Ipods
 

Ok I think you guys would no more about these then i do. Tell me about them. What they do an cost. I no nothing so just learning.

It really depends on which iPod you buy. I have the Classic.. cost me about $260, has 80 gb, and can play videos as well.. One thing is for sure.. If you spend the money and buy one.. get a case as well!!

they play and store music. and you can use different filters to find different types of music. like artists, type of music, title..... and some of the better ones can play videos too. you can buy them from about 150 and they just go up from there FAST!

Apple - iPod + iTunes

it looks like you can not buy a non video one anymore....but there are lots of used ones out there.

the ipod also works with Itunes, itunes is a music program that will store you music on your puter, and let you buy more music ($1 per song) opr if you have CDs you can put that music on itunes and then on to your ipod...also you can download pod casts that are TV shows and other short video stuff.

You can buy iPods that don't play videos.. The shuffle doesn't.. and I don't think the nano does either.

Since I'm here, does anyone know how to get a song off of the iPod and onto iTunes??

I have a Shuffle. Would have cost $50 but I got it for free. I don't need fancy video or a color screen (or even any screen), so even if I had bought myself one I would have gotten the Shuffle.

The iPod Touch is the premo model, it's an iPhone minus the phone part, even to the point where it can connect to Wi-Fi and show up in an iTunes library. The Nano is the closest to a classic or a mini thats still around, its the bare bones with a screen. The Classic is a video without a touch screen. The Shuffle is like a CD player sans CD with a shuffle setting and a top-to-bottom of the playlist setting.

You can't remove songs from iPods unless its a computer authorized on the account of the owner of the license of the song. (3 comps max per song?) You can play it off the iPod on any computer, but can't copy it off the iPod. It's all part of the DRM (digital rights management) software build by Apple into the format of the song.

You can reformat the song file using a few programs to convert it to a .mp3 or .wma format, but I haven't seen a free-ware program for anything but a Linux OS.

Snowbunny, there are numerous reverse programs (freeware) floating around the web. Just run a search for downloading songs off an ipod. Doing it one at a time, ie. specific songs only, is less easily done and may take more work then it's worth. Sometimes you just have to consider what your time costs compared to the price of a single song.

To the original poster I would suggest purchasing a refurbished ipod from the apple website. They aren't always available but worth it because of the 1 year warranty and complete rebuild (basically new). I purchased a 30 gig (gigabyte) video 5.5 generation refurb and it works great and I've beaten the crap out of it BUT!!!! you better buy a case. I purchased a Speck rubber case for it and I'm extremely glad I did.

By the way, ipods come in multiple flavors and colors (white/silver or black for the big guys and random colors for the smaller stuff). They range in size from 1 gig shuffles with room for 250 songs+/- all the way up to the big guy ipod classic with 160 gigs, enough room for the library of congress or... 40,000 songs or so!

Ok, so after that general info it comes to your needs. If you will ONLY press play and go then I would suggest the smaller (cheaper) shuffles. If you're looking for song names and some selection capabilities then I would suggest the Nano. If you want video capabilities (great for long flights) then I'd go with the Classic. If you're looking for music only then I'd go with the 30 gig unless you are a music addict.

If you want to purchase music you have two choices. Purchase online or copy cds. Itunes is very good with all of that plus the podcasts (talkshow type stuff for free or pymnt with subscriptions for weekly update, etc.).

There's a lot more information I could list about which generation of Ipod is best or the hassles of DRM music but here's the bottom line:

Bigger is better. 80 gig will give you plenty of room to grow. Once you realize the capabilities you will not be sorry about your choice.

Right, texastech mentioned the Ipod Touch.

I'm not really familiar with it but basically it's a small capacity Ipod incorporating a touchscreen to access the web using a wireless computer network.

I have a Ipod Classic 80g. I have about 9,000 songs on it, can't tell you the last time I listened to the radio

I bought a zune instead of an Ipod but they are basically the same thing w/different producers. I bought the 80gig (music/video) player and I really love it... its handy and work and for long road trips.

One problem with the Ipod is that they wont play anything(music or video) from the 'net unless its off Itunes, I had a bunch of songs from napster and had to convert them. It also wont take certain DVDs.

While we're on the subject, what would be the best way to connect my ipod to my truck stereo?, right now I just set some portable speakers on the dash but can barely here it over the engine.

I never had to convert any music when I "borrowed" it from other people or torrents a few years ago. All I did was drag it into the itunes library folder and the next time I turned on itunes... ta da!

To avoid DRM (digital rights management) on your music I would purchase it from amazon mp3 download section or any number of DRM free music sites. The amazon mp3 download program will send the music whereever you want it to land with no conversion needed. Amazon is where I buy all my music now. Sometimes they have some incredible deals, like 2.99 for the entire album of a big name artist.

As for connections to an existing stereo, an Fseries radio from back in the day, you're going to end up with a hardwired RF converter plugged directly into your antenna connection in the back of the radio, or else the age old nightmare of cheesy FM broadcast.

I'd personally go with an aftermarket radio with aux input ($100 isn't cheap but it's worth it in the long run).

I will post pics tommorrow on my set up. my radio controls the Ipod

Do you have a tape player? I have a patch cord w/a tape on one end and an audio jack on the other...so the ipod/zune plays through the tape player in the truck.

iTunes can convert .wma and .mp3 to the correct format for the iPod automatically when you add it to the library. You just have to use iTunes to do everything on the iPod. If you need to convert from another format to something that iTunes can convert, theres freeware everywhere that can do it.

Run Linux :D Everything is free.