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chrisparr

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 10, 2008
126
0
Hi all,

Just wanted to know your comments as to how you find the iPhone as a music player vs the iPod (UI-wise).

I ask as I've never used an iPod, but this week I've borrowed my wife's and I've found the click wheel interface brilliant. Obviously the iPhone doesn't have one of those, so how do they compare from a usability point of view?

Thanks in advance

C
 
I use my iPhone as an iPod for about 5 hours straight every night at work and I find it excellent. I dont use my 3rd gen Nano anymore at all now since I got the iPhone. The interface is excellent, very easy to pick up and find exactly what you want.. and its a pleasure to browse your music, vids and podcast collection. The battery life is also fantastic, especially considering Im using an iPod all night and a phone during the day.

If I had to criticise, it would be that the iPhone includes every artist in its Artists list... this can be annoying when you have compilation CD's with various artists on them. For example I have a ministry of sound compilation and so my Artist list is filled up with everything from the Ministry CD's. Its not a huge problem but it is a step back from the Nano, which doesnt put Compilation artists in the main Artist list.
Other than that though its great :)
 
I run the battery down on my iPhone almost every day and its usually due to many many hours of iPod usage. The UI is fantastic with only 1, yes count it 1, minor hiccup in design, relating to cover flow view and returning to the main iPod navigation page. (Although Apple did produce a quick fix for this by adding the home button ipod controls)

It is a great iPod. Now all they have to do is release one with storage over 30 gigs and it will be the best iPod. Period.



P.S. Here is detailed explaination of the above issue:

I often mount the iPhone in landscape view while in the car for playing video. Passengers marvel at it, I enjoy listening to much video while driving. The problem here is if you navigate to Artists in the iPod menu, or another category that has COVER FLOW VIEW, it is impossible to return to the rest of the iPod options (songs, playlists, videos, podcasts) without rotating the phone back to portrait view. This is because cover flow is accessed by rotating from portrait to landscape, therefor the only to return to normal view is reverse the action.

This "problem" isn't really a bug, but more of an inconvenience if you start in and would like to remain in landscape view.
 
I use mine at work, to filter out the office kn0bs around me - and it is awesome.
I don't think I could get on with a click wheel interface. It looks, so - well, old fashioned :eek:

I even use mine at the gym now and again.

Touch and a large screen are the way forward for me.
 
I use mine also at work all day. I purchased the HoMedics Clock Radio and just drop my iPhone on to it when I get to work in the morning and it plays alllllll day long. At night when I walk the dog, I open one of my audio books and get my bed time (Louis Lamour) story read to me.

My 5th gen iPod is sitting in my pack as a back up music storage divice now.
 
the iPod is probably the best app on the iPhone, IMO. I have had iPods since 2001 and upgraded almost every year when they came out with something new. I think the 160gb classic is the last true iPod I will ever buy though. Aside from storage, the iPhone kicks any other iPod's (excluding the iPod touch) ass! And eventually the flash based iPhone will catch up with the HDD in the storage department.
 
As a standalone iPod, it's the best so far. Only storage is holding it back in that respect and 16GB is the minimum most would accept(me included, so all is good.
The UI is better than my older 5th Gen iPod Video, and I prefer the form factor and weight of the iPhone, compared to the iPod Touch(which I used to have).

Also, the headphone jack is on the top(wtf were :apple: thinking by placing the jack on the bottom of the Touch and Nano?) of the device and it's the only iPod to have an external speaker - perfect for showing friends videos from YouTube! :D

"We're very happy with this. It's the best iPod we've ever made." - Steve Jobs, Macworld Expo, 2007. ;)
 
I use mine at work, to filter out the office kn0bs around me - and it is awesome.

How did people filter out the No Talent Ass Clowns at work before iPods? I just wish Bose made bluetooth over-the-ear headphones (I don't know if they do or not) and they would work with this so I didn't have a near-catastrophe every day when the headphone cord gets a kink.
 
works brilliantly as an iPod in my opinion, the only thing ive found is when its being used through my car changing track is alot more difficult because of no physical buttons, thats possibly the one area where my little old nano won!
 
About a week ago I used a friend's FULL 80gig iPod, and it took way too long to scroll through to a song I wanted.

That was after I tapped on the screen a couple times, and couldn't figure out why nothing was happening.
 
Personally I think the iPhone iPod is a lot faster and easier to use. I tent to mess up alot with the wheel on the normal iPod. I usually go over what I want and I have to go back and forth all the time. IMO iPhone is easier.
 
About a week ago I used a friend's FULL 80gig iPod, and it took way too long to scroll through to a song I wanted.

That was after I tapped on the screen a couple times, and couldn't figure out why nothing was happening.

lmao I know the feeling! every time I use my old 1st gen nano or my (hated) Vista PC, I always touch the screen to click on stuff, and look like a complete retard.
 
Thanks for the comments guys.

It clearly sounds very usable as a music player.

C
 
Well seen as now my iPod has got the 1418 error, and at AppleCare they just said I can't get it fixed as it is 1 week out of warrenty (damn)..

I'm using my iPhone as my iPod now.
 
If I get a 16gb iPhone then I'll likely drop back to my 80gb one (I have 25gb of music) when needed. If they do release a 32gb iPhone then I don't know what'll happen to my iPod. Poor thing.
 
Hi,

I think the iPhone works GREAT as an iPod. CoverFlow makes it even easier to go through your music... my only complaint is that the iPhone doesn't support normal mini-jacks, which means you'll have to purchase an adapter to use actual quality headphones (the included ones really suck and are useless for anything but making calls IMO)
 
if you're using it while running or working out it doesn't work as good as a regular ipod and seems to fragile for me so i guess thats my 2 cents
 
Pretty much the reason I bought my iPhone.. Sounds dumb i know but i hate having 3 items in my pocket.

Now since I have had my iPhone the feature I use less than anything is the internet. Cool for weather, looking up news, and checking out some things on the net, but honestly Im using the Video functions more than ever. Even in my house.

I have a 57DLP TV but I watch more iPhone TV than anything else because I can watch tv anywhere! I downloaded some shows from itunes and converted a ton of others from my collection and I cant get enough...

I use the MP3 player almost daily walking around or at work hooked up to my speakers.

I bought an 8 Gig refurb and I have to tell you I have 12 Hours of music on it, and over 6 hours of Video, and I still have some space left over for my jailbreak apps, which honestly pretty much suck except the themes.

Hell yes go get a 249.99 refurbished iPhone and enjoy it today you can always sell it for 150.00 on ebay in 6months!!!!!
 
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