Audio Player, Video Player, Photo Viewer - 2.5" 77000 Pixel Color LCD - 3.50 Hour Audio - MPN: MB147LLA
Strengths: Better-looking interface graphics, face is less scratch-prone, cleaner sound
Weakness: Sometimes sluggish menu transitions, less responsive clickwheel
With the iPod Classic, the original, hard-drive based iPod gets a long overdue refresh (after the stopgap "5.5 G" update last year) with some promising features.
By far the biggest change is the interface. Finally making good use of the iPod's color screen, which heretofore wasn't much more than the original iPod interface in color, the Classic splits top-level menus into two panels, with menu titles on the left and floating graphics on the right. In the main menu with "Music" highlighted, the Classic automatically displays album artwork from your music files drifting along in the "Ken Burns" style that Apple has used for years in several of their software programs. Go down to "Extras" and you'll see an analog clock displaying the current time, complete with second hand. Further down the menu hierarchy, album covers are shown to the left of menu items in the Albums section. The interface refresh doesn't stop at the pretty graphics, though. The Albums and Songs sections shows the artist name under each album/song, while Playlists are shown with song count and Genres show artist and album counts, all rendered in crisp, easy-to-read type. Other areas, including the Photo section and the display of cover artwork while tracks are playing, also get a similar refresh, giving the iPod's interface a sleekness that has been a part of the player's physical appearance since the beginning. The biggest eye candy, though, is saved for the new Cover Flow feature. Added to iTunes last year, and previously available on Apple's iPhone, Cover Flow (accessible as its own submenu in the Music section) lets you browse music by using the clickwheel to push through album covers like a virtual CD rack. It's a beautiful effect, complete with reflections of artwork shown on the "surface" below the album covers (another Apple software graphic mainstay over the past few years), but, like the other interface enhancements, it appears that it comes with a price. Many of these visual flourishes are choppy and cause the iPod as a whole to become sluggish. I've often found delays when clicking on a menu item, where past iPods would jump to the next menu level immediately.
The iPod Classic's physical appearance continues in the trend of previous updates, packing more storage into less space. The lower-end 80 GB version packs as much storage as the previous higher-end iPod into the space of a 30 GB 5.5 G iPod. This feat is stupendous unto itself, but the thinness of the unit can make scrolling a little uncomfortable. Imagine circling your thumb while simultaneously pinching a half-inch notepad, and you'll have an idea of how arthritis-inducing the chore can be. On the other hand, the face's new anodized aluminum face is a welcome relief from previous iPods' scratch-prone lucite faces. This comes with the loss of the iconic white facade, but alas, progress much march on. That said, the chrome back, which is a magnet for both scratches and fingerprints, remains.
Also changed is the iPod Classic's clickwheel. The new ones seem to be less touch sensitive than before, which can make scrolling, especially in light of its thinness, oftentimes difficult and choppy. Then again, this comes after only a few days of using the new iPod, so I won't rule out the possibility of merely needing time to adjust to using more pressure than I'm used to.
Okay, but how does it sound? Looks and interface are great, but ultimately, it's a music player. To my completely untrained ears, music sounds "brighter" than my previous 5G iPod. Songs seem less muddy and compressed, but take this with a grain of salt, as I am using $30 headphones and am in no way an audio professional.
Bottom line: in spite of its interface shortcomings (some of which may be addressed by future software updates), the iPod Classic is still one of the best digital audio players out there. If you're a fan of the iPod and would like more than the relatively scant 16 GB that the iPod Touch offers, the Classic is a great choice.
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TopStrengths: EVERYTHING, looK, feel, LOUD, powerful, battery is awsome. Product is way more than just an MP3 player. Im sooo happy with it..
Weakness: Doesnt come with itunes but whatever just download it for free. Get new headohones if your running or active with it. Cover flow sluggishness has been fixed by at least 75% by apple.LOVE this ipod
If you buy this iPod I recommend getting a better set of headphones. Most importantly buy a case to hold your iPod in. I personally have the kind that wraps around my arm cause I workout and run so much. I’ve seen the Zune in person and the thing is kinda ugly compared to this iPod and it feels cheap; the iPod feels like a million bucks. Its slick and the wheel is 10 times better than what the Zune has to offer. This is something I’ve learned about apple, they are expensive but there products are high quality and will last a long time. Buyer beware apple products are addicting. I bought this iPod and now I’m looking into getting a new imac. I’ve been a windows user for 15 years. Soon that will change. Apples products are just simply amazing when you have time to review what they have to offer. Apple is taking over. Please realize the iPod 80 gig version is the best deal for your money when looking at all the iPods out so far. You get tons of memory for videos and music. I bought the cable that hooks my iPod to my TV and now I watch movies from my iPod on my TV. With the fifth gen iPod you could hook a cheap cable and do the same thing BUT the iPod classic u have to buy the 50 cable. Trust me this cable is worth it…When watching a video the battery drains MUCH faster than if you use the iPod as a music player, but this 50 dollar cable charges your iPod while you watch the video so you don’t have to worry about running out of battery in the middle of the movie. If you’re on the go,,, the video feature is really really cool. I didn’t think I would like it because the screen is small but really u don’t notice. Its perfect for long road trips. Load a few DVDs or TV shows in it and u have a portable media player as well as a music player on the go. If you’re thinking about getting a Nano vs the Classic, save your money and get the classic. The extra 50 dollars gets you another 72 gigs. I think the nanos are dedicated to girls because there pretty looking and smaller…But if you want the best bang for your buck get the classic. If you are a female reading this please don’t get offended but most girls get the nano because its smaller and cuter. Please realize 8 gigs is a lot of memory but its defiantly not 80 gigs, and for the money GET THE CLASSIC, it’s a little bigger but worth it….I forgot to say this ipod is also an external hard drive, it acts just like a flash drive or memory drive whatever u want to call it. The only thing is don’t edit the file while the file is on the iPods hard drive…Cut and paste the file to the desktop of the computer u want it on. Then edit the file,,,then cut and paste it back to the iPod hard drive. U have to do this..Dont EDIT the file on the iPod itself just use the iPod as a storing device. CUT AND PASTE THE FILE TO THE DESKTOP BEFORE EDITING THE FILE.
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TopStrengths: Great storage capacity.
Weakness: Small screen, Cannot use generic cables to connect to your TV.
Overall, this product is excellent. It has great storage capacity and great output. The screen is kind of small for viewing movies, but it still okay for most uses. I have been able to store a huge number of songs, tv shows and even quite a few movies on it and I still have plenty of space.
The one thing that surprised me and that I only found out by going to online forums was that the feature that allows you to connect the device to your television absolutely will not work unless you buy a special Apple cable at a cost of an additional $50. No other cable will work, I promise you. I tried and had to return 2 cables before I found this out. The "TV Out" feature will remain "OFF" unless you use this special cable with a microchip inside that recognizes the Ipod Classic. Many people in the other forums were very angry that Apple has done this.
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TopStrengths: Automatically syncs to I-Tunes. Easy to use and navigate. Lightweight. Large memory.
Weakness: I had some problems getting it to work with FM transmitter but I finally got it and it wasn't problems with the actual ipod.
This is my first ipod. I've had this ipod for about a month and have yet to have any problems. My only problem is most likely that I got one with a large capacity that I will prob never fill up. I think it's great that I can upload video, but have yet to try that. It has a very nice sleek design.
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TopStrengths: Glass screen and Metal case more durable then plastic. Lots of add-ons. 80 Gb is massive storage. More then enough. Looks very sexy in the palm of your hand. Bright screen. Stock Earphones are great.
Weakness: Sluggish cover flow and menu transitions. (Due to there being a HD in there.) My usage averages 16hrs MAX before Batteries need recharging. No case. Warranty sucks.
Overall I really like this iPod. Having to download iTunes is no big deal right now. At least they post it unlike Creative (You know what I mean). Having no stock case mean extra cash down but I usually don't use stock cases cuz then suck. The Earphones are pretty good. Plays video and movies very well. Audiobooks are great. No problems so far. And I have yet to have a freeze up so far. I went out and got a durable iNCASE case. Its like a tank now. If you need massive storage this is it. Oh and the stock games are a sweet way to pass the time.
Note: In the pic I included the the case I bought. There are tons of stock iPod pictures out there so look there.
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TopStrengths: Huge Capacity, Excellent Sound Quality, very slim and easy to carry and handle, easy user interface with split screen, artwork with navigation, quick search feature
Weakness: No Power adapter, No video ouput requires separate cable, Click lacks quick response and senstivity.
This is a great product. Has excellent battery life and huge capacity and light weight. Has bright LCD with split screen. Navigation with added artwork. Worth the price. Has 3 Games but no software provided for dvd to video uploads with conversions.
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TopStrengths: Very durable and solid construction. Sleek gadget feel. The video screen is crystal clear. The controls are very intuitive.
Weakness: The enclosed earphones are cheap. The screen could be larger for viewing video. Viewing video with this screen can be tiring if view for long hours.
Apple again has renovated an already great product with its overall construction to the intuitive controls and design. The presentation of the coverflow art makes it a joy to view it all the time. A great sleek gadget for anyone of all ages.
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TopStrengths: Capacity...Reliability...Compatibility with many accessories
Weakness: Haven't found a weakness yet.
Previously had purchased a Zune, but was very unhappy. After consulting friends, I chose the Ipod Classic instead. Plan to transfer all my old CDs and be able to listen to them while driving without having to do the "disc shuffle".
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TopStrengths: Intuitive, 80GB, screen is vivid, video mp3
Weakness: Screen size
Overall its a great product. Nice clear screen, reasonable battery time and good capacity. Great sound. Down side would be cost of unit acc. Battery not replacable, if it goes down so does the iPod.
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TopStrengths: Large hard drive, longer battery life, thinner and lighter than previous version. User interface has been inproved along with the capacity in such a compact model. Excellent sound quality, very slim and easy to carry and handle.
Weakness: Does not come with the iTunes CD, the soft covers for earphones, sleeve case for ipod missing, no FM, no built in speakers, clickwheel response sluggish as also the song artwork takes time to show up. Small screen, Cannot use generic cables to connect to
Apple again has renovated an already great product with its overall construction to the intuitive controls and design. The presentation of the coverflow art makes it a joy to view it all the time. A great sleek gadget for anyone of all ages.
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TopStrengths: Easy to use, Storage size, best on the market
Weakness: Ear buds, battery charge is not what they claim, case scrathes easy
I do love the ipod. This is the 4 one I have bought. they are very easy to use with the Itune program. I am running Vista now and at first itunes did not like it, but that has been fixed. You will need to get a better set of ear buds. They sound fine, but after a few minites they will start hurting if they manage to stay in your ear. If you run a video or game you can only expect about 3 hour of run time. Get a protective case to avoid scrathes.
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TopStrengths: Clear, bright screen; easy navigation; large storage capacity in a small size
Weakness: Only a usb cable and cheap headphones are included; exterior is prone to scratching (especially the polished backside)
If you're looking for an mp3/music player, this is almost a no-brainer. There's a reason Apple's iPod dominates the market. While the Nano is slightly smaller and cheaper, the Classic has at least 10x more capacity, which means plenty of room for even a large music collection, as well as videos, photos, your address book, and even text files. My only complaints are that it is very easy to scratch - you will definitely want a protective cover right away. Also, there unfortunately isn't any way to update song info or input text from the iPod itself, which would otherwise make this a perfect device.
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TopStrengths: Ease in syncing to library, colorful screen, good battery life, sleek design,
Weakness: Included earphones don't fit, lack of support material, movie playback glitch
I've been waiting for the "right" iPod to buy. I'm happy to report that this one was worth the wait. It has everything i hoped for, including a easy to navigate syncing process, long battery life, and nice design. My only complaints are that the earphones don't really fit my ears, the interface —while easy— takes a little while to get used to in terms of configuration, which is worsened by the lack of manual in the package. (Though there is one online.) Another problem I encountered was playing back a specific movie in which it would stop at a certain point during the movie, but that may just be an isolated problem. Overall though, I must say that I am pleased with this current iteration of the iPod.
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TopStrengths: Good battery life, light LCD screen, huge storage space
Weakness: Nil
This my 1st IPOD products. Decent MP3 player with huge storage space. Decent LCD screen for movie playback, but not perfect.
Decent battery life.
Overall, decent player, not a "wow" product.
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TopStrengths: high class appearance multi-functional features
Weakness: not very smoothly to operate by click wheel...
This is my first time to use Ipod. It is really good-looking, make me feel myself graceful when taking it with me. Besides, it includes multi-functional items, but these functions are easy to understand and operate. I enjoy having one. .
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TopStrengths: user interface has been inproved along with the copacity in such a compact model
Weakness: No wireless connectivty, AV output no longer available via head phone jack
I have been a great fan of the IPOD since its inception. This new model has me thinking of how far they have come and at the same time how far they still need to go. As they have increased the capacity and improved a bit of the user interface this model is missing some basic features that are becoming standard on mp3 players these days. I think this is a great investment for size but if you want FM and Wireless connection you might want to wait for the new ZUNE or Apples next next release.
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TopStrengths: * Roomy hard drive * Improved battery life * Improved graphical user interface * Lower price (the 5.5 gen iPod of the same capacity is still sold for $240 more)
Weakness: * This is silly, but the headphones that come with the device are still white
I purchased this iPod to replace my 5.5 generation 30GB model. I really like the improvements in the user interface including "Cover Flow" and visual album cover browse options. The search option is also a great help for someone with a larger collection. The battery life seems to be slightly batter than that of my 5.5 generation iPod. A generous drop in price of 80GB model make this unit a welcome upgrade for those, who have been approaching the storage capacity of their older units.
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TopStrengths: Large harddrive, user friendly new interface, longer battery life, thinner and lighter than previous version
Weakness: No power adapter, battery life not so good when playing videos
The new 6th generation Ipods are another great product by Apple and the best MP3 player you will find. The larger hard drive, new interface, smaller size and weight all make this a great uprade over the previous model. I would defiently reccommend this
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TopStrengths: I have had the old ipod 30gb and this new 80gb battery life is out of this world, brighter screen and easier to use.
Weakness: Volume on the unit is not so good, headphones need to be replaced, not a good sound.
I have had the old ipod 30gb and this new 80gb battery life is out of this world, brighter screen and easier to use. I am very happy with this new unit, works well and the look and brighter screen rocks!!!
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Audio is Average according to 7 MP3 Player experts. -- "Our CNET labs team found the 80GB iPod Classic is capable of 45 hours of audio playback and nearly 9 hours of video playback under realistic conditions."-reviews.cnet.com -- "sound as good as previous full-sized iPod."-macworld.com -- "audio quality has not improved."-reviews.cnet.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like...
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Testseek.com has collected 57 expert reviews for Apple Ipod Classic 6G 80GB / 160GB and the average expert rating is 82 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.
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Apple IPod Classic 80GB receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.95 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #17 hard drive MP3 player of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...
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With 80GB of storage, iPod classic gives your music and video room to move.
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Mixed Bag of good and the bad
Strengths: Well-priced, Sleek look, lightweight(not as light as nano though), all metal casing, a super bright screen, loads of storage space
Weakness: doesnt come with the iTunes CD, the soft covers for earphones, sleeve case for ipod missing, no FM, no inbuilt speakers, clickwheel response sluggish as also the song artwork takes time to show up!
I would like to start my review for this iPod by saying that I have owned a 30 GB video 5th gen iPod for 2 years which was stolen from me. When I saw that the prices on these classic iPods have been slashed because of iPod touch launch I decided to buy this one. I like it when taken for the overall look and feel needed in a MP3 player but as i have used iPod before there are some things that I noticed have changed
PROS:
1. Unbelievably slim for an 80 GB player.
2. All metal design is really impressive (less scratches).
3. Cover flow definitely adds a lot of pleasure to the user experience.
4. Preview for the selected menu option is impressive.
5. Excellent sound quality.
6. Great Battery life.
7. Great Extras (especially the games)
CONS:
1. Menu to Cover flow transition is slow.
2. If there is an album in which there are songs by various artists, the album shows up as many times as the number of artists in the cover flow mode.
3. Although certain photos get copied but they don't open but are are visible as thumbnails
4. Can't change EQ settings from a song. Need to go to the menu-> setings-> EQ to change it.
5. Artwork for certain albums don't show up even though iTunes shows them correctly.
6.Coverflow feature is something new in this ipod but it is slow and laggy. When I flow through albums all I see are "question mark albums" and it takes a few seconds for the actual album covers to replace the "question mark albums".
7.Games purchased from the iTunes store for older iPods ARE NOT compatible with the Classic
8. When charging the iPod via USB (using Vista) the backlight on the iPod is ALWAYS on and there is no way to turn it off.
9.The new iPod classic has a big problem for all users of the photo and video functions. You cannot display photos, videos or video podcasts on your TV screen, as you cannot change the TV out function on the iPod from OUT to ON.
All in all it is the best capacity Mp3 player in the market as compared to other brands but when it comes to Apple you just expect a lot and they need to live upto their name.
96% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
Nov 18, 2007
If you want to connect the new ipod classic to your television to watch video or see pics you absolutely MUST buy an Apple cable. Generic cables WILL NOT work. The Apple cable has a special chip that will recognize your ipod classic and allow the "Video Out" to be turned "ON" otherwise it will main "OFF" no matter what you do. This cable is able $50. Many people on other forums were quite upset when they found this out. So buyer beware!