buying an iPod today...

[woodstock]

probably the 20gig one.

any advice for once I've got it? good places to get music, cheap?

 

[SkyHog]

I would never advocate pirating music, but for someone who already had copies of the original music - there are places on IRC to get MP3s for free.

Once again, it is only legal if you own the original on some other media.

 

[Paul Allen]

Buy the warranty! My two children have them and we have had some problems. The current one that my son has is a repalcement for another defective one. The warranty a couple years ago was $49.00 and it was worth it. I've paid for three plus the extra warranty and we currently have two.

 

[Charinida]

For relatively cheap/easy way to rip MP3s from your CD collection, WinAmp or Music Match Jukebox is pretty decent (only problem I have with MMJ is trying to get my Japanese CDs to get recognized at times).

iTunes is a pretty good store, but gets expensive.

Always keep a spare charger unit handy if you travel away from home a lot...

Have a huge chunk of HD real estate set aside if you plan to keep the MP3s on the computer in case the iPod takes a hit.

Get comfortable headphones, if you plan to listen with them long term.

Don't put it in your backpocket.

Personally, I currently have a Creative Zen Micro (5gb)... I might buy a iPod later on, since there are so many accessories for it.

 

[Iceman]

I purchased one for my girlfriend this year and she loves it (mini 6gig). I also got her the charger/fm transmiter and a armband and she uses it every day. As far as music goes we have mainly been using cd's we both have and a couple thousand mp3's that I collected back in the day.

One way to get new music is go to your local library and go through their cd collection and put them on your ipod (of course you should delete them off your ipod when you take them back). Itunes is easy but I hate buying a song that I do not have a backup for that can be used on any computer/cd player. I think there are some online places (napster?) that offer unlimited downloads per month for a certain fee...you might want to check them out.

 

[mikea]

I got a Pink 4GB Mini for Jann. She's loving it. She loves podcasts, which are great and FREE.

Hey, Liz there's a new Apple store in Northbrook Court. I guess Woodfield is closer to you.

I think if you have a bunch of CDs to put, and keep, on it, you might fill up 4GB. But 6GB or more is plenty (famous last words).

The frustration is the accessories cost a large fraction of what you paid for the iPod. You'll probably want a case. We went to the Northbrook Apple store on the first day it opened and Jann got her case in pink leather. A co-worker just told her the pink in pink was very girly looking. Well, Doh!

I'll probably get a newer revision iPod on a future generation or two. Look for official video support, on iPods and iTunes by the end of the year. I think Apple already registered iVideo.com and iMovies.com.

I can already play video on the internal screen and out to a TV using my 20GB Archos gMini. This fact will be noise once Apple "invents" it later this year. What Apple WILL do better is the user interface. The one on the Archos is pretty bad.

You're gonna love your iPod! Good Luck!

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

-some places will engrave your name/ph on the back for free.
-get a protective carrier to protect it from bounces.
-we have the transmitter (itrip) that allows us to broadcast and listen to it at home, in any car, in someone else's home, in the airplane - any place with a fm tuner.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

I have the Ipod Mini and love it.

I wish they would come out with "Ipod Pilot" that had an airband and navaid tuner built in. "Yup....the er ol' VOR failed so I got back on my Ipod Pilot"

 

[wsuffa]

IMHO, the Apple iPod has the best user interface of all of them.

You can get a "ripping" program to make copies of all your favorite CD's, so taking along the music you already own is as easy as dropping the CD into your computer.

 

[Brian Austin]

IMHO, the Apple iPod has the best user interface of all of them.

You can get a "ripping" program to make copies of all your favorite CD's, so taking along the music you already own is as easy as dropping the CD into your computer.

iTunes already rips anyway. Just pop the CD in and add it to the song library.

My wife has the Shuffle for plane trips. She loves it as well.

 

[Iceman]

-we have the transmitter (itrip) that allows us to broadcast and listen to it at home, in any car, in someone else's home, in the airplane - any place with a fm tuner.

We have that device also but the quality is less than ideal. In your opinion how is the quality...I'm wondering if we got a defective unit.

 

[mikea]

We have that device also but the quality is less than ideal. In your opinion how is the quality...I'm wondering if we got a defective unit.

I was also wondering about that. The word online seems to be that they don't work too well in big cites that have the FM band crowded with broadcast stations. You get interference from broadcast stations. When you're near a transmitter that station will overwhelm the reception of your tiny transmitter.

You have to find an FM station frequency that is free. For that reason it's better to get an FM transmitter that has a wide or unlimited range of freqs to tune instead of some that have a selection of 2 or 3 to choose from.

The hot setup is to have a car stereo that has an audio input jack.

I hear the cassette adapters sound lousy. I may use one of those since I'm primarily listening to podcasts.

 

[terzap]

iTunes already rips anyway. Just pop the CD in and add it to the song library.

Yeah...what Brian said. And you can try Magnatunes.com for some very interesting independent music in all genres (album download only) but you can listen to the entire track or album before you buy and choose a price from $5 up for the album. I love world/new age and this has been a gold mine for me. Some very interesting rock and electronica stuff here, too.

Other than that, and from my own CDs, I get my other music right from the iTunes store.

enjoy!

terry

 

[woodstock]

some questions - the bleeding guide is nearly useless and for some reason the CD that comes with it is ONLY for uploading software - nothing else - despite the guide's statement that the CD contains full instructions on usage...

how do you delete songs from the iPod if you decide they are just taking up space? there is NOTHING anywhere that mentions how to get rid of songs. ditto photos... I had thought this would be something I could revolve songs in and out of...

 

[mikea]

some questions - the bleeding guide is nearly useless and for some reason the CD that comes with it is ONLY for uploading software - nothing else - despite the guide's statement that the CD contains full instructions on usage...

how do you delete songs from the iPod if you decide they are just taking up space? there is NOTHING anywhere that mentions how to get rid of songs. ditto photos... I had thought this would be something I could revolve songs in and out of...

While your iPod is hooked up to your PC/Mac and the PC/Mac is running iTunes (which probably happened when you connected it)..in iTunes you select "Liz's iPod" or whatever you called it, go down the "library" list on it. When you select the song(s) you want to delete, right click "clear."

 

[flyingcheesehead]

probably the 20gig one.

any advice for once I've got it? good places to get music, cheap?

If you don't have any music in MP3 format on your computer already, do this:

1. Open iTunes
2. Go into Preferences.
3. Click on the "Importing" tab and set your desired prefs. Higher bit rate = Bigger files = Less songs on your iPod. The default of 160 works pretty well for excellent sound quality and decent file sizes. I actually have plenty of 128 bit tracks as well. You won't really notice a quality hit until you go down to 64 bit.
4. Click on the "General" tab, and from the "On CD Insert" popup menu, choose "Import songs and eject." (You might want to simply choose "Import Songs" for the first CD, to make sure CDDB is working. That's a system that will determine album, artist, and track name for your CD's. You must be connected to the Internet.)
5. Pop a CD in. It will automatically start importing, and it'll start playing soon after. Importing will go faster if you stop the playback.
5a. While things are importing, go to http://www.everythingipod.com/ and spend more money. When a CD ejects, just pop in the next one.
6. When you're done with your CD's, get on the iTunes Music Store (click "Music Store" in the playlists), go to Podcasts in the Genre popup menu, and find the Fly With Me and The Pilotcast (by our own Mike Andrews and Dan Corjulo) and subscribe to them.
7. While you're there, buy a few tracks. They're only 99 cents. How many CD's do you have that you bought the whole CD for one song? 99 cents for individual songs, in my book, is cheap. Plus, the iTunes Music Store makes it nice and easy as well.
8. Sync your iPod, and enjoy!

You really don't need any extra software beyond iTunes to thoroughly enjoy your iPod. Welcome to the Apple user experience.

My favorite iPod accessory is the TransPod FM, for use in your car. It's a combination iPod holder, charger and FM Transmitter. Really slick - All you do is drop the iPod into it and you're ready to go. Unlimited frequencies (unlike some other FM transmitters) as well. They also make a version without the FM transmitter if you want to just use a tape adapter or cable input to your car stereo. Both versions have a headphone plug on the side for that purpose, so you still just drop the iPod in and go.

Enjoy!

 

[flyingcheesehead]

how do you delete songs from the iPod if you decide they are just taking up space? there is NOTHING anywhere that mentions how to get rid of songs. ditto photos... I had thought this would be something I could revolve songs in and out of...

You actually have more music than can fit on a 20G iPod? I guess I didn't need to tell you how to rip CD's after all.

Mike's got one technique. My technique with my old 10G iPod (I have about 13G of music) was the following:

1. Make two playlists in iTunes. One is a regular playlist (I called this one "NoPod") and one is a smart playlist (call it "iPod" or something more creative). Set the iPod playlist to be everything in your library that's NOT in the NoPod playlist.
2. Go into preferences -> iPod and deselect the Library and NoPod playlists. Now, all your regular playlists will be synced and the iPod playlist will make sure that the music you DO want on your iPod is added.

Now, when you decide there's some music you don't want on the iPod, just find it via any of the many means in iTunes, select it, and drag it to the NoPod playlist. Next time you sync the iPod, Poof! It's gone.

 

[woodstock]

thanks Kent and Mike.

yes, already have some ideas - docking station for it, speakers, etc.

Kent, not yet - I just don't want to clutter it with music I might only listen to once in a blue moon. having it on my computer is enough I guess.

another question:

when I get my laptop, do I need to get bluetooth with the wireless? supposedly it makes using the iPod easier. is this true? I mean, downloading songs and etc.

what else would the bluetooth be good for?

 

[mikea]

thanks Kent and Mike.

yes, already have some ideas - docking station for it, speakers, etc.

Kent, not yet - I just don't want to clutter it with music I might only listen to once in a blue moon. having it on my computer is enough I guess.

another question:

when I get my laptop, do I need to get bluetooth with the wireless? supposedly it makes using the iPod easier. is this true? I mean, downloading songs and etc.

what else would the bluetooth be good for?

Think of Bluetooth as a wireless cable.

Bluetooth on iPods is used to connect a wireless headset - AFAIK not for syncing songs.

Bluetooth usually used for syncing your contacts to PDAs and cellphones and to connect the mouse and keyboard without wires. For syncing it's usually a bit slower than using a cable but that's the trade you make for convenience.

There are bluetooth headsets that will work with both cellphones and music players. I have one of those on my wish list. I'd like it to work with a wired phone, too.

 

[DeeG]

yes, already have some ideas - docking station for it, speakers, etc.

If you have a stereo that you would normally listen do, you don't need docking station, speakers etc for the iPod. Monster has a cable that plugs into the headset jack on the iPod and the other end plugs into the input RCA jacks on your stereo. It sounds MUCH better than a couple of them docking stations that I've seen at Best Buy, Costco, etc. Can't remember the brand that was at Costco, but it sounded weak and tinny like the speakers were toasted. However, Bose has a docking station for the iPods (will fit both sizes). I had thought about buying that, but my stereo already has Bose speakers attached to it.

 

[MSmith]

When you're ripping your CDs, try different drives. If you have a system with a CD-burner and a DVD-ROM drive (a pretty common configuration), you might find a better rate with one drive vs. the other.

 

[woodstock]

here's a new question:

if the Ipod WILL NOT EJECT, what happens if you pull the cord out anyway? this has happened a few times now. i.e. it says DO NOT DISCONNECT and despite all efforts to get it to eject/stop safely it just won't.

will it ruin the ipod or just mess up a few files or what?

 

[mikea]

here's a new question:

if the Ipod WILL NOT EJECT, what happens if you pull the cord out anyway? this has happened a few times now. i.e. it says DO NOT DISCONNECT and despite all efforts to get it to eject/stop safely it just won't.

will it ruin the ipod or just mess up a few files or what?

Jann's does that on her Mac. I don't know if I ever figured out what to do other than exit iTunes and rerun iTunes.

I would not just pull the cable. Do you know how many Unix geeks SCREAMED IN TERROR watching "Jurassic Park" when they killed the power on the SGI? Same thing. Don't scare me like that.

 

[woodstock]

Jann's does that on her Mac. I don't know if I ever figured out what to do other than exit iTunes and rerun iTunes.

I would not just pull the cable. Do you know how many Unix geeks SCREAMED IN TERROR watching "Jurassic Park" when they killed the power on the SGI? Same thing. Don't scare me like that.

I actually just shut down the computer. even shutting itunes off did not work.

 

[PoAdeleted5]

Just pull the plug if the thing will not eject and you are certain that the computer is completely finished transferring files to it.

If you are using the iPod on Windows with a USB connection, make sure your computer has a USB 2.0 interface, also called "high speed." If your computer has a USB 1.x interface, also called USB "full-speed", be aware that full speed is actually quite slow and it may take a while to move files onto the iPod.

On a Mac, just use the firewire connection.

 

[mikea]

On a Mac, just use the firewire connection.

Sure. Easy for you to say.

The Firewire cable is a $19 option for the iPod mini. The dock is another $39 with no cable. http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...XQSTBOZ/0.0.11.1.0.6.15.0.2.1.3.0.3.1.1.1.1.0

We were amazed that the $29 Apple charger doesn't include a cable. You are supposed to use the USB cable you have, but what if you want to keep that one on your Mac? We bought the Incase charger ($39.95!) which works with car power and line power and has a cable attached.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...QSTBOZ/1.0.0.11.1.0.6.7.0.2.1.3.0.3.1.6.1.1.0

Cables are a great profit center.

Yeah. We could have gotten better prices online vs. the new Apple store, but Jann was leaving on vacation in two days.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Bluetooth on iPods is used to connect a wireless headset - AFAIK not for syncing songs.

Bluetooth on an iPod? Never heard of such a thing. I assume someone makes wireless Bluetooth headphones with a piece that plugs into the jack?

Definitely too slow for syncing songs though. USB 1.1 is also not going to make you very happy if you have to sync more than a couple of songs, though I did do my whole 13G library over 1.1 because my old laptop didn't have USB 2.0, I got the iPod a good week before the new laptop, and the iPod didn't come with a FireWire cable this time.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

If you have a stereo that you would normally listen do, you don't need docking station, speakers etc for the iPod. Monster has a cable that plugs into the headset jack on the iPod and the other end plugs into the input RCA jacks on your stereo.

Yes, but it's way cooler to buy the basic Apple dock w/o speakers or anything and plug the Monster or similar cable into that. That way you can still use your stereo without all the trouble of using both hands to hook it to the iPod.

The other bonus of the Apple dock is that you can also plug it into your TV and show slideshows with audio from the iPod. Sweet.

 

[woodstock]

Bluetooth on an iPod? Never heard of such a thing. I assume someone makes wireless Bluetooth headphones with a piece that plugs into the jack?

Definitely too slow for syncing songs though. USB 1.1 is also not going to make you very happy if you have to sync more than a couple of songs, though I did do my whole 13G library over 1.1 because my old laptop didn't have USB 2.0, I got the iPod a good week before the new laptop, and the iPod didn't come with a FireWire cable this time.

I guess my question was: should I get bluetooth as an option on my laptop, have no idea what it actually is good for? on laptops?

 

[PoAdeleted5]

deleted.

 

[mikea]

I guess my question was: should I get bluetooth as an option on my laptop, have no idea what it actually is good for? on laptops?

You'll want to get Bluetooth if it doesn't cost much - or anything. Apple just made Bluetooth and WiFi standard on Mac Minis and (I think) iBooks.

We have Bluetooth on Jann's iMac and my Mac Mini. In her case she liked the idea of not having any wires on the keyboard and mouse. She hates clutter. Dunno why she puts up with me.

There are some drawbacks if you don't also have a wired keyboard to plug in. You can't hold a key a boot time if it's not wired, for example.

We can use Bluetooth to sync with our Palm PDAs, too. As been said, Bluetooth is slower for synching vs using cable, but who wants another cable dangling.

It could also be used with a Bluetooth headset - even a cell phone headset.

ARRRGG! Bluetooth is one of those words my dyslexic fingers refuse to type properly. I DEMAND a new name.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I guess my question was: should I get bluetooth as an option on my laptop, have no idea what it actually is good for? on laptops?

Elizabeth,

Like others have said, if it's relatively cheap (and it should be), go ahead and get it. Bluetooth has only recently reached "critical mass" and even if you don't have any other bluetooth devices yet, chances are you will before you get rid of this laptop.

The Internet is a WAN, or Wide Area Network. In your home or office you probably have a LAN, or Local Area Network. Bluetooth introduced the concept of a PAN - Personal Area Network. It doesn't have very long range and is meant for electronic devices in close proximity to work with each other.

Aside from computers, Bluetooth devices vary widely - Everything from handheld gadgets like PDA's and cell phones to cars (Toyota Prius '04 and later, and also at least one Acura and one Lexus whose model numbers escape me at the moment).

Some of the basic things that can be done with Bluetooth, as others have mentioned, are things like having wireless keyboards and mice and syncing contacts/datebooks/etc. with PDA's and cell phones. Speaking of cell phones, you can also get a Bluetooth headset so that you don't have to have a wire from the phone to the headset.

However, there are some incredibly cool/geeky things that can be done with Bluetooth. For example, one of my brother's friends has his computer monitor his cell phone (which is always kept in his pocket). When he stands up and walks away from the computer, it sets his away message in AIM and pauses his iTunes music - Very cool, at least to a geek like me! The Prius can sync with your cell phone and also act as a hands-free set (stereo speakers and a mic mounted near the driver's sun visor). I think the Prius "key" is also Bluetooth or something similar. You don't even have to take it out of your pocket, you just walk up to the door and it unlocks. Walk up to the trunk and it pops. You just push a button and the car starts (if the key is in fact in your pocket).

Really, there are a lot of new, cool ideas coming out with Bluetooth. I know one thing that was envisioned with Bluetooth cell phones is that places like theaters would be able to install a Bluetooth antenna that would automatically place all phones nearby into silent/vibrate mode so you could enjoy movies/performances without all those annoying ringers. The sky's the limit on this one, I'm looking forward to seeing what else they do.

Bottom line: If it costs you $50 or less, or if you plan on keeping your next laptop more than 2 years or so, go for it.

 

[wsuffa]

Yeah but...

he doesn't do that with a Verizon cellphone. Verizon has crippled Bluetooth (and the data ports) on all their cellphones to force you to pay for their download/messaging service. You even have to pay to get pictures off the cellphone, and you can only upload ringtones that you purchase from Verizon. Pay and pay and pay.

And the FCC thinks that "market forces" will keep broadband providers from prohibiting access to certain sites/content on the internet. Verizon wireless is a prime example of what will happen.

 

[sierra]

I would never advocate pirating music, but for someone who already had copies of the original music

well if you have the originals on CD, you just burn the CD using iTunes, then transfer it to your iPod...

 

[woodstock]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7247623&type=product&id=1115366129987

I think I found a decent package, don't think it has bluetooth installed though.

I've had many people steer me away from HP/Compaq... many said Toshibas were good, and this seems to have a lot of stuff on it.

 

[mikea]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7247623&type=product&id=1115366129987

I think I found a decent package, don't think it has bluetooth installed though.

I've had many people steer me away from HP/Compaq... many said Toshibas were good, and this seems to have a lot of stuff on it.

For all that's holy....stay out of retail stores.

How about true Pentium M for $300 less?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834114127

You'll want 1GB of RAM but buy the extra memory in the aftermarket.

 

[woodstock]

For all that's holy....stay out of retail stores.

How about true Pentium M for $300 less?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834114127

You'll want 1GB of RAM but buy the extra memory in the aftermarket.

haha! why stay out of retail stores???

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Verizon Wireless

he doesn't do that with a Verizon cellphone. Verizon has crippled Bluetooth (and the data ports) on all their cellphones to force you to pay for their download/messaging service. You even have to pay to get pictures off the cellphone, and you can only upload ringtones that you purchase from Verizon. Pay and pay and pay.

Ooooooooooooooh grrrr, Bill, you don't need to get me started with this subject!

I've been a Verizon Wireless customer since 1998 (the PrimeCo days), and was a very happy customer until recently. I've probably sold more Verizon phones than some of their sales reps. Until fairly recently they were the only company with a true nationwide network (Cingular has joined them in the big-network club now) despite many claims by others. Prices were higher than some others but still reasonable, and as a former Sprint sufferer I know that you get what you pay for.

The one complaint I've always had about vzw is that they're slow when it comes to new technology most of the time. They were very slow to allow data connections, for instance (though their new broadband access thing seems to have reversed this part anyway). Bluetooth was no exception.

Then it was leaked that they were going to have the Motorola V710 as their first Bluetooth phone. When I looked at Moto's website, I was ecstatic... What a cool phone, perfect for a gadget geek such as myself! TWO color screens, hi-res (compared to other phones) camera, MP3 player, Bluetooth, etc.

Then they came out with it and crippled the hell out of it. I'd been looking forward to being able to transfer pics, ringtones (home-spun MP3 ringtones, specifically), contacts, etc. with my computer. But, the only things you can do with the Verizonized V710 are to connect your computer to the internet and use a wireless (wireless wireless?) hands-free set.

They did this to force people to pay to transfer pics and such, but in the process, it's now IMPOSSIBLE to sync contacts with your computer by any means, as well as do most of the things I wanted to do with the phone.

So, since I have two phones with them, only one under contract, I decided to wait until the end of the contract and see if they got their heads out of their behinds. But I started to use more minutes. I called up to increase my rate plan and was told I'd have to extend the contract (BOTH phones) for a year to do so! (Never happened before...)

Their comment about the Bluetooth was that it "doesn't fit into our business model." Frankly, I'm wondering if customers who've been with them for 7.5 years and spent over $9,000 in airtime fit their business model!

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

My nephew is sitting next to me with his new out of the box ibook G4 and is trying to load all of his songs from his ipod onto the new computer but "it won't".

Is there a way?

I say the songs are protected to reduce sharing, what do you think?

 

[woodstock]

update: bought the laptop.