Is a 30 GB iPod overkill?

[Slosh]

My daughter carries around a CD notebook with about 50 discs in it nearly every time she goes somewhere for more than a few hours so I thought it's about time I got her an mp3 player. So I'm looking at the iPod line and couldn't help but notice that in terms of storage that the 30 GB version is clearly the best bang-for-the-buck, costing only $50 more than the 4 GB Nano. Size shouldn't be much of a factor 'cause you can't use it while playing field hockey or basketball or softball and she's not into running. With that much storage she could probably put most of her most-often-listened-to CDs in .wav format. She doesn't care about video or pixs but who knows, that may change after she starts using it.

But other than size is there anything I'm overlooking? I've never owned an mp3 player since I have no need for one.

[Stone]

The new iPods (the PC versions) have .wav capability? The old generations didn't--only the ones for use with Apple computers.

[Slosh]

The new iPods (the PC versions) have .wav capability? The old generations didn't--only the ones for use with Apple computers.According to the Crutchfield catalog it does. Doesn't say anything about Mac only either.

BTW, I haven't really searched yet but it seems like every store that sells iPods are all selling them for the same price. If that's indeed the case I'll use Crutchfield and avoid taxes plus there's free shipping.

NP: Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures (for about the 100th time :) )

[kexodusc]

Wow, didn't know they played wav. Is this confirmed? 30 GB would hold like 40 something CD's. Awesome.

[ForeverAutumn]

Wow, didn't know they played wav. Is this confirmed? 30 GB would hold like 40 something CD's. Awesome.

I just checked my preferences on iTunes and importing using a WAV decoder is one of the options. I haven't tried importing as WAV files, but it looks like I should be able to do it.

Slosh, I import using MP3s at 192kbps and I don't have any problems with the quality. If I were playing the iPod through my good speakers I might notice a lapse in quality, but for average headphones, my computer or my car speakers, the MP3 files are fine and your daughter will be able to fit a lot more songs on it. So you could go smaller if you wanted to.

I've got almost 1400 songs on mine and I've only used just over 7GBs. And some of those prog tunes are long, eh. :D

[BarryL]

I bought a used first generation iPod for my wife. The previous owner upgrade to the 20GB version, which was the top dog at the time.

When I got it, it was full of soundtrack and stage tunes, all .wav.

The iPod is just a big hard disk, so if you want .wav, you can do it, it just means fewer songs. It's funny, while I knew you could do that, I completely forgot about it. It gives you a choice by song whether you want .wav or MP3. I think I will have to use the .wav more often given that I'm nowhere near capacity on my 40GB iPod. For example, that latest Pat Metheny Group CD This Way Up really bugs me in MP3.

Thanks for bringing this up on this post!

[Mike]

I'm buying a 20gb special from a friend he's upgrading because he wants more capacity. I won't just use it for music I'll stick some other things on too, photos etc. but I expect it will be more than enough for me.

The nano's look expensive to me too considering you only get 4gb, BUT they are about one quarter of the weight of the bigger versions and much much slimmer. If you just want something portable to carry around and don't mind a lump in yer pocket (albeit small) the 20gb+ versions look good value to me. I used to carry a portable CD player that played MP3's so it will be quite a jump down in size for me.

As for storing WAV's on an ipod I don't see the point, through earbuds I'd challenge most people to tell the difference between a WAV track and a 160 mp3 track all you do is reduce your capacity. A standard WAV would be about 30+ megabytes compared to the same track in MP3 format which might be about 4 megabytes.

But yer right about the price, Apple have the pricing of new ipods pretty much locked down wherever you look they are almost the same price.

Cheers
Mike

[Slosh]

Can you export from the iPod (via Firewire) to other computers? I would think it could be useful for her to rip a CD in .wav at a friend's house and transfer it to her iPod, and then if she likes the album enough transfer the .wav files to our PC and make a CD-R. That way she wouldn't have to use up her friends' CD-Rs, which is kinda important to 14 year olds with no jobs ;)

NP: Fruit Bats - Spelled In Bones

[Mr MidFi]

FA's right about 192 kps. It's not 100% CD quality, but it's pretty darned good. And it would allow you (or your daughter) to put about 500 songs on a Nano.

You have no idea how many songs 500 is until you start to play them all. I use a 20-GB pod, and I've only filled up about 2/3 of it so far. But I could play it solidly, 24 hours a day, and still not hear the same song after 8 full days.

I'm not sure she would need that much capacity.

[Mr MidFi]

Can you export from the iPod (via Firewire) to other computers? I would think it could be useful for her to rip a CD in .wav at a friend's house and transfer it to her iPod, and then if she likes the album enough transfer the .wav files to our PC and make a CD-R. That way she wouldn't have to use up her friends' CD-Rs, which is kinda important to 14 year olds with no jobs ;)

Yes and no. Here's a more complete answer:
http://playlistmag.com/help/2005/01/2waystreet/

[Slosh]

Yes and no. Here's a more complete answer:
http://playlistmag.com/help/2005/01/2waystreet/Thanks! Got that link bookmarked.

You're right that the 4GB Nano will probably be plenty but $50 more for another 26GB seems like a no-brainer to me. Hell, I'm barely using 20GB on my PC and that's including the operating system and everything else (obviously I'm not a gamer).

[Davey]

With that much storage she could probably put most of her most-often-listened-to CDs in .wav format.
She could use Apple lossless compression and put some of your CDs in there too ;)

[Troy]

They will play .wav or .aiff or whatever you want. Mike is right, in 99% of applications, you can't tell the difference between a CD quality .wav and a 192k mp3, but the file size is about 5:1.

I have a 20GB and it's roughly half full, 1700 or so songs. 5 days music, nonstop. It's not even close to half my music collection tho, so I am starting to get selective about what I put on there, but I suspect it WILL be full sooner or later.

I would think a 30 would hold more music than any of us could ever want to listen to, portably. That's probably double the size of most people's entire CD collections (in top Q mp3 format).

You can't rip from the pod to the computer, but there are freware bypass programs out there that will allow you to. Try Cnet.

[3-LockBox]

Is there a higher bit rate than 192kps as far as MP3's go.

I need to get a better rip program. The computer I 'borrowed' has Windows Media Player and it will rip to MP3 format. But when I was ripping, it never gave me the option of what rate to which I wanted to convert. And its the latest update, too.

<s>Also, what's a wma file?</s> Gawd, I'm so lazy...I just looked it up!

But the website doesn't say how big they are or what rate they are?

Answers? Anyone?

[jasn]

From what I've learned over the past few weeks, Exact Audio Copy (http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/) is the best ripping program out there. Follow the link to download, them go to this site for an excellent tutorial for setting it up. The program is not very intuitive. Exact Audio Copy Tutorials (http://users.pandora.be/satcp/tutorials.htm)

After ripping 200+ of CDs onto my hardrive earlier this year at a measily 128kps mp3, I am planning to go back and re-rip them all using a Variable Bit Rate, and this time include the rest of my 700 CD library. VBR will automatically increase or decrease the bit rate depending on the complexity of the material, and is apparently providing very acceptable playback for discerning listeners, like yourselves. It can save valuable space versus ripping at a straight 192kbs. I also plan to purchase an external harddrive for backup as I do not want to lose this work.

On topic, while I am sure I could survive with a smaller device, I have a 60GB Video capable iPod on my Xmas list. I'm betting I will have it long enough for others to come up with reasons for me to appreciate the extra storage space.

[Troy]

I need to get a better rip program. The computer I 'borrowed' has Windows Media Player and it will rip to MP3 format. But when I was ripping, it never gave me the option of what rate to which I wanted to convert. And its the latest update, too.


iTunes. It's free and super sophisticated, yet, like all Apple stuff, highly intuitive and easy to use. It allows for ripping in all formats and bitrates and will rip songs as a group so you can hear intros if they are separate tracks when in shuffle mode.

Jason, as I rip music to the HD for the iPod I burn them off to DVDs in 5gig clumps for storage. Much cheaper than buying yet another outboard storage device.

[N. Abstentia]

What about the Creative Zen Sleek? I've been researching these things and for the price the Zen Sleek seems to be a no brainer.

-20 gb
-plays .wav
-plays .wma (huge plus for me)
-of course MP3
-FM tuner
-voice recorder
-records fm radio

Seems to stomp a similarly priced iPod..what gives?

[audiobill]

Hey, Slosh.

Go for as big an iPod as you can afford.

I have a 60gig fifth generation iPod and have owned it for approximately one month. I have 3634 songs and 21.3 gigs of the 60gigs filled, already. Now, I like to use 256kbps VBR to rip my music onto it. This is extreme for most folks, but as many RRers "sound quality" is important to me & I plan on getting one of the new accessories that will enable me to play the iPod through i) my main home system and ii) my television system. So quality will become important in these applications.

Troy is quite right -- the iTunes' latest version allows you to burn at the rate you so choose & it also allows for VBR, which is "variable burn rate" -- this also has the advantage of making vocals and instruments sound just right in the mix -- unlike most mp3s where there's a harshness of either the vocals or the instruments in the mix, if burned at one rate.

I, also, enjoy audiobooks & the iPod is very cool for this. Currently, I'm listening to Brown's the Da Vinci Code, on my iPod.

I haven't tried the video feature (seems too small a screen for any realworld app, but who knows?? the capability is there.

Planning a european trip this summer, so I intend on using the iPod as a portable HD where I can dump my photos into it, at the end of every couple of days' shooting. Plan to bore friends and relatives by playing the trip's photos through the television.

FWIW, more video is going/available digital & it requires more memory, so it might make sense to go for more capacity.

A BIG thanks to everyone here on RR who has helped me with my iPod purchase & my steep learning curve. I know tons more than I did a few weeks ago.

Hope this helps,

audiobill (if you are an educator or your daughter a college student, you can save a small amount, by ordering directly from apple -- you also get free engraving)

[Troy]

A BIG thanks to everyone here on RR who has helped me with my iPod purchase & my steep learning curve. I know tons more than I did a few weeks ago.


Me too. I am still learning this thing. It is BY FAR, the most important change in music since the advent of the CD.

Uploading all my favorite Broadcast tracks as I type. So much like what I want Portishead to be.

[3-LockBox]

iTunes. It's free and super sophisticated, yet, like all Apple stuff, highly intuitive and easy to use. It allows for ripping in all formats and bitrates and will rip songs as a group so you can hear intros if they are separate tracks when in shuffle mode.

Jason, as I rip music to the HD for the iPod I burn them off to DVDs in 5gig clumps for storage. Much cheaper than buying yet another outboard storage device.

I guess it will depend on whether the MP3 player I bought my wife will be supported by iTunes or not. I think its a free download isn't it?

[3-LockBox]

I have a 60gig fifth generation iPod and have owned it for approximately one month. I have 3634 songs and 21.3 gigs of the 60gigs filled, already. Now, I like to use 256kbps VBR to rip my music onto it. This is extreme for most folks, but as many RRers "sound quality" is important to me & I plan on getting one of the new accessories that will enable me to play the iPod through i) my main home system and ii) my television system. So quality will become important in these applications.

See, I want to rip in the higher bit rates. Right now though, I guess I'm ripping at 128kbps, which is adequate for my wife's purposes, and essential for space, but if I do break down and go MP3, I won't settle for 128kbps. Just listening to the stuff I've ripped for my wife sounds like sh!t at 128kbps.