New iPods. Time to rant.

[technominds]

OK, I figured this would be a nice place to rant on about the new iPods Steve introduced to the Apple line today. Il try and keep it short and sweet.

Anyone who hasnt seen the new products, www.apple.com.

First off, he introduced the new iTunes; which was exactly the same program, except you can make ringtones on it. Not only that, each ringtone costs you $0.99, thats right... you have to buy the actual song (costing you $0.99 in the first place) AND THEN pay another $0.99 on top of that to use it as a ringtone on thew new iPhone.

He then went on to say that today would be the day the 'entire range' of iPods would be replaced.

The first iPod to be replaced (which wasnt replaced at all) was the iPod Shuffle, which was just available in new colours.

Second of all was the iPod Nano.
I dont know if youve seen the pictures, but if your reading this and havent looked yet; I suggest doing so. The new iPod Nano looks like someone has sat on it. I really thought Apple was a company who cared about asthetics and thats what their selling point was, but this is one seriously UGLY looking MP3 player, by any standards.

Then there is the iPod 'Classic'.. which it has now been renamed. They decided to remove the extremely classy glass from the front panel of the iPod and replace it with brushed metal... it looks way less streamlined than the last.

All of this upset, only for Steve to make me all excited for the new iPod touch. This is a GREAT iPod, does everything I could ever want and more at a very nice cost. And then he hit me with it, the MAXIMUM capacity these iPods come in is 16GB! Thats barely enough to hold my stevie wonder collection, nevermind films and such.

He then went on to talk about a great new feature, which was that when you are in starbucks; the song playing in the shop will be accessable through your iPod. I know starbucks is a huge company; but who goes to starbucks to listen to music? My local starbucks is in a shopping center and you wouldnt even be able to hear music in it?! I just dont understand the logic behind it!

The main thing that has annoyed me, is they havent left ANY iPod in the range that is desirable to me both astheticly and in features.

I guess thats my rant over.

[TexRoadkill]

They look like Ipods to me. I guess if you have to listen to music on something that sounds so shitty you have to worry about how it looks.

[vadoom]

Good point TexRoadkill.

Originally Posted by technominds

...The new iPod Nano looks like someone has sat on it. I really thought Apple was a company who cared about asthetics and thats what their selling point was, but this is one seriously UGLY looking MP3 player, by any standards...

Didn't you hear? The new buzzword is ergonomics nowadays. It now comfortably fits in your back pocket... Considering that you wouldn't want to show off any of them anyways (based on your rant), this particular model has an additional feature - it is rear-end compatible! Yes, it all makes sense!!

[technominds]

Dont get me wrong, I dont JUST buy things according to what they look like. But Apple's market is to people who do care, they are as much fashion products as electronics; thats all my point it.

[warble2]

I guess I'm not getting the rant really...

They are not as narrow as the Nano 2G's, but the pricing is certainly better and they are still slim. More gigs for less dollars. Watching videos on a small screen - not my gig - but it's cool they have thought of this for this new design.

As far as the Starbucks thing - isn't this a step in a good direction? Be it Starbucks or whomever, hearing a cool song and getting access to it "now" is a cool idea. It's a starting point for this concept, no?

If the new one's suck so bad for you, snap up the old 2G's when the stores are clearing them out.

My guess is that they'll be a big hit. More for your money...my two cents...

[boingoman]

Originally Posted by warble2

As far as the Starbucks thing - isn't this a step in a good direction? Be it Starbucks or whomever, hearing a cool song and getting access to it "now" is a cool idea. It's a starting point for this concept, no?..

It is a cool idea but the first person I hear saying "awesome new song" in line at a Starbucks will suffer my wrath.

[jwgeetar]

never owned one, and won't. Apple has always sucked....f**d steve jobs,

[steve.h]

Originally Posted by jwgeetar

never owned one, and won't. Apple has always sucked....f**d steve jobs,

I think some people are just too fucking picky man, I love my iPod despite it's problems, and I love my new macbook Pro despite OSX's little supposedly-cute things. Just calm down man...

[warble2]

Originally Posted by jwgeetar

never owned one, and won't. Apple has always sucked....f**d steve jobs,

I feel bad for owning my iPod I didn't know Apple has always sucked and f**d steve jobs...

Actually, no I don't. My Nano 2G is a great little device that has served me well. I'm not an Apple fanboy (build and use PC's), just tried out a cool looking little portable audio device, kept it and felt it was money well spent.

Now we can get more bang for the buck with the new line. Screw 'em though.

[cusebassman]

I am surprised at the small capacity of the touch-models, but they seem more geared toward Internet use than they do as iPods. The look I don't really care so much about, and I'm amazed at the 80 or 160 GB capacity of the new "standard" or "classic" iPod.

I also don't get the issue of the iPod's audio quality. They play the same mp3's I listen to on my computer, and those are not much worse than the straight, uncompressed 24-bit stuff I record.

Sure, I don't have great ears, but unless I am listening to an overly compressed shitty mp3, I hear no difference... I have listened to the CD version of Mark Knopfler's Sailing To America, but lost the mp3s I made of it... the disk gone, I bought it on iTunes, and at 128kbps, 44.1kHz sampling, it sounds fine on the iPod.

[jamacian]

Originally Posted by boingoman

It is a cool idea but the first person I hear saying "awesome new song" in line at a Starbucks will suffer my wrath.

Starbux wrath=adding 10 syllables to your coffee order to piss off he guy behind you in line.

[steve.h]

Originally Posted by cusebassman

I also don't get the issue of the iPod's audio quality. They play the same mp3's I listen to on my computer, and those are not much worse than the straight, uncompressed 24-bit stuff I record.

Sure, I don't have great ears, but unless I am listening to an overly compressed shitty mp3, I hear no difference... I have listened to the CD version of Mark Knopfler's Sailing To America, but lost the mp3s I made of it... the disk gone, I bought it on iTunes, and at 128kbps, 44.1kHz sampling, it sounds fine on the iPod.

Consider yourself luck then man, I have a hard time listening to mp3's anymore... :/

[cusebassman]

yay Im special. So what do you listenh to then?

[warble2]

Haven't been displeased with the iTunes downloads I've purchased. There are a few songs that didn't gracefully accept the compression, but for the most part, I've been happy with the quality and the ability to get my music now.

I've been digitizing my CD collection as well. All of that is at 256kbps and I've been happy with all songs I've converted. I guess I'm just not as picky anymore. There was a day when I was in my teens buying Nakamichi, B&O and other higher-end gear, and was finicky about the pops and clicks on the albums, and obessed with trying to get rid of them so I could record a clean copy to tape. I was listening to or making sure the bias fine tune was just right on my tape decks when recording tapes - you know, so the tapes were nice and crisp.

Now I just click on a file on my computer, listen through my Echo Layla 3G, Hafler amp and Tannoy Reveals, and sit back and enjoy. I like what I hear sound wise. Then when I want to head out, I throw a collection of songs on my iPod (which takes about 20 seconds), and head out for an enjoyable walk or drive in my car. Life is good.

[steve.h]

Honestly, I wish I didn't hear the compression so much (I didn't always!), but especially with the high-end (sibilance, cymbals, etc.) it just sounds like dick.

If you want to try a fun test to really hear the difference between an mp3 and the original file, rip a song onto your computer in WAV format, and again at, say, 192kbps. Put them both in your DAW of choice. Now, assuming you have one a stereo widening plugin, go ahead and take out all of the mono information, and hear what you have left. It's amazing.......ly bad!

[Guitarer]

The Nano is ugly because it can play videos now, and the Classic isn't brushed metal, it's matte, like the black macbooks.

[Guitarer]

Originally Posted by steve.h

Honestly, I wish I didn't hear the compression so much (I didn't always!), but especially with the high-end (sibilance, cymbals, etc.) it just sounds like dick.

If you want to try a fun test to really hear the difference between an mp3 and the original file, rip a song onto your computer in WAV format, and again at, say, 192kbps. Put them both in your DAW of choice. Now, assuming you have one a stereo widening plugin, go ahead and take out all of the mono information, and hear what you have left. It's amazing.......ly bad!

That's what FLAC is for.

[JPXTom]

I have an Ipod video from the last generation of ipods, and i love the thing..ipods are great...i dont like creatives or those shitty zune things...ipods are great. Well worth the 300 bucks. My brother is getting hte classic 80 gig..which is only 250, which is crazy..cause my 30 gig was 250 about a year ago.

[steve.h]

Originally Posted by Guitarer

That's what FLAC is for.

Oh I know, I don't rip any of my music as mp3's, but I still find some new music through myspace and I highly doubt I'll be convincing them to change any time soon

[TexRoadkill]

Originally Posted by cusebassman

I also don't get the issue of the iPod's audio quality. They play the same mp3's I listen to on my computer, and those are not much worse than the straight, uncompressed 24-bit stuff I record.

Sure, I don't have great ears, but unless I am listening to an overly compressed shitty mp3, I hear no difference... I have listened to the CD version of Mark Knopfler's Sailing To America, but lost the mp3s I made of it... the disk gone, I bought it on iTunes, and at 128kbps, 44.1kHz sampling, it sounds fine on the iPod.

Well, if 3x the noise and no audio above 16khz doesn't bother you then, enjoy.

[junplugged]

i play, i don't listen

[cusebassman]

You probably don't play very well then

[technominds]

Wow, huge responce!

Dont get me wrong, I love apple products and they always amaze me at the WWDC's... but this was just very dissapointing, mainly because I wanted a new touch-screen ipod... but im going to have to wait a year because apple cant get large flash drives yet!

I refuse to accept that anyone can find the new nano attractive, it really shocks me every time i look back at it!

As for the 160GB HD in the new classic.. I agree, it really is astounding.. and for that price also...

For any people who hate steve jobs and apple, youle be interested to hear that at the same WWDC he dropped the price of the iphone by $200. This pissed off ALOT of people, as they had just spent loads on theres.. but Steve did something that ive never seen many companies do. He sent an email to every iPhone buyer before the price drop and offered them $100 store credit! I think this is amazing as products go up and down in price all the time and it wasnt even his place to do something like that!

[Guitarer]

Originally Posted by technominds

For any people who hate steve jobs and apple, youle be interested to hear that at the same WWDC he dropped the price of the iphone by $200. This pissed off ALOT of people, as they had just spent loads on theres.. but Steve did something that ive never seen many companies do. He sent an email to every iPhone buyer before the price drop and offered them $100 store credit! I think this is amazing as products go up and down in price all the time and it wasnt even his place to do something like that!

And $200 back if you bought one within the past 14 days.

Apple is a much more caring company then people give them credit for.

[Erockrazor]

Im gonna be getting a 4gb Ipod mini for free from my friend by scoring his movie. They're all mp3 players. So many people are stuck on Ipods unaware of the fairly different choices they could make. I actually think too many people get Ipods just because of other people having them ... they dont even know there is another side to mp3 players. Hell, I'm pretty sure most people call mp3 players "ipods". Oh well. Who am I to speak up. Good luck with your crappy mp3 endeavors everybody.