iPod question--20 or 40
- Thread starter flownosaj
- Start date
There are tons that use various types of removeable flash ram. RIO, RCA, Creative, and a host more.
MicroE
Enlightened
[ QUOTE ]
James S said:
mp3's play fine on the ipod.
did i say yet that mp3's play fine?....
...it wont play windows media encoded files though...
[/ QUOTE ]
James is correct, but a little clarification is necessary. If you put a CD in your PC the iTunes software will automatically try to copy it onto your HDD in AAC format. That format can only be read by the iPod or the PC itself, not by anybody else's mp3 player.
As far as Windows Media files, please realize that most of the download services use protected WM files, so they won't play on the iPod.
The download companies want you to believe that once you download a song you OWN it.
NOPE.
You get a protected copy that can only be read by certain machines if they all use the same software protection method.
The people in charge of DRM (digital rights management--the protection schemes) are VERY tricky. I often find that it is better to just buy the CD and that way I will still own the songs if (when) my iPod dies and the next great player comes along.----Good Luck
James S said:
mp3's play fine on the ipod.
did i say yet that mp3's play fine?....
...it wont play windows media encoded files though...
[/ QUOTE ]
James is correct, but a little clarification is necessary. If you put a CD in your PC the iTunes software will automatically try to copy it onto your HDD in AAC format. That format can only be read by the iPod or the PC itself, not by anybody else's mp3 player.
As far as Windows Media files, please realize that most of the download services use protected WM files, so they won't play on the iPod.
The download companies want you to believe that once you download a song you OWN it.
NOPE.
You get a protected copy that can only be read by certain machines if they all use the same software protection method.
The people in charge of DRM (digital rights management--the protection schemes) are VERY tricky. I often find that it is better to just buy the CD and that way I will still own the songs if (when) my iPod dies and the next great player comes along.----Good Luck
[ QUOTE ]
flownosaj said:For those of you that have an iPod, what do you think about size. The computer user in me says to get the larger one--but it's an extra $66 bucks. Has anyone here actually used up their entire iPod HD?
[/ QUOTE ]It depends what you use it for. If it's just songs, then most people with an average sized music library can get by with a 20gig. However, you can also use your iPod to store critical backup files ( that you may wish to keep with you on a regular basis ), and/or use the Pod to install an emergency boot system onto. This way you can always have access to your critical files, a bootable system installation that you can use on another computer ( if yours fails )......and have enough room for all of your music.
It depends how much you want to stretch your Pod's usefulness and how much you want to get out of it. You'd be surprised how much more you can do on your Pod than just play music. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
flownosaj said:For those of you that have an iPod, what do you think about size. The computer user in me says to get the larger one--but it's an extra $66 bucks. Has anyone here actually used up their entire iPod HD?
[/ QUOTE ]It depends what you use it for. If it's just songs, then most people with an average sized music library can get by with a 20gig. However, you can also use your iPod to store critical backup files ( that you may wish to keep with you on a regular basis ), and/or use the Pod to install an emergency boot system onto. This way you can always have access to your critical files, a bootable system installation that you can use on another computer ( if yours fails )......and have enough room for all of your music.
It depends how much you want to stretch your Pod's usefulness and how much you want to get out of it. You'd be surprised how much more you can do on your Pod than just play music. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
yellow1
Newly Enlightened
[ QUOTE ]
MicroE said:
... If you put a CD in your PC the iTunes software will automatically try to copy it onto your HDD in AAC format. That format can only be read by the iPod or the PC itself, not by anybody else's mp3 player.
[/ QUOTE ]
true that, but you can also set itunes to convert to mp3, in a variety of audio qualities
since you're waiting to make your decision, you should know that you can also download iTunes direct from apple, and start learning how to use the software now. It can function as a standalone product, and when you get the ipod, all you need to do is plug it in, and have it auto-fill the device.
Personally, i think itunes does an adequate job doing what it's made to... organize and create mp3 playlists... of course, it is a memory hog, and if you have a slow computer, it'll show. i just stick to winamp for listening on the computer.
MicroE said:
... If you put a CD in your PC the iTunes software will automatically try to copy it onto your HDD in AAC format. That format can only be read by the iPod or the PC itself, not by anybody else's mp3 player.
[/ QUOTE ]
true that, but you can also set itunes to convert to mp3, in a variety of audio qualities
since you're waiting to make your decision, you should know that you can also download iTunes direct from apple, and start learning how to use the software now. It can function as a standalone product, and when you get the ipod, all you need to do is plug it in, and have it auto-fill the device.
Personally, i think itunes does an adequate job doing what it's made to... organize and create mp3 playlists... of course, it is a memory hog, and if you have a slow computer, it'll show. i just stick to winamp for listening on the computer.
[ QUOTE ]
yellow1 said:....you can also set itunes to convert to mp3, in a variety of audio qualities.
[/ QUOTE ]
Totally true! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif As a matter of fact, it will allow you to encode in and convert into 5 different formats, at up to 320 bits: AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless Encoder, WAV, and AIFF ( and will playback in even more formats than that ).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Even if you don't buy an iPod, the iTunes SW is a very nice audio playback suite in and of itself. It's free, will allow you to easily copy/create and burn your own CD's, listen to internet radio, and export your song lists into text for easy organization and tracking.
yellow1 said:....you can also set itunes to convert to mp3, in a variety of audio qualities.
[/ QUOTE ]
Totally true! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif As a matter of fact, it will allow you to encode in and convert into 5 different formats, at up to 320 bits: AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless Encoder, WAV, and AIFF ( and will playback in even more formats than that ).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Even if you don't buy an iPod, the iTunes SW is a very nice audio playback suite in and of itself. It's free, will allow you to easily copy/create and burn your own CD's, listen to internet radio, and export your song lists into text for easy organization and tracking.
NeonLights
Flashlight Enthusiast
Get the 40 GB iPod. I got mine on monday, and it is great. I'm in the process of ripping all of my (900-1000) CD's to the iPod, and they should just barely fit. I've had a 20 GB Rio Riot HDD player for a year or two, but the iPod is about 1/4 the size, has twice the capacity, and the transfers are very fast. I'm very happy with my iPod so far.
-Keith
-Keith
flownosaj
Flashlight Enthusiast
NeonLights--are you using FireWire, USB2 or the old USB?
Probably not USB1.1. I ran on USB1.1 for about a week waiting for a working upgrade card, and it made me want to cry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
For a desktop Windows PC with USB1.1, USB2.0 upgrade cards are available cheap. The cheapest ones have chipset (Ali, I think?) incompatibility problems, so don't get those. I believe I ended up with a NEC chipset one. FireWire is better (less processor load and faster average speeds), but somewhat more expensive.
For a desktop Windows PC with USB1.1, USB2.0 upgrade cards are available cheap. The cheapest ones have chipset (Ali, I think?) incompatibility problems, so don't get those. I believe I ended up with a NEC chipset one. FireWire is better (less processor load and faster average speeds), but somewhat more expensive.
NeonLights
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm using USB 2 for the iPod, that's what my new Dell PC and laptop both came with. My old Rio Riot HDD 20 GB MP3 player was only capable of using USB 1 for song transfers. USB 2 is fast, it takes me much longer to rip the songs off of my CD's than it does to transfer them to the iPod.
-Keith
-Keith
