Worthy of your hard-earned cash! (Apple iPod classic 80 GB)

Member Name: shaz121

Product:	Apple iPod classic 80 GB
Date:	12/02/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastically stylish, HUGE memory, sturdy, lovely sound quality.

Disadvantages: Slightly sticky click wheel, a little bulky, prone to crashing(in some cases)

Being a humble student surviving on the most meager of budgets, it took a lot of consideration to finally make my mind up and splash out on this piece of kit. Fortunately, the cost has proven to be justified.

*The Lowdown

It is a chunky item. wider than previous iPods, to accommodate the large screen, and fairly thick too. It would be wise to invest in a case of some sort. The best are the thin rubbery cases you can buy from various websites for a few pounds. (Or dollars!) They protect from all bumps and knocks, and don't cost the earth. The click wheel is operated by the thumb, and the HOLD button is nicely located at the top. The charge slot is at the bottom.

*The Good

It is a fantastic music player. All the necessities, the sound quality, battery life, ease of use, are exceptional. It's more than loud enough, and the charge lasts for over 20 hours. The click wheel is a godsend; it is SO easy to trawl through all your tracks in a matter of seconds. The massive memory storage means you will never have to worry about cutting down playlists, and there is even space to store dozens of movies or pictures. The screen is crystal clear, with sharp edges; watching 'The Dark Knight' on that big (for an iPod) screen on a dull train journey is a surefire escape from boredom and monotony. It also comes packaged with a pair of decent headphones, so all you need to do is charge it up, stick your songs on it and you're away. (The initial charging process doesn't take too long, a couple of hours if i recall correctly.) It is choc full of features, including an alarm clock and a selection of games. For the tech-savvy among you, podcasts can be downloaded via Itunes, and i personally use the 'Coffee break Spanish' podcast to help me with this interest.

*The Bad

There are flaws. Perhaps the biggest and most annoying is the sensitivity of the click wheel. It tends to stick quite often. You may find that you're swirling your thumb around the wheel several times before it starts to budge. This problem is compounded if you buy a protector (Thin plastic sheet) for the wheel. Also, and this may be just a problem with mine, but it has crashed twice since I bought the thing 4 months ago. Luckily the restart procedure is swift, but it really shouldn't be failing in this area.

*The Decision

At between £120 - £140, (approx $200 - $250 i think), the value is fantastic. Considering it's capacity and wonderful looks, it is, in my opinion a sound investment. Do search around on the net though; it's worth saving those pennies, especially if you're on a budget! There is a newer version out with 120Gb out now, but frankly the jump in size is relevant as you will likely NEVER fill the iPod. 80Gb is more than enough, trust me. Great quality, fabulous item overall, if you look past the (few) flaws. Highly recommended.

Summary: A great buy for the music amateurs and aficionados alike.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Features:
Sound quality:
Download speed: