[feverish]

Does anyone else think those pictures are drawn?

They don't look real, and if they were... blech

 

[rodbac]

Not to enter the fray, but I've compared the two also, and I thought the Karma sounded much better than the iPod after configuring the EQ properly. One man's opinion, though...

Also, most of the reviews I was able to find back in the day (a couple months ago) ranked the Karma alongside the Zen for SQ (high praise), with both firmly ahead of the Pod.

I won't argue it, though. I think they all sound pretty damn good to my lame ears.

 

[Laffer]

Mini Ipod:
1. Ugly.....well it just looks cheap, no style like previous models had.
2. Short battery life.
3. Only little bit smaller than 3rd gen and 1:10 capacity.

 

[EyEPoD]

When comparing the ipod to other players, are you guys listening through the headphone out or lineout? The lineout of the ipod is a completely different beast (better is what i was going for)

 

[zowie]

I thought the most interesting part of the release story was this:

>>IPod sales generated $121 million in revenue in Apple's fourth quarter, which ended in late September. Between October and December, Apple sold 730,000 iPods, or nearly one out of three portable digital music players sold in the United States .<<<

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Theresamarie1 I wonder what design point issues are forcing the short battery life just like it's big sister.

Same design issue as the regular iPod: size. Rio Nitrus is 4.32 cubic inches, iPod mini is 3.6 cubic inches. That's .72 cubic inches. That's a lot of battery. (Although I think they should have made it even .1 inch thicker, just to get more battery life. I don't care about 8 hours, but a lot of people seem to, even if they never actually need it.)



Quote:

Originally posted by Skeeve I think you are being a bit quick to right of the whole market, since flash is just too expensive to go beyond 512mb, you potentially have a big market for people who want something that is close enough to the size, weight and battery life of a flash player, but has a decent amount of storage.

I'll admit that maybe I am being too quick to criticize all these 4GB players. They just seem (to me) to be "tweener" products that most people won't buy because they either want something cheap or they spend $50 more bucks and get a full-blown player that holds 15GB.


Quote:

Originally posted by sno1man The output is the same as the bigger ipod's and so far everything that works with the bigger pods appears to work with the mini including the itrip.

Almost. The mics (like the Griffin and Belkin ones) don't work, nor do things like the Belkin card reader.





Quote:

Originally posted by darkfusion Steve Job's should take a few notes from whoever created this mini iPod concept art: [snip] If was really hoping the mini iPod was something like that, I would definatly look into buying one if it was. Hell, the buttons look better on that than the standard iPod, let alone the mini! I think I'd prefer the touch scroll bar than the touch wheel too, seeing as most of the menu navigation is just up and down anyway.

One of the best things about the iPod mini is the new scroll wheel/buttons, precisely because they eliminate those horribly over-sensitive buttons. As for the "scroll bar," I think you'd change your mind after using it a single time. Instead of scrolling through 4,000 songs by continuously rotating your finger around a circle, you'd have to scroll down, move your finger to the top, scroll down, move your finger to the top, scroll down... etc.




Quote:

Originally posted by Dweebgal does anyone else think that it loos like its pretty much the same freakin' size as the 3g?

Not even close. Trust us -- once you hold it in your hand, you'll appreciate the difference in size. To put it into perspective:
iPod 30/40GB: 7.18 cubic inches
iPod mini: 3.6 cubic inches
In other words, the mini is about half the total size of the standard iPod.


Quote:

Originally posted by IpaqMan (possibly twice the battery lifespan)

This is a bit of a myth. The battery life really doesn't get "shorter" until the end of the life cycle. And the lifespans on an 8-hour and a 15-hour battery are pretty much identical. Lithium ion batteries have lives based on charging cycles -- sure, some people may let their 15-hour battery run down longer before charging, but for most users, they'll charge when it's convenient, not when they get to a certain battery level, which means most users will charge them about at about the same frequency, which means the batteries will have about the same lifespan.

The advantage of a longer battery life really has nothing to do with the "lifespan" of the battery; it's all about the maximum length of time you can listen between charges.



Quote:

Originally posted by penbat Mr Lindrone, surely the Mini Ipod is no advance on the regular Ipod for you - an audiophile. So surely you must now be looking at the Karma, for example, where i think the majority opinion says you get better sound quality than an Ipod.

"Majority opinion?"

For those of us who have heard multiple players, the "majority" I've seen says that the iPod and the Zen are the best sounding. The Karma's sound wasn't that impressive, IMO. Whatever the case may be, it's certainly not the case that there's some "majority" out there preferring the sound of the Karma.

 

[XXhalberstramXX]

droooooooooolll.....

oh WHOOPS!! I forgot we were all iPod bashing LOSERS on this website! my mistake...

But seriously, I agree with previous statements that the mini iPod is being marketed to women and gay men. I mean, we all know that women are weak and helpless, and need to use at least two hands to lift a regular iPod (or they can ask for help from a strapping, STD-free, penis-clad man like myself).

And... really! How does Apple expect gay men to hold an original iPod with their limp wrists and taste for pastel colors?

you guys really called Apple out on that one!!

(please, mr. or ms. moderator, don't ban me from this website... i really like head-fi, stereotypes just sometimes get me a bit riled up)

 

[EyEPoD]

Thanks MacDEF, I love it when you sum things up for us.

 

[sygyzy]

I love how people claim to know what sort of battery life other people require. Do you actually think you have any clue what another person's needs are? Maybe you only listen to your mp3 player while jogging for an hour in the evenings.

Well, I am out of my house, at work, 9+ hours a day. Most Americans are. When I had my Zen, I listened to it, at my desk, the entire length of my day. (I work with computers). So sure, if battery life was 7.5 hours, rather than 8, I would not be too upset. But I mean when you don't push near that, then we have a problem.

Believe it or not, some people *need* 8+ hours. Open your mind to that possibility.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by sygyzy Believe it or not, some people *need* 8+ hours. Open your mind to that possibility.

If you actual read what I wrote, both here and in other threads, you'd know that I clearly have considered that possibility. In fact, whenever I talk about battery life, I make it clear that I'm not talking about ALL users.

The fact remains that MOST users don't actually need really long battery life. How do I "know" this? As I explained in a previous thread, I've seen comprehensive marketing surveys where users of portable players -- MP3, MD, CD, etc. -- were asked how long they usually listen to their player between charges or "charging opportunities" (i.e., how long do they actually use their portable player at one time. The results showed that the VAST majority of users listen to their player AT MOST 1-3 hours at a time. The proportion who listen for 8 or more hours without access to an outlet or other charging opportunity was VERY small compared to the rest of users.

Again, I've never said that no one needs long battery life. Only that FAR fewer people need it than think they do. Battery life is overrated, and for most people it's really not a big deal. If you're one of the few people that actually "needs" 15 hours of battery life, then obviously these points don't apply to you, and you shouldn't buy an iPod.

By the way, you like to flame me for my (informed) statements, but what about when people come into a forum and try to convince people what to buy based on their own preferences: "Don't buy the iPod because the battery life is too short." Will I ever see you criticizing those people for making recommendations without knowing the user's usage patterns?

 

[NewSc2]

I'll have to back up MacDEF here, and personally think anything beyond 4-5 hours is unnecessary for me. I usually charge my 2g iPod about twice a week fully, yet I charge my cell phone at least twice that. I could stand to charge my iPod twice as much as I do currently too.

 

[NewSc2]

Quote:

Originally posted by sygyzy Well, I am out of my house, at work, 9+ hours a day. Most Americans are. When I had my Zen, I listened to it, at my desk, the entire length of my day. (I work with computers). So sure, if battery life was 7.5 hours, rather than 8, I would not be too upset. But I mean when you don't push near that, then we have a problem. Believe it or not, some people *need* 8+ hours. Open your mind to that possibility.

Um... couldn't you just bring a charger to work to use while you were at the desk? It's not a *necessity* to have 8+ hours, it's just a convenience, even in your case.

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF The results showed that the VAST majority of users listen to their player AT MOST 1-3 hours at a time. The proportion who listen for 8 or more hours without access to an outlet or other charging opportunity was VERY small compared to the rest of users

MacDEF, this is fine, but to me it does not hit the point. The point is that this a matter of convenience. While I rarely listen for more than one hour before I reach the next outlet, I simply do not want to charge the player everytime I reach an one. It simply is not convenient. I want to charge my stuff as rarely as possible. I want to pick up my iPod in the morning and just *know* that it will have another two hours left for sure. The only two devices I own matching this are my Apple Newton Message Pad 2100 which simply never runs out of power, and my ancient Sony MZ-R30.
When I leave the house I have at least five battery operated devices on me, all of which need different chargers or batteries. I try to keep four AAAs on me to keep the SuperPen and Xins SuperMicro going. I have ordered an additional cable along with my 3G iPod so I can charge it on the go. But somewhen the limit of what I want to carry extra is reached. The less I have to think about charging devices, simply because they can keep going for a week, the better.

 

[Skeeve]

Personally, I find that there are weeks when I only get a chance to use my player during my commute and lunchtime, so then 16 hours of battery life lasts me the full week.

If, I am travelling with work then I might be listening to it a lot more or want to have the option of leaving the charger at home, the flexibility you have with decent battery life is the important thing for me even if I could usually get by with only 8 hours per charge.

 

[scottder]

Time for more civil conversation, like say...politics!

Scott