Quick ipod question...

Yeah, I know I should find an ipod forum for this... but figure you guys probably know well enough...

With the 30/60/80 gig iPods... if you're running or jogging, do they skip at all or have any potential to get damaged (for the shaking of the unit)?

Cuase if they do, I'd have to get the nano, but I really could use a 30 gig unit.

 

The iPods are not designed for enduring constant shock, but it can be done. However, it would be more prone to failing as the R/W heads could scratch the platter, rendering your iPod useless. If you plan do exercise or anything similar to that, buy a player with flash memory.

 

If you plan on running or jogging a fair amount, you should definitely look at the Nano....... the hard drive-based iPods can eventually skip, etc. if you are running or jogging pretty hard, and aside from that it probably isn't very good for the hard drive. This is one of the main reasons why Apple makes that Nike Sportkit thing only work with the Nano, and not the hard drive based iPods.

-Zadillo

 

Wow what's with the new battery lives? The nano can run 24 hours promised on one charge. Are they using a new battery? or just made it to use the older ones more efficiently?

 

Probably a combination of both; with previous iPod revisions, Apple has usually managed to make significant improvements to the battery life, usually based on a combination of improved battery technology and more efficient firmware.

-Zadillo

 

The commercial looks like the new nano's click wheel can light up. Is this real? or just advertising factor?

 

Pretty sure that's just the commercial (which seems to do a lot with light and stuff); I haven't heard anything about the iPod nano clickwheel lighting up, so I would say no.

-Zadillo

 

Quite personally I think it would be neat if they did do such a thing. The surrounding area and the signs like 'menu' 'Play button symbol' all lit up with the color that goes with your ipod nano color.

Definitely stylish in my opinion.

 

The only iPod that has probably come close to this would be the 3G iPod:



In that case, the buttons at the top lit up - I think this was done especially because the 3G iPod design wasn't specifically intuitive (compared to the 2G iPod, where the scrollwheel was surrounded by buttons, and it was easy to remember the play button at the bottom, the back and forward buttons and the menu button at the top). So I think it was especially important with the 3G iPod to make it easier to figure out what button did what. Sort of a stopgap until Apple figured out the concept of combining the clickable buttons into the scrollwheel itself (in the iPod mini, and then the 4G iPod).

I agree though, it would be cool eventually to perhaps see them light up again, but I think the thinking has probably been that as long as they can retain the basic "clickwheel" concept, it isn't as vital as it was with the 3G iPod (so it would be more of a style thing at that point).

Of course, if all the speculation about Apple doing a video iPod where the entire thing is a screen, and a virtual scrollwheel only appears when you touch it, it would be kind of a moot point I guess.

-Zadillo

 

I think they using a new battery

 

Hrm, looks like I'll end up getting a 4 gig one then. I just HATE how small nanos are.... I mean, really, why not have the mini's? Those were a much nicer design.

 

I actually think the minis were too bulky, if you want something really small and unobstrusive. If someone wants a mini form factor then the 30GB 5th/5 and 1/2 th gen is quite ok size wise.

 

The problem is durability. The nano's break very easily. I'm not sure I want a HDD mp3 player due to possibly damaging it while working out... but I don't want to have a nano in my pocket and have it break.

 

I guess we'll have to see, but I would think that the new nanos should be a lot more durable in that regard; the iPod minis were tanks frankly, and this same case material should be a lot more difficult to "snap".

Of course, even with the old nano a decent hardcase surrounding it would make it very hard for it to break.

Either way, again, for working out, you should definitely look at the nano (or if you don't care about a screen, the new Shuffle would work pretty well too).

I would probably also really recommend an armband or wristband, rather than keeping the nano in your pocket while working out.

-Zadillo

 

Aye, do you have any sepcific armbands or wristbands that may work for the new nano?

 

As I understand it, most any iPod Nano case should probably work with the new nanos (the dimensions are almost identical). I did e-mail Marware to ask about their Sportsuit Relay:

http://www.marware.com/cgi-bin/WebO...catalogCatID=227&wosid=93bz1ujzgewacHsOynjnJg

Which I am interested in since it is designed to also accomodate the Nike sensor and also bundles in their pouch to use the Nike kit with any shoe.

They said that it should work anyway with the new Nano, but they mentioned making some adjustments, so they might be tweaking the product slightly.

-Zadillo

 

Ohh... those look sweet! Thanks.

 

Even the old nano is very hard to break, though it scratches very easily. Now with an aluminium enclosure, it should be even more resistant. I'm not upgrading mine though, I do not quite like the colors (good because I don't have the money as well).

 

Aye, they are a tad bit pricey. I'm gonna go with the aluminum 4 gig. Though man... Really wish I could put the 30gig through the abuse from when I occasionally work out. Cause yeah... I have a pretty massive library of mp3s...

 

i would think that the 30 gig would be able to take a fair bit of abuse since the harddrive is only active every few songs to update the memory with the next few songs. plus if the ipod was vertical, there would be less chance of the heads bouncing such that they would contact the platters.

 

Even if it does only update every so often, I'd still wouldn't risk using a HDD based iPod for exercising.

 

Certainly there are people who do use an HDD-based iPod (or other mp3 player) while running/working out/etc. It just isn't recommended. Someone can certainly try it, but a flash memory based mp3 player with no moving parts is much better suited to this kind of use.

 

Really wouldn't recommend using a hd-based mp3 player while jogging, no. And if you want as much storage space as possible, get the 8gb Nano? Or maybe you don't like the black

I liked the first generation Nano design much better than the new one, but ah well, looks aren't everything. Ordering an 8gb Nano today before I go nuts from the walk to/from work every day without an mp3 player

Probably getting a Shuffle when they finally arrive too, but for now I'll get the Nano. And still saving up for that Macbook Pro... no wonder it takes so long when I get sidetracked by buying other shiny things

 

for me, the new shuffle looks best.. drool..

and yes its never a good idea to run with hd-based players.

in this case, running shouldn't be a part of "abuse" list you gonna do to your player.