What's the deal with iPod?

[SZF2001]

This idea was inspired by another members topic, about asking for help for there brothers computer.

My question is: exactly, what is the huge deal about iPod?

Was it the commercials? Is it because they are whtie? I'm not really even sure what the big deal is, it's just another .mp3 player.

I have a Sansa - granted, I know it's not the best player ever, neither is iPod. For about the same price, my Sansa will play movies (can only encode movies in Windows currently), display photos, play music - heck, it even comes with a FM tuner inside, something you have to pay extra for, as an add-on, for an iPod.

And there are other players that actually cater to make sure the sound quality is good, with 3D surround support and stuff.

At my high school, me and at least two other people have Sansa's. Everyone else? A freakin' iPod. So am I just being a black sheep, or am I missing out on an awesome product? One person saw my Sansa and said "Oh man that must be the newest model of iPod! Awesome! Lemme see!" I kind of felt emberrased and sorry for the guy, to be in such a closed box, with such tunnel vision. Or maybe he just needed to be enlightened that there are more choices other than iPod.

Wow. It's almost like the PC world - average Joe is on Windows, unaware that there are other choices (sometimes an altogether better choice, just depends on the situation). Average Joe is also using an iPod, because no one cares to mention any other MP3 player, or want you to know it's there.

So really, though, is the iPod as great as everyone says/thinks it is? My player can play music just as well, it's just, well, not an iPod.

[meng]

It's marketing. Timing, design, integration with other Apple products, online music store, branding as a lifestyle and not just another product. It's a great example of marketing done "right". You may as well ask, what's the big deal with Windows?

[23meg]

I would add simplicity.

[meng]

I would add simplicity.
Good call. Of course, I wasn't aiming to write the definitive monograph on the subject ...

[smoker]

well, they're white, like sheep:-)

[amar]

I use rockbox on my iriver, i installed rockbox on my sisters nano (won in a competition not bought) and it made life so much easier just to drag and drop the mp3's you wanted to play rather than messing with itunes (especially when working with more than one computer)

[SZF2001]

It's marketing. Timing, design, integration with other Apple products, online music store, branding as a lifestyle and not just another product. It's a great example of marketing done "right". You may as well ask, what's the big deal with Windows?

True, true...

But when was Windows a branding of lifestyle? It's a computer, an MP3 player, for chrissakes. What has society become...

I would add simplicity.

What is so hard about drag 'n drop?

[meng]

Surely you remember:
Microsoft: Where do you want to go today?
http://www.ubersoft.net/d/20050404.html

[haxer]

I just say Zune ;)

[23meg]

What is so hard about drag 'n drop?
What I meant was the simplicity of the user interface and overall design.

[meng]

Actually this is quite an interesting discussion when you consider how the focus of advertising and branding has moved away from product attributes in favor of community, lifestyle, and virtue. (And in the case of Ubuntu/Linux, community could indeed be considered an integral part of the product experience!)

For those with an intellectual interest in the matter, I recommend "NoLogo" by Naomi Klein.

[riven0]

Well, I've got an iPod Shuffle, (free, as a gift), and it's cool and convenient with mp3-like quality and a good battery life. But, despite all that, there is nothing that makes me go "wow! I've got to have this!" I'm glad I didn't spend a few hundred dollars on it. I probably won't get another when this breaks down... as their known to do. :)

I may actually get a different brand, though. I've heard there are some Linux-compatible ones out there. Those will be the first ones I'll support.

[Macintosh Sauce]

I bought my first iPod - iPod nano (Product)Red - and I LOVE IT! This is what makes the iPod so special - design and user experience. Apple knows how to make a product that you are going to enjoy using every day.

Zune? You have to be kidding. I tried that overblown brown turd in a Sears store. What a joke!

[Brian Boyko]

I think Apple managed to turn an early success into a market phenomenon. When the original iPods came out, most portable MP3 players weren't hard drive based, those that were were phenominally expensive. Apple put on an MP3 hard-disc player that A) worked well and simply, B) was small, C) played MP3s (not some weird format that you had to convert. The files were transferred via FireWire, not serial ports, which meant it wasn't complicated and it was fast.

In short, they built the better mousetrap.

That turned into buzz, into marketing, and now, iPods are Apple's #1 product.

To be fair, I think they've taken missteps - I'm in the market for a portable video player, but it needs to play Xvids as well as x.264 (which takes way too long to encode) I'd love the features of the iPhone but I don't like being locked into a PDA with no third-party development and only one carrier. (I actually use Cingular already, as they have excellent coverage in Austin, compared to Verizon, but I'd rather not get locked into them.)

[SZF2001]

Ah yes, I forgot about the "Where do you want to go today" thing

And I forgot about how the iPod first used hard drives for storage. A noble thing, indeed (if your not into running aroun and stuff, that's why I use flash based players, but I know that there are flash based iPods now).

My friend wants a Zune. I've tried to warn him, told him about the wifi trading (He told me "Ya dude! Other Zune players can share music with eachother without wires!" then I told him about the limits of playing the song three times or it stays for three days. He shrugged it off, for some reason). I mean, more power to you if you want a Zune, but... Eh. Not my cup of coffee.

[nandasunu]

For me the ipod has the nicest design, very intuitive and easy to use interface, great build quality, and is a pleasure to use. There are a few downsides, the itunes dependency is a major one - that amarok fixes, but is still overall the most quality device out there (IMO).

I have had a shuffle for almost 2 years now, the thing is still going strong, even after being put through the washing machine with my jeans accidentally.

[happy-and-lost]

Well, it's not sound quality, that's for sure. I actually listened to one properly (Latest gen video thing) and was horriffied at how horrendous the sound quality was (This was a 192kps mp3, by the way). The Zutons and Oasis had never sounded so flat and lifeless. It made me want to cry.

Hats off to Apple for marketing something so awful.

[insane_alien]

i've had a 5GB olympus mp3 player for a fewyears now. its battered, its scratched, its dented but its still working perfectly and sounds better than the iPods

[BarfBag]

It's because it was the tightest solution, and still is. Can't forget the iTunes Music Store.

[qamelian]

I would add simplicity.

Simplicity is a matter of perspective. There are some simple features that, to me, are obvious but are missing from the ipod. The big one being that I can't delete a file without actually connecting the ipod to my PC. I carry a large number of old time radio broadcasts with me for when I travel. To avoid accidentally listening to the same show twice, I like to delete the shows from my player right after I listen to it. I like to do the same with podcasts. Every other player I have ever owned has this simple basic feature, but not the ipod.
This plus a few other things that I find much simpler to do on other players has convinced me the my first ipod will also be my last.

[parker13]

People like iPods because they are sexy. They buy them for the same reason they buy Audi TTs... style.

Luckily they have a lot more substance than the TT.

[RAV TUX]

moving to Apple (OS X) forum

[parker13]

What we need is an open source equivalent.

[parker13]

...and I don't agree that this thread should have been moved; it has nothing to do with OS X.

[3rdalbum]

A couple of things:

1. Apple weren't the first people to make hard-drive MP3 players. There were Nomads released YEARS before the iPod, and they were even Mac-compatible.

2. I don't see what simplicity there is with the iPod - if your MP3s are on CD, you've got to copy them to your computer's hard disk first. Then drag them to your library. Then drag them to your iPod's icon in iTunes. Then, when you've finally put everything on there, you've got to choose a particular menu item and then eject the iPod.

Contrast this with my Teac MP3 player. Plug it in, open the software, drag the files on the library. Quit the program. That's it. The files can even be on CD, and they are sorted automatically according to ID3 tags.

3. The iPods seem to be very unreliable and buggy. My mother's needs "restoring" an awful lot, and I've heard from a number of other people who have the same trouble. In addition, when I try to recharge the iPod through my USB port, it charges without fuss - but when I use a USB power adapter, the iPod claims to be fully charged until I turn it on and then off again.

4. Battery problems. Yes, they still are around.

5. The sound quality is nothing to write home about.

Basically, my Teac 20 gig player is superior. I've had it for almost a year, and it's only frozen up once. The interface is very easy to use, the touch pads are more responsive than the stupid "click-wheel", it's never lost its database of music, I can easily copy folders off it to my hard disk, it's easy to load songs onto, it has a memory card slot so I can copy photos from my digital camera onto the HD and vice-versa, it does voice recording and line-in recording, the case looks like it can withstand a fair beating, it comes with a proper power adapter and can be charged through the USB, and you can even put text files onto it and read them while listening to music!

[NeoLithium]

I have a new iPod shuffle; it has great sound quality; the battery life is outstanding (And I use mine a LOT); plus I can't complain about using GTKpod, it's easy, not to mention how quick it worked in linux, considering that's my only OS. Besides, I can't really complain about how it looks either, so tiny with it's brushed metal finish...

Also; living in Canada, a lot of MP3 players are more money than what I paid for this, mine was $89 at Futureshop; other ones like around bestbuy, etc; for an mp3 player with 1gig, cost more. But then again, I didn't want a screen, didn't need videos, I just wanted music. To each their own.

[SZF2001]

You know, I wish that the people who make the iTunes application would make it work for Linux distro's. Really, honestly.

I am not an iPodder, and never will be - but think about it. One major reason I can't just convert people to Ubuntu is because they have an iPod. Now, most low-income (or basically any income) families only see two options when it comes to getting a new computer - they have a choice of Mac or Windows.

They have no idea about Linux, for the most part. (That's changing, slowly)

So, if there were an iTunes app for Linux users, then there would be more reason (and an easier way of keeping) of converting Windows users to Ubuntu.

That's the question I get the most - "Will this work with my iPod?" I know it will, but if it's not iTunes, then most people won't even bother. Why? Who knows why. I think it's because they are already used to the iTunes interface they have been using for the past few years. Suddenly, change seems scary.

And with this means MS can get more customers. With Dell and other distributers, they make it seem like Windows is the only cheap alternative for PC users - you rather get a Mac, or a Windows box. Got an iPod, and not a lot of money? Don't worry, Windows does iTunes. Have fun with all your viruses and pop-ups along your magical journey.

It would make a lot more sense if there was iTunes for all three platforms (it could mean another reason to lure MS users away). It wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to have the iPod a Mac exclusive (it might boost some sales of Macs, but no one buys a whole new computer for there computer *cough*Zune*cough*). But to just support two platforms, one who is a rival, one who is your own, and ignoring the one who could show people some light on independance, free-ness, and stability? That freakin' boggles my mind.

[riven0]

It would make a lot more sense if there was iTunes for all three platforms (it could mean another reason to lure MS users away). It wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to have the iPod a Mac exclusive (it might boost some sales of Macs, but no one buys a whole new computer for there computer *cough*Zune*cough*). But to just support two platforms, one who is a rival, one who is your own, and ignoring the one who could show people some light on independance, free-ness, and stability? That freakin' boggles my mind.

Part of the reason is probably because Apple does not like the philosophy of independence and free-ness that Linux has. A lot of people consider Microsoft to be the devil incarnate, but if Apple had the market share Microsoft does, they'll be a even worse. Look at how restrictive they are now.

Of course, a lot of people will say Linux just doesn't have the market share to warrant our own port of iTunes, but I'm more inclined to believe it's all political.

[Alfa989]

I don't see what simplicity there is with the iPod - if your MP3s are on CD, you've got to copy them to your computer's hard disk first. Then drag them to your library. Then drag them to your iPod's icon in iTunes. Then, when you've finally put everything on there, you've got to choose a particular menu item and then eject the iPod.
It's more like:
Click Import CD-Eject the iPod

You can even put text files onto it and read them while listening to music!
So does the iPod...

:)

[OneSeventeen]

After posting in the Ubuntu forums a while back asking for a better device than the iPod, the only ones that came close were larger and more expensive.

Here's the big deal for iPod for me:
I can subscribe to podcasts very easily, and the iPod manages them very well, marking them as "unplayed" with a big blue dot until I listen to them. If I start a podcast but don't finish it, and instead listen to music for a few days, watch a movie, run the battery down, then charge it, I can still go to my podcast and pick up exactly where I left off.

It is a clean and simple user interface, has a plethora of aftermarket swag to improve upon my iPod throughout the years, and I haven't found the home theater system or car stereo that advertises iRiver support out of the box.

There are TONS of great mp3 players out there, I just think you've got to find what fits you. If linux were suddenly popular would I be a mindless sheep just because I'm using linux? no

Apple has done a good job, and while I don't agree with all of the politics, I definitely agree that the new iPod Videos are a solid product that meet my needs. (I primarily use it for podcasting and listening to speeches and sermons and whatnot, and it is nice to pick up where I leave off, considering I have over 5GB of sermons and about 1GB of various podcasts.)

[SZF2001]

You bring up some very valid points - yes, podcasts are handled very well, there are some features that do somewhat impress me, although they leave out some no-brainers (people actually still listen to the radio, despite the uproar of current technology).

With the market share that the iPod has, yes, there is now much support for the iPod - and why not, it's a money train, after all (not like that's a bad thing, I'd like to ride one someday).

You know, I've thought about that... What if Linux suddenly became easier (in the case of distro's) to install, run, be able to use whatever driver, whatever hardware, whatever printer... Would we all be mindless sheep? Microsoft doesn't provide much choice for average Joe, though - average Joe considers there choices as Windows 95, 98, ME, CE, NT, 2001, XP, or the future convienent car wreck, Vista.

There is more choice. I'm not sure where I am getting at here, I've derailed from what I tried to say before. But you do bring up very good points which I have to somewhat agree with.

[slimdog360]

Ive never understood why people buy ipods. To me they are over expensive and limited in capability when compared to other players like the iaudio range.

[3rdalbum]

It's more like:
Click Import CD-Eject the iPod


No; I've got MP3s that are stored on a CD (well, stored on MANY CDs). I want to get a precise selection of MP3s from multiple CDs, as there are inevitably albums on a CD that my mother won't want on her MP3 player.

I didn't know that the iPods can "play" text files - I'd never seen it done (maybe I'm the only person in the world who actually does that?). You can't get a 20 gig iPod for $296 Australian :-)

[Alfa989]

I didn't know that the iPods can "play" text files - I'd never seen it done (maybe I'm the only person in the world who actually does that?).

It's quite easy! (Main menu>Extras>Notes) It all goes by drag n drop...:)

P.S:I use it all the time!

[kinematic]

Ive never understood why people buy ipods. To me they are over expensive and limited in capability when compared to other players like the iaudio range.

i agree.
i have an iaudio u2 and in terms of sound quality it blows the ipod away.
another big plus is that it plays ogg out of the box.