iPod questions...

[misanthrope]

...Been thinking lately about getting one of these gizmos. I have become enamored of the idea of carrying my music collection around with me.

I'm thinking the 30GB model would suffice for the size of my collection; don't really give a damn about video whatsoever.

Couple of questions: anyone have any experience with these? Drawbacks?

I also don't dig earphones too much as they bother my tinnitus. What is involved in getting the capacity to play this thing over the sound system in my car? Cost? Hassle?

What about the same for home stereo use? Is there any kind of conversion needed or can you just "line in" to an existing system somehow?

[GOPisEvil]

1. Some answers

Car audio: you have 3 choices. Cassette adapter, if you have a cassette player. FM modulator. If you don't live in a very urban area, this will work. It broadcasts a localized FM signal that plays through your car radio on a frequency you choose. Or, you can buy a new car stereo with RCA connectors in the back, and wire up a cable that will allow you to plug into your iPod.

Home: I play my iPod on my home stereo using a RCA to 3mm cable. The cable is 8ft long, so I can sit in my favorite chair, with the iPod in my hand.

[huskerlaw]

5. Seconded

But if you live an an urban area, or a rural area where the stations you do have cut in and out a lot (like, between 2 metro areas), the FM transmitter thingy is for SHIT. I used to live in Nebraska, where there are empty airwaves a-plenty, and was extremely frustrated with the FM transmitter. The signal strength would change as I drove across town. I also found that even when the signal was fine, there's an irritating low hum. Now that I live in Los Angeles, I don't even bother.

If your car has a cassette player, the cassette adaptor is fabulous.

Another option for home is a docking station with speakers. There are quite a few different brands. Bose makes one for about $400 and it comes with a remote.

[wildeyed]

12. I have a cheapy portable docking station from Altec.

I love it. You can plug it in or use it with 4 AA batteries. I put rechargeable batteries in, and they appear to re-charge automatically when I play the unit with the plug, in addition to recharging the iPod. I tote it around the house with me while I am cleaning or whatever. When I travel the whole unit folds flat for easy storage.

[REP]

17. I Have a JBL OnStage - Loooooooove It

It syncs, charges and sounds great, plus it's small enough for my desktop. Not cordless, though.

[huskerlaw]

20. Really??

Good to know! ...runs off in search of Altec docking station... ;)

[wildeyed]

21. Well you know....

you really can't have too many iPod accessories. One of the kids dangled the ear buds in the dog's water dish yesterday, so I suppose I will be shopping for new earphones next :(

[democracyindanger]

2. ^ nailed it, but generally

if you can think of something you want to do with an iPod, somebody's already made the accessory to do it.

[ghostsofgiants]

3. I'm getting one too soon, though I have reservations...

My two biggest complaints are that they don't support OGG-Vorbis playback (which probably won't affect you) and a lack of gapless playback. I'm also not too keen on having to use iTunes (or ephPod or some other software) to put music onto it, I'd prefer drag and drop, but I'm sure I can live with it.

If those things don't bother you, go for it. Hell, they bug the hell out of me but I'm still going for it, haha.

[REP]

6. Gapless = Silence Between Tracks?

If so, there's a couple of ways to fix that in iTunes.

If it isn't, I am clueless.

[ghostsofgiants]

7. Gapless = No silence between tracks

[REP]

13. I Was Close (Duh!)

Anyway, yes, there's a variety of ways to change that in iTunes. If you want, I can tell you how.

Quick primer:

1. "Merge Tracks"

2. Crossfade playback

3. Track stop/start

[ghostsofgiants]

14. More details?

[REP]

15. Such As?

Be specific!

Set crossfade playback in preferences

Merge tracks is in advanced

Track stop/start is ctl I, options on track

(note: I have a 6G mini; nano may have some other options specific to it)

[ghostsofgiants]

16. I'm not sure, I still don't have mine yet.

I'm just wondering how much of a hassle it is to do this.

[REP]

18. For Me, None

But I'm an iTunes uberdork.

On edit: I bet once you get one, you'll be surprised how much you like it, despite your initial reservations. Pods are great, and iTunes is both simple and very flexible.

[ghostsofgiants]

19. I'll just have to wait and see I guess.

[misanthrope]

8. What's your beef with iTunes?**nm

*

[ghostsofgiants]

9. It's unnecessary. Drag-and-drop capabilities would make life much easier.

[no name no slogan]

10. I thought I'd hate iTunes too

after using MusicMatch Jukebox since version 5.x and doing the drag-n-drop for my previous MP3 player (a Diamond Rio PSP 600-- I was an "early adopter"). However, I have to say now that iTunes is probably the best music management software out there today.

Using iTunes is not a whole lot different from drag-n-drop. You can grab songs off your library and just drag them over to the iPod icon and they copy right over.

Give it a try, and you'll become a junky, too.

[ghostsofgiants]

11. I've used it, and I don't hate it or anything...

But my music collection is really well organized as it is, I just see it as an unnecessary middleman.

[flamingyouth]

4. I just bought an iPod Nano yesterday and love it

:)

[Idylle Moon Dancer]

23. me too (not yesterday, however. YesterMonth?)

I like it, and I likely wouldn't have discovered these bands that I haven't been able to listen to anything else but for the past few weeks had I not had itunes: Garmarna and Triakel (now there's a well crafted sentence)

[purr]

22. Ordered my black ipod 2 days ago - got it today,

So far so good!!