Should I bring my Ipod?
Aug 9th, 2005, 11:50 AM
#161
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One of the main reasons that I bought my new ipod photo was for digital photo storage while on vacation - I don't want to carry my laptop with me on vacation, but don't want to take low res pics either.
I figured that rather than spend $$$ on several gigs of memory chips, I would buy a hard drive based device for the same $$$, and get far more storage. The ipod photo was comparably priced to a smilar sized harddrive that I could transfer photos to, so I went with it as it is also an MP3 player!
Buying a PPC, made no sence to me as I would still have to buy the memory chips, and then a PPC on top of that.
I have also transfered piles of my music onto it. For music, I use it mostly at home, hooked up to my stereo instead of using my CD player - as someone else mentioned, no cds to shuffle through. I also like the solitare game. . .
I am really happy with it. I don't think that I could get a more affordable compact all in one solution for mass storage and viewing of photos as well as music and audio book playing.
The way I see it, PPCs and iPods are two completely different animals. Neither are solely MP3 players, but both can act as one. The bonus you get with an iPod is loads of storage space -be it for your entire music collection, loads of photos, or other files that you may want to transport, and a more intuitive mp3 playing interface. The bonus you get with a PPC is added functionality. Which one is for you depends on which one you value more.
I personally value storage over being able to open an excel document on a 4" screen!
I figured that rather than spend $$$ on several gigs of memory chips, I would buy a hard drive based device for the same $$$, and get far more storage. The ipod photo was comparably priced to a smilar sized harddrive that I could transfer photos to, so I went with it as it is also an MP3 player!
Buying a PPC, made no sence to me as I would still have to buy the memory chips, and then a PPC on top of that.
I have also transfered piles of my music onto it. For music, I use it mostly at home, hooked up to my stereo instead of using my CD player - as someone else mentioned, no cds to shuffle through. I also like the solitare game. . .
I am really happy with it. I don't think that I could get a more affordable compact all in one solution for mass storage and viewing of photos as well as music and audio book playing.
The way I see it, PPCs and iPods are two completely different animals. Neither are solely MP3 players, but both can act as one. The bonus you get with an iPod is loads of storage space -be it for your entire music collection, loads of photos, or other files that you may want to transport, and a more intuitive mp3 playing interface. The bonus you get with a PPC is added functionality. Which one is for you depends on which one you value more.
I personally value storage over being able to open an excel document on a 4" screen!
Aug 9th, 2005, 12:09 PM
#162
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Now, sockboy. PPCs aren't about Excel documents.
They're about travel and restaurant guides, itineraries, contact names, addresses, and phones, confirmation numbers, reading material, tickets, timetables, flight numbers and gates, train numbers and platforms, emergency numbers, city maps, road maps, pub maps, museum maps, bus maps, direction finding, currency converting, subway navigating, (for pilots) flight planning, appointment scheduling, note taking, e-mailing, newsreading, language dictionaries, passport numbers, credit card numbers and customer service numbers...plus a reasonable number of hours of music.
When I run out of space for pictures on the 4gb CompactFlash microdrive in my camera, maybe I'll wish I had an iPOD. But I doubt it.
They're about travel and restaurant guides, itineraries, contact names, addresses, and phones, confirmation numbers, reading material, tickets, timetables, flight numbers and gates, train numbers and platforms, emergency numbers, city maps, road maps, pub maps, museum maps, bus maps, direction finding, currency converting, subway navigating, (for pilots) flight planning, appointment scheduling, note taking, e-mailing, newsreading, language dictionaries, passport numbers, credit card numbers and customer service numbers...plus a reasonable number of hours of music.
When I run out of space for pictures on the 4gb CompactFlash microdrive in my camera, maybe I'll wish I had an iPOD. But I doubt it.
Aug 9th, 2005, 12:45 PM
#163
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I just took mine around for 2 weeks in Italy. Uploaded pics to it and am so glad I had it. Just to be on the safe side, I secured travel insurance before leaving. That way, I could rest easy having the pod and my camera with me... Either way, enjoy!
Aug 9th, 2005, 12:46 PM
#164
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I thought I had done such a good job of being reasonable for the rest of the post, I had to throw in a curve at the end!
Honestly, I think PPC's are great, but just not for me. When I bought my ipod photo, 5Gigs of flash memory was going to cost the same as my ipod.
I have an old PDA with an image viewer, which I used on one trip to store maps for subways and directions to hotels from the train stations. It was pretty handy, but wasn't so great that I bothered to go to the trouble of it for the next trip. I am sure that a PPC would do a far better job, and be much easier, but I make out ok with photocopies and computer printouts.
I don't think a separate ipod makes any sence for a PPC owner such as yourself. You already have something that does all you want, with the ability to add more storage, relatively inexpensively. For someone who doesn't already own a PPC, an ipod is pretty attractive.
I think one of the big attractions for many people is its simplicity. All they want it to do is play music. They don't want to scroll through menus or type anything in, they just want to click and play. It is so easy to use, and so un-computer like, more along the lines of a CD player than a computer. Many people still don't get along well with computers, and PPC's are just too complicated to be "fun".
iPods do have an address book, and the ability to view text. I will be using both those features to store hotel addresses and other important numbers. Between it and my fistfull of tatty photocopied maps, I'll be fine!
Honestly, I think PPC's are great, but just not for me. When I bought my ipod photo, 5Gigs of flash memory was going to cost the same as my ipod.
I have an old PDA with an image viewer, which I used on one trip to store maps for subways and directions to hotels from the train stations. It was pretty handy, but wasn't so great that I bothered to go to the trouble of it for the next trip. I am sure that a PPC would do a far better job, and be much easier, but I make out ok with photocopies and computer printouts.
I don't think a separate ipod makes any sence for a PPC owner such as yourself. You already have something that does all you want, with the ability to add more storage, relatively inexpensively. For someone who doesn't already own a PPC, an ipod is pretty attractive.
I think one of the big attractions for many people is its simplicity. All they want it to do is play music. They don't want to scroll through menus or type anything in, they just want to click and play. It is so easy to use, and so un-computer like, more along the lines of a CD player than a computer. Many people still don't get along well with computers, and PPC's are just too complicated to be "fun".
iPods do have an address book, and the ability to view text. I will be using both those features to store hotel addresses and other important numbers. Between it and my fistfull of tatty photocopied maps, I'll be fine!
Aug 9th, 2005, 01:21 PM
#166
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Ok, forgive me for a question slightly off-topic (but still related to the Ipod) -
does anyone have experience with using the device to play an Ipod through your car stereo? The ones I have read about indicate that it somehow works through an "empty" FM radio signal and that the sound quality can vary, depending on the radio signal strength.
I think the idea of being able to download all of my favorite songs from I-Tunes without having to purchase the entire CD for the one song is great. Being able to use the Ipod in my car and not have to constantly rotate all the CDs through it (even though I have a 6 disc changer) is even better.
But I'm not sure if the sound quality on these car adaptors I've read about is as good as I want. Anyone know of a car adaptor that provides really good sound quality?
does anyone have experience with using the device to play an Ipod through your car stereo? The ones I have read about indicate that it somehow works through an "empty" FM radio signal and that the sound quality can vary, depending on the radio signal strength.
I think the idea of being able to download all of my favorite songs from I-Tunes without having to purchase the entire CD for the one song is great. Being able to use the Ipod in my car and not have to constantly rotate all the CDs through it (even though I have a 6 disc changer) is even better.
But I'm not sure if the sound quality on these car adaptors I've read about is as good as I want. Anyone know of a car adaptor that provides really good sound quality?
Aug 9th, 2005, 01:28 PM
#167
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I have the "itrip" fm transmitter and it works very well in vehicles. The sound quality is like FM radio, not really excellent, but decent for car rides. It allows you to pick the FM station that you want it to broadcast on, so you can pick an empty one, and change it if need be when you drive into another area.
Aug 9th, 2005, 03:22 PM
#170
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If you want to play CDs or tapes or MP3s through a car radio, check this out (I like this particular design because it runs off the car battery instead of eating infinite AAs):
<b>http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=559154</b>
<i>p.s.</i> An FM radio will reproduce MP3 sound as well as it can be.
<b>http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=559154</b>
<i>p.s.</i> An FM radio will reproduce MP3 sound as well as it can be.
Aug 9th, 2005, 03:33 PM
#171
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Again, iPod doesn't necessarily mean MP3 sound. And I'll say moderately compressed MP3/AAC sounds better than FM.
I have the Griffin iTrip (original version), and its performance is relatively poor, in my opinion. But from what I've gathered, it's already the best of these FM transmitters...
I have the Griffin iTrip (original version), and its performance is relatively poor, in my opinion. But from what I've gathered, it's already the best of these FM transmitters...
Aug 9th, 2005, 04:03 PM
#173
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The default "importing" setting on Apple's iTunes is 128kbps for AAC ("High Quality"
, and the presets for MP3 are 128kbps ("Good", 160kbps ("High", and 192kbps ("Higher".
Any of these settings, other than 128kbps MP3 will give one pretty decent quality that's better than one can get from their FM tuner. And with standard iPods' capacity getting more and more generous (not including Mini or Shuffle), I doubt too many people are setting their iTunes or other programs to rip their music at 16kbps.
, and the presets for MP3 are 128kbps ("Good", 160kbps ("High", and 192kbps ("Higher".Any of these settings, other than 128kbps MP3 will give one pretty decent quality that's better than one can get from their FM tuner. And with standard iPods' capacity getting more and more generous (not including Mini or Shuffle), I doubt too many people are setting their iTunes or other programs to rip their music at 16kbps.
