Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 The perfect thing June 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I spent a long time resisting the lure of the iPod, thinking that those who worshipped them were confusing the container with its contents. I could see the point of being able to carry around all your music, but - having a fairly large collection - was all too aware of the limitations of the earlier models (and indeed of the early MP3 players). In addition, they just seemed too darned expensive for what they did. Of course, advances in technology and fashion increased the capacity and decreased the price, with the result that this, the larger of the two 6th generation models, currently represents the best value for money as regards space. What's more, it looks as if this won't change very much in the future: with the advent of the iPhone and its touch interface, it's unlikely that the so-called classic iPod will receive any further enhancement, which means that this model represents some kind of peak, or perfection.
I got this for Christmas, precisely six months ago - yes, I know that it's the 27th today, but I was so excited about it that for two days all I could bring myself to do was touch the box(!). I was immediately struck by all the features that by now have become clichés: the elegance of its design, its physical feel, the simplicity of its interface. I was also surprised at how easy it was to set up: just plugging it into the laptop caused the battery to start charging and the music and photos to begin transferring. Once the initial part of my music collection was on there, I began to understand how the iPod can be seen as a fetish. The disappearance of the physical realization of music (LPs, singles, CDs) has left behind its essence - i.e., (what appears to be) just pure sound. A large part of our individuality (or - for those of us who plumb the depths of shallowness - all of it) is defined in terms of the things we like. To have just about all of those things contained inside one object makes that object appear as an extension, or a projection, of yourself or almost, to stretch the comparison unfeasibly, as the essence of you, or your soul. My experience with the iPod over the past six months has toned down my initial fervour somewhat, but it can't be denied that it's become a sizeable part of my life, since I've used it every single day.
When it comes to filling up all that space, I spent a merry few months copying (what I thought would be) all the music I needed onto it. The photos get synced automatically every time it's plugged into the laptop, and I've also put several movies on there, although I find it slightly uncomfortable viewing something with so long a duration. This isn't a problem with the display; the screen is jewel-like, with QVGA resolution (when you consider this is a quarter of what used to be standard on desktop PCs, you get a sense of the speed of technical improvements). Instead, it's the physical act of looking at a small object for a couple of hours that I feel a little strange, although this is probably more a problem with sitting still for that length of time (but when this is compelled - as for example on a lengthy flight or train journey - I've found it surprisingly easy to lose myself in a movie on the small screen). The real discovery, though, has been music videos and TV shows, whose shorter duration makes them ideal for - say - a brief bus journey. It's been easy to make these by chopping up DVDs - indeed, carrying them around with me has given them something of a new lease of life since they're more accessible on the iPod.
As for criticisms, it's hard to find any, although I'd appreciate a little less simplicity in the interface, which makes it hard to distinguish between songs if several have the same name and you're looking for a specific version. I've no idea how this model compares to other ones; it sounds very good, the display is excellent and I've found the battery to be well-behaved, with a lifetime that's perfectly adequate for my needs. And - in spite of my pounding on it daily - I've experienced only one tiny glitch in the interface on an isolated occasion, which has never recurred. All in all, I think my title is more than justified.
 wait till it goes wrong!! June 23, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
When your 160gb classic goes wrong after a couple of months, and you send it back for repairs, they say that you have damaged it. How one damages an ipod plugged into a laptop then put in its case and transported abroad wrapped in a fabric bag in hand luggage, I dont know. I do know I charged it before i went, tried to use it when I arrived and it would not switch on. Whether the repairers even opened it to see what the issue is, is doubtful. However, they wont repair it, and I cant afford to buy a new one, and even if I could, would be reluctant to do so, if they break so quickly and dont get fixed under guarantee. I have returned to using my I-River H10 (40 gb) which is over 4 years old and works perfectly. It has never had to be sent off for repair, and it has great sound, and reasonable storage space, although much smaller than the classic 160Gb.
BRILLIANT! June 19, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Finally somewhere where I can host majority of my music!
I've filled pretty much most of the Ipod already and there's enough for expansion so im happy :)
Durable (if protected correctly)
Decent battery life (with backlight reduction and less use of videos)
Great functionality including lyrics viewer and Karoake!
Despise the volume cap implemented (guess its better for my ears...)
No divx playback :(
Need a specific AV cable to view through a TV
Overall an amazing piece of kit!
Would recommend to absolutely anyone who loves having the option of whipping out any genre of music at a houseparty.
Amazing June 8, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Full5 strts for this. It holds alot of osngs and video footage and looks dam good. i love dit from wen i first opened teh case. well worth buying.
I wish I had not purchased this item June 7, 2008
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
The New Apple iPod classic 160GB black arived last week, I opened it charged it, it wouldn't charge, I tried again, eventually I managed to get it three quarters charged, it won't charge any more than that. I'm now trying to return it to Amazon, who don't really want to know, they are fobbing me off saying go to Apple to get it fixed, be warned when purchasing this or any other item that is so expensive that you may end up with a dud that you cannot return.
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