How to change the view of an Apple hater (Apple iPod classic 120 GB)

Member Name: sarahjane87

Product:	Apple iPod classic 120 GB
Date:	21/06/09 (187 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sleek and sophisticated, best spec on the market, most competitive price

Disadvantages: Requires iTunes which was a struggle for me. Case is a must to protect the player

For as long as I can remember, I was steadfastly anti-Apple - fuelled in particular by my intense dislike of iTunes (I was a loyal winamp user, and had no intention of defecting), and resulting in my outright refusal to even consider purchasing an iPod.

As such, when purchasing an mp3 player about 4 years ago, I was determined to avoid the iPod range, and instead opted for the chunkier, heavier Creative player that was released at the time. This however died a slow death about six months ago, andso the time came to shop around for a replacement. I started out secure in my refusal to go near an iPod, but this time around it lasted for a far shorter period... because I soon realised that there was, in fact, no viable alternative with anything near the specification and price tag of the iPod. Additionally, I will admit, I was somewhat drawn to the sleek, shiny design of the new iPod range. I'm about as girly as they get, and anything shiny will catch my attention.

I went home that night, downloaded the newest version of iTunes to my computer and set to work discovering whether there was any way I could put up with using it enough to facilitate the purchase of a new iPod.

I'm still getting used to that aspect of owning an iPod and I will be the first to admit that, had the iPod been compatible with other media players, I probably would have bought one a lot earlier, but through a decision to make iTunes my main media player I am beginning to come around to it.

Add to this the fact that I was purchasing a new television at the same time and found a model with a built in iPod dock that meant I wouldn't have to spend any extra on a docking station or speakers, and my mind was almost made up that an iPod was the way forward. Now, it was just down to a question of which model.

And here we get to another of my hangups (which makes me sound like I'm incredibly reluctant to embrace new technology, when I'm actually quite a gadget lover!) - my hatred of touchscreens in any format. This has influenced my choice of phone and, most recently, camera, and it's the one thing that Apple haven't managed to change my mind on.

As such, I went for the 120Gb iPod classic, in black. Not only did it come without the touchscreen and with considerably more storage than the iPod Touch (and at a significantly lower cost), it was sleek and slim without being as tiny as the Nano, so I was confident that I wouldn't lose it. Yes, it's true that the screen is significantly smaller than the Touch which I know is a deciding factor for a lot of people, but to be honest I use mine 99% of the time as a music player - if I want to watch a film, tv show or other lengthy video I'm generally going to do so in the comfort of my home on a TV or laptop, so this wasn't really a key factor for me. If it is, and you can put up with lower storage and the touchscreen element, I'd guess that the Touch would be the best way to go.

And I have to say, now that I've experienced the Apple way of life I wouldn't go back to any other type of media player. It's testament really to the performance of the iPod that it really is the market leader over any other make - if you ask anyone to name a manufacturer of mp3 players, I suspect that a lot of people would struggle to name anything other than the iPod.

Connecting the player to your computer and transferring music is remarkably easy - it will sync to your iTunes library, so get this organised as you wish and your iPod will be a replica of this. It makes the creation of playlists particularly easy in my opinion, rather than creating them in a rather fiddly way on the mp3 player, a few clicks on the computer and you're ready to go.

120Gb is probably sufficient storage for even the most avid of music fans - I've got a significant number of songs and countless video clips on mine, and have barely made a dent in the storage.

Once you get the hang of the player, it is remarkably easy to use. Scrolling through playlists and the like does take a little bit of getting used to, but as soon as you've got the movement right, it's a breeze. I particularly like the fact that, once headphones are inserted the player automatically turns itself on - saves one extra button press which is always good! I'm a fan of the On-The-Go playlist function, which means you can create semi-permanent playlists based on your mood on any particular day - great for those spur of the moment decisions to listen to a particular sequence of songs.

Battery life is good - aided in particular by the fact that mine charges whilst it's docked on my tv, but that aside it's lasted me significant journeys without dying. Wathcing videos naturally drains the battery faster, but even this is not shocking, and it's yet to cut out on me mid-journey.

If I were to make one comment, if you're as much of a perfectionist as I am then a case for the player is an absolute must - whilst the silver back is sleek and sohpisticated, it's a magnet for scratches.

In conclusion, now I've conquered my fear/dislike of Apple and purchased an iPod, I definitely wouldn't look back. It is, without a doubt, the market leader, and I struggled to find anything comparable by any other manufacturer. If you can/do use iTunes then there's no real obstacle to purchasing one, and it's sleek, sophisticated design and features list really do make it the only choice on the market. If you're looking for storage over size/touchscreen, then I would definitely recommend the Classic. I've had no troubles whatsoever with mine, and it's now very rare that I leave the house without mine!

Summary: I've gone from an iPod hater to a lover in the space of six months - there's no better endorsement!

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