Apple 80GB Classic iPod: A Gadget That’s Worth The Hype!

I digitized my music collection in my first year of college after space and time constraints made juggling my CD collection increasingly frustrating. The transition coincided with my discovery of iTunes; this fabulous music player and organizational program. I can count on a single hand the number of physical CDs I’ve purchased since that time. Since ripping the CDs I had, I’ve stuck to digital purchases. Three years ago I had purchased an Apple iPod Photo. This little device served well as my gym companion, a source for car music, and personal audio player at home.

My fiance had an iPod that was a bit older than mine (second generation). He upgraded it in March with a brand new Apple 80GB Classic iPod. I was very impressed by it and envied the video capabilities. My fiance was thrilled that he would have movies and shows to watch on our six-hour honeymoon flight.

A few weeks later, a friend was talking about his love for the Apple Store. He had just purchased a new iPod Nano and traded in his old one for a discount. I had been unaware that Apple runs a recycling program that provides customers with 10% discount off of any new iPod when they bring in an old one at the time of purchase (in any condition). By the end of the day, I was a proud owner of a new Apple 80GB Classic iPod.

Design
Apple seems to have started the trend of sleek designs and has continued it with the Classic iPod. I had been impressed with my iPod Photo, yet it seems cumbersome in comparison with this my new one. Despite the increasing capacities, they continue to make the iPod thinner. My 60GB iPod Photo was thicker than the new 160GB Classic iPods. This iPod fits nicely in my small hands measuring only 4.1 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.41 inches deep. It weighs only 4.9 ounces. It’s small enough to throw it in my pocketbook and bring it wherever I go.

The Classic iPod is available in two colors. I purchased the silver one and my fiance purchased the black one. The color is limited to the front of the iPods, while the back is metallic. The back scratches and picks up fingerprints easily so I highly recommend getting a case for it. The iPod has been durable enough to be tossed around in my bag without problems, but a case would help protect it from damage as well.

The front of the iPod features a high quality 2.5” LCD screen. It is vibrant and sharp. Size-wise, it was perfect for personal video and picture viewing. Similar to previous iPod incarnations, the touch wheel of this iPod is centered under the screen. This wheel is white on the silver model and black on the black model. The top of the iPod is the site of the hold button and headphone jack. The port for the power adaptor and USB cable is on the bottom.

Capability
What began as a music player has now evolved into a personal media center. The Classic iPod can play music as all previous iPods could. It supports MP3, MP3 VBR, AAC, Protected AAC, Audible 2, 3 and 4, Apple Lossless and AIFF audio file formats. The sound quality has significantly improved since the last one I owned. The bass sounds deeper and lacks that “tin” quality. The accompanying headphones have also been improved both in design (the new ear buds are much more comfortable) and sound quality. My music collection is compromised of many different genres, including rock, alternative, pop, rap, R&B, Latin, classical, punk, big band, and more. So far I have not found any song that didn’t sound right coming out of my iPod. Music can be played from playlists you create, by album, artist, genre, and any other way you typically play music on iTunes. There is also a shuffle mode. The shuffle is better than on previous iPods, but I still find that once an artist is played the artist is more likely to show up again during that shuffle. If you load some music on your iPod that you wouldn’t want to play normally in shuffle mode (like Holiday music in the middle of July) you can set an option for each or multiple songs to “skip when shuffling.” Playing music was not interrupted by jostling around while I jogged on a treadmill.

The second functionality added to the iPod was photo storage and viewing. This iPod has that capability as well. JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD and PNG image formats are supported. The photos look great on the high quality screen. I was able to eliminate all of the pictures in my wallet. Now if someone wants to see our engagement pictures, photos of my nieces and nephews, or images of our puppy, I can whip out my iPod.

Video playing is the newest feature added to the iPod line and combined with iTunes now offering television shows, movies, and rentals, it has become a primary use for my new iPod. The screen is large for a personal device, especially an mp3 player, but a tad to small to be used by more than one person. Luckily my fiance and I each have our own! The video file formats supported include H.264 (high-definition), MPEG and MPEG-4.

As if the iPod hasn’t justified its purchase already by eliminating your need to carry a portable CD player, a portable DVD player, a case of CDs and DVDs, and your photo album, it can also replace your cell phone games. This iPod comes pre-loaded with several games including the trivia game iQuiz, which has provided me with hours of entertainment (sad, I know). The game has several modes. Some test you on trivia about movies, television shows, and music. One bases itself off of the music and information in your iPod. It might show you an album cover and ask you to name it or ask you to choose which album a song it plays is from. Other games for the iPod are available through the iTunes store.

Operation
Setting up the iPod, maintaining it, and adding your multimedia to it is easy. Everything is well explained. Simply download iTunes for free from Apple.com, connect your iPod with the included USB cable (one end plugs into the iPod, the other end plugs into the computer’s USB 2.0 port) and follow the directions. The program itself is the most efficient and user-friendly media player I’ve used, which certainly makes using it for the iPod easier. Upon connecting your iPod, a page comes up that summarizes the status of your iPod. It will tell you if you need to update its firmware (performed with the click of a button) and how much space is available. Disconnecting the iPod is another simple task and takes less time than it did with my old iPod.

Operating the iPod is also easy enough for anyone to do. The touch wheel, center button, and hold button are the only controls on the whole gadget. I found the touch wheel to be more sensitive than that on my old iPod. I usually overshoot the menu item I’m aiming for by one. The menus are easy to navigate so watching videos, playing music, and viewing pictures are all simple tasks to perform. The settings are self explanatory and easy to adjust.

The way this iPod controls was my main reason for choosing it over the new touch iPods. I hate touch screens! I'm not sure whether the blame should be placed on my clumsy features or under-developed touch technology, but I can't operate them! The screens pick up fingerprints as well; quite irritating.

Capacity
This Classic iPod has a capacity that is a little less than 80 gigabytes, since some is delegated to the formatting and firmware on the iPod. This is sufficient for users who wish to carry their entire music library with them on the go, while the Nanos hold only a small portion. 80GB can hold approximately 20,000 songs, 100 hours of video, or 25,000 average-size digital photos. Currently I have 7,000 songs, 62 pictures, and 1 movie on my iPod with plenty of space to spare.

Battery Life
The Classic iPod uses a proprietary lithium ion rechargeable battery. The battery life has been improved on this model from previous iPods. I charge my battery every week, even with my moderate usage. It boils down to about 20-25 hours of usage. The battery drains faster when you’re pressing the button a lot (scrolling through the menus often or playing games). It also drains slightly faster playing video than music.

Charging the iPod can be performed with a wall charger or the included USB cable. The former does so much faster (less than an hour), but the USB charging is great when you need to fiddle around with your music or update your iPod anyway. The iPod can be played while charging, regardless of what method you’re using. I had a wall charger from my previous iPod (accessories need not be turned in to receive the discount), but it is available for $29.00 at Apple.com

What’s In The Box
Apple 80GB Classic iPod
Earphones
USB 2.0 Cable
Dock Adaptor
Quick Start Guide

Price
This iPod is priced at $249.99. I received a 10% discount for trading in my old iPod. I think it was a great value and I’m glad Apple’s iPod prices have gotten more reasonable. My iPod photo which had a smaller capacity and more limited capabilities cost $399.99 at the time of purchase.

Accessories
A must-have accessory is a case to protect it. I purchased a Digital Life Outfitters Leather HipCase from Best Buy for mine. My fiance found a clear, plastic, form-fitting case for his. I would also highly recommend the previously mentioned wall charger. Speaker docs are available for playing the iPod as well. These work well in place of a stereo with a CD player. We purchased an Altec Lansing inMotion IM7 Docking Station for ours and love it. Some cars now come with iPod playing capabilities or auxiliary jacks to plug the iPod into. For cars without these features, an FM Transmitter can broadcast the iPod’s audio to your FM radio for easy playing through your car speakers.