New iPod impressions WAS: Re: [CUBE] itunes4

[mentholiptus]

On Sunday, May 4, 2003, at 04:57  PM, Daniel Love wrote:

> Tell us 2nd generation iPod owners more stuff about the 3rd. Are the 
> buttons as sensitive as the Cube? Have you found the remote useful? 
> Are the headphones still the same?

PROS:

Button layout is perfect. Even though the scroll wheel is stationary, 
it almost feels like it moves...very smooth.

The overall form factor is leagues better than the previous generation 
iPods. Although they look similar, the rounded edges and new button 
layout go a long way to make it feel like a whole new player. I don't 
think it could ever get much smaller than this and still leave you all 
the function  it does at the tip of your thumb. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW 
SMALL IT IS/FEELS!

http://homepage.mac.com/mentholiptus/15and20size.jpg

The hold button is PERFECT. The previous gen iPod's hold button would 
rattle when you moved the unit...making it sound like something was 
loose inside...no more. It looks good, blends into the design, and has 
the perfect tension. Feels very solid.

All the little details Apple massaged into this build are what make it 
so amazing.

The new backlight is amazing, as are the new prefrences for it. I have 
it set to turn on the backlight anytime I hit a key, and then shut off 
20 seconds after I stop using it. The new light is easy on the eyes as 
well. Now if the backlight is on in a bright environment, you won't 
even notice it until the room dims. And the amber glow of the buttons 
is absolutely beautiful. Very nice in the dark.

http://homepage.mac.com/mentholiptus/15and20lights.jpg

You've all seen the new menu options, and the on the go playlist, so 
I'm not even going to deal with it here.

The Dock is great. I almost went for the 10gb model, but decided $100 
was worth the case, remote, extra 5gb, and the dock. It has a rubber 
bottom to keep it from sliding on whatever surface you plant it on, and 
when you pop your iPod into it, it makes a cool atari type sound to let 
you know it's made the connection and it's ready to go. Finally a nice 
place to set your iPod while it charges! Also lets heat dissapate 
better, and I've noticed this iPod doesn't get as hot...but maybe 
that's just me. I haven't tried it on my home stereo yet, but I'm sure 
it's great.

Not very important, but nice...Apple includes a port cover for the new 
firewire port thingy on the bottom. It fits nice, and seems like it'll 
never fall out. A small detail, but something many will appreciate. (I 
almost didn't even realize they were in the box.)

I owned 3 different cases for my 5gb iPod, and each of those allowed me 
to access the buttons and see the screen, so I figured I'd hate this 
case and need a new one as soon as a few were designed, however, with 
those old cases, my iPod NEVER saw the light of day! Plus, I personally 
feel like the Apple included case is of much higher quality than any of 
the others. The new iPod fits in it very snug. I don't think I'll buy 
any other cases for this iPod.


CONS:

A few annoyances. If you don't lock the player once you're ready to 
rock,  and you so much as brush one of the buttons your skipping 
tracks, cutting the voulme, pausing, etc... The buttons are very 
sensitive at times...but after awhile of playing with it, they do 
become natural. They are about like the G4 Cube's on/off switch.

My girlfriends 15gb iPod locked up randomly while playing so she 
unlocked the hold and the buttons would click when she touched them, 
but nothing would happen on screen. Menu + Play worked like a charm, 
but still...at one point in the day I had it on hold while listening, 
and when I took it off hold, it seemed to still think it was on hold 
and wouldn't let me control it. Switching hold on and off a few times 
freed me up.

That's it. Those are my only complaints.


Any specific questions?



jesse





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