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Apple iPod classic 80GB MP3 Player

Apple iPod classic 80GB MP3 Player

Apple - MB147LLARelease Date: Sep 2007

Beautiful, durable, and sleeker than ever, iPod classic now features an anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel enclosure with rounded edges. Browse through your music collection by flipping through album art. Select an album to turn it over and see the track list.

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Summary of User Reviews

Number of Reviews: 20
Positive Reviews: 90%
Negative Reviews: 10%
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Negative Review

Reviewed by: archananb on 27-Sep-07

Strengths: Well-priced, Sleek look, lightweight(not as light as nano though), all metal casing, a super bright screen, loads of storage space

Weaknesses: doesnt come with the iTunes CD, the soft covers for earphones, sleeve case for ipod missing, no FM, no inbuilt speakers, clickwheel response sluggish as also the song artwork takes time to show up!

Summary: I would like to start my review for this iPod by saying that I have owned a 30 GB video 5th gen iPod for 2 years which was stolen from me. When I saw that the prices on these classic iPods have been slashed because of iPod touch launch I decided to buy this one. I like it when taken for the overall look and feel needed in a MP3 player but as i have used iPod before there are some things that I noticed have changed PROS: 1. Unbelievably slim for an 80 GB player. 2. All metal design is really impressive (less scratches). 3. Cover flow definitely adds a lot of pleasure to the user experience. 4. Preview for the selected menu option is impressive. 5. Excellent sound quality. 6. Great Battery life. 7. Great Extras (especially the games) CONS: 1. Menu to Cover flow transition is slow. 2. If there is an album in which there are songs by various artists, the album shows up as many times as the number of artists in the cover flow mode. 3. Although certain photos get copied but they don't open but are are visible as thumbnails 4. Can't change EQ settings from a song. Need to go to the menu- setings- EQ to change it. 5. Artwork for certain albums don't show up even though iTunes shows them correctly. 6.Coverflow feature is something new in this ipod but it is slow and laggy. When I flow through albums all I see are "question mark albums" and it takes a few seconds for the actual album covers to replace the "question mark albums". 7.Games purchased from the iTunes store for older iPods ARE NOT compatible with the Classic 8. When charging the iPod via USB (using Vista) the backlight on the iPod is ALWAYS on and there is no way to turn it off. 9.The new iPod classic has a big problem for all users of the photo and video functions. You cannot display photos, videos or video podcasts on your TV screen, as you cannot change the TV out function on the iPod from OUT to ON. All in all it is the best capacity Mp3 player in the market as compared to other brands but when it comes to Apple you just expect a lot and they need to live upto their name.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: kparchie on 03-Oct-07

Strengths: Huge Capacity, Excellent Sound Quality, very slim and easy to carry and handle, easy user interface with split screen, artwork with navigation, quick search feature

Weaknesses: No Power adapter, No video ouput requires separate cable, Click lacks quick response and senstivity.

Summary: This is a great product. Has excellent battery life and huge capacity and light weight. Has bright LCD with split screen. Navigation with added artwork. Worth the price. Has 3 Games but no software provided for dvd to video uploads with conversions.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: bankers55 on 05-Oct-07

Strengths: I have had the old ipod 30gb and this new 80gb battery life is out of this world, brighter screen and easier to use.

Weaknesses: Volume on the unit is not so good, headphones need to be replaced, not a good sound.

Summary: I have had the old ipod 30gb and this new 80gb battery life is out of this world, brighter screen and easier to use. I am very happy with this new unit, works well and the look and brighter screen rocks!!!

Positive Review

Reviewed by: dew321 on 06-Oct-07

Strengths: Better-looking interface graphics, face is less scratch-prone, cleaner sound

Weaknesses: Sometimes sluggish menu transitions, less responsive clickwheel

Summary: With the iPod Classic, the original, hard-drive based iPod gets a long overdue refresh (after the stopgap "5.5 G" update last year) with some promising features. By far the biggest change is the interface. Finally making good use of the iPod's color screen, which heretofore wasn't much more than the original iPod interface in color, the Classic splits top-level menus into two panels, with menu titles on the left and floating graphics on the right. In the main menu with "Music" highlighted, the Classic automatically displays album artwork from your music files drifting along in the "Ken Burns" style that Apple has used for years in several of their software programs. Go down to "Extras" and you'll see an analog clock displaying the current time, complete with second hand. Further down the menu hierarchy, album covers are shown to the left of menu items in the Albums section. The interface refresh doesn't stop at the pretty graphics, though. The Albums and Songs sections shows the artist name under each album/song, while Playlists are shown with song count and Genres show artist and album counts, all rendered in crisp, easy-to-read type. Other areas, including the Photo section and the display of cover artwork while tracks are playing, also get a similar refresh, giving the iPod's interface a sleekness that has been a part of the player's physical appearance since the beginning. The biggest eye candy, though, is saved for the new Cover Flow feature. Added to iTunes last year, and previously available on Apple's iPhone, Cover Flow (accessible as its own submenu in the Music section) lets you browse music by using the clickwheel to push through album covers like a virtual CD rack. It's a beautiful effect, complete with reflections of artwork shown on the "surface" below the album covers (another Apple software graphic mainstay over the past few years), but, like the other interface enhancements, it appears that it comes with a price. Many of these visual flourishes are choppy and cause the iPod as a whole to become sluggish. I've often found delays when clicking on a menu item, where past iPods would jump to the next menu level immediately.The iPod Classic's physical appearance continues in the trend of previous updates, packing more storage into less space. The lower-end 80 GB version packs as much storage as the previous higher-end iPod into the space of a 30 GB 5.5 G iPod. This feat is stupendous unto itself, but the thinness of the unit can make scrolling a little uncomfortable. Imagine circling your thumb while simultaneously pinching a half-inch notepad, and you'll have an idea of how arthritis-inducing the chore can be. On the other hand, the face's new anodized aluminum face is a welcome relief from previous iPods' scratch-prone lucite faces. This comes with the loss of the iconic white facade, but alas, progress much march on. That said, the chrome back, which is a magnet for both scratches and fingerprints, remains.Also changed is the iPod Classic's clickwheel. The new ones seem to be less touch sensitive than before, which can make scrolling, especially in light of its thinness, oftentimes difficult and choppy. Then again, this comes after only a few days of using the new iPod, so I won't rule out the possibility of merely needing time to adjust to using more pressure than I'm used to.Okay, but how does it sound? Looks and interface are great, but ultimately, it's a music player. To my completely untrained ears, music sounds "brighter" than my previous 5G iPod. Songs seem less muddy and compressed, but take this with a grain of salt, as I am using $30 headphones and am in no way an audio professional.Bottom line: in spite of its interface shortcomings (some of which may be addressed by future software updates), the iPod Classic is still one of the best digital audio players out there. If you're a fan of the iPod and would like more than the relatively scant 16 GB that the iPod Touch offers, the Classic is a great choice.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: Havok83 on 14-Oct-07

Strengths: Large harddrive, user friendly new interface, longer battery life, thinner and lighter than previous version

Weaknesses: No power adapter, battery life not so good when playing videos

Summary: The new 6th generation Ipods are another great product by Apple and the best MP3 player you will find. The larger hard drive, new interface, smaller size and weight all make this a great uprade over the previous model. I would defiently reccommend this

Positive Review

Reviewed by: zhuchok on 15-Oct-07

Strengths: * Roomy hard drive* Improved battery life* Improved graphical user interface* Lower price (the 5.5 gen iPod of the same capacity is still sold for $240 more)

Weaknesses: * This is silly, but the headphones that come with the device are still white

Summary: I purchased this iPod to replace my 5.5 generation 30GB model. I really like the improvements in the user interface including "Cover Flow" and visual album cover browse options. The search option is also a great help for someone with a larger collection. The battery life seems to be slightly batter than that of my 5.5 generation iPod. A generous drop in price of 80GB model make this unit a welcome upgrade for those, who have been approaching the storage capacity of their older units.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: mlelliston on 31-Oct-07

Strengths: user interface has been inproved along with the copacity in such a compact model

Weaknesses: No wireless connectivty, AV output no longer available via head phone jack

Summary: I have been a great fan of the IPOD since its inception. This new model has me thinking of how far they have come and at the same time how far they still need to go. As they have increased the capacity and improved a bit of the user interface this model is missing some basic features that are becoming standard on mp3 players these days. I think this is a great investment for size but if you want FM and Wireless connection you might want to wait for the new ZUNE or Apples next next release.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: thomasdoan on 01-Nov-07

Strengths: Very durable and solid construction. Sleek gadget feel. The video screen is crystal clear. The controls are very intuitive.

Weaknesses: The enclosed earphones are cheap. The screen could be larger for viewing video. Viewing video with this screen can be tiring if view for long hours.

Summary: Apple again has renovated an already great product with its overall construction to the intuitive controls and design. The presentation of the coverflow art makes it a joy to view it all the time. A great sleek gadget for anyone of all ages.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: atray07 on 05-Nov-07

Strengths: Automatically syncs to I-Tunes. Easy to use and navigate. Lightweight. Large memory.

Weaknesses: I had some problems getting it to work with FM transmitter but I finally got it and it wasn't problems with the actual ipod.

Summary: This is my first ipod. I've had this ipod for about a month and have yet to have any problems. My only problem is most likely that I got one with a large capacity that I will prob never fill up. I think it's great that I can upload video, but have yet to try that. It has a very nice sleek design.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: oldteng on 14-Nov-07

Strengths: high class appearancemulti-functional features

Weaknesses: not very smoothly to operate by click wheel...

Summary: This is my first time to use Ipod. It is really good-looking, make me feel myself graceful when taking it with me. Besides, it includes multi-functional items, but these functions are easy to understand and operate. I enjoy having one. .

Positive Review

Reviewed by: Toolmandbq on 18-Nov-07

Strengths: Easy to use, Storage size, best on the market

Weaknesses: Ear buds, battery charge is not what they claim, case scrathes easy

Summary: I do love the ipod. This is the 4 one I have bought. they are very easy to use with the Itune program. I am running Vista now and at first itunes did not like it, but that has been fixed. You will need to get a better set of ear buds. They sound fine, but after a few minites they will start hurting if they manage to stay in your ear. If you run a video or game you can only expect about 3 hour of run time. Get a protective case to avoid scrathes.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: rlattery on 18-Nov-07

Strengths: Great storage capacity.

Weaknesses: Small screen, Cannot use generic cables to connect to your TV.

Summary: Overall, this product is excellent. It has great storage capacity and great output. The screen is kind of small for viewing movies, but it still okay for most uses. I have been able to store a huge number of songs, tv shows and even quite a few movies on it and I still have plenty of space. The one thing that surprised me and that I only found out by going to online forums was that the feature that allows you to connect the device to your television absolutely will not work unless you buy a special Apple cable at a cost of an additional $50. No other cable will work, I promise you. I tried and had to return 2 cables before I found this out. The "TV Out" feature will remain "OFF" unless you use this special cable with a microchip inside that recognizes the Ipod Classic. Many people in the other forums were very angry that Apple has done this.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: jdaiello on 25-Nov-07

Strengths: Large hard drive, longer battery life, thinner and lighter than previous version. User interface has been inproved along with the capacity in such a compact model. Excellent sound quality, very slim and easy to carry and handle.

Weaknesses: Does not come with the iTunes CD, the soft covers for earphones, sleeve case for ipod missing, no FM, no built in speakers, clickwheel response sluggish as also the song artwork takes time to show up. Small screen, Cannot use generic cables to connect to

Summary: Apple again has renovated an already great product with its overall construction to the intuitive controls and design. The presentation of the coverflow art makes it a joy to view it all the time. A great sleek gadget for anyone of all ages.

Positive Review

Reviewed by: pds on 01-Dec-07

Strengths: Capacity...Reliability...Compatibility with many accessories

Weaknesses: Haven't found a weakness yet.

Summary: Previously had purchased a Zune, but was very unhappy. After consulting friends, I chose the Ipod Classic instead. Plan to transfer all my old CDs and be able to listen to them while driving without having to do the "disc shuffle".

Negative Review

Reviewed by: bithiophene on 06-Dec-07

Strengths: Good battery life, light LCD screen, huge storage space

Weaknesses: Nil

Summary: This my 1st IPOD products. Decent MP3 player with huge storage space. Decent LCD screen for movie playback, but not perfect.Decent battery life.Overall, decent player, not a "wow" product.

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