Apple iPod 5GB Review

The hype said that it was a 5 GB Apple MP3 player with a Firewire interface. The Apple iPod is much more than that. Read on to find out why.

Summary

Just a bit larger then a pack of cigarettes, and weighing in at a mere 6.5 ounces it is easy to carry around; I just slipped it into the front pocket of my jeans. Since then I have kept it with me at all times. The iPod has an 8th inch jack so it can plug into anything. I have used it in my car, at work, and with my home stereo. Yes, to answer all your questions in one fell swoop, you do have to get the proper adapters. I find it particularly convenient while I am trying to find just the right piece of music for a video I am producing. Then boom unplug, jump in the car, plug in, and keep listening.

In summary, I find that if you are willing to give up that $299.95, then the iPod will bring you joy. It is your choice whether you want to use it as a portable mp3 player or just another portable 5 gig hard drive. It works well in both modes with Macs.

When I first heard about the iPod I was a bit skeptical. Of course I had heard a lot about it. I saw the commercials, I saw it on various websites, and I saw it in magazines. The ads talked of many nice things. The hype said that it was a 5 GB Apple MP3 player with a FireWire interface.

Yes it looks like eye candy. Yes, I wanted to get a different MP3 player.( I already have an Archos 6 GB hard drive/MP3 player. The problem with the Archos? I never ended up using it as an MP3 player. I used it as temporary backup. Plus, I have the slow USB version.) I wanted something that I could use just to listen to my mp3’s. I work with multimedia, and I often need to preview songs for use in projects. The iPod is nice and small so I could take it anywhere. It is an Apple product so it would work with my existing hardware. So I decided to buy it. 

The iPod comes in an attractive box that opens like a clamshell with the iPod being the pearl. The box contains the software CD, instruction booklet, Firewire IEEE 1394 cable, Firewire power adapter, earbud earphones, and the iPod itself.

Of course, I completely ignored all the manuals and popped the CD in. The only thing on the CD was iTunes2. This new version of iTunes was made to work with the iPod, and both the OS 9 and the OSX versions were included. Once the software was installed (I use OSX), I proceeded to hook the iPod to my desktop via FireWire. I was informed on the iPod screen that the unit was charging, after which it went to the Apple iPod introduction screen and then it immediately went into FireWire mode. On my desktop I watched as iTunes2 was launched and the iPod showed up in the main list. 

OK, this is cool. A quick trip to iPod preferences allowed me to start “dragging and dropping” my play lists directly to the iPod. Imagine my joy when everything worked as advertised. I dragged about 3 GB’s over, and in under 10 minutes I was on the road.

Just a quick word on how important the FireWire port is. The FireWire port is used to both charge the iPod, and to transfer data. To transfer songs to and from the iPod you hook one side of the FireWire cable to the iPod then hook the other end to your computer. The iPod then launches iTunes so you can transfer individual files or whole playlists with ease. Even more interesting; when you hook the iPod up in this manner the computer is both transferring data, AND charging your iPod.

Don’t think this is the only way to charge your iPod. The iPod comes with this cool little power adapter that will plug into the wall. Basically, this power adapter has a business end that looks like a normal plug. The other side actually has a FireWire port. Hook the Firewire cable up to the adapter, then plug the Firewire into the iPod, and you are now charging up the iPod. Cool, huh? 

Now here comes the second disappointing thing about the iPod, after the price: the ear-bud style earphones are uncomfortable. They sound good when they are positioned properly, but getting them to stay in that position is another thing entirely. I chucked them in favor for a nice pair of Sony’s I have.

Back to the good stuff. Navigating the iPod is easy. Apple stuck with a straight hierarchal interface. On the top level you can choose to display your song by play list, artist, or song title. The buttons are laid out in a circular fashion, which I found easy to use even in the dark. 

Just a bit larger then a pack of cigarettes, and weighing in at a mere 6.5 ounces it is easy to carry around; I just slipped it into the front pocket of my jeans. Since then I have kept it with me at all times. The iPod has an 8th inch jack so it can plug into anything. I have used it in my car, at work, and with my home stereo. Yes, to answer all your questions in one fell swoop, you do have to get the proper adapters. I find it particularly convenient while I am trying to find just the right piece of music for a video I am producing. Then boom unplug, jump in the car, plug in, and keep listening.

In summary, I find that if you are willing to give up that $299.95, then the iPod will bring you joy. It is your choice whether you want to use it as a portable MP3 player or just another portable 5 GB hard drive. It works well in both modes with Macs.

Pros