Panting for an iPod! (O-1000 mention)
Panting for an iPod!
(deBeer)
With 30 gigabytes and a less shocking sticker price, the third-generation Apple music player puts the competition on ice.
By Shoshana Berger, May 07, 2003
I've written about my iPod envy before. What kept me from nabbing one upon launch was the exorbitant price for what seemed like a 'Walkman 2.0.' But now, having tested most other players, including e.Digital's Odyssey 1000 and the Nomad Zen from Creative Labs (which, like clockwork, just released a 60-gigabyte model for $100 less than Apple's (AAPL) 30GB iPod), I'm convinced that the iPod is worth the extra scratch. Why pay so much more? Because Apple's version is still the only one that works on both Macs and PCs, the only one that includes a date book and calendar, and the only one so attractive it could be part of the design collection at the Museum of Modern Art.
Before we even get to the player itself, some ink must be spilled about the packaging. When you unwrap your brand-new iPod, just as you notice how much thought must've gone into the way the case reveals the music player on one side and all the accessories in silver-lined packets on the other, you see the protective plastic sheeting. It reads -- from God's, er, Jobs's lips to our ears -- 'Don't steal music' and then repeats the message in three other languages. This message speaks to the recent launch of Apple's music-industry-friendly, 99-cents-per-song iTunes service. I gave the point-of-sale download a spin, and it worked handily, importing directly to an iTunes playlist.
The iPod is now available in 10GB, 15GB, and 30GB versions, all in black or white, and all more svelte than the original. With the 15GB and 30GB models, you also get a docking station with a connection for speakers, a stiff nylon carrying case, and a wired remote. One of the most noteworthy interface improvements over the last generation is the 'no moving parts' scroll wheel that's flush with the surface of the unit (a feat no competitor has yet managed to imitate).
I transferred almost 5 gigs' worth of songs in about five minutes, and with OS X's iSync, I can automatically upload all my contacts and appointments (even from Microsoft's (MSFT) Entourage software). It's a trifle annoying that iTunes opens and syncs all of your new songs every time you plug in -- making you wait until it's done to get your music on -- but switching into manual mode gives you more control.
Finally, the iPod's new backlight, with its glowing red buttons, makes for easier midnight music binges. My aural fixation just got worse.
Apple iPod: $299 for 10GB, $399 for 15GB, and $499 for 30GB. Available at www.apple.com.
AI
