I am thinking about buying an iPod to use when running. I’ve read a lot about them on the Internet, but nothing about the actual day-to-day use and operation of them. I have specific questions, such as: What exactly does Apple mean by “25-minute skip protection”? Are MP-3s at risk of skipping like a CD??? Also, which one (generation or whatever) is the best to buy?
But mostly, I just want to hear the nuts-and-bolts details of how they exactly work in real life. I’m really seeking the lowdown on the practical issues involved in owning and using one, pros and cons, etc. Anybody with an iPod want to share their experiences? Thanks.
Essentially no, mp3 players don’t skip. This is because they have no moving parts that are affected by jarring motion. You’re basically plugging the headphones into a small circuitboard. In the case of the ipod, there is a tiny drive, but the music isn’t being read from the drive.
iPod has a hard drive, like most MP3 players nowadays. Personally, I wouldn’t trust it for running. While it won’t skip, the constant vibration will damage the hard disk eventually. That’s why I bought an MP3 player with solid-state memory.
Mine doesn’t. I was/am still running Windows 98, and my new iPod is not compatible with it. Believe it or not, I’m in the process of buying a new computer just so I can use my iPod.
I have an iPod Mini. I think it’s great, and have had no (serious) issues with it yet, but there have been a few hiccups.
I cannot use it with my desktop at home, because like ChoosyChips, it’s Win98. However, all my music is on my work laptop, so not a real issue.
I’ve been recording a bunch of stuff with the included iTunes software, and just found out it won’t play on my old mp3 player (a tiny little Nomad Muvo thingy). But that’s probably an issue with the encoding, and I’m guessing I could switch iTunes to a different format (not sure though).
I found that when running I needed to add the little foamy covers to the included earbuds, otherwise the buds bounced a little in my ears, the sound of which was annoying. I imagine the foamy things could get nasty after awhile, but I no longer listen to music while I run, so I don’t care. Also I lost the foamy things.
I think for running it would be difficult to pick songs on the fly, so you would need a build a playlist beforehand. That’s not really an iPod specific issue though.
My friend also has a mini and has complained slightly about the battery life, but I think that’s more of a “driving in the car” issue, not for running.
That’s all I can think of right now. If you have specific questions, I’ll be happy to take a whack at them.
Well, you know how the SDMB servers are powered by hamsters? Same principle. In fact, the same technology used to create “Mini Me” for the Austin Powers movies has been used to create “mini-hamsters” that actually power these iPods! And, of course, since they are psychically linked to the hamsters in your home PC, they can easily receive songs from your PC.
My boss just recently dropped his very new iPod on his kitchen floor. It fell out of his backpack and now the buttons aren’t working right. That was an expensive accident. So, don’t drop whatever you buy.
I have twice now managed to drop my iPod from a standing height onto a concrete floor, ( :smack: ) and except for a small chip in the plastic face, it still works perfectly. So while you should, of course, be careful with your iPod, they are still surprisingly resiliant.
Running shouldn’t hurt the hard drive. I work for a HD manufactuer. You should see the vibration equipment we use to test these drives - well not these drives, we currently don’t supply Apple (plus pressure chambers, heat chambers, humidity, etc. When we finish testing drives we call the output “Shake and Bakes”). You’d have to be Superman to exceed the specs on the drive by jogging.
Then call me Superman because my first iPod froze up on me when I walked briskly on a treadmill. I just bought a new one less than a month ago and the first time I went on a treadmill with it, it froze. It doesn’t freeze from normal paced walking, or sitting; it has to be the shocks from the faster-paced movement on the treadmill.
Or perhaps the tiny little men took to pondering Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle and got confused. “We know how fast we’re going, because it says so on that little dial up front, so we shouldn’t be able to tell exactly where we are, but we can see ourselves in that mirror over there and we aren’t moving!” Then their brains asploded.
When I got my iPod I thought it was the coolest thing in the world, now that the novelty has worn off, I STILL think its the coolest thing in the world.
I am pretty active with mine ( me?run? ) and it is fine and it does not skip, never locked up, etc. My co-worker is training for a marathon (runs outdoors) and he uses his and he is happy with it. He’s got an ipod condom to keep sweat and crap out of it.
Also, which one (generation or whatever) is the best to buy?
) and it is fine and it does not skip, never locked up, etc. My co-worker is training for a marathon (runs outdoors) and he uses his and he is happy with it. He’s got an ipod condom to keep sweat and crap out of it.