My daughter seems to have fallen for the iPod Nano (5th Generation), but I suspect more with the looks and the fact that a friend at school has one, rather than that she has a need for such a product. So I'm now looking at it as a christmas present but wanted to know pros & cons and if there are any alternatives.
She thinks she wants one because:
-she wants to listen to music on the way to & from school
-she wants to be able to take/make videos and upload them to Youtube
She already has a basic Nokia 6300 phone, so simply adding a memory card might be a very cheap alternative.
There are obvious parental concerns about carrying a Nano around school to be stolen & the concerns over misuse of uploading anything to Youtube, but I am worried that as a non-Apple user that I do not understand how the iPod mp3 side of things works in this wonderful digital media world and what sort of restrictions my daugther will have to put up with if she elects to push forward with here Nano idea.
Would she only be able to add music from iTunes store or can she transfer mp3's I have to the Nano?
Does the iPod connect in a nice simple way like a shared drive to the laptop being used or would it need some convoluted software riddled with Quicktime or other Apple stuff?
I would love to hear feedback from someone who owns a Nano or similar Apple device please so that I can help explain her choices to her. My gut feeling is that she does not need a Nano, but only by explaining what it is and what it does and then comparing alternative products will I ever get to know!
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
I didn't even realise it had a video camera now - my older one doesn't.
I have an ipod, a nano and an iphone. As with the iphone, if you don't mind / mind her using itunes then IPod's are pretty painless and very easy . Not sure what you give her in the way of internet access but iTunes manages the whole thing fine imo. I know there's alternatives and I''m sure the purists here will say that you're tied into Apple etc but it's intuitive and made easy for those less versed in the ways of PCs.
Build quality is superb imo (but I'd also get her some sort of cover fir it as a stocking-filler!). I throw mine around the gym and keep dropping it and it's remarkably durable.
I guess it's more about the brand than the product and that, to a 13 yr old, is probably the biggest USP :flirty:
Absolutely no problem dragging and dropping your existing MP3's onto them through iTunes.
All the music on mine is from personal MP3's.
There are also a few alternative programs you can use if you don't want iTunes. Most of these allow you to drag off the music from them as well and back into readable structured MP3 folders.
I have a very small program that sits on mine that allows adding and removing of music without having to install iTunes on the PC.
What it doesn't allow is dragging and dropping music normally as a USB drive as you would do with most other brands, although you can use it for dropping normal files on if you want to move them around.
I had an iPod Nano until I got my Hero.
Everything is great about the Nano except.
1. iTunes. It's a truly horrible piece of software that redefines the concept of software bloat and hold the dubious record of being the only piece of software to BSOD my Windows 7 machine. But as it won't be you struggling with it that might not be a problem. Also as I use Banshee through Linux I have something to make a comparison with. Before that iTunes didn't seem that bad :blink:
2. Tracks bought through iTunes are usually more expensive than other sources such as Amazon. That being said you can still rip CD's and import DRM free mp3 into iTunes and then onto the Nano.
3. Most serious reviews comment that the sound quality on most ipods is inferior to similar products from Creative, Sony, Archos etc. I am no audiophile so mine sounded fine.
Most importantly though, as you said she wants one because everyone else has one, which is perfectly understandable. So if you buy her anything other than a pink Nano she will most likely kill you in your sleep.
So the choice is probably already made :)
I have only had iPod touch for over a year now and it is just awesome: good durability and very easy to use. Money buys quality in this case, and I bet nano won't disappoint her. It is small and very light. And I bet pink is the colour to have :)
iTunes suggest to install safari + quicktime but you can avoid them on the install and also on every update. And when just drag and dropping it works good, haven't had any problems with it. I just can't get my self to work with the synchronized folders. iTunes offers a serious amount of music and software to buy into iPod if that interest her.
+Durability
+Good looks
+Easy to use
-Price
-iTunes (with some people having ridiculous amount of problems and the resource hunger it has)
Ps. If money isn't the problem I would go with Apple as they really last many years, and by seeing creative players on friends they don't really impress me.
Winamp and most other good media players will sync to an ipod no problem, afaik.
You will find other products that have better audio or video quality, but I haven't seen any other media players that have all the features of a new Nano (yet).
Cons:
The camera on the back of a nano is there for novelty only.
It is the most limited mp3 player you can get (format and freedom to move your music around wise)
You're chained to apple - there are alternatives but you're still not free to drag and drop like every other player lets you do
The sound quality is poor when compared to other major brands
Price performance ration is poor
They break - I've had an iRiver for 6 years and it's still going strong (battery lasts for days, sound quality is good) in a shorter period my family have gone through at least 7 iPods. That's nearly two each. A battery, screen, wheel, and various components have gone on various models which weren't treated too badly.
Pros:
Fashion - It's the mp3 player she wants, anything else won't go down well no matter how much better it might perform.
My advice would be: Don't buy one. But don't try buying a different mp3 player in it's place. A new phone with mp3 support would be a better purchase in my opinion. Should be a big enough present she can't moan about not having a nano (for 5mins at least) and a better purchase.
Quote from: smilodon;2976871. iTunes. It's a truly horrible piece of software that redefines the concept of software bloat and hold the dubious record of being the only piece of software to BSOD my Windows 7 machine. But as it won't be you struggling with it that might not be a problem. Also as I use Banshee through Linux I have something to make a comparison with. Before that iTunes didn't seem that bad :blink:
I have to emphasize this, if you are to manage the Nano via iTunes: It installs services, processes and what not to ensure it can do a ton of things - of which none are possible to easily remove. I have managed to get rid of them all, but that keeps me from updating, because I have to do the stuff again. And it is not me being fuzzy about what is running (not just, anyway) it truly intrudes in your usage with file associations (not all are possible to select) etc... If only it wasn't for the assortment of music for sale, I would NEVER use it. I only have it on one PC (laptop) and specifically avoid in on any other to avoid the hazzle...
Quote from: T-Bag;297699It's the mp3 player she wants, anything else won't go down well no matter how much better it might perform.
Thats all you need to worry about if you are buying it for someone else :doh:
You'll only get it wrong if you buy her a better sounding one with a better battery life and better headphones...trust me on this one when I say its best to just get the nano :narnar:
I am currently in the market for a mp3 player and just overwhelmed by the choice, is the ipod the best choice or are sony better? I am looking to spend under Ã,£100 and would really like to know what players you guys use.
Which has a free report you cna look at online. Bottom line is that there are better about.
Quote from: DarkAngel;300576and would really like to know what players you guys use.
Spend the cash on good ear plugs or -phones and use your phone? I use the Hero for it all
My current phone doesn't have the ability to play mp3's, may be just worth buying a shuffle and a descent pair of headphones as you say.
Quote from: DarkAngel;300576I am currently in the market for a mp3 player and just overwhelmed by the choice, is the ipod the best choice or are sony better? I am looking to spend under Ã,£100 and would really like to know what players you guys use.
If it's between an iPod or a Sony I'd go for the iPod every time. The sony offerings lock down their players as much as apple does but have even worse software (hard to imagine I know. I actually like iTunes, just dislike how bloated it is and how it constantly needs updating). I've nothing good to say about sony software, hardware wise is varies, but apple is nicer to use.
If you're looking for something that just plays music, for Ã,£30 you can have a 2GB creative player (Zen stone Plus - the version that has a screen) that is so small it fits in the change pocket of your jeans (I've got an LED torch on my keyring that is bigger). That's what I use at the moment for walks into uni. Sound quality is good, doesn't need software, charges from mini usb (meaning everyone has a cable or two knocking about so you can charge anywhere)
Quote from: T-Bag;300586If it's between an iPod or a Sony I'd go for the iPod every time. The sony offerings lock down their players as much as apple does but have even worse software (hard to imagine I know. I actually like iTunes, just dislike how bloated it is and how it constantly needs updating). I've nothing good to say about sony software, hardware wise is varies, but apple is nicer to use.
If you're looking for something that just plays music, for Ã,£30 you can have a 2GB creative player (Zen stone Plus - the version that has a screen) that is so small it fits in the change pocket of your jeans (I've got an LED torch on my keyring that is bigger). That's what I use at the moment for walks into uni. Sound quality is good, doesn't need software, charges from mini usb (meaning everyone has a cable or two knocking about so you can charge anywhere)
What he said about Sony versus iPod.
I've got an iPod and while I agree iTunes is bloated it does the job. The players themselves produce respectable sound quality too if you buy a decent set of headphones (I bought Sennheisers for mine.
Just had a look at the Zen looks impressive and probably more suited to my requirements. Can't seem to find them at Ã,£30 but maybe ill pop into town tomorrow and have a look, just need a descent pair of headphones for them now. Thanks :)
Quote from: DarkAngel;300589Just had a look at the Zen looks impressive and probably more suited to my requirements. Can't seem to find them at Ã,£30 but maybe ill pop into town tomorrow and have a look, just need a descent pair of headphones for them now. Thanks :)
There are plenty of different Zens, The Stone basic doesn't have a screen and is about Ã,£25 online. The one with a screen is Ã,£30 I'm seeing if I can find the other colours at a good price too (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/129342).
If you want a fancier player they do an 8GB Zen X-Fi for Sub Ã,£100 Link (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148699). I don't have much experience with higher end creative recently, but in the past they've always had top-notch quality at a sensible price.
(depending on the range of music and quality & bitrate of mp3s you should be able to tell the difference in quality in a side by side test - or I used to be able to)
bought the mrs a new iPod for xmas.. it rox. everything you need is in the tin. 115 on apple.com
Sansa Clip+ for its price and great features/expandabillities. Gets good reviews all over. Ã,£40 @ Currys. http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/802588
If you want proper decent sound from a portable, get a Cowon or Sony X series. Id choose the Sony if I needed a new portable just because its got the better sound and best EQ. But these are alot more cash than the sansa, so get that!! :doh: