Apple iPod 4 GB mini M9160LL/A (Silver) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
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Our Price: $304.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $34.99 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod 4 GB mini M9160LL/A (Silver) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: A great new addition to the iPod series
Summary: 4 Stars
The iPod mini, in many ways, is a great mp3 player for those casual music listeners. However, for some, it may not be the best way to go.Recently, I purchased a Creative Nomad Zen NX 20mb for 250 dollars at best buy. I was very happy with the product. However, after a few months of usage, the headphone jack would not work and I had to return it. Looking at the new products, I decided on getting an iPod mini.
And I was right with my decision. When you first pick up the mini, it feels extremely sturdy in your hands. It's just the right weight. The case feels extremely unbreakable, and it is about the size of an altoids tin, but is more flat. When looking at different reviews for it, no one could exlplain the "revolutionary click-wheel". How did apple put the wheel on the iPod mini? Well, if you want to know if the touch sensor is still there, it is. But this time, the buttons are ON the wheel, and instead of touching the buttons, you press them, and the entire wheel clicks in.
As for the screen, the size doesn't get in your way at all, and compared to the other ipods, the resolution is much greater. The backlight makes it look very sharp, and overall it looks great.
The battery life lasts around 7-8 hours, just as the box says. However, (I am yet to experience this) the battery will die, and will not recharge after 360 times of charging it. It costs at least $100 to replace it.
The only iPod mini out right now is the 4gb model. That is enough to store over 1000 songs, close to 1200. For many people, that is quite more then enough, but for those who need more, it may not be your music-solution.
The other problem I encountered isn't too severe, but it is definately a problem. The iPod mini would at many times freeze, and I would have to restart it. Luckily, Apple made it very easy, and you can restart it just by holding down two buttons.
The headphones that come with the iPod mini are double earbuds that work well with the iPod, but don't deliver some of the music you could be getting with other high-quality headphones. Also, the mesh that covers the headphones frequently comes off.
All the other parts that come with the iPod mini work just right, and installing it on a Windows or Mac is usually quite easy. The software that is included (iTunes) works very well.
Overall, this product works great for the casual listener. It's definately up to par with the new Creative 4gb player, the MuVo NX.
Customer Review: The IPOD can do more than what Apple tries to let you
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had my IPOD Mini (from Circuit City) for about a week and I have to say it is an excellent product. I do have a library that is larger than what the Mini can hold but I only listen to a portion of it often and that portion fits on the Mini perfectly. I started with 128kbps ACC and then tried 96kbps and I could not hear the difference. So now I have 96kbps on the Mini and it holds so many hours of music that you can listen continuously for a couple of weeks (working time).Here is the first thing every user should do. Download the latest Apple firmware, I think it is 1.1. My IPOD Mini came with 1.0. The update gets rid of many freezing issues.
Apple says a lot of thing canot be done on the IPOD Mini but you can actually do.
To "Nice, But Flawed"
Yes, you can transfer songs from the IPOD Mini to the computer. If you enable disk use then you can use Windows Explorer to see all the songs on the Mini and copy them onto your computer. There are also some freeware letting you do this but they really are not required.
To "Violates first rule of peripherals"
The IPOD Mini works perfectly with the slow (1.1) USB port and that is what I have on my Thinkpad T23 and use. It charges and downloads just fine. However, if you want to load all 3.7GB of song in one shot, it is a bit slow with USB 1.1. I like manual methods so I just drag one playlist at a time and USB 1.1 is fast enough.
Now I do not carry my Pocket PC with me anymore because I have all my contacts loaded onto the Mini. Although I can not make entries in the Mini, this is a great convenience for me.
I gave it a 4 stars becasue there are rooms for improvements. For example, I hear pops and clicks if I tried to adjust volume or fast forward to a partin of a song when a song is being played with EQ on. So I have EQ off now. I think there are two factors to this problem. One is software. Apple may come up with another formware update to solve this. The other is simply what the Mini has in processing power. On your computer you can try to have iTunes open and playing a song. Then you try to open and close other software suxh as browsers, MS Word, etc. You will hear the same pops and clicks when you do that. That is caused by insufficeint processor power to maintain the songs being played smoothly because much of the process power is being used for opening other programs.
Customer Review: More bells and whistles than a church full of referees
Summary: 5 Stars
A friend just gave their new iPod and said, "You learn how to use and then show me."Well, I don't really need a clock, calendar, timer, games, and all the other things this iPod has (I already have a Palm); I just want to listen to music. And as far as the games go, you really have to be a masochist to play games on a screen this small. Cute, but a bit much.
As for the music, this thing is very cool. The software is quite intuative, and it's easy to rip CD's and transfer the files to your iPod. As a matter of fact, the transfer can be set to take place automatically when you plug the iPod into your computer. Speaking of which, I used a notebook computer with USB 1, and it worked just fine, regardless of iPod's minimum requirments (USB 2 or firewire).
It takes a bit of time to figure out the controls, but if left to its own the iPod will automatically sort your music by artist, composer, song title, music genre, and album title. Or, you can simply get a list of all your songs in alpabetical order.
The controls are similar to those of a CD player, except for this very nice "scroll" feature, and the backlight is fantastic.
The unit has built-in rechargeable batteries (non replaceable), and I didn't get a chance to find out how long it lasts on a charge. Sorry, as this could make or break a sale. Like, what the heck do you do if the batteries run out and you're nowhere near an AC receptical?
All in all, if you want to be the first on your block to have the coolest MP3 player out there, than by all means go for it. However, there are other units, though not as cool, that offer replacable batteries (you can use rechargeables), and also offer voice recording (I can't believe they didn't include that for the price).
Personally, I have a Muvo and like it very much, but it's definitely not as cool or trendy as the iPod, and the iPod's controls are a lot better. On the other hand, you don't need to load any software to transfer songs to the Muvo (Me or XP), so it's easy to grab a few track from friends as you travel around. But, and this is a big "but," the Muvo, and a lot of other MP3 players out there, don't hold a candle to the iPod's storage capabilities, even the mini iPod.
Customer Review: iPods: It's Plusses and Minuses (Mini Version)
Summary: 5 Stars
Here are the reasons why you should buy an iPod:1. It is compact, you can take 1000 songs with you everytime you go out. The iPod slips very easily in your pocket and is pretty light.
2. It is extremely easy to use. Plug it in and it automaticcally all the songs from your computer (iTunes) to your iPod. Very very fast connection and updating. It only takes about 4 seconds to update an average sized album. Amazing huh?
3. It's very very convenient. One thing I really about the iPod is that you can create playlists so your songs can play in a particular order. You can make as many playlists as you like and it'll take like 10 seconds. If you want to burn the songs into a portable CD player, it'll take a good 20 minutes, AND you get worse music quality. You can change your playlists as many times and you want.
4. It's got a lot of other features on it. The games are really fun. You can also put notes, calendar, and contacts on it.
5. The sound is really good. You get equalizer and you can adjust to maximize the quality of music depending on the genre.
6. The design ROCKS! Come on, who can deny the fashionability of the iPod Mini?
7. Extremely light: makes it even more convenient!!
Some not so great points about the iPod:
1. It scratches very easily and unless you don't mind that, you're gonna have to buy some kind of case for it, which will make it slightly bigger (but some will make it more fashionable).
2. The battery really doesn't last that well compared to some other mp3 players out there. To get the most out of your iPod battery, do not fully discharge it before you recharge it. (There's no memory effect.)Supposedly it lasts 18 months if you listen to 6 hours of music a day. (Still not that bad!)
3. The price is pretty up there... But say, you use it everyday for the next 1.5 years, the iPodmini costs 45 cents a day. And chances are you ARE gonna use it for more that 1.5 years.
Some final words:
Go for it, you really won't regret the purchase. The iPod is a timeless thing. The iPod really opened my eyes to music. I now listen to a wider variety of music. With iTunes, purchasing songs you like can never be easier. Once again, GO FOR IT!! NO REGRETS!!
Customer Review: A few flaws, but overall excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
After some deliberation, I decided to buy an iPod mini. The price was a bit prohibitive ($380 Canadian with tax...ouch), but the iPod mini's ease of use, superb sound quality, and stylish look are worth crowing about. A lot of people have complained about the iPod mini's relative lack of storage space compared to its older brothers, but I consider myself a pretty hardcore music fan, with my fingers in all different genres, and I only have 556 songs on my Mac. That's a lot of music, people. And I still have 1.3 gigs left over! So don't be afraid that the mini has "only" 4 gigs of storage space. You'd be suprised how much you can fit on there.
Now for the bad stuff: The battery life is disappointing. Sure, most of us won't need to go for eight straight hours without a recharge, but if you listen to your mini a lot (as I do), you might be suprised at how quickly the battery drains. Apple's advertised 8 hours, in reality, is more like 5-6.
Also, don't be fooled by everyone around you wearing those white Apple earbuds - they're just trying to look trendy. The earbuds (included in the box, along with a belt clip) are okay, but have a weak lower end (bass) and are a bit tinny. Most earbuds are, though. Pick up a better pair of headphones - I use Panasonic Shockwaves, which get nice bass and aren't expensive at all. Still, if you really want to draw those stares, use the earbuds. Whatever floats your boat.
Another thing: Check out the iPod mini in real life if you can. It's actually much smaller than it looks in pictures (that's a good thing). And a note for PC users: You'll probably have a few glitches setting up the iPod. Such is the nature of the PC. Mac users, of course, could be brain damaged and still get the iPod up and running in a matter of minutes.
Overall, I'm hugely impressed with the iPod mini. It's ridiculously easy to use, it looks great, and having a thousand songs in your pocket at any given time will blow your mind. No more skipping, no more changing CDs...it's golden. Definitely check out the mini if you're in the market for a good MP3 player.