iPods

[MrsPete]

Itunes is very easy to learn to use, and any ipod'll work the same way with that program. Go ahead and buy a wall-charger too so you can re-charge when you're away from your computer. Also buy yourself a protective cover; it's very easy to scratch your expensive little toy.

 

Don't forget that you can upload books on tape to your ipod too! Check them out of the library (free) and upload them.

 

Someone mentioned the ipod shuffle -- we have one, and we don't like it. The smaller storage capacity wouldn't be such a big deal, but it has no screen -- you cannot see what song's coming up next.

 

We have five ipods in our house, and three of them were bought refurbished -- no problem with any of them!

[chipmaster]

Itunes is very easy to learn to use, and any ipod'll work the same way with that program. Go ahead and buy a wall-charger too so you can re-charge when you're away from your computer. Also buy yourself a protective cover; it's very easy to scratch your expensive little toy.

 

Don't forget that you can upload books on tape to your ipod too! Check them out of the library (free) and upload them.

 

Someone mentioned the ipod shuffle -- we have one, and we don't like it. The smaller storage capacity wouldn't be such a big deal, but it has no screen -- you cannot see what song's coming up next.

 

We have five ipods in our house, and three of them were bought refurbished -- no problem with any of them!

 

Try a playlist and only download the playlist to the shuffle. With your playlist you can set the order and then with the shuffle run it serial versus random.

[MrsPete]

Try a playlist and only download the playlist to the shuffle. With your playlist you can set the order and then with the shuffle run it serial versus random.

Nah, that's what my daughter's doing with it now, and it's just not as nice and convenient as the other ipods we have -- we can "make do" with it, but it just isn't as nice as the other ipods. You can't find that one song you wanted to hear. I would not spend money on the shuffle again.

 

I bought it years ago (refurbished) for my daughter as a Christmas present. I'm pretty sure it cost $24, so it wasn't even a major present. She was satisfied with it then, and with a sticker from decalgirl.com, it's cute as can be . . . but now that she's eleven she's complaining that it's not "enough". I'll probably get her a nicer ipod for Christmas this year, but I'll make her wait or earn her own money -- it's good for kids to want things and wait for them; it builds delayed gratification skills and helps them appreciate what they have.

[CRUISNDIVA]

My FIL gave me his Nano for Christmas and I love it. Just one thing to be aware of: when you turn it off, make sure it's off & then lock it (slide the Hold thingy). When I first got it, there were many a times when I know I turned it off, only to find it playing a song, or worse, with a dead battery. I went online and found that others had the same problem. Sometimes when you turn it off & think it's off, it pops back on...

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thanks for the tip! I was wondering why when I thought I had turned the power off and checked it a little later it seemed to still be on I thought I was doing something wrong :rolleyes:

 

Go ahead and buy a wall-charger too so you can re-charge when you're away from your computer. Also buy yourself a protective cover; it's very easy to scratch your expensive little toy.

 

I'm going to have to buy the wall charger since the computer has to be on in order for the iPod to charge and that doesn't make it all that practical. Plus when we travel I will need one anyways.

 

I got the protective cover since I know it will end up getting all scratched up without it.

 

Here's another hint: you can copy CD's you own into your computer! Don't buy a song if you already own the CD. DH and I spent about 30 bucks before we figured this one out!

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

Okay here's another question, I need good head phones the ones that come with the iPod are okay but after a while they start to hurt my ears. :o Any suggestions??

[Robin7]

Okay here's another question, I need good head phones the ones that come with the iPod are okay but after a while they start to hurt my ears. :o Any suggestions??

 

 

 

I love these. I got them at RadioShack. They fit in my ears really nice and don't hurt them like the ones that come with the iPod do.

 

Robin

 

A link:

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=family&summary=summary&allCount=140&fbx=0&cp=2032057.2032187.2202780&productId=2429416&accessories=accessories&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=techSpecs&fbn=Brand%2FSony&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&f=PAD%2FConnectivity+Technology%2FWired&fbc=1&support=support&tab=summary

[CRUISNDIVA]

 

I love these. I got them at RadioShack. They fit in my ears really nice and don't hurt them like the ones that come with the iPod do.

 

Robin

 

A link:

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=family&summary=summary&allCount=140&fbx=0&cp=2032057.2032187.2202780&productId=2429416&accessories=accessories&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=techSpecs&fbn=Brand%2FSony&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&f=PAD%2FConnectivity+Technology%2FWired&fbc=1&support=support&tab=summary

 

Thanks Robin :D

 

I'm going to check those out. My poor ears can't take those other ones anymore :o

[MiddleEarth]

So here is my question...

 

Has anyone tried using an iPod Touch with WiFi services on board ship?

Rather than bringing a laptop, I think the iPod Touch 32 Gb that we have (one of the seven iPods in my household) would be perfect for some simple browsing of the web, e-mail and of course to listen to music and watch videos.

I use iPods regularly on flights with over the ear noise canceling headphones, and often use an iPod Touch at Starbucks to surf and e-mail.

 

Most cruise lines say that they only support Windows but I have found that Macs worked every time I have brought them with me.

 

I am not certain about the authentication methods they use and that may prove some difficulty with connection.

 

We are sailing on Azamara early December so if there is anyone other there who has used an iPod Touch in this way, I'd love to hear from them.

 

I will also look around on Apple's web site to see if anyone has any comments about iPod Touch and cruises.

[3GR8Sons]

Thanks everyone :D !

 

Okay one more question....if I get the one with the screen will it be too big and clunky to use while working out?

 

The nano is nice and small and has a screen. If you want to play videos get the 8G one. If you just want music 4G should be fine.

[magicaliam]

I never leave home without my ipod & speakers on a cruise! I travel with speakers that are rechargable (& will recharge my ipod when pluged in) and the speakers include a radio - pretty good sound and lightweight. I use them in the room and ipod around ship.....I don't care that much for TV but I gotta have my Jimmy Buffett in Carribbean and my Jazz or Joel or whoever - traveling. And I like my sleep music at night - Not everyone is this way - but I gotta have a song in my smile...

[kelligirl]

I never leave home without my ipod & speakers on a cruise! I travel with speakers that are rechargable (& will recharge my ipod when pluged in) and the speakers include a radio - pretty good sound and lightweight. I use them in the room and ipod around ship.....I don't care that much for TV but I gotta have my Jimmy Buffett in Carribbean and my Jazz or Joel or whoever - traveling. And I like my sleep music at night - Not everyone is this way - but I gotta have a song in my smile...

 

I'm with you...gotta have my music. I just bought a refurbished nano (holds 1000) songs on the apple website for $79. I also purchased from Target this small speaker system that runs on batteries called iMaingo2. It's got incredible sound and got great reviews from cnet.com. I tried my daughters ipod on it. Now DH and I can rock or blues out in our cabin to the music we like!

[HappyFaceBob]

I have a 30GB and a 2GB Nano. I love to listen to books. This trip I plan on bringing the nano. I just downloaded an 18 cd book from the library and still have room!

[kelligirl]

I have a 30GB and a 2GB Nano. I love to listen to books. This trip I plan on bringing the nano. I just downloaded an 18 cd book from the library and still have room!

 

 

Bob, try the Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean Auel. Great series!

[MrsPete]

This is a little off-topic, but don't forget that you can also upload audio books onto an ipod. Get them from the library FOR FREE and upload them just like a song. If your car has an MP3 hookup, it's nice to pick a book that the whole family'll enjoy and listen to it together on the drive.

[MrsPete]

Okay I did it, I bought the Nano 4GB FOR $149.99 it's silver not pink :( but I guess I'll make do ;)

You can buy a protective silicone cover on ebay for less than $5. I put a red one on my ipod the day it was new, and it's never been removed -- my ipod doesn't have a single scratch. My daughters have multiple covers and they change them like clothes.

 

If you want something really distinctive (though not protective), try decalgirl.com -- very cool, unique stickers to cover your ipod, your phone, your laptop, your Nintendo DS. Good quality too.

[cruiserbryce]

if there is no need fo rsuper high tech or a need for a huge playlist just go with one of the basic ones. Mine is about as basic as it comes. Its a nano and holds around 250 songs...which is plenty for me...cost under $200

[MiddleEarth]

I purchased my first iPod on the day that Steve Jobs announced the iPod at MacWorld. It is a white, 5 Gb iPod that uses FireWire instead of USB. This make the transfer and loading of files MUCH faster than USB (even faster than USB 2.0.) That iPod still works and is used from time to time - it holds about 1250 songs. The original battery still gives about 3 hours play time (down from the original 6 hours) a very very cool thing about this iPod is that I can use it to boot a Mac with a full install of MacOS X.

 

My daily use iPod Video is an 80 Gb model. At any given time, it has over 4000 songs, 500 podcasts, and about 30 hours of video and dozens of Audiobooks. I rarely read books anymore and find that audiobooks (podcasts and my own music) are infinitely more satisfying than listening to broadcast radio with all the crappy music, talk and commercials. In the car, I use a little device that broadcasts the audio from my iPod to unused radio frequencies.

 

Every CD, audio cassette and long play record in our house has been "ripped" to iTunes and loaded onto our iPods. I no longer purchase CDs from brick and mortar stores unless the net cost per track on the album is less than $0.99.

[morriscats]

I have the Nano 8gb and have still not loaded it to capacity. My DH has the 80 and he even downloaded an audio book for me to listen to while on our cruise. Got ours at Costco.

[madge57]

Where can I get the speakers that charge my ipod when its plugged in?? that would be great that way you wouldn't have to bring your laptop!!!:)

[MiddleEarth]

Where can I get the speakers that charge my ipod when its plugged in?? that would be great that way you wouldn't have to bring your laptop!!!:)

 

One of the best places to find iPod accessories is at the on-line Apple Store. May not always be the best prices but you will find a wide range of products and because Apple has a reputation for quality they defend, I wouldn't be very concerned about the quality of the devices they re-sell.

 

If you think the prices are too high, you can always use the model numbers and the like to start your search for better deals.

[donaldsc]

Just remember - the IPOD is not the only MP3 player out there. HP makes the Zune and there are others.

 

If you are going to exercise with the thing, you probably do not want one with a hard drive since the drive will not survive.

 

That said, IMHO, even an 8 GB model does not hold enough songs. I have a 20 gig Dell MP3 player (now discontinued) with about 800 full CDs (not songs but CDs) and sometimes I can not find what I want to listen to. Also, again IMHO, the video features that most of the new models offer are useless since I am only interested in listening to music. I have no need to see my album covers or watch videos on a 1 1/2" screen.

 

Finally, the headphones that you will get with the unit are total junk. Budget at least $50 for decent headphones. My Shure in-the-ear headphones cost me about $200 and are worth the cost.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

DON

[MiddleEarth]

Just remember - the IPOD is not the only MP3 player out there. HP makes the Zune and there are others.

 

If you are going to exercise with the thing, you probably do not want one with a hard drive since the drive will not survive.

 

Not looking to start a flame war but...

 

iPod plays MP3 files (and a number of video and other file formats) but strictly speaking, the native format for the iPod is AAC.

 

HP does not make the Zune. Zune is from Microsoft.

 

Exercising does not mean death for the hard drives in a player. Typically, hard drive players also have significant RAM to cache music. The hard drive is accessed to load 20 minutes or so of music so the drive can then spin down and thereby conserve battery power. It takes just a few seconds for this 20 minute buffer to be filled so the drive is only used for short period and I would also note that running is harder on your knees that it would be on an iPod strapped to your arm or clipped to your belt.

I use a rigid mount for my 80 Gb iPod in my car (a Mini Cooper S with really stiff suspension) and I would guess that the hard drive is at greater risk in this use case than jogging - especially since it is not unusual for me to leave it in the car at -20 degrees.

 

BTW... Dell sold Apple iPods before trying to create their own player. (Michael Dell thought they would have an iPod killer) The Dell player was a market failure primarily because Dell couldn't put together and integrate the rest of the components that Apple delivered. ie: iTunes and the iTunes music store.

 

Dell's software failed and working with Microsoft and Gates' multiple attempts at creating a reasonable, workable, sustainable DRM model didn't help Dell's feeble efforts.

 

Go Ahead... Label me an Apple fan boy if you will. I just consider that a badge of honour.

[CruisinJazz]

Costco has the Apple Ipod Nano 8gb for $138.99. If you're a Black Friday shopper there are lots of deals for them...$142 and up and some come with a $15 gift card or as a bundle package with armband or cases.

[kiraryker]

Has anyone tried the dvd player that allows you to play your Ipod movies/videos on it?? I've seen them for about $90 just wondering if they are worth it -

[MiddleEarth]

Just back home from our 15 day, transatlantic crossing on the Azamara Journey.

 

As I outlined before leaving, we planned to take an iPod Touch as our principal means of connection to the internet using the ship's WiFi services and satellite internet connections.

 

Officially, Azamara and Celebrity do not support anything but Windows based systems and then ONLY Internet Explorer. As a Mac user, I find this objectionable and I intend to formally ask Celebrity to rethink their policies. That said...

 

After setting up a user account and password on a computer in the lab, I was able to immediately log in to the ship's WiFi network using the Safari browser on our iPod Touch. Once logged in, we simply opened the iPod's Mail application and immediately retrieved email from both a Rogers/Yahoo mail account my wife uses and Apple's MobileMe mail account I use. Once the e-mails were retrieved, I simply flipped back to Safari and logged out from the WiFi network. Total elapsed time to retrieve a total of 8 emails (including at least 1 pdf file attachment) was 3 minutes.

 

My wife and I read the emails and replied to them as appropriate, we composed some new messages to family members back home. All of this was done off-line.

 

The next connection to the WiFi network was about 2 minutes long, delivered the out-going e-mail to the mail servers in Cupertino and Canada, and retrieved any new messages.

 

The iPod Touch performed perfectly through the trip and provided a wonderful medium for my wife to show off pictures of our kids and other travel images to fellow passengers and of course, listen to music.

 

All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to use an iPod Touch again as a primary device for travel communications and keeping in touch with reality - the daily headline news provided on board was pretty skimpy and I checked regularly with CBC.ca to keep on top of what was happening at home.