Are IPods worth it?

[NuclearCujo]

I am still thinking about getting one for the gym. Is IPod the best thing out there or is there another company with a equal/better product?

[Peench]

I resisted for a fairly long time. I still like some of the features on my old Dell DJ20 better than the ones on my iPod, but there are so many accessories for the iPod, its hard to go wrong with one. One of the guys in my office has gone thru 3/4 of them and had nothing but hassles. Mine has been pretty cool and is definitely much smaller than my old Dell.

For working out I still use an old Rio MP3 player I bought years ago. It doesn't hold much in memory, but is pretty compact and since it doesn't hold much I was forced to create sort of a mix tape with it. There are other things out there, but the variety of iPods and the accessories for them pretty much trump the others.

[Woundup]

correct me if I am wrong guys but I don't think you want an Ipod Nuclear if you are going to be doing any kind of running and such. They are hard drive based and I think you will have problems while doing this kind of activity. It may even destoy the disk inside. If you want it for just working out I would go with something flash based.

[BiffCo]

I've never had a problem with my 20gig photo iPod, and that includes going through my sister buying it from me and then me buying it back. Any electronic device that can survive her wrath is a good one in my book.

I can't really live without it. When it's not in the car pumping out tunes, it's hooked up to the 360. I still need to get a car stereo with an iPod jack, as the FM modulator is just plain crap.

Worth it IMO.

-Brad

[Jon Liu]

I love my 30Gig Gen5 iPod.

I agree... if you want it for working out... you won't want one of the Hard Drive based ones. Get a Nano if iPod strikes your fancy. They're quite a bit cheaper and now with the new look, they are a lot more versatile and you don't have to worry about putting it on your couch and having it leave scratches!

The Gen 5s and the original nanos are very susceptible to scratching...

Especially with the price drop on the iPods, they are a great buy, IMO.

[Wondermonkey]

Cujo, you want a hot pink Nano. Don't fight it.

[Jon Liu]

lol!

I tried to convince my wife to get one of those. I was going to get her a nano for her upcoming birthday but, seeing as all the carp that's happened to me/us lately, I won't be getting that for her anymore.

[HUFN8OR]

I've got one of the Video iPods and it is a neat gadget. However, I really do not like the proprietary nature of iTunes and songs purchased through iTunes. I like to use mixing (deejaying) software to make true music compilations for working out or listening to in the car, and it is a real pain to buy the songs on iTunes, burn them to CD, rip them to MP3, mix them, and then burn them to another CD.

I'm really looking forward to the new Microsoft Zune due out this holiday season. It looks to have a larger screen, plays native MP3's, your own videos, FM radio, and wireless file sharing between Zunes...and the MS download service downloads in MP3 format I think.

Just my thoughts from an old club deejay waning for the good ol' days.

[KEEZY]

Yeah... I used my Nano when I work out. It worked great that night, 6 months ago. I scored one of those tool-bag armbands... pretty pricey at $29, but it works pretty well, except that it explodes off my arm when I get so ripped at the gym.

In all seriousness, iPods are pretty cool. I agree with Peench in that some of the features they lack are a suck. For instance, if you want to put it on random, it only randomizes the entire iPod. You couldn't do random by artist or album. Sometimes a man just needs to hear Ah Ha, but on random, and the iPod just can't give that to you.

[grife]

I had an ipod and while it was nice for data transfers i found that the amount of music it could hold was overkill. I would personally go for a generic mp3 player with a card reader built in. that way i could buy 1 gig cards and have playlist per card.

[Jon Liu]

that's not a bad idea grife! I think that's a good alternative to the pricey iPods, if they are not quite your thing!

[blars]

Ipods are pretty cool...we have enjoyed one. I know someone who has a nano for sale (ahem) if you are interested.

[NuclearCujo]

Originally Posted by Wondermonkey2k

Cujo, you want a hot pink Nano. Don't fight it.

Thanks for all the input guys, I do want it while running and lifting so I am glad I asked.