iPod best bang for the buck ipod?

[solchitlins]

Thinking about getting a ipod to use with my new imac.
I used to have a sansa clip but broke it.
I mainly rip and listen to audiobooks.
Any suggestions on what Ipod I should be looking for, refurbished deals etc...?
Thanks

 

[miles01110]

Whatever one you want. If you're primarily looking for audiobooks I'd skip the touch and the shuffle, but the nano or the classic would both be fine.

 

[gan6660]

I would also skip the shuffle but any of the other 3 are perfect. How much were you looking to spend?

 

[BlackiBook]

If you don't care how old it is why not look on CL for some cheap older generation iPods! I just got a 3rd gen ipod 40gb for $20!

 

[Primejimbo]

120 GB Classic in the refurbished store is a great deal. I think the classic line now are the best bang for the buck.

 

[instaxgirl]

Something with flash memory for audiobooks.

Every now and then my hard drive iPod has problems with audiobooks (it'll suddenly stop playing and kick me back to the home screen, and forget its place). It's a sporadic problem and I have no idea what causes it, but I've never experienced it with flash based iPods. I've spent a lot of time on forums about it, no one knows what it is.

Get the nano or the shuffle if you just want it for audiobooks. Lower memory isn't really a worry since they can take up less space than music anyway (lower quality being ok for spoken word)

 

[cjmillsnun]

Something with flash memory for audiobooks.

Every now and then my hard drive iPod has problems with audiobooks (it'll suddenly stop playing and kick me back to the home screen, and forget its place). It's a sporadic problem and I have no idea what causes it, but I've never experienced it with flash based iPods. I've spent a lot of time on forums about it, no one knows what it is.

Get the nano or the shuffle if you just want it for audiobooks. Lower memory isn't really a worry since they can take up less space than music anyway (lower quality being ok for spoken word)

I get that occasionally with my 5G and music. I think it's the hard drive beginning to give out..

 

[solchitlins]

If you don't care how old it is why not look on CL for some cheap older generation iPods! I just got a 3rd gen ipod 40gb for $20!

Yeah nothing that good on my craigslist.
There's a 30gig classic for $75 here

 

[BlackiBook]

Yeah nothing that good on my craigslist.
There's a 30gig classic for $75 here

Yeah I understand, I just watch my local CL like a hawk! I am trying to get one of every iPod and build a working ipod "museum"! Just keep looking you might find an awesome deal!

 

[solchitlins]

I found a ipod on craigslist. It listed as a orange 4gig, did they even make an orange 4gig ? I'm thinking it might be a misprint and actually 16?

never mind I called and the guy said it didn't say how many gigs it was on the back and it was a gift, screams fake to me. There's also a guy selling nanos that look legit but have usb and headphone logos on the back, those are probably fake too?

 

[solchitlins]

I think I have decided on getting a refurbished Nano from the apple store after seeing a bunch of fakes on craigslist/ not worth the risk. And the classic might be a little less comfortable from carrying around every day and probably would drop it etc.

So now I need to decide on $100 for the 8gig or $130 for the 16gig?
What to do?

My first instinct is to just get the 8 gig, because if I'm going for the nano then it's not like I'm putting all my music collection on there anyways right?

But maybe the 16gig is better for road trips and stuff.

 

[184550]

If you can spare the extra $30, go ahead and get the 16gig. It's not like the extra space will hurt anything and it'll give you room to expand in the future.

 

[solchitlins]

yeah but the frugal side of me is saying that's 1/3 of the price more.

 

[aross99]

How big is your music library now? 8Gb is a bunch of music - especially if you are Ok with it not being your whole library...and if you don't load video...

 

[solchitlins]

well I have about 300 cd's I want to eventually rip, so I don't have to lug them around anymore. Maybe I should just get the classic and be done with it.

 

[godslabrat]

The Nano is, IMO, the best bang-for-the-buck iPod. If your primary focus is music, it gets you a flash-based player with fairly high capacity for under $200. It's my default recommendation for anyone buying an iPod without specific needs.

If you need massive storage, such as entire seasons of TV shows or thousands of CDs worth of music, get a classic.

If you need more than just an audio/video player, get a Touch or iPhone.

If you need to buy something that's totally useless, get a Shuffle. People with first-gen Zunes will be laughing at you.

...but failing any of those caveats, get a Nano. For an even better deal, wait for a refurb.

 

[BlackiBook]

well I have about 300 cd's I want to eventually rip, so I don't have to lug them around anymore. Maybe I should just get the classic and be done with it.

I am probably just weird but I use multiple iPods everywhere! I have a 40gb that stays in the car at all times, 4gb that sits at the office, and many others.... That being said, why not get the classic now so you can load everything you want onto it, and keep your eyes out for a cheap nano or mini to keep you audiobooks and some of your favorite songs? That way you have the best of both worlds? I got a mini for 5 dollars on CL and a 6gb CF card for 15 put them together and I got a 6gb Flash Mini for 20 bucks! Trust me you can go cheap!

 

[puma1552]

If you can't fit your whole collection on a given iPod, there's no point to said iPod IMO.

Classic>>>>>nano

 

[0098386]

Best bang for pound sterling?
I'd say the Classic. But my needs revolve around storing all my music content and picking "the best of" my video content. 120gb for ~£200 is quite a win in my book.

The Nano has more features but less space to fully use them.

 

[solchitlins]

yeah, classic is looking better and better when I compare it to the refurbished 16gb nano at $130 and the refurbished 120gb classic is $189.

but worried about audiobooks, been reading about problems with audiobooks on the hard drive based ipods?

I'm really into ripping audiobook cds from my library. Will audiobook builder fix these concerns?

 

[aery]

Mmm, I've never tried out audiobooks so I can't answer for that but I have a 120GB Classic and it's awesome! I've had a few iPods and even though each had more storage than the last, it still quickly became not enough. With my Classic I'll never have to worry about not having enough space. For all the storage you get, the refurb is a great deal

 

[solchitlins]

Well, I know it's not the best bang for the buck but I ended up ordering a 4g refurbished 16gb silver nano.

I figure it's the best compromise for ease of carrying to the gym, enough music for a couple day road trip with still room for a few audiobooks and extras.



Now should I buy a silicone protective case thing or just a screen sticker thing or just use it as is?

Thanks

 

[Michael CM1]

I'd recommend an iPod touch. You and others may say you'll never use any apps, but you'll go app crazy once you get one. You should check Apple's site for refurbs and try to save about $30.

 

[0098386]

I'd recommend an iPod touch. You and others may say you'll never use any apps, but you'll go app crazy once you get one. You should check Apple's site for refurbs and try to save about $30.

This is true, however once that passed I didn't bother with apps again. I know some people swear by them but if you want an MP3 player - the Touch is not the way to go. It's the most awkward interface out of all of the iPods for one.

Good choice on the Nano. Personally I've never had a problem with audiobooks on my 5.5G (not used a Classic). And if 16gb is enough for you then you've made a good choice!

 

[solchitlins]

Thanks.

The touch doesn't interest me at all.
I want a MP3 player not a touch screen PDA thats missing a phone.
Just kidding,

but really I'm never going to watch vids, record lectures, play games, count steps or any of the other things they can do. I just want to listen to music and audiobooks.

My phone has a camera, video camera and can go online sort of with opera. Guess how many times I have used those features in the last few years?
Never.

Same with my old sansa clip, it had a radio and I never used it too.

I guess I'm showing my age but all those extras just scream annoying to me. The only thing that seems cool to me on any of them is being able to see the album cover art while scrolling and syncing with itunes.