Apple iPod Video 5th Generation Black (60 GB) MP3 Player

Once upon a time, I had a lovely Creative Labs Zen Xtra with a massive (at least at the time) 30GB storage space. That was some 2 years ago. A few months ago, I went to turn it on after charging it and, alas, it would not. There is probably only an issue with the battery but because MP3 players have improved so significantly in the time I've owned the Zen Xtra I felt it necessary to upgrade to something slightly cooler.

The choice was really quite simple—my husband's iPod (also with 30GB of space) has run beautifully over a slightly longer period of time. While there is no question that Apple's star pupil is pricey, it is also incredibly functional and incredibly nifty. My choice in the end? The Zen Xtra was upgraded to a brand new black Apple Video iPod with an impressive 60GB hard drive. I knew at that very moment that my life would forever be different. The iPod would come to rule my world.

The Basics

First things first. The iPod I bought is expensive. We're talking $399 expensive with no real sales or discounts. Also, you will find upon purchasing said digital music (and video) device that it comes with very few things in the box. I was actually shocked at the reduced size of the packaging. When I purchased my husband's iPod in mid 2003 it came in a medium sized cube. Now? Well, the box is about ? of that and looks something more like a double CD set than a luxury MP3 player. The items included in said box are not surprisingly scant. Crack open the nifty packaging and you'll find the shiny black and metal iPod along with the necessary iTunes software (a much needed improvement over the crappy software included in my husband's iPod), earbud headphones, USB cable, dock adapter, and a flimsy suede-esque case.

Fortunately one thing that Apple did right is make their new product completely compatible with their old accessories. I was shocked that the iPod didn't even include an AC power adapter. Heck, you NEED one of those to even make it functional and charge the unit. Despite my initial dismay, I quickly realized that everything purchased for the other iPod works perfectly on this one—dock, wall adapters, etc, etc, etc. Out of the box I was able to use my iPod immediately with no hitches or headaches. What more could I have wanted?

The Display, The Video, The Photos

Of course one main change over the previous (second generation, I believe) iPod is that this new video version has a large color screen. It's also slightly thinner, but the size difference really isn't that impressive with the 60GB version. The color LCD screen measures in at 2.5 inches (320x240 pixel resolution) and also features a programmable LED backlight. Why is the programmable backlight a good thing? Well, without it your battery wouldn't last nearly as long. You can choose to shut off the iPod backlight at various intervals beginning with just a few seconds through a few minutes. It is a subtle yet magnificent built-in feature.

Each new generation of iPod has integrated some new functionality. Apple clearly wants gadget freaks to buy the next, new, coolest thing. The major change with this model is the video integration. It remains to be seen how useful this will be for me (I'm more of a music gal) but I will say that I do like the way the video looks when it is downloaded from one of a variety of sources. It's a cool feature, but may not be one I use all the time. It will play a variety of common file formats including .mov and .mp4. Flexibility is key to the iPod's continued success. Apple boasts that their product will store some 3 hours of video, but I have yet to test the bounds of the iPods video capacity and somehow doubt I ever will.

As an extension of the video capability, the iPod can also handle a variety of photo formats. This is (at least in my opinion) a more useful function than the video. You can quickly upload photos in the expected formats including .gif, .jpg, .bmp, .png, and TIFF. Apple provides a bunch of settings that allow you, the user, to control how photos will be viewed. You can choose how long the iPod will display each photo, whether to shuffle photos, what you want the transitions to look like, and even set the slideshow to music (or a playlist).

The Music

Most important to me is that the iPod holds lots (and I mean LOTS) of music files. The first thing I did when I purchased my new toy is to load my whole collection of MP3 files. That's in the neighborhood of 8,500 songs. I also plan of ripping a bunch of my newer and favorite CDs to further fill it to capacity. Based on what I already have on my black dynamo it seems that the 15,000 song capacity Apple speaks of is reasonable. I also want to add that putting music on my iPod is a snap—simply plug it into your most convenient (and empty) USB port and start up iTunes. If you've already got a library (like I did) then all you have to do is transfer between the two. If you don't have a MP3 library yet, pop your favorite CD into the drive on your computer and import straight to iTunes. It really is an easy process—one so easy it certainly doesn't need any intense education.

The main file format for audio files is of course the MP3. You may also choose to upload AAC, Protected AAC, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV. There are plenty of options for people who are really concerned about the audio quality because as I well know the MP3 is not nearly as pristine as the CD. As with most decent digital gadgets, Apple provides firmware updates that will increase the iPod functionality and will also (hopefully, at least according to Apple) enable support for future audio (and video) formats).

Things to Note, Extras, and Thoughts

I mentioned early on that the iPod looks perfect…and it does! The thing is that it is also a magnet for fingerprints and can easily be scratched. Since I'm somewhat prone to dropping and breaking expensive things (digital cameras, laptop computers, etc.) my first purchase was a rubberized case. Sure it makes the MP3 player look big, but it stops scratches and dings from happening. I chose a Contour Design Showcase in black and it works beautifully. I will say, however, that the design of the 5th generation iPod versus that of the 2nd generation is a huge step forward.

I also mentioned that there are a number of necessities NOT included in the packaging of the iPod. My suggestions for important things to buy immediately upon purchase of your iPod include: Apple iPod Universal Dock for $39, Apple iPod USB power adapter for $29, a protective case of some variety for $10 - $30, and some way to integrate the iPod into your car stereo if you are a frequent driver (like myself). I got a Griffin RoadTrip FM transmitter, dock, and charger for my birthday and it works wonderfully. In addition, you can also pick up a variety of other products to use around your home and work. The only other thing I picked up was the iHome clock radio dock for $100 which acts as a stereo, dock, and alarm clock.

"Pleased" only begins to describe how I feel about my iPod purchase. It may be expensive, but it functions very easily with the click wheel (also an improvement over the 2nd generation model) and has intuitive menus. I honestly cannot think of a better digital music product out there—and that's not even factoring in the video and photo capabilities. If you've been waiting to buy an iPod, now is definitely the time to invest.