11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
4th generation iPod sleek and beautiful
Date of Review: Jan 1, 2009
The Bottom Line: Attractive player with handy functions and good sound. I recommend it if you don't mind that "old" systems will not charge it.
The new iPod is very light, thin and attractive. Caution: the surface is so "slippery' that the device is very easy to drop.
Compared to my 1st generation iPod, the large screen is much easier to read. You have two choices of font size. I expect the glass to be more scratch-resistant than the old plastic screens. The album cover flow feature, which can be set to automatically activate when the iPod is turned sideways, works smoothly. The covers are displayed in brilliant colors and nice detail. When a song is playing, its album covers is displayed when the device put back in the upright position. The cover takes up the whole width of the screen.
By changing the settings, you can eliminate features that you don't use, making it easier to scroll down to what you want. The earphone plug has been changed for a much firmer grip on the plug. So, if you drop it, it does not unplug itself from the earphones and fall on the floor like the 1st generation.
One would think that in the time since the 1st generation iPod was developed, technology would have allowed increased battery life. No such luck, In this case, it is still about 3-4 hours, no better that my 1st generation.
I had no complaints about the features and sound of the 1st generation, so the tweaks here and there don't make a huge difference to me. I bought it mainly for the increased capacity, not because I was dissatisfied with my other one. Now that I have it, I love it.
One more warning: If you have chargers, docks or players made for your 1st -3rd generation iPods, they will NOT charge this iPod. So, while it is playing, the battery is draining instead of being kept charged. You'll have to keep charging it at your computer unless you buy new charging devices. This was apparently a purposeful decision made by Apple Corp. A poor decision in my opinion. The worst part of that is that they don't warn you. You just feel like a sucker after you buy it. For me, that would not have been a deal-breaker. I am still glad I bought it.
