Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (7th Generation) NEWEST MODEL : My favorite iPod to date

NOTICE: This review is for the NEW 2009 160GB iPod Classic, NOT the 2007 160GB iPod Classic!

The new 160GB iPod Classic is easily Apple Inc.'s best iPod to date, and out of all of the iPods that I own, this is my favorite.

First, the capacity of this iPod is simply unbeatable. I've yet to see another portable media player that can match the iPod Classic in capacity. I have a huge music library, and it's nice to be able to carry every song that I own on my person at all times. What's more, thanks to the iPod Classic's capacity, I also have room to carry a few videos with me, and some of my photos. If you don't like having to pick which songs to load onto your portable media player, the iPod Classic is the way to go.

The second thing that I love about this iPod can be summed up in two words: it works. The 160GB iPod Classic that was introduced in 2007 was extremely buggy, had a non-responsive Clickwheel on many units, crashed frequently, and required a hit-and-miss firmware update to stop the hard drive from spinning even when the device was "off," which often lead to dead batteries. All of these problems left the 2007 160GB iPod Classic warming shelves and earning it the infamous "honor" of being the "worst selling iPod ever," according to Apple. I'm pleased to say that the new 160GB iPod Classic released earlier this month has virtually none of these problems. There's no "spinning hard drive bug," the Clickwheel is incredibly responsive, and the device isn't crash-prone. While it's true that many of these issues were fixed with last year's iPod Classic, there hasn't been a truly functional 160GB model until now. To put it bluntly, this is the iPod that Apple should've released in 2007.

Another thing that I really like about this iPod, and the iPod Classic in general, is it's ability to double as an external hard drive. While I believe that the iPod Nano is also capable of this, the only iPod that really has enough space to function as an external hard drive is the iPod Classic. The hard drive functionality admittedly reduces the number of devices I have to carry on me at any given time. If you regularly work with large files and are considering a new iPod, the iPod Classic is the way to go, plain and simple.

So what are the caveats? Well for starters, as with every other iPod Classic, this is a hard-drive (rather than flash-memory) based device. As a result, it has moving parts which make it unsuitable for running or any physical activity that exerts mechanical shock onto the iPod. Unless you exercise constantly with your iPod though, this really shouldn't be an issue. The only other caveat, which is more of personal taste than an actual flaw, that I can find, is that Apple has not made any cosmetic changes to this device since they introduced it in 2007. Now don't get me wrong, the point of an iPod "Classic," is to retain the "Classic" design, but after seeing how much better a black Clickwheel looks on the silver iPod Nano, I'd have thought that Apple would have given the silver iPod Classic a black Clickwheel as well. However, I admit that this is entirely my personal preference and not a "flaw" per se. I've put a quick list of pros and cons together, which can be seen below:


Pros: Largest iPod Capacity-wise, long battery life, "Genius" feature, excellent value for your money, well-built, doubles as an external hard drive, and improvements to Cover Flow.

Cons: Hard Drive (rather than Flash memory) based storage medium; device is cosmetically identical to the 2007 80GB model. (I still don't understand why Apple hasn't colored the Clickwheel black on the silver model to match the iPod Nano.)

Finally, I would highly recommend this product, which is why it gets five stars from me. I don't like the iPod Nano; it's too small for my hands, and the screen is too small for my eyes. While the iPod Touch may have app store access and Wi-Fi, I find it to be a really gimmicky device, that makes for a poor portable media player, (Apple was wise to position it as a handheld game system,) and is really an "iPhone without a phone." In contrast, the iPod Classic is an excellent portable media player, it has an excellent interface, and it only costs $249 dollars. To put things in perspective, the 2009 160GB iPod Classic costs $70 dollars more than a 16GB iPod Nano, and $150 dollars less than a 64GB iPod Touch. All in all, I highly recommend this product.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/apple.ipod.classic.cheap-20

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL : YES, this IS an improvement over the 2nd Generation iPod touch

First of all, let's get the whining out of the way. No, there's no camera on this iPod touch. But honestly, do you really need that cruddy 640x480 video camera they put in the iPod nano for your iPod touch? Do you really not have a camera on your cell phone?!?!

I didn't need a camera. I have a nice camera on my mobile phone and I barely ever use it (I suspect because I'm not a MySpace user). However, I was happy to see the improvements they DID make to the new 3rd Generation iPod touch.

* Faster CPU. This means that games, web surfing, and apps run 50% faster, and it's noticeable when you go from the older model to the newer one.

* OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics. Soon there will be games that offer advanced effects, and this iPod touch will be ready for it. At the time of this writing there are only three games with Open GL ES 2.0 support, but eventually you will be required to have it to use some apps. I'd rather have it than not have it. Besides, water, shadows, and other things look great with it.

* New earbuds with mic/remote control. Now you can control the iPod touch without looking at the screen, and use apps like Skype and Shazam without adapters. Very handy.

* Voice commands. You can use the mic to control your music. Press and hold the button on the mic to enter Voice Command mode, then say "Play artist _______" and it will play that artist. You can also ask "What band plays this?" or say "Play album _______" and it will comply. The voice recognition is very impressive, and the voice that speaks back to you is understandable, even if it mispronounces some things.

* Louder speaker. The built-in speaker sounds better to me. Louder, and much more clear when playing music or game sound.

There are also a few things that are in this model of iPod touch that are not in earlier models, but has yet to be "activated" by software. These include an FM receiver, FM transmitter, and 802.11n transmitter. Apple will no doubt sell us a future software update that will include a radio tuner, 802.11n support, and possibly even the ability to broadcast with the built-in FM transmitter from your iPod touch to your car stereo without a third-party accessory.

So yeah, this is an improvement over the 2nd Generation model. I'll trade all those features for a camera any day!

And of course, everything that was in the 2nd Gen iPod touch is here as well. Bluetooth support with the 3.0 software (nothing like wireless headphones for your music!), physical volume control on the left side of the iPod touch, nice screen, lots of storage space, and amazing support when it comes to accessories; This has the same form factor as the 2nd Gen model, so you should have no trouble finding a case or docking device to work with it.

If you've already got apps and iTunes Store purchases that you'd like to keep using, this is a nice upgrade. You get a lot of power in this little pocket computer... And the music playback quality is quite good, too!


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/best.apple.ipod.touch.cheap-20

Apple iPod nano 16 GB (5th Generation) NEWEST MODEL : Best iPod Yet

I really didn't need a new iPod as I currently own an iPhone 3G(S), two older Nanos, an older 1 GB Shuffle and two iPod Classics in 15 GB and 30 GB configurations that I recently installed new batteries in. But I HAD to have the new one and justified it to myself by Apple's seductive inclusion of an FM radio in this 5th generation edition.

Having said all of that, I am really impressed with this new 5th generation iPod Nano. I find that the FM radio has great reception and is easy to use, unlike the Apple dongle radio attachment I use on my previous generation Nano. The radio software integration is great and very easy to use, set favorite stations and pause as necessary to talk on the phone and then easily resume where the music or talk show left off for up to 15 minutes.

The playback of pre-recorded movie video is clear and the sound is very good as with earlier iPods. The video recording is simple to use but not of very high quality - about what you would expect from a cell phone- but I really don't plan on using this as a video camera. Would have been nice if Apple had included a still camera as well but I suspect the quality would not be great without adding more componentry requiring more space and cost. I did note that this iPod has a speaker built in (which I assume is the microphone as well) but its sound quality is not good.

The pedometer function (Fitness) is interesting and can be used without any external attachments. It only counts steps and not distance so I assume that I will need to multiply the counted steps by stride length to come up with distance walked. Ironically, it does have you put in your weight but I'm not certain how this is used.

The build quality is superb, the unit is very compact and light weight with Apple's customary intuitive user interfaces that make it easy to use right out of the box without reading the instructions. In summary, I am very pleased with my new iPod and am rapidly working on irrefutable justifications for its purchase before the credit card statement arrives and my wife asks, "Did you buy ANOTHER iPod?".


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/apple.ipod.nano.cheap-20

Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL : Pleased as Punch

This product is one of my favorite inventions ever. It is incredibly easy to use. My daughter knew how to use it in a week when she was a year and a half old. They are durable. When you have a child it is worth an extra cost if it means that your child won't break it easily. It has also come in very handy when my family goes out anywhere. I download videos from itunes of my daughters favorite cartoons and she can be entertained for hours anywhere. She can watch spongebob while we are shopping and I don't need to hear about all the things she thinks I should buy. On top of that when I have to be away from my family I have all my pictures on there so they can be near me. I never have to be bored waiting anywhere because of all the apps and it also has all of the other benefits of a normal mp3 player including a great amount of song storage.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/best.apple.ipod.touch.cheap-20

Apple iPod classic 120 GB (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL : The Original - Survives

The updated iPod Classic was probably the least exciting of the new iPods announced in the September 2008 update, but that does not mean it should be dismissed.

I own the 160 GB iPod Classic that has now been discontinued, but there are few differences (perhaps the biggest being the much slimmer shape of this 120 model), and I did get to check this updated 120 GB version out at the store, when picking up the new nano and touch.

Firstly, the 120 GB version is again smaller than the largest capacity available last year, but it is a single platter hard drive, which allows it to maintain the slim shape of the 80 GB version from last year. More storage, a hundred dollars less, and just as small. That is progress despite calls from others that the classic isn't exciting. It still serves its purpose as the original iPod idea. Big capacity in a simple to use device.

Next, the software has been slightly updated on the iPod Classic. It now includes Genius, like iTunes and the other new iPods. This allows you, when on a song you enjoy, to select the genius feature. The iPod will then compile a list of songs (playlist), which goes together with the original song you were listening to. This helps you rediscover music in your library, with a playlist to fit your mood at the time. I have been using the genius feature for a few days now, and it is impressive the way it compiles these playlists. I was skeptical, but overall, it does a good job. Furthermore, as another review mentioned, the iPod does seem more responsive with this update from what I saw at the store compared to my original 160 GB iPod Classic. Some speculation has been that the older iPod Classics will receive the software update of this new one, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Overall, the original iPod concept was so good, and that is why the iPod Classic is still a solid choice for a music and media player. It will hold thousands and thousands of songs (up to 30,000 according to Apple at 128 bitrate). I also backup some important files to my iPod Classic, in disk mode, so that I have that additional extra copy of my most vital files. When you have such a large iPod, you can do that. It shouldn't be forgotten either that while the display of the iPod Classic isn't as good as the iPod Touch or iPhone, it is still quite good and you can play music videos, TV shows, and movies purchased on the iTunes Store.

Battery life for this new 120 GB model improved over the 80GB model from last year. Apple now estimates it at 36 hours audio and 6 hours video.

I'd recommend the iPod Classic without hesitation, to those who have more than 8 or 16 GBs of music in their iTunes library and want to carry their entire collection. Furthermore, if you have videos and video podcasts you want to always carry with you, again, you can't beat the storage. I have the lower capacity flash devices as well, but the big hard drive based iPod Classic continues to play an important role in my iPod Collection.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/apple.ipod.classic.cheap-20

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL : Beautiful device

It's astonishing how quickly technology leaps - I bought an iPod nano when they first came out and was even then amazed by its simplicity and power. Now, only a few years later, and at roughly the same price, the iPod touch is effectively a pocket computer that, by the way, plays songs quite well. We bought this for my son (he saved up half and then got the rest for his birthday). It's pretty amazing. He uses it to plot our car routes, to check the weather, to look up information, and, of course, to play games and listen to music. I told him I remembered when my parents bought one of the old Apple II's and then IIe's and an early Mac. Now there's more power in his pocket than ever dreamed of in those older machines - which were pretty astonishing at the time.

Others have talked about the specs and capacities of this device so I won't add to that. Just adding my take: a handy, fun, and astonishingly powerful little device. Even better, it looks so good and feels so nice in the palm of the hand. It's beautifully designed. Highly recommended.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/best.apple.ipod.touch.cheap-20

Apple iPod touch 8 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL : Almost "Untouchable"

One year ago I purchased the 16GB original iPod Touch. At that time, I found that even though it had some flaws, the over-all package made it one of the best iPods available. Now, one year later, Apple has released the next generation Touch. I've now had it for a few days, and here's what I found: the second gen iPod Touch is a marked improvement over the the first gen, and comes even closer to perfection. Keeping this in mind, this review will show one big, and a number of smaller shortcomings. It may also be difficult to justify upgrading from the 1st to 2nd gen unless you simply must have one of the few hardware improvements, and can live with the fact that you may have to re-purchase some of your accessories.

Size and Dimensions
The iPod Touch now sports a more rounded design on the back, making it look slightly thinner and more like the iPhone than the original did (it is not really thinner than it's predecessor, just looks that way). Unfortunately, the back plate is still made from stainless steel, and this plate attacts fingerprints and scratches almost magically. After one year of near-constant use the backplate of my first gen Touch looks a bit like a wild etch-a-sketch (I carry the Touch in my pocket). Interestingly, the glass on the front appears (after one year of heavy use) to be absolutely scratch-resistant. It's the backside (that also carries the custom engraving) that quickly becomes blemished. I would have preferred a brushed metal/aluminium backplate. I had to look it up, but the new Touch is slightly lighter (a few grams) - but it looks thinner (thanks to the tapered edge design). The rounded edges make it fit my palm slightly better, making it feel just right (to be honest, the original Touch was already very, very good in this respect). Other than that the outside dimensions exactly match that of the original Touch. The most visible change from the front is that the steel from the backplate now frames the glass much like it did on the original iPhone.

Touch Screen and Controls
The screen is simply gorgeous. It's bright, crisp, has great contrast, and can adapt it's brightness to the ambient light. In direct sunlight, much like it's predecessor it becomes difficult to read correctly. In shade it's perfectly readable -- a feat considering how bright a display has to be to achieve that. Color temperature of the display has shifted slightly downwards (or, to sound less pompuous: the display's colors have shifted slightly from a blueish to a golden tinge, something you wouldn't notice unless you have the two devices side by side).

The touch screen is very responsive, and as I stated before, absolutely scratch-resistant. Surviving a full year in my pocket along with metallic objects such as my keys is a testament to it's durability (looking at the stainles steel backside is a constant reminder just how badly it could have been scratched). As with the original Touch, the same problems occur when you try to control the device 'blind' (i.e. while it is in your pocket): without looking at it, you simply can't. Fortunately, Apple has addressed the most important drawback with this design: a hardware volume control. The screen's resolution remains at 480x320, which is very good (certainly better than my iPod Classic's). Interestingly, I've found out that ripping videos to this resolution does not necessarily yield noticeably better results than for the iPod classic's (320x240) screen, so I now rip to that resolution, conserving some memory.

Summary:
The 2nd generation iPod Touch is an almost perfect device. It combines top-notch video/audio, world-class UI, great casual gaming, hundrets of apps, and full access to the Internet into a single, beautiful package. To sum it up neatly: Untouchable. Well -- almost. It has one big flaw if you have invested in accessories: it may not be compatible with them, as Apple has changed the iPod connector pin-out (again). With those reservations, I recommend the Touch to anyone. Also great: owners of the 1st gen Touch can get most of these goodies with a simple, inexpensive software upgrade.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/best.apple.ipod.touch.cheap-20