Customer Reviews

Apple iPod 20 GB Photo White MA079LL/A (4th Generation) OLD MODEL

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Passionate iPod users know at least one thing about the iPod line-up, and that is they are always changing. The new full-size iPods have moved to an all-color line-up, and that is a good thing. The new 20 GB iPod with color display is 0.06 inches thicker than its 20 GB monochrome-display predecessor. However, after a little use, the small increase in size does not seem significant. Plus, the bonuses are rich.

This 20 GB iPod with color display has a battery that lasts three hours longer than the previous 20 GB with monochrome display. That brings the total to approximately 15-hours, which is great as it allows you to use your iPod longer in every day circumstances before charging, while also giving you the power needed to fly almost anywhere in the world, on a single charge. Compare this to some of the earlier iPods that had only eight hours of battery life.

What does the color screen add, for you might ask, "I'm listening to music, why a color screen?" Well, album art is one benefit. The iPod displays the album art, when playing songs, which helps create the feeling for the album. Furthermore, iTunes works with iPhoto on Mac and Adobe products on PC, in order to transfer your photo libraries to your iPod. You can then view your cherished photo libraries on the go, which might come in handy when you're telling the story of that huge fish no one seems to believe. However, the best part of iPod with color is that you can buy the optional photo adapter, plug it into the dock connector on your iPod, and transfer photographs direct from your digital camera via USB. This allows you to move potentially gigabytes of photographs to your iPod, while on vacation, freeing up the memory card in your camera. This is truly a time and money saver! You can return from vacation with thousands of images that would have never fit on your camera's memory card alone. Finally, you can view slideshows of photographs, and even display them on television, with optional A/V cables sold separately.

Why has the storage not increased on the $299 model, when switching from monochrome display to color? Apple is obviously choosing to give you the features of a color display without increasing price, rather than increase the size of storage on the base iPod at this time, and it is a good decision! 20 gigabytes is an ample-size iPod, for almost everyone. Few people have more than a few gigabytes of music, and that leaves you with several more gigabytes for photos, backing up files, and future-proofing. However, if you do have more than 20 gigabytes of music, and you want to backup some of your computer files to your iPod, you might choose the 60 GB model, although it is even thicker in size. However, that is going to be a select group, for 20 GB truly shines, and it is ideal for almost everyone. A good value, at this time, is the now discontinued 30 GB iPod photo, which has identical features and dimensions as the new 20 GB color. The 30 GB can still be found at the time of writing this, for between $330 and $350.

Mac or PC? This iPod works beautifully with either a Mac or PC. However, on a Mac, you'll immediately enjoy the synchronization of iTunes, your contacts, iCal calendars, Backup software, and of course iPhoto. On PC, you will have iTunes, but you'll need a third-party application from Adobe to sync photos the right way, while, you can find some shareware on the Internet that will allow you to sync other information, addresses, etc. that you might be interested in trying out.

Finally, Podcasting! The newest version of iTunes is 4.9, and it features Podcasting support. Podcasts are internet radio broadcasts, and there are thousands covering nearly every subject imaginable, and more are coming out every day. Podcasts are quickly becoming popular content on iPods around the world. Check them out, and this iPod supports Podcasts out of the box.

Appearance - The iPod is beautiful, but the back's chrome finish is prone to scratches, and the screen can become scratched as well. It is a very good idea to protect the back of the iPod and the screen in some way. There are many cases and protectors out there, and you will surely find something you like.

Overall, this is another excellent product from Apple Computer. The design is elegant, simple, and intuitive. It will provide hours of entertainment and convenience. Enjoy your iPod experience.

The Apple 20 GB iPod Photo MA079LL/A was originally $300 and since its now on sale at $250, I finally bought this model after looking at various mp3 players for a year.

Now I'm a PC person and was originally afraid of compatability. I use the new iTunes 6. Apple seems to constantly update the program with new features (like improved Podcasts support) Old version is in the box on a disc, download the latest when you install your player.

At first I thought hey I want to use Real Player or Window's Media player with my ipod. But I find it helpful to keep what's on your ipod and what's on your PC in separate programs because once the tunes are on your ipod you can erase them from your PC to save space. And iTunes 6 has many functions that customize your ipod player that just arent' available in other PC based mp3 players. Then you can set it up to automatically rip CDs as soon as you put it in the drive. The ACC encoding available in iTunes and Real player sounds better with smaller files than WMAs.
I consider myself a golden ear and while no player will match a Home Theater/ Audiophile experience, I found it difficult to distinguish WAV files from the Apple codecs ACC and apple lossless using the included Ear Buds. Using my $100 earphones did sound better than the earbuds but I can't be isolated at work. The iPOD is capable of sounding better with pricier earbods. Just remember with isolation earbuds you can't hear the phone or people yelling at you!

Why buy an Ipod Photo for $250instead of Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback Black for $300?
The Ipod Photo is a 4th generation player, the video model is the 5th. I would go with the new Video if you focus on photos since the screen is slightly bigger. Also if you have more than 30 GB of songs on your hard drive and need to carry about 30 GB than pay the extra $50. But using mixed waves, MP3, and ACC, I have 1000 songs and its still not half filled.
I would not buy the nano because if you like music, 4GB will not be enough storage for you.

Now why buy an Ipod instead of a Zen, Iriver or Sandisk?
In my opinion the hardware feel and software quality of the iPOD is superior to these makes, but try them out yourself at a store. They are not significantly cheaper for identical features either.
If you use Napster, and Rhapsody to GO (fill up your player for a monthly fee) you can't use the iPOD at present.

Rhapsody claims you can still buy $0.99 songs for iPOD but Apple's itunes store includes the CD art to display on the color screen.
Yes the iPOD can drag and drop album art in itunes using ACC (best new codec), that are displayed in full color on the screen from right here on Amazon.
But I don't think old MP3s can display the album art which is why some people say it doesn't work.

So I am very happy with the iPOD...

I've waited a long time to get my Pod. When the first photo iPods came out, I felt they were too expensive and my music collection was not extensive enough to warrant purchasing one. But now that have over 1500 songs on my iTunes and a growing collection of digital photos, I couldn't resist getting this latest iPod.

Basically I like it because I'm from the Sony Walkman generation where you could only play one cassette tape at time. To be able to carry around my entire music library and photos is truly a revolution for me.

That being said, the few problems with this Pod revolve around issues of navigation. I think you have to go through too many clicks to get such functions as song rating, the back button to the current song, accessing the shuffle function for a particular playlist. I also feel that Apple should use graphic navigations that is it well know for.
That is to say, I would like to see graphic icons for the Music, Photo, Extras, and so forth.

For those of you considering buying the 20gb color iPod, I would say do so for the following reasons:

1. You' re on a tight budget, but don't want something as small as an iPod mini or Shuffle. (Keep in mind, you're going to spend about another 50 or 100 bucks buying accessories like a case, car adaptor, a dock and a memory card reader to store your photos directly from your camera.

2. If your music collection is between a 500 and two thousand songs, the Pod would be useful as you grow your collection. There's no point getting a 60gb Pod if your music collection is not large.

3. You also take lots of digital pictures.

4. This is your first Pod. Like me, this won't be the last Pod you'll get. So it makes for a good entry level MP3 (and photo) player.

I did a lot of research before I finally decided to get an ipod. I was considering a zen touch, but the color screen, touch wheel, and photo capabilities sold me on the ipod. I ended up getting an ipod HP version which is now discontinued but it is the same as the regular apple ipod. Overall I'm pretty happy with the unit, and have had no problems as of yet after a month of constant use. The photo capabilities of the unit come in really handy on trips, and then showing everyone the photos after. I have no complaints about battery life yet, but that may change. So far I use it several hours a day and have to charge it every 7 or 8 days. Having USB 2.0, all my 14gigs of music loaded under 15 minutes, but I may try firewire, unfortunately there is nothing supplied for firewire connectivity when you get the ipod, it all costs extra. Music sounds pretty good, but not the best, it doesn't sound as lively or as full as other mp3 players I've used, even with some of my mp3s that are coded at 320kbps. There are equalizer controls which helps the audio out but I'm also using a pair of $30 headphones, so I doubt I'm getting the best sound out of it. One thing that was an annoyance is that you have to have all your mp3 tags in order if you want it to show up correctly in the player, the most important being genre, artist, and song title, sorting this out takes some time depending on your collection. Personally I would like it better if it gave you the option of sorting music out by filename. One of the gripes I have about the ipod is that it does not support drag and drop for music, this must be done using itunes. It's not really a problem, but it just adds that much more of a hassle. I do like how the unit can function as a mass storage device in both USB 1.1 and 2.0, this has come in handy for transferring large files. Another issue with the ipod is that it scratches easily and is not very hardy just by itself so you definitely want to get a case of some sort, especially one that protects the screen. I personally like silicone skin cases, which is what I have. I think the ipod should have come with a case or protection of some sort. This leads me to my last gripe, it seems most of the ipod accessories are unnecessarily expensive and over priced and every little thing is extra so this may have to be factored into your budget depending on what you want as far as better headphones, protection, and connectivity (firewire). All in all though, it's a good machine, I just hope it lasts and continues to live up to its hype.

My first iPod was an iPod mini. Our second was an iPod mini for my husband. Now, for our third iPod, my husband bought me this. I should tell you that I am a cheap person and the fact that I have allowed us to buy 3 of these units is absolutely embarrasing and border line crazy for me. (My husband got this one engraved so I couldn't return it.) So why do I need 2 iPods? Well, I started with the mini because I figured that 1000 songs is more than enough. But it really isn't. First of all, I had a lot more music in my CD library than I realized. Second, there is a lot of free music to be had on the internet. And I am talking about LEGAL music. Amazon alone gave me access to free MP3's that I love. Then in turn, after enjoying this great new music, I needed to buy a song here and there from these great new artists. It adds up! Then there are books to listen to and podcasts and you get the picture. I am about to take a 3 hour trip and I have borrowed a book on CD from the library and have already loaded it onto my iPod so that I have it for the road. No I will not keep it and copy it. I just don't want to take a library item on the road and risk losing it or forgetting it. My point is this--you might think that you don't have enough music to fill this up. However, the iPod will change the way that you listen to music. Take whatever number of songs that you think you would want on your player and double it. If it is over 1000, consider the iPod rather than the nano.

Anyway, when I got my new iPod, several friends asked if they could buy my mini off of me. Well, no! I still use my mini for running and working out. I have no use for the shuffle and the nano is beautiful but really--do I actually need 4 iPods in the house

I have tried other MP3 players. I don't consider myself to be completely incapable on a computer but I could not figure out how to make them work with the computer. I ended up returning them. The iPod might be more expensive, but I love it and I can't imagine going to a different brand.

And to that point, my friend has a Rio. Her husband set it up for her, then went to Iraq. She wants to add more songs but can't figure out how to do it and therefore, hasn't used her Rio nearly as much as I use my iPods.

I really love using both of my iPods. It has changed the way I listen to music!

I'm not a Macophile, do not own an Apple computer and have never bought anything from Apple. Until now. This is a great machine and is far superior to the junk it replaced.

One of the main factors in my decision to get this particular iPod was its ability to also downoad and store photos from a digital camera (which requires the camera connector, sold separately). It works very well in that regard. Just don't get the idea that this iPod is designed to display those photos; the LCD screen is no bigger than that on your camera.

My other criteria was that it play MP3 files, and it does that just fine. I imported my entire MP3 library (over 5000 files) very quickly and uploads files to the iPod itself quickly, too.

My only peeve with the iPod is that it uses the same port to charge as it does for USB connection (though it does charge via USB also, albiet slower) so that if you want to charge and, say, downoad photos simultaneously, you're out of luck.

Other than that, this machine is almost flawless.

Great MP3 player. My only drawback is that I didn't purchase it sooner.
I originally bought the Dell DJ-30 because it was cheaper and had 10GB more storage. However, I change my mind too much, and have yet to really use more than 13GB. Plus, this has a color display and it is soooo much easier to use than the Dell.

I thought I didn't want to get into the monopoly of iTunes, because I usually buy Musicmatch, Walmart, and Buy.com music files, but iTunes has all you need and more. They have pre-release singles, and Podcasts are truely a cool thing.

I recommend it.

I finally found out why almost everyone who has one,loves his/her iPod.I have purchased 4 flash memory and two HD based mp3 players,and the second I held this one in my hand,it was an epiphany."This is what everyone is raving about!" It feels almost silken in your hand.It's operation is completely ingenious.The sound is incredible.And downloading tracks from iTunes or my vast CD collection couldn't be easier.Even the supplied earbuds are comfortable!! really!! I must have smaller than average ears,because until now,earbuds really hurt.A lot.
Anyway..I'm hooked now,and I can't imagine not having an iPod.What was I thinking???? Live and learn.BTW:This is not to say that the manufacturers of those other mp3players made lousy products.They were all fine,in their own way.But this one is simply the best I've heard/handled/used.Really.

This is my third iPod, and just like the one's before it, it has delivered consistent performance and high quality sound. The iPod is a great looking player and the color screen adds a wonderful dimension for viewing photos and album art. I never have to worry about developing or printing photos anymore; instead I load them onto my iPod to share with friends and family (it's a lot easier than carrying around a photo album).

I've owned this particular player for a over a year now, and have never had any technical problems with it. I used to use it on a Windows computer before making the switch to a Mac, and I experienced seamless integration with both operating systems. It is very, very easy to put music on it with iTunes. The iPod has the most simple, easy to use user interface of any music player on the market, and the click-wheel makes navigating menus, photos, and music effortless.

Another important point is sound quality. I have listened to my iPod through ear-bud headphones (included Apple ear buds), in-ear headphones (Ultimate Ears), over-the-ear studio headphones (Sony DJ Headphones), and desktop speakers (Klipsch 2.1 Multimedia Speakers). No matter what the medium the iPod delivers consistent, quality sound, even at high volumes, with minimal distortion. The entire frequency range is heard through the iPod, which is particularly important to me.

There is a reason the iPod has taken off in the past few years, it consistently delivers great sound and features through an elegant and intuitive interface.

The iPod's USB interface recharges from a computer USB connection only. This means if you want to go anywhere that does not have a PC available for recharging then you are left with a dead hunk of metal until you find a computer to power it up again. It takes about four hours to do a full recharge (and half a day to charge when out of the box, not 4 hours like it says in the manual), so I am not sure how you will feel about leaving your $300 iPod with an Internet Café while on holiday or away from home. You need to buy a USB power adaptor if you want to plug your iPod into the mains. Without the power adaptor, which costs an extra $30, you are limited to PC recharging only. So be prepared to pay more than just the cost of the iPod for these nitpicky add-ons.

The iPod is an amazing device on two counts. One is that there is absolutely nothing on the market that is this size and holds so much data. Palms can not compete for storage size, end of story. Even the low-end 4GB iPods are overkill for MP3 playback. The clickwheel at the front of the iPod is genius. You move your thumb in a circle to scroll everything in the menu or volume. It has an amazing blue ambient backlight for night viewing. There is a top switch for locking the menu buttons so you can't accidentally adjust volume. If the headphones jack out by mistake the unit pauses automatically. The iPod mini series can easily go undetected in your jeans' pocket. The full version is a little bulkier but not by much more than already stated. The Nano series is nearly invisible. If you read the manual properly you can even store data files on the unit (in the notes folder etc.), so you can also use the iPod as a mass storage device for transporting files. As for extras, well it is quite smart. The software is updated by Apple over the internet, so you have calendars, address books, time-zones and an assortment of other extras that give the unit more class. However the alarm clock is just garbage because the device has a very limited internal speaker that is designed for just low-level `clicking' sounds. The iPod is both PC and Apple compatible. The earphones are really well designed; the white cord plastic even feels nice with a respectable length that does not tangle. However the universal white nature and shape of the earphones makes it easier to identify you as an iPod user. Although there are claims that the iPod is scratchproof, this is absolutely not the case. My metal is already starting to show scratches after a month of use. The screen, for all intents and purposes, scratches the same as a mobile phone does. Whoever programmed the sound software deserves a Gold Medal. The only sound system that even comes close to matching the iPod's sound quality is DOLBY DIGITAL or THX. The iPod is in that league. An expensive hi-fi system will not even sound as good as it.

The iPod file loading is not as easy as it seems. You must start working on your MP3 files before you can use it. This means right clicking the MP3 file (or group select) going into the file's properties and inputting genre, artists, albums, so that the naming systems work when in the iPod. You load the MP3 files into the Library of the iTunes software and see if you have the lists alright before finally dumping the chosen library selections onto the iPod's hard drive and taking your whole music collection for a walk on your hip. This could well be the FIRST MUST-HAVE APPLE PRODUCT that a PC user should own.

*Note - There is one major downside to the way the iPod plays files. You can not have continuous play of an album without breaks between tracks. If you want to solve this you need to join up your album into one giant MP3 track using external MP3 software. However Apple updates their software and firmware so maybe in the future they will solve this issue.

Pros:
- THX, DOLBY DIGITAL quality music centre that fits in your palm.
- Cosmos sized tiny hard drive.
- Design and Clickwheel.
- Apple support

Cons:
- Mains Power Adaptor Costs extra.
- Tracks pause between each other.
- MP3 files must be annotated.
- Recharging time is a bit long.