Customer Reviews

Apple iPod 5 GB M8513LLA White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Sometimes, when I'm walking around and I see people with CD players, I just have to wonder how they manage.

The most amazing thing about this device is the size. Not just the size of the iPod itself, which is a lot less than half the size of other MP3 players that hold the same amount, but the amount of space it saves you in terms of CDs. Have you ever seen one of those CD towers with around 60-70 CDs in them? You know, the ones that are as tall as a bookshelf? How would you like to carry that around in your backpack at school or in your pocket on the street? I think carrying this thing around, which happens to be the size of a deck of cards and holds even more than those CD towers, is slightly preferrable.

The next best thing about the iPod is the batteries. This thing goes for 8-10 hours without quitting. That is the same amount of time as a CD player, and twice as long as other multi-GB mp3 players. In addition to that, you never need to buy batteries again. Just plug the iPod into the wall at night and you've got another 10 hours of music when you wake up. That'll work even if you only sleep for 3 hours a night like me! So this thing is saving both space and money (batteries)!

The third thing about this is how well it turns heads. Sometimes I try to hide this thing when I take it out, because strangers will literally come up to me and ask me "is that an iPod?" and want to play with the buttons and stuff. Sometimes, it gets a little annoying. In these cases, the size comes in handy because its very easy to hide while you are using it. But if your in the mood to turn some heads, just put this thing on your lap and play.

There are tons of other great things about this. The interface is beautiful... sometimes, I just stare at the screen while a song is playing, or turn on the backlight for fun. It takes 10 minutes to fill the entire thing, meaning that if you ever get tired of the songs you put on it, you can have them replaced in the snap of a finger.

But it all comes down to this; when you buy this, you will never need another music player again. If you have a Mac, go buy this. The money you save on batteries and future music players will more than make up for the ... price tag.

This review is for Windows users. With the use of XPlay I was able to finally purchase the state of the art in portable music - the i-Pod. Prior to this purchase I had paid around $400 for a Neo Jukebox which, though its HD is much larger, is clunkier, never worked correctly, was replaced, and then went bad again. The i-Pod arrived this afternoon. After allowing enough time to charge the battery, I downloaded 233 tunes from my WIN98 OS computer to the unit in 10 minutes! All work seamlessly. The i-Pod is a joy of design and handling. I highly recommend its purchase for any user of Windows; just don't forget to download XPlay as the cross platform application. Great. Great. Great.

Works like a champ with Windows using XPlay software..., but you'll have to buy a firewire card for your PC. Some apparently work better than others- recommend you check out the mediafour site for notes on the cards they recommend as working before you buy one.

This player is absolutely amazing. You have to be out of your mind to pick another mp3 player for the Mac platform.
PROS:
-Marvelously designed.
-Very small :like a deck of cards.
-Durable: I dropped my from 3FT on to the floor and still works.
-Backlit and very readable at night or in daytime(backlight off)
-inconceivably large storage size (10GB in this size? amazing)
-Pretty intuitive Interface.
-Really lasts 10 hours.
-Decent earbud headphones included.
-Really cool charger (uses same firewire port on device)
-The best navigation buttons i've ever encountered.
(specifially the scrolling wheel)
Really dynamic sounds: RICH BASS, CRISP TREBLE.
THE AMPLIFIER IS ACTUALLY LOUD ENOUGH!!!!!!!
CONS:
-NO CASE (and for 500$ I think you should get one)
preferably a soft or rubber case to protect it from drops.
-Firewire port on player is exposed, should have a cover.
-Scratches easily. (The device looked scratched out the case)
-Does not work with PC(which does not bother me, but I do
wish that it would read WMA encoded content.
-wish there was a car mount device, because this thing is a godsend for long road trips.

Bottom line: This player is worth getting even at the high price, and anyone who says otherwise is either jealous or can't afford it. One notable point of mention is that the bundled earphones while decent, is not adequate for me. I used a pair of Sony MDR-V300 reference headphones (20-30 bucks) and the sound is amazing. You should plan on forking out the dough to get a decent carrying case. There is a place on the web that has a really good case deal which includes a car charger and other stuff. Search with google.

I am in love with my iPod... I am so glad I resisted the urge to buy lesser mp3 players... I kept holding out for one that was easier to use and held more music... here it is.

Firewire is 100 times faster than USB... and you never have to buy batteries for an iPod... it charges either via your Mac or via the included AC charger.

iPod works seamlessly with the free iTunes program that Apple keeps updating and improving with more features.

Via iTunes, you can program each song (or many at one time) to use one of many pre-selected equalizer settings, or you can create your own and save custom sets... when you play songs on your iPod, those equalizer settings are honored.

Not only can you hold over 1000 songs on the iPod, you can use it as a portable 5gig drive and hold anything you want... you can hold songs and have it play anything you want, then mount it on the Mac desktop and drop & drag files at will.

The tiny ear buds that are included have phenomenal sound and are the best ear buds I've ever heard.

A sliding lock switch keeps buttons from accidentally being depressed when exercising, running, etc.

The controls are easy to use and instantly intuitive and need almost no instruction whatsoever.

There is even a hidden "Easter Egg" on the iPod that lets you play "Pong" on the screen using the jog wheel.

As fantastic as this MP3 player is, I do have some major criticisms:

1. Scratches when you look at it too hard. Seriously, after one day of it being in a shirt pocket, it looked as though I had been rubbing it with steel wool for a week.

2. This should have come with a DC car charger and a tape adapter so I could play it through my car stereo. I have heard that a third party has come up with a solution for this in a separate kit, but at nearly 400 bucks, Apple should have included this.

3. Because of the easy manner in which it scratches and because it IS a hard drive that could be damaged if the iPod was dropped on a hard surface, this should have included some sort of protective case.

Despite the small shortcomings, this innovative mp3 player deserves far more than 5 stars...there is simply no comparison in the functionality, capacity and speed of download (an entire CD in just 10 seconds) between the iPod and other mp3 players. Hands-down, it's the best there is. If you're a Windows user, the iPod alone is worth the OS switch... especially since you can run Windows (via VirtualPC) on a Mac. There are many good reasons why Apple's FireWire technology won an Emmy Award... and the iPod is just one manifestation of this superior data transfer technology.

I was really scared to buy an Apple product for an Windows Machine thinking they are just not right for each other. After what I saw from Mediafour's Program Previes Fourm, I didnt know what to do. Then when I saw iPod on here I was like wow ok im ordering, then I found a great firewire card with a TI chipset that works just fine and powers the iPod, just like on a Apple. I Plugged it in and the Xplay program poped up and I was lisening to tunes within minutes. Recomended that you know something about windows computers before you go out and spend the money. Enjoy!!!

I have had my ipod for about 3months now and i love it. It is my constant companion.

It is by far the best mp3 player on the market, and well worth every penny.

One glaring flaw is that it lacks a bookmark feature, if you like listening to books this is very aggravating. Having to find where you left of wastes about 2-5 minutes and is VERY ANNOYING.

In short good for music, good as a fire wire drive, Bad for audio books. At least till Apple adds a bookmarking feature.

Think of it. A 5 GB portable, FireWire hard drive the size of a pack of playing cards. Yep. You read it right, the iPod can be used as an ultraportable miniature hard drive that will hold almost 5 GB of data. You can even boot from it, if you own a Mac. At [the price], such a device is a steal.

But, to top it off, add in free the following: The ability to plug in a pair of headphones and use it as a state of the art, awesome sounding, 10 hours of battery life, mp3 player that will hold about 1,000 songs. Add in the most user friendly controls and operating system in the business, a bright, back-lit LCD that lists all of your songs by artist, album, or song title, or playlists that you put together yourself, and you have the iPod. Oh, wait. It automatically syncs with iTunes on your Macintosh computer, and can transfer songs from your computer at a rate of about one CD every 10 seconds.

You have to see it to believe. Do you need to have a Mac to use it? Sure, for now anyway. But what better excuse do you need to buy the best family computer on the planet--the iMac G4?

Let me be the first to say that the iPod is one of the best investments I've made in technology this year (Sorry Nasdaq). I've wanted an MP3 player ever since Rio came out with it's first USB models. I'm glad I waited for the right time to get one. Apple has impressed me considerably. I'm a very active individual. I purchased my iPod about 3 months ago and I baby this thing more so than my laptop, PDA, Ps2, Gamecube, etc. In other words, hands off if you didn't pay for it =). The iPod barely stays home. It's discreet enough for me to wear at work without bringing too much attention. The high quality earbuds that are packaged with the product are small enough to be mistaken for cellphone earbuds. The iPod fits in my pocket with ease. I usually leave it seperated from my keys and wallet for fear of scratching but the acryllic surface attracts small scratches easy. Good protection would involve purchasing a carrying case from such makers like Xtrememac.com who offer swivel, belt clipped ipod cases and other accessories. Enough with the small talk. The 5 gb iPod can hold over 1,000 songs in which equates to 10 hours of continuous play at full volume. Built in EQ settings, ability to store contacts from Palm Desktop, Multi-language support, and standard options like random play of songs, random play of albums, and importation of MP3 playlists means that this MP3 player doesn't mess around. An extremely bright backlight will literally light illuminate the interior of any dark setting in which many people will think it's an extraterrestrial experience in the palm of your hand. The beauty of firmware upgrading means that perhaps support for MP4 format is possible. Slightly longer than a credit card and about 1/2" thick, it weighs a very light 6.5 oz. Being that it's built for the active lifestyle, I've tested the durability myself. I've played basketball in 90F degree weather, gone jogging, traveled to many other cities, taken it to work 5 days a week and this player has not given me any trouble. Worth the money. If you are like me, you have many cd's in your collection. I'll be honest, 5 gb might sound like alot but in actuality I have run out of space. I download an average 10 cd's a month. A 10 gb exists for those of us who NEED more space and there will be a 20gb version released soon. But for now, my 5gb iPod is my "bestest" friend...as far as gadgets go. ;-)

Before I was allowed to borrow one for a few days I thought it sounded expensive and frivolous. Now I cannot imagine my life without it. I use it to move large files from work to home like a portable HD, and still have room for more than a thousand songs to keep my travel time musical! It is so small and delicate looking that at first i worried it might break, but it has taken a number of drops and jostles without even skipping! PC software now exists too, so there is no reason not to go ahead and get one!