Apple iPod

The Apple iPod is currently the best-selling portable media player in the world. After the iPod's first debut in 2001, it is now in its fifth generation, with each progressive generation introducing new features such as a color screen, larger capacity, ability to play videos, and a move from Firewire to USB as the type of interface used to transfer data to and from a computer.

The fifth generation iPod is declared by many to be the epitome of style coupled with functionality. In this review, we give a good, hard look at that makes the iPod tick, and try to give an unbiased answer to the question, “Is an iPod for me?”

(Note: There are currently three main, distinct models of iPod, the regular iPod, the iPod nano, and the iPod shuffle. This review is for the regular iPod.)

Features

Imagine this: a towering jukebox with all your favorite tunes that can sort, arrange, and access all the songs by artist, album, title, genre, etc., that can create custom playlists and play the songs in your playlist without any user intervention, that doesn't require you to insert coins before playing songs, and that, lastly, could fit in your hand or pocket and is lighter than a can of soda. Such a description comes close to describing the Apple iPod, but the latest incarnation of this popular media player can do more than just play songs.

The iPod is so small and compact, one's initial acquaintance with the gadget can be mind-blowing. The case measures a mere 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.43 inches and the whole package weighs an extremely light 4.8 ounces (for the 30 Gb model, see below) and 5.5 ounces (for the 60 Gb model).

The diminutive size of the iPod belies the its massive storage capacity: the smallest capacity iPod available comes with 30 gigabytes of storage, while the largest comes with 60 gigabytes. To put that into perspective, one could store approximately 7,500 songs with the 30 Gb model and approximately 15,000 songs with the 60 Gb model.

The front face of the iPod sports a small 2.5 inch (diagonal) color LCD, the iPod signature touch wheel, and nothing else. It's this simplicity that adds to the overall appeal of the iPod. Connectors for USB, the iPod dock, stereo earphones, and composite video are found on the top and bottom sides of the unit.

The iPod can play the following audio formats: AAC (up to 320 kbps maximum bitrate), protected AAC (as purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store), MP3 (up to 320 kbps maximum bitrate), Audible formats 2, 3, and 4, Apple Lossless, PCM WAV, and AIFF. Video is a less flexible affair: the iPod supports only variants of MPEG-4 and H.264 video formats. As for viewing pictures, the iPod can view JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, Macintosh PSD, and PNG images.

Accessories bundled with the iPod include the signature iPod white earbud earphones, USB cable, dock adapter, a carrying case, and iTunes software.

Pros and Cons

From a design and usability standpoint, the iPod, to put it succinctly, rules. Without gushing like a schoolgirl, we can say that the iPod deserves all the acclaim that it receives as far as usability is concerned. The iPod's touch wheel is extremely intuitive, and it only takes a few minutes' worth of familiarization to become a master at navigating the iPod's menu system and performing tasks. The player itself is unobstrusive, sleek, stylish, and very light; in fact, fifth generation iPods are much thinner than their predecessors.

The iPod's audio playback is good. The built-in equalizer has presets for various styles and genres of music. Unfortunately, the iPod's bass response is weak and can cause an annoying distortion when playing songs that have loud bass parts. This distortion is apparent even with the bundled earphones, and we highly recommend replacing them with better ones. Also, one little inconvenience is the fact that you can't make your own custom EQ settings. As for video, the tiny iPod screen renders video clearly, but we find it less than enjoyable to watch videos on such a small screen. (Creative's Zen Vision and Archos' AV 500 both have huge screens that we totally wish the iPod had). Fortunately, the iPod can easily output video and audio out to an external device, such as a real TV. Unfortunately, A/V cables are not bundled with the iPod.

The iPod doesn't come bundled with a wall charger, which is quite annoying. You'd have to plug your iPod into your PC to charge the internal battery via USB or Firewire. Speaking of the battery, the lithium ion unit inside the iPod has been the subject of much frustration and disappointment. While the battery works extremely well and gives good play times when new, within a year or so of regular use, it weakens and loses its charge capacity. Within a few years, the battery won't hold enough juice to power up the iPod for a few minutes. Sadly, Apple has made it a point to subtly coerce customers into buying (expensive) replacement batteries only from Apple stores by making it extra difficult to remove and replace the battery. On a historical note, when the issue of the battery weakening and needing replacement became widespread, Apple did not offer any replacement batteries; instead, they asked that customers “trade-in” their iPods and pay for refurbished ones that cost almost as much as a brand new iPod. Soon after, Apple began offering replacement batteries, but these were only available through Apple stores for an exorbitant price. In earlier generation iPods, the batteries were easily removed and replaced, but batteries in fifth generation iPods are glued to the delicate circuit board, making end-user replacement a risky matter.

Summary and Recommendations

The iPod is among the most popular of geeky gadgets that have found appeal among the non-geeky audience – so popular, in fact, that it launched an entire industry based on the concept of a portable media player. Unfortunately for the competition, Apple got the design of the portable media player right the first time, and it's hard to envision any way to improve on it. That said, it can be argued that the stylish, functional design of the iPod is its main, and perhaps only, selling point. Audio and video playback features are not perfect, but neither are they mediocre. Audio format support is very comprehensive, and audio playback quality is good, albeit flawed in the bass department. Video support is very limited, and the tiny screen is, well, tiny. Thankfully, the screen renders video clearly and sharply, so those who are desperate enough to watch a movie on the iPod screen won't have to strain their eyes too hard. On the flipside, those who want to view the movies on a television just as they should might find it disappointing to know that the required AV cable is sold separately from the iPod. Finally, the battery issues are a major turn-off.

The final verdict? The iPod is a mixed bag. Alas, a fact of life is that fashion and style sells; if the iPod had been a little less stylish, perhaps it wouldn't have become the top-selling portable media player in a market where the underdogs are players with better value and functionality for the money (with a little less visual pizzazz).