“One of the tougher decisions for gadget buyers this year is which iPod to purchase,” Eric Benderoff blogs for The Chicago Tribune. “The problem is at the high-end, where buyers can choose between Apple’s slick iPod Touch ($399 for 16 gigabytes of storage) or the massive capacity of the iPod Classic ($349 for 160 gb of storage).”
Benderoff asks, “It raises a key question, one that I know several people are pondering: do I opt for style or storage?”
“That doesn’t mean the iPod Classic is not stylish in its own right. It has a new software interface, can play movies, show your photos and hold your contacts. Plus, it can double as a back-up hard drive,” Benderoff explains. “But the Classic is not nearly as much fun to use as the Touch.”
In the end, Benderoff chooses storage. Full article here.
If you’re buying an iPod, which model (iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle) would you choose (or would you choose to own more than one model) and why?
The Classic is hands down the way to go if it will be your only iPod. Up to 160GB of storage? That will hold all your music, a ton of videos, and STILL have space left over. If you want the cool touch UI, get an iPhone.
Which Apple i-POD should you buy? That’s easy. NONE of them. A much better question would be ‘Which Zune should you buy?’
If you want to be free of Apple’s typically clumsy interface, tyrannical proprietary formats and burdensome DRM polices get a Zune. The colors are great and purchasing content at Zune Marketplace is a blast because you get to use points, not currency, so it’s like a game. Microsoft gets it. I don’t know why Apple doesn’t get it. The new Zunes are really great. I love mine. I finally settled on the Zune jr. MACs Suck ‘Cause They’re Expensive & They Can’t Play Games Edition Zune.
Suck it i-POD lemmings.
Your potential. Our passion.™
I thought Zune Tang was that artificial orange flavored laxative that NASA recommends. In space no one can hear you squirt.
Buy the iPod that best fits your common usage. Or buy more than one and use them for different purposes. I still have a fully functioning 5 gig first-gen iPod that I mainly use with an iTrip adapter for listening to podcasts in my car. I’ve got a 2005 2nd-gen iPod mini and use that with an adapter for music on long trips, since it also has the charger. Since radio basically sucks these days, putting the mini on shuffle gives me my own personal radio station and keeps me sane on the interstates. If I’m in a mall or some crowded place I’ll clip the shuffle on my shirt under my jacket and block out the piped-in mall or store music. Otherwise my iPod touch goes with me since it can also access things through Wi-Fi and I have my calendar (editable now) and contacts with me. It’s also my main video iPod.
Finally there’s my new iPhone (early Christmas gift from family) which I mainly use as, well, a phone, and also use when away from home for e-mail.
If someone wants just one iPod, though, for music and video, the Classic would seem to make the most sense.
Touch. Simply because of the other features… Large screen, Safari, etc. It’s worth the storage sacrifice for me. It don’t use my iPod as an external HD though, so I am fine with 8 or 16 GB. I have no problem with interacting with an iPod once in a while. I don’t need 8,000 songs and 15 full length movies on me at all times.
Going on a plane trip? But a movie or two on it… I think a lot of people carry around way more music than they actually listen to.
People that have CDs and copy them onto their iPods usually copy the whole album but only listen to a few of the songs on the album. I think as more people use the iTunes theory, and only download the songs they want, they will treat their iPods storage space a little more efficiently.
That will of course stunt their “discovery” of new music a little, but at least you can preview the other songs on iTunes.
If you own an iPhone the question is easier. I have an iPhone so I would only consider the 160GB classic or a fat nano. Won’t upgrade until current iPod is out of storage (approaching fast). I will always prefer having all my media on one player. Its just too bad they couldn’t combine the storage of the classic and the interface of the touch.
re: Touch. Simply because of the other features… Large screen, Safari, etc. It’s worth the storage sacrifice for me. It don’t use my iPod as an external HD though, so I am fine with 8 or 16 GB. I have no problem with interacting with an iPod once in a while. I don’t need 8,000 songs and 15 full length movies on me at all times.
Going on a plane trip? But a movie or two on it… I think a lot of people carry around way more music than they actually listen to.
People that have CDs and copy them onto their iPods usually copy the whole album but only listen to a few of the songs on the album. I think as more people use the iTunes theory, and only download the songs they want, they will treat their iPods storage space a little more efficiently.
That will of course stunt their “discovery” of new music a little, but at least you can preview the other songs on iTunes.
—-
A agree, this is why Apple put playlists in iTunes.
No one needs to carry around 20,000 songs and god knows how many hours of video all the time.
My 8gb iPhone has replaced my 40gb iPod and I have never looked back.
I use itunes how Apple intended iTunes to be used. Everytime I connect my iPhone I just replace the songs, videos and podcasts on it on my iPhone playlist.
I stayed with the Classic – my 3rd – as I need the storage to use it as a backup drive. 30 gigs would have kept me happy so I’ll look at the iPhone when it hits 32 gigs and there are 3rd party apps I would want on it. Probably WWDC 09 with my luck!
I choose the iPod Classic over the Touch because of the 80gb hard drive. I only have about 900 songs but I’ve imported them at 320 kbps AAC and some using apple lossless. The “small” screen doesn’t bother me because I’ve been using my ipod nano for the last 2 years so the Classic’s screen to me looks like the IMAX in comparison. I also have a ton of video podcasts and about every episode of Monk I watch(when I have the time) so I need 80gb. I believe the reason why most people are buying the touch is for the web browser, pda stuff and the occasional full length movie which looks great on the touch. If they had a 80gb ipod touch or a 80gb iphone on verizon I would consider it.
I got the 16G Touch. I justified it (and wrote it off) as a tool in my video production work. I might have been able to make do with the 8 gig, but the wife encouraged me to go ahead and get the 16 (how often does that happen?).
Of course I already owned a slim nano 4 gig and a 40 gig iPod photo. Then there’s the original Shuffle I inherited when my wife got her nano….
The slim nano is very nice when I want music only, but if I had to pick just one, it would be the Touch.
I LOVE the Wi-Fi!
(but miss not having “Notes”, which would be very useful with the Touch keyboard.)
iPod Classic 160GB & an iPhone.
Simple!
Which iPod to buy?
The one with the most storage that fits within your budget.
Music and video collections tend to grow over time.
Your going to want to carry all that content anywhere to respond to any need you have for entertainment or trading.
The web can be entertaining, but if you use it a lot away from your main machine, a laptop is much better investment than a iPod Touch.
With smaller capacity devices, your synching more often to change the content.
With larger capacity devices, the content is already there, just changing the playlists.
It depends on what you want to spend.
The iPhone is fabulous but I live in Canada.
The iTouch is just too expensive for what I need.
And 8 Gb of storage is perfect.
LOOK at the price of SD Cards for your Camera.
Compare the price of 2 X 4 GB CARDS and you will see WHY
iPod is SUCH a deal!
Same goes for iTouch… wish it had memory expansion slot.
The new iPod Nano (video for everyone) is my preference.
And I remain strongly in saying it will be the best selling iPod ever.
I love the New 160 Gb classic iPod for it’s SIZE, form factor & styling and it’s interface THAT won the world over. The only thing I dislike is moving parts. Devices for people on the move shouldn’t have a micro hard drives inside these days.
Micro drives were a COST effective solution FOR the MANUFACTURER. The real solution is now in Flash Memory.
Which are used in iPhone, iTouch, iPod shuffle and iPod Nano.
So – again. iPod nano is a superb device with video at the right price that NOT even the competitors can touch.
Look at the price of San Disk verses Apple. They are priced higher for last years models.
The cost of Flash Memory, plus the cost of Nanos higher resolution screen, add in the the cost of the Lithium Battery – HOW CAN APPLE SELL IT SO CHEAP?
And you’re getting Apple, styling, software, interface… blah blah IT’s an insane product… it’s the one to buy.
dougless
You all don’t get it!!!!
There should be choice to make!!!
Everyone should own at least one of each ipod model, that way just like clothes, you have a choice of which ipod to accessorize on the day.
So if you are going to the gym, jogging, marathon, Football, Soccer, baseball or any sporting event you know what to wear without being told.
If you are on your way to work, depending on whether you are inputting data or you are a salesman, it will either be a classic for extra storage or back-up or an iphone for when you are in the field, or an itouch if you are delivery driving.
So why choose when you can have them all?
You know what’s funny, Apple is offering a lot of choice for small portable devices, but when it comes to their computers the hardware choices suck.
From the REAL® ZuneTang – buy them all! Plus, the iPhone…
Great Story –
Saw a dozen Zune’s on the clearance rack unprotected at Office Depot two months ago..
For $16.00 a piece.
I laughed figuring MS had already given up on them.
Had I myt druthers – I would have bought all of them and EBAYEd them to suckers.
My wife, after my obvious hints, is getting me the 16GB iPod touch for the holidays. The WiFi and large screen are irresistible.
the iPhone is my first iPod, though I have had a mac since my SE/30 (IIc before that, TRS-80 before that!). I have 45g of music in iTunes, and 2g or so on the iPhone and so far have not gotten bored with the selections… So, it’s going to take a long time to get to that point for me where I need more storage.
All of them!
-AAPL Shareholders
Seriously, I have a black 8GB nano that lives in the car full-time, and an iPhone that I use primarily for movies and TV shows. A classic 160 would, at last, hold my entire music collection in one place. I think a person really needs a minimum of three iPods.
(of course, I also think that you should never have fewer than 5 motorcycles)
“And I remain strongly in saying it will be the best selling iPod ever.”
Totally agree with that. That is the sweetest sweet spot yet
I’ve got a Shuffle and love it. For my purposes it’s exactly what I need: small, light, non-obtrusive, long battery life, and has a built-in clip.
I use my Shuffle when I’m out running. It’s literally the perfect music player. For instance, today was a 16 mile run and I loaded new music onto it in a matter of seconds, clipped it on, tucked away the chord under my shirt, and off I went. It’s easy to skip songs and to use in general. I love the Shuffle.
For everyday use I have an iPhone which covers the rest of the bases: movies, video podcasts, and of course phone calls.
i´ll buy all,its a piece of history,period.
touch is the way to go