| DESCRIPTION:
Apple
has revamped its flagship iPod MP3 player and renamed it the iPod
classic. Apple continues to make the most popular digital music player
even more desirable, with an astounding 80GB hard drive, 30 hours of
battery life for audio playback and 6 hours for video and an even more
sleek and compact design to make this stylish Black iPod a true classic
in every sense of the word.
Packed with all the usual features
like a calendar and contact display, audiobook playback, photo
slide-show playback and video podcasts the iPod now also features three
new games, Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike, and more can be downloaded from
iTunes. You can also download music videos and your favorite television
shows from the iTunes store and watch them wherever and whenever you
want. The impressive 2.5" LCD Screen has a brightness adjustment mode
so you can get more from your battery life as well as adjust the
brightness to fit the room's light level.
The classic iPod Click
Wheel combined with the new and improved interface make the new iPod
the perfect combination of new features and proven design for anyone
who likes to carry their entertainment with them.
Key Features
• Massive 80GB Hard Drive
The classic will hold 20,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and 100 hours of video in its secure hard drive.
• All Metal Design
The iPod classic has a sleek, all metal design only 0.41" (10.5mm) deep.
• 2.5" Color LCD Monitor
The classic has 2.5" color LCD display with 320 x 240 resolution so
that you can enjoy your favorite movies, videos, and podcasts.
• Expanded Battery Life
Besides boosting drive space, the classic now boasts up to 30 hours of
battery life for audio playback and 6 hours for video. Charge your iPod
classic to 80% capacity in 2 hours or to full capacity in 4 hours.
• Cover Flow
Access your music by browsing through album artwork and then select an album to see the track list just like on iTunes.
• Video Playback
Purchase music videos at the iTunes music store or ad-free episodes of
ABC or Disney television shows and watch them on your iPod. You can
also view home movies recorded on your digital camcorder or any video
in MPEG-4 format.
• Games
The classic comes pre-loaded
with three games; Vortex, iQuiz and Klondike and you can download even
more fun at the iTunes Store. These iPod games are designed
specifically for the iPod interface and will look great on the 2.5"
display.
• Audiobooks
Catch up on your reading with the iPod classic. The iTunes music store is stocked with thousands of titles for your choosing.
• Calendar/Contacts
Use the iPod classic as a personal manager. It will sync with Address
Book and iCal on the Mac and Outlook or Outlook Express on the PC so
you can carry your appointments and important information with you. It
even has a world clock and stopwatch built in.
• Photos
Store up to 25,000 photos from iTunes and view them on the stunning
2.5" display. Make slideshows with smooth transitions and your own
music. Scroll the Click Wheel to sort through photo thumbnails, then
select via center button to view your photo full screen.
The digital music player continues its evolution from
simple audio player to complex multimedia device. Most MP3 players come
with color displays and the ability to show digital photos transferred
from your computer, sometimes with accompanying music. Many MP3 players
also play back movies, music videos, and TV shows downloaded from the
Web or videos taken with your camcorder. Some MP3 players can make
their own recordings from a TV or download and share their content
wirelessly over a Wi-Fi connection.
Recommended MP3 players
Digital music players vary in price and performance. See which models will give you the most
value for your money
Recommended models are those that, based on our expert evaluation,
deserve special consideration. We highlight high-scoring models that
combine performance, features and value, so that you can choose the
product that best suits your budget and lifestyle.
Your decision in a player doesn't end with brand and model; you
often also need to decide how much storage you want. Price rises with
capacity, but performance, size, and weight should remain fairly
constant within a model line. Our advice: Buy the biggest capacity your
budget allows.
Flash-memory players typically offer the smallest,
lightest, and most affordable way to enjoy MP3 music on the go. But
capacity maxes out at 32 gigabytes (GB)--or about 8,000 songs at
standard MP3 compression format--about a fifth of the most capacious
hard-disk models. Hard-disk models offer more versatility and capacity
than any flash player. But they tend to be bulkier.
All players
accept music you already own on CD, which you convert into digital
music files and transfer to the player using software such as iTunes,
Windows Media Player, and other programs. And all can play
copyright-protected music downloaded from online stores. Non-iPods can
play songs downloaded from a variety of online stores; iPods work
mainly with iTunes, but you can also download songs from Amazon,
Wal-Mart, Real and Rhapsody.
For the best balance of high capacity and price:
The 80 GB models is extremely rare. Despite its diminished specs, the
Classic
is still one of the most capacious players you can buy, with enough
room for 20,000 songs. Battery life is still among the best, audio
playback time is 30 hours. Video playback is 6 hours. And since the
Classic costs only a little more
than some rival players with a fraction of the capacity, it's also a
great value. It has a volume limiter and can play its content on a TV
with an optional accessory. Very Good ease of use. Very-good-sounding headphones and very good
picture and video quality. Has slideshow with simultaneous music, a
volume limiter that can be pass-code protected, an alarm, stopwatch,
games, volume leveling, calendar, contacts appointment application,
text viewer, lock control, multilingual menus, and Mac support. Can
view video or images on a TV with optional accessory. Can edit playlist
on player.
Apple iPod Classic (80 GB) The best choice if you have a very large multimedia library, and you want to bring it with you.
- Type: MP3 players
- Hard-disk MP3 players (4 GB to 120 GB)
- Price $299.99
Summary: A 80 GB hard-disk MP3 player that includes photo and video playback, equalizer, and volume limiter to protect hearing.
Apple has revamped its flagship iPod MP3 player and renamed it the iPod
classic. Apple continues to make the most popular digital music player
even more desirable, with an astounding 80GB hard drive, 30 hours of
battery life for audio playback, 6 hours for video, long battery life,
and an even more sleek and compact design make this stylish Black iPod
a true classic in every sense of the word.
Packed with
all the usual features like a calendar and contact display, audiobook
playback, photo slide-show playback and video podcasts the iPod now
also features three new games, Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike, and more
can be downloaded from iTunes. You can also download music videos and
your favorite television shows from the iTunes store and watch them
wherever and whenever you want. The impressive 2.5" LCD Screen has a
brightness adjustment mode so you can get more from your battery life
as well as adjust the brightness to fit the rooms light level.
The
classic iPod Click Wheel combined with the new and improved interface
make the new iPod the perfect combination of new features and proven
design for anyone who likes to carry their entertainment with them.
Easy to use, Excellent sound quality, Huge Memory, Love iTunes
Store, Super Long Battery Life.
Best Uses:
Movies, Music, Photos, Easy to use Interface, Elegant Design, Good
capacity, Unlimited accessory possibilities. Durable, Genius feature is
awesom, High Music clarity, Easy to organize, Loud Sound. Huge Options.
This 80 GB is huge memory for all my music, pictures, videos and TV
shows. You can buy fantastic accessories to use it with! It can be used
with a portable sound system and the iPod just slides right into the
base in front. If your car has a direct cable hookup for the iPod, you
can take it with you
everywhere and let it shuffle so driving is safer with no distractions
from pushing buttons, etc. You won't give up you iPod 80 gig up for
anything! If you have an extensive music library, this is perfect for
that.
Apple makes really well designed devices. You can also use a
third party application and load your own music without having to load
Quicktime and other invasive programs on your PC. iPods are easy to
use, easy to understand and easy to hold no matter how bulky. They last
forever.
And to clear up any "i can't fast forward the song/video" you press the
center button while in the song/video to where it is a line with a
diamond and then you use the click wheel to search through the
song/video. iTunes is really easy to search with. Plus they actually
use regular money, not points. Easy to load...plenty of room to store
music, podcasts, audio books. Apple help site can help you through to
re-set it to get it back up and running, no matter how badly you treat
it.
Basic Specs
|
Capacity provided
|
|
The total memory that comes with the player, combining the memory
that's built into the unit plus those of any external media supplied
with the unit. See Expansion Memory Format for the external media type.
|
| 80 GB
|
|
Internal memory
|
|
Also called onboard or built-in memory. The amount of internal memory
to store music that comes with the player. Some MP3 players have
additional memory slots into which removable media such as
CompactFlash, MultiMedia, Secure Digital, and SmartMedia cards can be
inserted.
|
| 80 GB
|
|
Expansion memory format
|
|
The format for the removable memory medium used in a flash-memory
player. Most are external cards (some the size of a matchbook) that
install into the player. Among the most common are CompactFlash,
MultiMedia, Secure Digital, and SmartMedia. In addition, some players
use a proprietary memory format, such as Sony's MagicGate Memory Stick
(a copyright protection version of Sony's existing MemoryStick media).
Such formats may work only on products of the brand for which they're
designed--a disadvantage if you want to swap memory media with another
brand of handheld device. You must get the correct type of storage for
your player; check with the manufacturer or retailer if you're
uncertain. Some hard-disk players have removable memory media for
transferring files; however, you cannot play music directly from the
card.
|
| None
|
|
Audio playback formats
|
|
The most common audio format(s) the player will recognize and be able
to play. These include:AA: Audio Book. Allows audible spoken-word
content playback from Web services such as Audible or iTunes, where you
can download digital audiobooks, radio programs, audio magazines, and
newspapers, for instance. Apple Lossless: Apple (Mac) format for an
uncompressed sound file. ATRAC: Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coupling.
FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec. MPEG: Moving Picture Experts Group.
OGG: Short for Ogg Vorbis, a free, open source music format. WAV:
Uncompressed Windows standard for waveform audio files. WMA: Windows
Media Audio.
|
| MP3, AAC, AAC-DRM, WAV, AA
|
|
Mac compatible
|
|
All players work with a Windows PC, but that's not always the case with
a Macintosh computer. Check the ratings or the manufacturers' Web site
to make sure the player you're considering will work with your
computer.
|
| Yes
|
|
Height (in.)
|
|
The player's height is measured to the nearest tenth of an inch, and
listed the way the player would be oriented if you were viewing the
screen.
|
| 4.1
|
|
Width (in.)
|
|
The player's width is measured to the nearest tenth of an inch, and
listed the way the player would be oriented if you were viewing the
screen.
|
| 2.4
|
|
Depth (in.)
|
|
The player's depth is measured to the nearest tenth of an inch, and
listed the way the player would be oriented if you were viewing the
screen.
|
| 0.4
|
|
Weight (oz.)
|
|
How much the player weighs in ounces, including batteries but not
including accessories. For models with no internal memory, the memory
card is included.
|
| 4.7
|
|
Display size H x W (in.)
|
|
The player's display dimensions are measured to the nearest tenth of an
inch, and listed the way the player would be oriented if you were
viewing the screen.
|
| 1.5x2.0
|
|
Color display
|
|
This is typically a backlit liquid crystal display (LCD). Some displays
instead use organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Virtually allAll
players with a color display, except one- or two-color OLED models, can
show pictures taken with your digital camera.
|
| Yes
|
|
Batteries
|
|
Some flash-memory players use AA or AAA batteries and can accept either
standard alkaline or rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. Standard AA or AAA
alkaline batteries cost $1 or less each; the rechargeable batteries
cost about $3 each. If the player you buy doesn't come with
rechargeables and a charger, purchasing them separately could save you
money in the long run. Some hard-disk players use a more expensive and
harder-to-find rechargeable non-standard \"block\" or \"gumstick\"
shaped Nickel Metal-Hydride (Ni-MH) or Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) removable
battery. Beware of players that use a non-removable rechargeable
battery. When they can no longer hold a charge, the player has to be
sent back to the manufacturer to be professionally serviced, which can
be costly.
|
| Non-removable
|
|
Headphone type
|
|
The type of headphone or earphone included with the unit. Some can fold
up or may have volume control. You may find that a player comes with no
headphone or a different headphone than we list, depending upon where
the player is purchased.
|
| Earplug |
| Ease of use |
| Ease
of use mainly covers player characteristics that aid in convenience,
versatility, and portability. These primarily include navigation and
scrolling features; the accessibility and readability of the controls;
and the readability and breadth of the information in the display (such
as music-track data and battery-life indicator); size and weight; and
ease of use while walking or jogging. Some features and capabilities
considered include the presence of an FM radio, built-in microphone,
upgradeable firmware, equalizer, data storage, software assessment, and
the player's ability to be recognized as a hard drive by the computer
without the installation of additional drivers. |
| Very Good |
| Headphone quality |
| Headphone
quality reflects judgments from a listening panel comparing the player
and its supplied headphone to a test audio CD and a high-fidelity
headphone. All uncompressed (audio CD or WAV) test music sources were
ripped (encoded) to MP3 format (128, 192, and 256 kbps CBR rate) using
a high-quality encoder. |
| Very Good |
| Audio quality |
| Audio
quality reflects judgments from a listening panel comparing the player
to a test audio CD, using the high-fidelity headphone for both. All
uncompressed (audio CD or WAV) test music sources were ripped (encoded)
to MP3 format (192, and 256 kbps CBR rate) using a high quality encoder. |
| Excellent |
| Audio playback time (hr.) |
| Audio
playback time (hours) reflects lab measurements of continuous playback
time to the nearest hour, using a selection of music tracks encoded to
MP3 format at a 128 kbps constant bit rate (CBR); fully charged
rechargeable batteries; backlight at the minimum setting; with included
headphone; and volume set at a reasonable level. For players that can
use standard batteries such as alkaline, expect a bit longer playback
time. Our measurements should not be compared with those stated by the
manufacturer, which may use different testing methods and criteria. |
| 30 |
| Damage resistance mainly reflects drop-test results; scratch- and wipe-resistance results were also considered. |
| Excellent |
| Still picture quality |
| Still
picture quality reflects judgments based mainly on viewing angle,
display size, and clarity and color in different lighting conditions,
using the JPEG format. |
| Very Good |
| Motion video quality |
| Motion
video quality reflects judgments based mainly on viewing angle, display
size, and clarity and color assessed in different lighting conditions,
using a compatible movie format. Results are given only for players
with screens measuring more than 1.2 inches diagonally. |
| Very Good |
| Features |
| Video playback? |
| Some
players support MPEG-4-based video formats such as DIVX, XVID, and WMV.
Some players may also handle copy-protected videos. |
| Yes |
| Plays copy-protected music? |
| Most songs purchased from online music stores are copy-protected by digital rights management (DRM) software. |
| Yes |
| Slideshow capability? |
| Allows
pictures to be displayed in slideshow fashion, complete with fade-outs
and other transitions. Some allow you to adjust how long each picture
is displayed. |
| Yes |
| Picture-audio capability |
| Some players have the ability to display pictures in conjunction with music, sometimes in slideshow fashion. |
| slideshow with simultaneous music |
| FM radio?
|
| Adds FM-radio functionality. |
| No |
| FM radio recording?
|
| For a player that has an FM radio; can record from an FM radio station onto the player without the use of a microphone. |
| No |
| Built-in microphone? |
| Useful for recording interviews, lectures, from a radio, etc. See also Voice Recording |
| No |
| Volume limiter? |
| A
player control designed to protect hearing by preventing the volume
from exceeding a safe level, either preset by the manufacturer or
programmed by the user. Some players allow the setting to be pass-code
protected, such as by a parent, to prevent users from bypassing the
limiter. |
| Yes |
| Firmware upgradeable? |
| Signifies
that the firmware--the player's built-in operating instructions--can be
upgraded so the player does not become obsolete. Upgrades can add or
enhance features, fix \"bugs,\" and add support for other audio and
video formats and operating systems. Check the manufacturer's and
music-management software application Web sites for upgrades. |
| Yes |
| Equalizer |
| Most
players have some type of equalizer, which allows the listener to
adjust tone in various ways. Separate bass and treble controls or
adjustable equalizers found on players give you the most control over
tone. Presets are settings such as Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classic, Rap, or
Normal \"mixes\" that you may or may not like. Some players have just a
simple bass-boost control, which we do not consider to be an equalizer. |
| Preset
|
| Data storage? |
| The ability to store files other than digital-audio files, including text, image, or video files (see Hard Drive Recognition for additional information). |
| Yes |
| Lists tracks? |
| On the player's LCD screen, songs within a playlist are listed to make selection easy. |
| Yes |
| Connections |
| Line input? |
| A digital, optical, or analog line input allows you to record from an external audio system to the player. |
| No |
| Video input? |
| Allows
video recording and scheduling when connected to an external video
source, such as a TV. Useful for watching on the go. May require
optional accessories, such as a docking station or cables. Models
denoted by a [1] require the purchase of an optional cable or docking
station. |
| No |
| Video output? |
| Allows
you to connect to an external video source, such as a TV or monitor,
for playback. May require optional accessories, such as a docking
station or cables. Models denoted by a [1] require the purchase of an
optional cable or docking station. Some players block copy-protected
video files from playing on TVs and other external displays. |
| Yes |
|
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