Monday, July 19, 2004
Apple's 10gb iPod: Does The Legend Measure Up to the Product?
Posted by Kent Pribbernow in "HARDWARE" @ 12:00 PM
Sync and Listen
Setting up your iPod couldn’t be simpler. Just plug the dock connector to a Firewire port (Mac) and iTunes will launch. The PC version will prompt you to slip in the included CD which contains a Windows installer. Give your iPod a name and register online. Once all those details are out of the way, you can begin copying your music to the audio player. If you haven’t yet created a music library on your computer, now is the time to start. Just slap in a CD or two into the tray, and start ripping tracks to your playlist.
With over 10GB of storage, there is a decent amount of space for any modest sized CD collection. Unless you have volumes the size of the Library of Congress, space really shouldn’t be an issue with either the 15 or 20GB versions of the iPod. But if you can afford the cost, go for higher end iPod models. 40GB is currently top of the line.
Audio quality is superb. With a built-in equalizer accessible from the settings menu, you can choose from a large selection of presets including; Classical, Rock, Hip hop, Electronic, R&B, etc. Volume is very loud and offers good fidelity. Music piping through the headphone jack sounds rich and full with no loss or audio artifacts like cracking or popping.
iTunes
iPod syncs natively with Apple’s own jukebox software, iTunes. Available for both Windows and Mac, iTunes serves multiple purposes including: allowing users to manage, organize, and playback music on their PC or Mac, and serve as a portal to the iTunes Music Store where users can purchase and download “legal” music tracks for $.99. Apple is fighting hard against music piracy, and iTunes offers a compelling user experience and high quality audio.
All audio tracks are encoded in AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), though iPod is capable of playing MP3 audio as well. In addition, Audible books can also be played back on the device and purchased directly from iTunes Music Store as well.
I’ll be posting my iTunes review in the coming days. So keep watching.
