iPod! Anyone using them?

[Shinerman]

<font color='#000000'>Don't know if this is the forum to post this in but......

I bought one for my wife for Christmas. &nbsp;Man, I love this thing. &nbsp;We actually both use it. &nbsp; Her more than me of course. It's so easy to use and very easy to upload CD music and download MP3s . &nbsp;My wife even downloaded an audio book. &nbsp;She uses it mainly for business travel and I use it hear and there. &nbsp; We have uploaded about 100 CDs so far. &nbsp;Still tons of room left. &nbsp; I got her the 20GB version. &nbsp;The sound is also very good. &nbsp;Not incredible, but very good. &nbsp;

I know there were/are some battery replacement issues but it's looks like Apple now offers a $100 replacement battery if needed. &nbsp;Not bad I guess.

iTunes is also very easy to use and has a great library of music and audio books. &nbsp;Singles seem to be about .99 cents on average. &nbsp;Not bad cosidering most albums today only have about 2 or 3 goods songs on them.

This is definitely one of the coolest things I have bought in a long time. &nbsp; I might get myself one soon as well. &nbsp;It's getting harder and harder to sneak it away from the wife.

So anyone use the iPod? &nbsp;What are your thoughts on it. &nbsp;Likes, dislikes, tips? &nbsp;

Shinerman</font>

[Clint DeBoer]

<font color='#000080'>I like the concept - and I'm glad they now support Windows. Firewire and the basic premise that it is a portable hard drive + music player make it a relly compelling sale.

Alas... I haven't been able to get one for review...</font>

[jeffsg4mac]

<font color='#000000'>My wife has one of the first ipods, soon to be mine when I get her a new one. If you think the ipod rocks try using a dual G5 with OS X. Holy mother that thing rocks.</font>

[Josh784]

<font color='#000000'>The AAC files you acn download from iTunes are in 128 bitrate, equivilent to roughly a 160bit MP3, still not very good. &nbsp;I only bought one song from iTunes, but I hear they control the way you can use it.</font>

[jeffsg4mac]

<font color='#000000'>Josh, 128 bitrate AAC is better than 360 on MP3 and 1/3 the file size. 128 bitrate AAC is very near CD quality, not quite but near. Doubtful you could hear a difference on a portable or in a car. There is some control over how many computers you can play the your songs on at any one time, but there are very easy ways around it if need be. There really is no limit on how many cd's you can make just so long as you create a new playlist every 10 times I think it is. Also, itunes is the best music software out there period, and the itunes store is the easiest to use.</font>

[Shinerman]

<font color='#000000'>I don't know much about bit rates but I can say that the sound from the iPod and the sound from CDs I have made off of iTunes is very good. &nbsp; Again, I don't think most people are looking for &quot;audiophile&quot; sound for critical listening out of their Pods. &nbsp; And yes, &nbsp;iTunes is way of ahead of any other music software. &nbsp;I also use Roxio and it's good, but iTunes is so so easy.

One thing I may add in the future is some noise cancellation earbuds. &nbsp;My wife flies on business alot and I think this would really help with background noise.

Shinerman</font>

[Josh784]

<font color='#000000'>I read an article somewhere on someone who did a comparison between several different songs, in 128 bit AAC, and various MP3 bitrates. &nbsp;He came to the conclusion that a 128 bit AAC was somewhere between a 128 and 192 bit MP3, depending on the song. &nbsp;Of course this is just one person's opinion, but I think I remember hearing elsewhere that a 128 bit AAC file had no chance of approaching CD quality.

I don't have an iPod, and if I used iTunes I'd want to use it to make compilation CD's from various artists, or different songs from the same artist. &nbsp;It think if iTunes could offer a higher quality, I would definately use it.

Etymotic makes some great earbuds, from what I hear.

Josh</font>