iPod 4G or Chroma????
Dec 12, 2004 at 4:50 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16

elvergun

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To buy or not to buy…that is the question.

I just ran out of space on my 15gb iPod. To correct this horrible incident, I feel the need to buy a 40gb 4th gen iPod. But…

I have grown a little tired of Apple. I hate the fact that they can’t get the “scratch magnet” metal back right…after all these years. I hate the fact that want to force iTunes down your throat…and therefore you can’t use the player as a hard drive without jumping through hoops. I guess I can’t complain about the battery with the 4G players. All in all it is still one of the best players out there, but I want more.

When is the Chroma coming out? Is this thing vaporware? I’ve read rumors here and there about its specs…they sound impressive. Even if they release it soon, I would hate to wait only to find out that they will only offer a 20gb model.

What do you guys think?
 
Dec 12, 2004 at 4:56 PM Post #2 of 16
These are really only rumours, as far as I know there are no official mentionings of the Chroma. I wouldn't hold my breath for it.
 
Dec 12, 2004 at 4:56 PM Post #3 of 16
I wouldn't hold your breath for the chroma, as it has been "rumoured" for some time. Go with the pod and start enjoying it now
etysmile.gif
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Dec 12, 2004 at 5:35 PM Post #4 of 16
I like the iPod a lot, but if you take offense to iTunes, and the sync/usability of the Apple way, you should probably look elsewhere. Looking at possible further integration with Airport Express, Rendezvous, etc. it will likely only get worse (from your perspective). It will remain 'easy to use', and with iTunes & QT the only Apple 'platform' under Windows, it will likely remain there.

I understand it is a bit of a bi-directional pull, between keeping options open and running with a system, but because of the above (and SmartLists, ALAC, limited PDA uses, etc.), and with viable other options (as you mentioned, but also iAudio, etc.) I sometimes think you should run with the Apple system (and its advantages), or not (because the disadvantages outway the pluses).

Okay, end of junk-political speech.
 
Dec 12, 2004 at 7:16 PM Post #5 of 16
You're not actually locked into iTunes with an iPod. I use iPods (2G and 4G) with XPlay, a commercial ($30) iPod synchronization product for Windows. Makes it easy to use the iPod as a hard drive, and has a few other features as well.

I'm afraid I can't compare it point-by-point with iTunes since I've never used iTunes, but it works fine for me.
 
Dec 12, 2004 at 7:40 PM Post #6 of 16
you will need to buy both. right now karma and iPod are the only two that i always carry. karam replaced with Chroma soon enough.
 
Dec 12, 2004 at 8:37 PM Post #9 of 16
If you hate software, why not consider some of the iRiver players?
 
Dec 12, 2004 at 9:51 PM Post #10 of 16
when everyone says you cannot use the iPod as a harddrive, do you mean you cannot transfer mp3's from one computer to another? if you turn on hidden folders in your windows explorer, all your mp3's are stored in many nest folders, i can't remember the actual directory though...

as for using the iPod as a harddrive, i've never had problems with that. it appears as a separate drive in windows explorer, and i constantly use it ot transfer files from home to work.

i've used XPlay for the first yeah and a half on my first gen iPod (when it was Mac formatted). sometimes it works great, sometimes it crashes both my iPod and computer. there were three or four instances where i had to reformat my iPod because of XPlay. mind you this is before XPlay2, but i've used the latest Xplay 1.xx and it's still buggy.

i've also tried EphPod and it constantly messes up my iPod's database. it never worked for me once.

i've formatted my iPod to windows and am using iTunes. works great...
 
Dec 13, 2004 at 12:59 AM Post #11 of 16
Quote:

Originally Posted by episiarch
You're not actually locked into iTunes with an iPod. I use iPods (2G and 4G) with XPlay, a commercial ($30) iPod synchronization product for Windows. Makes it easy to use the iPod as a hard drive, and has a few other features as well.



Yeah...but you have to use a third party application...and if you are using a computer that does not have the software, you are screwed.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Thaddy
If you hate software, why not consider some of the iRiver players?


I did. They are very capable players. However, they do not support Audible format. The Chroma is said to have audible support.
 
Dec 13, 2004 at 1:30 AM Post #12 of 16
Yeah, Audible support does limit the choices. You could always convert the .aa files to another format (I have a friend who does, they're basically crippled 32 kbps mono MP3 files, which convert nicely with --alt-preset medium -a --lowpass 10 [avg. 52 kbps] with very little quality loss), but if you want to play files instantly or want the audiobook speed control of the iPod... it's a give or take.
 
Dec 13, 2004 at 3:42 AM Post #13 of 16
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss that the Chroma will show up within 3-4 months. Many online places have had up listing for it, including walmart. Granted its specs on that page basically are both the Carbon's and the Karma's combined into one... but yet it still IS a seperate page from either. So, yeah, that's a pretty big retailer saying that it will exist, presumably in the near-ish future.
 
Dec 13, 2004 at 4:24 AM Post #14 of 16
Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c
if you're gonna wait for the chroma to come out, you might as well wait for the iPod 5G.


When is the 5G slated? My inlaws promised me an Ipod for Christmas but were told to hold off until the 5G, yet...if it is slated for something longer than say early spring (late first quarter) then I would rather go with a 4G or the Karma.
 
Dec 14, 2004 at 2:29 AM Post #15 of 16
Quote:

When is the 5G slated?


I'd guess summer of 2005, given that the 4G came out last summer, and the 3G the summer before that.

And I got my 3G a few days before the 4G came out.
frown.gif


Although I like the looks of the 3G better.
smily_headphones1.gif
 

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