Rating: 
Summary: Don't worry about using Windows
Review: The ipod is one of the coolest tech products you can own. And it does work as well as the hype. I use it with Windows and I agree with the musicmatch bashers. Just say no. As soon as you get your ipod go to the Apple web page and do two things. First download the software update. Second, download itunes for Windows. Do not even think about putting musicmatch on your computer. You know all those buggy little problems you have read about for the ipod and Windows? One word - Musicmatch. I didn't believe it at first. Since I changed to itunes I have not had a single problem (I have XP). Open your wallet, buy the ipod, be the envy of all your friends.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Great!
Review: The iPod is the coolest gadget I've had in years. Storing, organizing and finding 500+ discs was impossible. With the iPod I can carry my entire music collection from the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's. That's a boat-load of music at my fingertips. How many times have you changed the discs in the trunk of your car? I've had the same discs since buying my car 2 years ago. In the car, I now use the iPod, a tape adapter and ProClip to hold the unit. This set up works and sounds great and takes about a second to hook up. Those with a CD player should get it wired --- the FM transmitters are marginal. I have had zero trouble with the iPod and found AppleTunes easy to use on my PC --- Speaking of PC's, I liked the iPod so much that I bought a G4 iBook for my wife. Yeah, there's a bit of a premium paid for Apple products, but they get the fact that some people enjoy quality and design that surprises and delights them. To me, that's worth a few extra bucks in the land of ugly boxes. Thumbs up to the iPod and to Apple.
Rating: 
Summary: Stay away from this buggy product
Review: I have had more problems with the ipod since I bought it than any other computer product. I had to send it into apple once, and now I am still constantly having problems with it. Usually the computer does not recognize it now before I sent it in the computer would demand that the entire hard drive be reformatted every time I plugged it in.
On the other hand it certainly WOULD be cool if it actually worked, when it does it is awesome. I don't think they put any effort into making it work with Windows. Also the support is horrible you have to fill out a huge amount forms then someone e-mails you telling you something that has nothing to do with what you asked...they are too cheap to have a number you can call. I have 2 computers, one with Windows XP professional, and one with Windows XP home so it is not my computer's fault I always have problems with both. Stay away. I don't know how this product got a good reputation other than how cool an idea it would be if it actually worked.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Product, Sleek Design
Review: Just bought my iPod after much contemplation on what mp3 player to invest in and I have to say that I am completely satisfied with my purchase!
Rating:
Summary: Deja iPod
Review: Deja iPod Somebody who is watchful will no doubt notice that about a year ago I gave a 30 Gigabyte iPod an enthusiastic review. Now I am on my fourth iPod, and I thought I might drop in with some summary comments. In case you think that I am a wealthy man who keeps an iPod in every room, his office, and the car, let me assure you that I still own only one, but it has gone through several phases. For starters, I still believe that the iPod, with its technology and playing ability, is still the MP3 player to beat - when it is working. Both the iPod's own software and the desktop packages for the PC and the Mac are excellent. The machine is capable of excellent sound, and has additional features that make it surprisingly versatile for both the casual and professional user. The number of add on gadgets is breathtaking. In a word, it is the perfect tech-toy. Well, almost... How did I manage to get up to 4 iPods. Well, the first revealed that the stereo plug is a bit more fragile than it should be. The second worked for almost a year and then, one day, translated itself to heaven, leaving me with a functional external disk drive, but no music. This second was replaced with the 40 Gigabyte model. Unfortunately, this iPod revealed a design flaw where the sides could separate in cold weather. Note that cold weather in this case consists, for my iPod, of the short walk from my car to my office and back again. Thanks to the wonders of extended warrantees this process has been 'relatively' painless. I am now hoping that I have discovered the last design flaw and can look forward to a few years of peace and music. Obviously, the lesson here is that iPods need more care than you might think they would. Or they do in Michigan at any rate. Or they do if they belong to me. Note that I have steadfastly refused to give up the ghost and switch to a different brand. This is because, when it is working, it is amazing. So good that the irritation is almost worth it. Another thing I have discovered is that the Mac software does a marvelous job of reloading the music files onto my iPod each time. My suggestion is that you carefully assess your ability to treat a piece of hardware with disciplined kindness before making the investment. Or you can determine if you earn enough to afford to continually renew the warranty. If you are the careful sort, the iPod will become an irreplaceable companion. If you aren't then take the necessary steps to make sure it is a replaceable one, because you will miss it when it is gone.
Rating: 
Summary: TO FAT FOR ME
Review: YES YES YES THE MEMORY WAS GOOD BUT APPLE SHOULD REALLY THINK OF MAKING THEIR STORE HOURS CLOSE LATER SO THEY CAN MAKE IT THINNER. i AM FAT SO I CANT HAVE A FAT MP3. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. tRY USING SLIMFAST IT HELPS FOR ALL THOSE FAT PEOPLE OUT THERE
Rating:
Summary: Simply Alright
Review: I have been the proud owner of the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox Zen (original model) and the XTRA. Both of these machines were well worth the money. The sound quality was amazing, the GUI eas easy to navigate and the sound features were more than sufficient. Even though the battery life was less than advertised, it still gave many hours of music playback. About three months into the life of my XTRA, the headphone jack broke. After reading many other reviews out there, It seems like this is a regular problem. If it were not for this reoccurring issue, the XTRA would definitely be the way to go. After returning my XTRA, I had no choice but to settle with an iPod. I was aprehensive to say the least, but since I personally knew some people that swear by their iPod, I decided to give it a whirl. The first thing I noticed was the lack of USB 2.0 compatibility straight out of the box. I was forced to buy a $20 cable that would make it work with my computer. This was disappointing since I just spent $500 on a new machine that wouldn't work. After I found a store that carried the cable, it was off to the computer to download the music to the player. This is where the majority of the problems came to pass. First, the software made my computer crash (I own a top o' the line PC that was custom built). When I finally got the software to work, I quickly loaded all of the songs onto the player. The transfer only took a few minutes, but I noticed that it completely drained the battery life. After leaving it to charge overnight, I took it to school. The first song I ever tried to play froze the iPod. The first song! It worried me, but I read the User Guide and found out how to reset the player. Since then, I haven't had much of a problem, however, sometimes iTunes will not rip cd's properly. It is a quality purchase, but when Creative comes up with a new and improved Zen (Keep a look out for the Zen Portable Media Player), you can bet that my allegience won't stick with Apple.
Rating:
Summary: Audiophile stuff. :-)
Review: Well its Apple...
and its iPod...
No mumbo-jumbo... Get yourself one. I got...
40GB iPod +
Shure E2C + What i recommend with iPod, probably Etys ear-canal phones + a portable amp. Happy iPoding!
Rating:
Summary: Best MP3 player on the market (if you're rich)...
Review: I've been listening to MP3's on portable players since the Diamond 32MB. I'm an absolute music junkie and use these players to get me to (and keep me in) the gym everyday. The iPod (of which I've owned 2 previous models) is hands down the best portable on the market. What should be of concern to those in the market for this player are two things: 1. Price to Value: This is a 40GB player, your average song size is somewhere near 3MB at 128kbps playback quality (very good for headphones), that means this little guy can hold somewhere near 14,000 songs!!!! If you have even half that many tracks I'll bet the RIAA is staking your house out right now (look for snipers on your neighbors roof). I have the 10GB player (but i've bought a 20GB and a 40GB for friends) and it's way more than enough for my songs. Also, keep in mind that although the difference isn't huge, there is a noticable weight increase as you go up in GB size. 2. Battery life: You may not be aware of this, but there is some consumer litigation going on between iPod users and Apple. They claim that the battery on the iPod is engineered to die within 1.5 years (and they don't replace). The battery on my 5GB player died before 1 year. When that happened, I took it back to my computer retailer and they gave me full credit towards the purchase of an upgrade. Well, when I went in to buy another player as a gift, turns out that program has been discontinued. I'll bet it's because these things were coming back so much for that reason. There is an interesting article on Popular Science that shows you how to change the battery (not for engineering neophytes or anyone that doesn't want to void the warranty), and even a reference in that article of a service that'll do it for you. So, if you're rich, or really intend to use it for its full features (can serve as a portable hard disk), consider the 20 or 40GB, a year and a half of high quality enjoyment may be enough. If your like most everyone though, consider the much lower priced 5 or 10GB. Once you're an owner, check out the Apple owned iTunes site (this sounds like a commercial but...). They work phenomenal together. I have a PC, if you do to, make sure you buy the PC version. Also, it's much easier if your PC has a Firewire port (kind of like a USB port but wider and shorter). If it doesn't, and you're not computer savvy, you might want to avoid iPod (as painful as that is to say) because you'll have to get a special card for insertion into your computer (not that easy to do). Daily use is great. The keys themselves are heat sensitive, which is cool (no pun..), but can be a pain when you get the song you want, go to put in your pants, and accidently touch a key. Other than that, flawless. Very intuitive buttons, very intuitive menu, and beautiful looks. Well, hope this was helpful.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard Disk MP3 Players
Review: If you read reviews for the 4 main contenders in this market - the iPod, Creative Zen, Rio Karma and iRiver iHP - you'll notice that each has their pros and cons; none are perfect and you should decide whether you want to take to take the plunge now or later. If your view in life is that you are going to pay $x00 to get a device then it must be near ideal - ruggedly constructed, fault proof, good product support, easy to use software - then do yourself a favor and don't buy yet. All the products have drawbacks and are not mature yet; if you expect value and reliability then wait a while. If you are OK paying $x00 for something that can be used now, but is likely to both get better and cost less in the future then try to determine which device is the lesser of evils for you. iPod clearly has the most buzz. Great design and looks cool. Most people love the appearance and praise the touch sensitive buttons. It has a hold button to deactivate the buttons to avoid accidents; however, enough reviewers have complained that the hold button is easily broken and then the device can't be used. Some of the more geeky (non-Apple type) reviewers complain that the scrollwheel is annoying after a while and they resent being forced into this Apple-like interface. Everyone complains about the non-replaceable battery, yet this is the price of sturdy construction. iPod can be used as an external disk, and apparently stores files without problem. However, the music and data are apparently not separated; iPod reviewers complain about "white noise" in random feedback mode that comes from appointments / contacts created on the iPod during synchronization. Synchronizing music among computers, if you have more than one, seems to be an issue; research this before buying if you have multiple computers you want to be synchronized. Reviews for sound quality are generally (but not universally) positive. Reviews of Apple's support are generally poor; they seem to address issues in warranty, which covers a short time after delivery / pickup of item. After that it seems like you're on your own. iPod has no stop button; when new users mention this iPod veterans call it "unnecessary" and "so 20th century". Creative Zen feedback suffers from construction quality, poor product support, difficulty of using the scroll wheel and reasonably consistent feedback about problems with the headphone jack. Construction quality is a difficult item. The Zen has a detachable face plate that allows the battery to be replaced. What is added in functionality (battery replacement) detracts in build quality as the face plate is prone to popping off. Drop if just a few inches on a hard surface and the faceplate pops off (but not if it's in its case). Many reviewers say the faceplate simply didn't fit well so they returned the Zen. Feedback on Creative's product support is universally poor; this is not limited to the Zen, it applies to all the company's products. The scroll wheel is finicky; it works most of the time but there is a learning curve for pressing it just right; new users say they have 50% - 75% success rate; some find it so frustrating that they just return the device. The Creative software is awkward / difficult to use and just plain doesn't load on some computers. Enough people have reported that their headphone jack doesn't work after a month of using the device to believe that Creative has some inbuilt manufacturing or quality control problem. The Zen doesn't support folders so it is not really a storage device; even with third party software that "creates" folders, documents and programs can't be launched from the Zen, so it is not a hard disk, it's a storage device at best. Reviews for sound quality are generally (but not universally) positive. The Zen has no stop button. Veteran Zen users have explained how to stop if that's what you want. The Rio Karma feedback suffers from sensitivity in the hard disk. It seems like movement, even small movement, causes skipping in playback and even the device freezing. If you plan to carry the device around (it is a mobile device, right?) then this is something you might want to think about. Karma gets consistently good reviews for sound quality and connectivity from its docking device, which has RCA output jacks and Ethernet jacks for connectivity. Usability (button usage, feature selection, menu structure, display size and quality) also has good feedback. Repair seems to be an issue; some say the repair don't exist - you just have to buy a new player. Perhaps because of its smaller user base there is also a lack of accessories. Like the Zen, the Karma does not support folders and is not designed to be a data storage device. It only comes in 20Gb; enough for most people, not for those with large collections ripped at high sampling rates. The Karma does have a stop button. There aren't many reviews for the iRiver iHP. Those that have it like it. The only complaint seems to be that the disk rotation is slow, leading to longer delays in some functions (playback and even a slow display of the menu?). Otherwise feedback seems to be good. No comments on reliability, warranty, repairs, accessories. No-one mentions whether there is a stop button, but the photos don't show one. None of these are perfect. If you have the appetite choose the one that you think has the least deficiencies or is best suited to you. Accept that there will be better devices (or new generations of these ones) in a year or two that will cost less. If that is for you then pay the money, learn from the experience and you'll be a more informed buyer when you buy device #2. If you aren't into paying $x00 to learn and experiment, or the cons outweigh the pros, then wait a year or so.
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