snooty classical music....

[LarryH]

Like anything hi-tech, I would recommend getting the fastest/largest capacity that you can afford. The iTouch sure looks cute, but its limited memory puts me off for now. I need to trade up soon, as I have about 70 gigs of music and only a 60 gig iPod 5th gen (video-compatible).

I am guessing that Mr. Jobs will sometime soon mate the iPod "Classic" hard drive with the iTouch form factor so that you can get greater that 16 gigs.

Now THAT will be one that I will upgrade to!

[aziyade]

I still have my original iPod, which was the very first one on the market, with the actual moving scroll wheel and all that :) It still works fabulously, although the case has gotten kinda scratched up. I'm finding now that I want the shuffle, so I can clip it on my clothes and not have to worry about having a pocket.

For what it's worth, I had the smallest hard drive available, and I never did fill it up. I think that was 30 gig at the time? Maybe even less...

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by Lisa Michelle

Not to hijack this thread, but may I ask what is the name of this software? I have not heard of this before...at least not software that worked very well.

The name of the software that my husband uses to convert text files to audio so that his computer reads things to him is NaturalReader (the N and R both capitalized, but no blank space between the two words). He can drag a web page into it, and he can also use OCR (optical character reader) software to scan a printed page, such as book, and move that into it. He can highlight a section of text in anything displayed on the screen (such as a web page or Word document) and tell NaturalReader to read that to him.

It creates MP3 files for him, which he can then transfer to his iPod to take with him and listen to in his car, when he's walking downtown, when he's bicycling, etc.

He reads a lot of web sites (he works full-time as an independent investor), so he spends a lot of time on the web reading finance and economy news on the web, as well as news in specific industry niches (especially energy), so I hear his computer "reading" out loud a lot. I have to say that the cadence of the computer voice really is impressive, very similar to someone's natural conversation.

For more info on the software, see Text to speech software with Natural Voices-- Free NaturalReader

[Gia al Qamar]

Originally Posted by severina

The alarm feature....does the iPod need to be plugged into a speaker dock for this to work? Or do you need to be wearing headphones?

It'd have to be docked or in earphones...iPods don't have speakers...

[TribalDancer]

You would have to dock a 'pod to get it to make a sonic alarm. It has no speakers onboard!

Here's my two cents:

I got a 20 Gig iPod about 4 years back. I was thrilled. I loaded it up...and didn't use it much. It doesn't seem like the size and weight would be much, but for me it's not a "throw it in my purse and have it with me everywhere" kind of weight and size. Additionally, 20 Gigs was too much! "How can that be?" you ask! Well, frankly, it isn't searchable in the way your iTunes is--where you can punch in what you're looking for and go. It needs you to SCROLL. And I don't know about you, but scrolling through every song name or every artist name to find that one song I may or may not have loaded onto my iPod, when you have 20-40-80Gigs of data to scroll through...ugh! It got too cumbersome! It was like a closet of clothes where I had 50 favorite outfits, but I had 3000 pieces of clothing to sift through to get to them. Sure, they're right there, but what a pain!

I made playlists, but still, it just felt like too much. And lastly, it made me nervous carrying it around everywhere. There is a hard-drive in there that can get corrupted, unmount if you drop it, etc. It skips sometimes, freezes sometimes...So I almost never used it.

Enter Nano. A friend had the same issue (overwhelmed by TOO MUCH music to sift through), and said I would be happier with a Nano, which she had gotten. Sure enough, I got the 4 Gig version a couple years back...and now I use it every single week. I started by loading up playlists for my classes--warm-up music, fast music, slow music, drill music, etc. Then filled in with some personal listening, for when I am on the plane, etc. Now I have a manageable amount of music, easily at my fingertips, in a form factor that slips easily into a small zipper pocket in my purse and it takes up no room and adds nearly no weight. So small and perfect for taking everyplace! And no hard drive so it works faster, never skips or freezes (at least mine hasn't!), and feels safer to carry around without worrying about damaging it.

[TribalDancer]

So skip to today. I now feel that 4 Gigs is a bit too small, as I have an extensive troupe music playlist in addition to class music, and still want to have personal music available. That wasn't the case when I bought it, so some people may not have that issue--4 Gigs may be perfect for your needs. But I am not interested in using my old iPod, and my little Nano is chock full of the new troupe music I added this year, so it's time. I am asking for an 8Gig new Nano this Christmas. The additional bonus is the color screen, and I can play movies on it! People make fun of me that I might want to do this, but on tight little planes, trying to open a laptop at an angle where you can watch a movie is sometimes a difficult or impossible proposition. So yes, I really would load a movie and watch it on the plane on that little screen, thankyouverymuch.

The old iPod lives at home as a regular music player. We have a dock connected to the stereo, and at parties, I make Perfect Party Mixes for the occasion, plug it in, and it loops all night with the background soundtrack to our revelry!

[severina]

Originally Posted by Gia al Qamar

It'd have to be docked or in earphones...iPods don't have speakers...

Okay, that's what I thought...hmm....

We have an iHome system that I dock the iPod into when I'm at home...it also has an FM tuner. I use the iTrip FM transmitter in the car to run the iPod through my stereo...I guess now I need a little portable speaker so it can be my alarm clock, too.

TribalDancer, I hear what you're saying about the sorting function on the iPod being cumbersome to scroll through. I'm just compulsive enough that it makes me feel warm and safe inside to know I have ALL my music with me ALL the time.

[TribalDancer]

LOL! I hear ya!

I also wanted to add that I would likely feel different if I had a lot of movies or other media I wanted to store (so the video iPods I understand much more data storage needs.

[Lisa Michelle]

Originally Posted by *Shira*

The name of the software that my husband uses to convert text files to audio so that his computer reads things to him is NaturalReader (the N and R both capitalized, but no blank space between the two words). He can drag a web page into it, and he can also use OCR (optical character reader) software to scan a printed page, such as book, and move that into it. He can highlight a section of text in anything displayed on the screen (such as a web page or Word document) and tell NaturalReader to read that to him.

It creates MP3 files for him, which he can then transfer to his iPod to take with him and listen to in his car, when he's walking downtown, when he's bicycling, etc.

He reads a lot of web sites (he works full-time as an independent investor), so he spends a lot of time on the web reading finance and economy news on the web, as well as news in specific industry niches (especially energy), so I hear his computer "reading" out loud a lot. I have to say that the cadence of the computer voice really is impressive, very similar to someone's natural conversation.

For more info on the software, see Text to speech software with Natural Voices-- Free NaturalReader

Thank you Shira! I will check into those.

Lisa

[meissoun]

I think, the one I have with me right now is the 5th iPod that I bought... I guess I kind of like iPods...
I have a Nano that stays in the car all the time, except for updating the music on it. It's FULL. Because hey, you never know what you want to listen you when you are driving!

For the rest of my life, I use a Classic 80 GB. I don't know how I lived before I had all my choreographies on video with me?
I often have to brush up old choreos, so I watch them on the bus. I also watch films, podcasts and dance shows.

My boyfriend has tons of films on his iPod, and when we are on vacation we just connect it to the hotel room's TV and watch a film at night.

Not all of the dance studios where I go to teach have the possibility to connect an MP3-player, but it's getting better. And my iPod has already saved me a few times from CD problems!

MEISSOUN