I got over the blackberry obsession after going to a couple of local shops and getting more information on them. They really don’t do enough to justify the initial cost (approx 250€) and monthly maintainance (about 20€). For that same monthly cost I could get one of those usb wifi thingys to use on my dream machine (yes, I’m still obsessing about that one) and have anytime/anywhere internet access. I saw a Macbook Air in person the other day and it really is gorgeous, but even the salesguy told me it was more stylish than functional. The dream machine has yet to make it to Sevilla, which is probably just as well.
But I digress . . .
I’ve never owned a portable music gizmo, not even a walkman. But lately I’ve been missing having music in my life and I also think it would help me out at the gym. I’m pretty good at doing the bike for half an hour because I can read while I do that, but I’d also like to get back on the elliptical trainer which, as you can see, is not designed for reading. Somehow just music isn’t enough of a distraction for me when it comes to spending time on these excrutiatingly boring machines, but I think listening to podcasts would work very well with keeping my mind occupied while my body just got on with it. And then I could also use the ipod for music when I’m out and about, which I also think would be very nice.
What I can’t decide is what size ipod nano to get. These new ones come either 4GB for 140€ or 8GB for 190€. Now, I don’t think I’d ever use even 4GB’s worth of space, but the scam is that only the silver one comes in that size and I like the matte black one. So, do I spend an extra 50€ just to get the colour I prefer (since the extra space is meaningless to me) or what?
Any advice from ipod owners out there?
Has anyone ever used even 4GBs of space on theirs?
(I could probably live with the silver)
casa azahar 
I have a Sansa (SanDisk)which holds 2GBs and I’ve never filled it with songs. My brother had a 1GB Sansa that he used to fill with audio books and the 1GB was enough for that.
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i’m not a good benchmark – i’ve got a 40GB iPod, with about 20GB of music on it. that’s not normal. for me and my dorkboy friends, swapping music files in the back of the room during meetings is the modern day equivalent of trading baseball cards: “I’ll trade you my Ziggy Stardust and “life aquatic” soundtrack for your Neil Young bootlegs”.
If what you’re interested in doing is podcasts – which could be kinda transient (toss ’em after you hear ’em) – then 4GB would likely be sufficient. But (if you need to justify the extra cost of the prettier box) there is always the ‘surprise’ factor – you might find you want to store some photos, put more music on there, etc. so 8GB would certainly take care of most of your needs.
digital music (pod or other) rocks absolutely…
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I always fill up the full 4GB on my iPod. But we have a lot of music. At some point, I made a project of ripping our whole CD collection. Since then, we rip all new CDs, and have bought a lot of music of the iTunes store. We now have over 60GB of music.
I like to put a big assortment of songs on my iPod to take with me for my long commute. (I spend 5 hours commuting some days, and can be gone from home for 14 hours.) I load up with various playlists of favorite songs, and new songs, and songs I haven’t heard for a while, and sometimes selections from different genres. Then I listen to the whole thing shuffled, or pick and choose depending on my mood. I can fit about 700 songs on, though I typically only listen to about 70 in a day.
The times when I’ve wanted more space have been when I’ve gone on longer trips. (Like for a week or more.)
Having an iPod has actually made a big difference in my life, largely due to my long commuting times. My stress level gets reduced by being able to carry around music that I like, and tune out sounds (like people talking on the train) that would otherwise drive me batty. Time spent in the car is more enjoyable. (We can hook up our iPods to the car stereo.) I listen to a lot more music, and the ease of buying songs online and being able to pop them onto my iPod has encouraged me to explore new artists and genres.
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alejna I can’t imagine what it would be like to spend 5 hours a day commuting. with or without music.
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Just from a technology point of view – you are more likely to regret not having enough space than deciding you have “wasted” money buying space you don’t need.
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Some very good advice here, guys – thanks! 🙂
At the moment I have very little music. Since leaving Canada, and my fabulous music collection (mostly vinyl), behind in 1990 I have been mostly subsisting on the whack of compilation cassettes I’d previously made. Because of financial constraints, for many years it usually came down to a choice – new book or new cd – and I would almost always have to go with the book. Though curiously I had more music than books when I lived in Toronto.
Anyhow, aside from the old cassettes and about a hundred or so CDs purchased here and there, it’s really hard to know ‘where to start’ because it feels like so much is missing. Which is probably why I’ve been putting off the music buying thing.
At this point I have enough books in my library that I have happily started rereading some of them, so new book purchases have been reduced to fit in a couple of new CDs a month, or maybe some iTunes purchases. Also, as daisy pointed out, there is always the option of trading digital music with friends here. Woo and hoo!
So I’m inclined to agree with you, Johnny, that I might end up regretting not having enough ipod space if I go for the cheaper 4GB model. Though for 180€ (the price of the 8GB one) I could not only get the 4GB nano but also get one of these, which has recently gone down in price (from 80€ to 45€) which would not only give me an extra GB of space but it would also be a real comfortable ‘gym option’ that I could just clip to my t-shirt sleeve when I’m on the dreaded machines.
Decisions, decisions . . .
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I agree with nursemyra that 5 hour commutes sound rather horrendous, alejna, so I can well imagine that you’d need music as well as reading material to see you through.
I was also inspired to get ‘portable music’ when I read a post – I think it was daisy’s – talking about being in an airport and the music she was listening to turned the usual chaos there into a sort of ballet …
I also still sometimes suffer from panic attacks when I’m out and about, though not nearly as often as before (touch wood) and I’m thinking that having pleasant music with me while I’m out walking would help keep the demons at bay.
Knowing me, once I got started collecting some of the old music I’ve lost as well as discovering new stuff I like, it probably wouldn’t be too long before 4 GBs gets filled up.
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I am trundling along with a 4GB iPod Mini. I’d prefer an 8GB Nano, but since I’m the type who always waits for one thing to break before buying its replacement, it might be a while yet. Get the biggest Nano you can afford. They are probably the closest thing to perfection in design and functionality in the whole iPod line.
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Well, this is the latest nano, ian. I actually preferred the design and colours of the last nano ‘generation’ – wanted a sleek and thin lime green one like a friend of mine has. The new ones are just as thin but shorter and wider. And all the new colours are crap (IMHO) other than the classy looking matte black one.
I actually found this nano model for about 30€ cheaper on Amazon Uk, but it turned out that they won’t ship this item outside the UK. Given that a couple of their book orders never reached me (which they re-sent at no charge) I guess I can understand why.
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If Amazon looks like a good deal, then if it was worth it to you, we could possibly try to work out a deal on delivery.
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Sounds like it could be a dealsky, Johnny!
So … should I get that cute clip-on shuffle one too?
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Oh God, I am so out of it. So far out of it. We have no iPod or other music thingy. I can barely work the cell phone, and never use it for anything more complicated than calling home.
Maybe sometime we’ll be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, right after I get over my childhood growing up with a party line and all calls out being long distance. Oh, we also had no tv and our music came on big black flat things that you could drop and break. I can still remember when tape decks were NEW technology and only corporations, radio stations and really rich people had them. Yes, children, I am OLD! (tee hee)
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I’ve got one 30GB iPod thingy. After almost two years it’s half filled with music which I think will last some three to four days if I listened 24 hrs a day. I also use it for storing addresses, pictures of cats and hatchlings, podcasts and the odd videos. The Onion have quite fun ones occasionally.
Since I listen a lot to classical music, and tend to use this gadget mostly when I’m treavelling, I’ve spent a big chunk of money on quality headphones. They almost manage to cut out noisy airplanes and underground trains.
However it’s easy to get bored if you have limited storage space, or are too idle to change the music every now and then. I’ve got some 25 or so albums stored at my w*rk laptop and even with the shuffle mode I’m quite fed up. Unfortunately the CD on that one is just history so in order to get new music I must use one of these USB gadgets for transfer… Never seems as I get around to do that…
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I just checked my iPod. I’ve got 13,24 GB music which obviously is the same as 6.8 days of listening….
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Mrs. BBJP uses an MP3 player at the gym – and has it in an armband to keep it out of the way.
As for the deal – well if something looks too good to miss, I could send you my address, get it delivered here and I’ll send it on – maybe it’s the Amazon packaging that “tempts” people?
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I think you can also use the iPod Nano to download pictures if you’re out on the road and want to empty your camera, and you don’t have your computer. More space is better. 🙂 Have fun.
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I got the silver 4gb. Silver goes with everything. It’s sooooo cute. I’ll never use 4gb so it’s perfect. iPods are perfect. I would marry one if I could. 🙂
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I finally decided to ‘start small’ and buy a clip-on shuffle ipod on special offer (45€) and it is now here charging up – and looking awfully cute! – as we speak. Though it took me about half an hour to get it out of the damn packaging . . . 😡
With just one GB and no screen it’s obviously limited but the price was right and it really is going to be perfect for the gym. Being able to listen to BBC podcasts of the News Quiz should make half an hour on the elliptical machine much more bearable.
Meanwhile, I’m going to start carrying my usb memory stick around with me and see how much music I can collect from friends and students … might end up needing that 8GB one sooner than later. 🙂
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