Customer Reviews:
 Please read this before you buy an ipod September 24, 2007
i wrote this (Bucks)
59 out of 99 found this review helpful
The ipod is a design classic; they all look great and are really easy to use. The problem is simple:
Apple do not build them to last, so they don't.
Which would be fine.... if they weren't so expensive.
Check out these extracts from the Guardian Money article "Is your iPod one of the bad Apples?":
"...the Sale of Goods Act.... guidelines from the Department of Trade & Industry...states that goods should last up to six years, depending on their cost and expected durability."
"Paul Edwards of Kendal in Cumbria found that his (ipod) battery packed up just outside the warranty period. `I contacted Apple, asked them to consider that electrical goods should last longer than a year as stated in Department of Trade & Industry guidelines and the Sale of Goods Act, and they have basically said no.' .... Mr Edwards contacted Guardian Money and we took up his case. But Apple repeated the same message to Mr Edwards - that the machine is only expected to last one year and no more."
This case is typical, go googling and you'll see there are thousands of unhappy ipod owners. Click wheels give out, screens crack, touch screens don't respond, batteries give up the ghost, head phone sockets crackle and fail. Add to this Apple's unspoken policy to never recall faulty hardware (check for yourself, they only ever `extend warranties' on systems with known common faults). Then add to that Apple's truely terrible UK & Ireland Customer Relations team based in Cork.
Forget the branding, the ease of use, the design and the street cred'. Only 2 things matter in a portable music player:
Reliability and good customer service if it goes wrong.
No ipod offer either of these, so don't buy one.
From a former Apple evangelist whose trying to redress the balance.
 iPod videos - Please read before you purchase March 25, 2008
Boz Daily
49 out of 53 found this review helpful
If you are planning on using your iPod for videos, I recommend you read this first.
I just purchased two new iPod Classic 160s, one for me and one for my wife. I've used Gen 5.5 models before and was VERY happy with them. I
loaded my new Classic with all my videos and used my iPod AV cable (that worked with my older iPod) to connect it to my TV -- I received one of the
nastiest reality slaps ever. When I went to Videos > Settings > TV Out, I couldn't activate the "TV Out" by switching it to "On".
Why?
The reason is because Apple has purposefully locked out this setting and the only way to actually switch this setting to "On" is to connect it to a
new device that has an Apple Authentication chip built into it, e.g. an Apple Universal Dock, along with a cable kit for the Universal Dock.
What does this mean?
Well, it means that Apple made a MAJOR change to their new iPods and didn't tell a single soul (INCLUDING THEIR SUPPORT STAFF!) that you would
no longer be able to watch iPod video on your television -- unless you rectify the problem by purchasing the new chip equipped docking stations,
which apparently don't come cheap at all.
It also means that you are all going to have to lug around a Universal Dock and completely different cable kit from what you were using before
if you want to watch iPod Classic videos on your television.
If you would like to investigate further or read more reviews, just search
"ipod classic tv disabled" on your preferred search engine.
All the best.
 just as expected: lots of show, lots of go. November 14, 2007
Daniel Dalton
43 out of 44 found this review helpful
I record all my cds in Apple lossless format: you really can tell the difference! So, no downloading from i-tunes, just a permanent, can't-tell-the-difference on my expensive stereo, backup of all my CDs. Now I can get my whole collection onto one player, that's now 3500 songs, 87GB, give or take, and loads of room for more. I won't need more space for another few years: top stuff.
Sound quality is great. Sometimes a little bright through headphones, but with loads of deep bass and nice subtleties, often picking out detail in the high notes that the cd player doesn't translate. it is quieter than the older players, as noted elsewhere. decent headphones fix this (I use etymotic er6-i which are tuned for lower oomph devices, and cut out background noise really well) and this will still play uncomfortably loud (just: I must be getting old!) at full volume
It looks and feels good. the back scratches easily: I don't know why the high gloss chrome is chosen as it is so transient a finish. the display is nice, and doesn't scratch. I wonder if the full colour backlit screen is a bit unnecessary given that a monochrome, text based, display works so well, and efficiently. maybe if you wanted to select at-a-glance as you spin through songs and albums then it would be good, however, see my (and others') comment about lag and cover art. The different options as to how music is selected seem well sorted, better than in earlier generations. the controls are quite sluggish at times, which gets annoying, and I echo the cover-flow reservations expressed elsewhere: it can slow right down and then become less than useful. sometimes the delay is great enough to activate a surprise song. overall however, it's no big deal.
sync'ing appears noticably quicker and more straightforward than with my older ipod. probably all in my mind, but this is a sure sign of how smooth this is to use with PC.
battery life is as awesome as suggested, really nice compared to previous models.
the other bundled (non-music) stuff doesn't interest me, so no comments there. Overall, heartily recommended, at last an Ipod for audiophiles-lite
Problem Solved Thanks Steve Jobs September 8, 2007
Stephen Ansa-addo (London, United Kingdom)
34 out of 76 found this review helpful
The problem I have with my current 60Gb Photo Ipod is that, it's full up to the brim. Thus meaning no space for all the new singles/albums i've purchased. Enter my hero, an ipod with 160Gb memory. WOW! 40,000 tracks! Now some of you reading this review will probably be daunted by this huge number or question the point of such a large number. People like me will embrace this huge improvement in capacity for the following reasons.
1) You can now fit your whole music library in your pocket.
2) We are living in an exciting age of massive technological advancements where u can transport your favourite movies and Tv episodes wherever you're going. Apple have just introduced TV programmes into the UK itunes store. So now you have even more space for music, photos,etc.
3) The price may be a huge drawback, but think of it as an investment. Even if you only use this new 160Gb ipod for music purposes it'll be an extremely long time before you run out of space. Sounds good (pun intended), Don't you agree?
 Be aware if you like it LOUD ! ! ! October 15, 2007
Ian Wantling
31 out of 33 found this review helpful
This iPod is amazing as expected but has two (potentially serious) shotfsalls. I purchased it to replace my 5th generation 80gb model. The coverflow software is brilliant - displaying the album covers on the screen of your iPod is totally user friendly and easy to use.... but it is often slow and it sometimes looks as though the iPod is struggling to handle it. Also, I've experience several occasions where the album artwork simply disappears and you have to reinstall the artwork when next you sync the iPod to your pc.
My main complaint about this new classic model is that the maximum volume on it is MUCH lower than on its predecessor. It doesn't even sound as loud as my wife's nano. Having researched several forums it appears that Apple have incorporated a volume limiter into the firmware which severely limits the volume. The only way to bypass this is to listen via a Gear4 Blueye adaptor which clips into the pc connector of the iPod. The volume is not affected when listening to the iPod in this manner.
So, if you're after an iPod that will blow you away, you'll be diappointed with this one- it just hasn't got the power - go for the 5th gen 80gb instead. If you're not particular for a punchy volume level then you'll be happy with the Classic.
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