Finally, an iPod for everyone...

After suffering through two years with my SONY MiniDisc, and even experimenting with MP3s on my Palm Zire 71, I finally decided to look into a proper portable music player. I started to weigh my options, and there were several players offering large storage size and different options... I'm a fan of Apple products, and after doing some research I decided to buy an iPod - but which one?!

The iPods work so incredibly well, they are sturdy, they work great, they look great, and they are simple - they are not bogged down with extraneous features that I'm never going to use... I wanted a simple music player with a decent amount of storage - and one that was a breeze to use. After crossing the other manufacturers off the list (for poor build quality, extraneous features, difficult use, poor software, etc.), choosing an iPod was still difficult.

The Shuffle is certainly the most portable, but I knew I wanted more storage space than 1GB... I also wanted something that had a bit more substance. I'm not a fan of those tiny cell phones that are hard to use, or tiny tiny mp3 players that are easy to lose. So the Shuffle was out.

I looked at the 20GB iPod and the iPod Photo. The iPod Photos were out because of the high price, and the colour screen, which to me is extraneous. It was now between an iPod Mini and the 20GB iPod. A few days after I started looking, Apple released the 2nd generation of the the iPod Minis, adding a 6GB model, and updating the player chip and software that increases the battery life from ~8h to 18+h.

I decided that the extra cost for the 20GB was not worth it for me - 4GB would be plenty, and the smaller size of the Mini makes it that much more portable.

So, I chose the Silver 4GB iPod Mini.. I ordered it from www.apple.ca for $225CDN (Student Discount), and 2 weeks later it arrived via FedEx.

I frantically opened the (rather diminutive) package and was amazed at how small the mini really is. It is extremely small, yet it still fits in one's palm and has enough substance to make it nice to use. It feels very solid, and not cheap. The package itself contained the unit, a set of earphones with two sets of foam covers, a USB2.0 to dock connector cable with plastic end covers, two apple stickers, a manual, an install CD, and the usual warranty info and other papers.

The iPod Mini came almost fully charged, which was a nice bonus as it allowed me to explore the interface immediately. I popped the install CD into my Windows XP laptop and the software installed without a hitch. During installation, it asked me to connect the iPod. I then gave it a name and it was formatted for Windows use. I didn't install iTunes from the CD, as I had the most recent version already.

The entire install process took five minutes and was painless, except for a mandatory reset afterwards. I went to apple.ca and got the newest iPod updater immediately and installed that as well to make sure my iPod was completely up to date.

After the software was set, it was time to put some music on my iPod Mini. I already had about 6GB of music in my iTunes library... I initially chose the option for the iPod to sync to a certain playlist in iTunes, but I soon changed it to the manual mode, which allows me to add and remove songs from the iPod without worrying about always syncing to a certain playlist. Both methods are extremely easy to use and are very useful.

The transfer speed over USB2.0 is quite good, and I can only imagine how fast it would be using the new FireWire interface. The Mini also charges over USB2.0... it takes about an hour to charge to 80% and then four more hours to reach full charge. The battery lasts an extremely long time... some folks at iPodLounge.com have gotten 26+ hours of continous play time with the 2nd generation Mini. The lack of an AC adapter in the box means you need a computer with USB2.0 to charge your mini - this is unfortunate, especially for those who are on the road without a computer, but there are lots of adapters available on the Apple store, and various other products are in stores like FutureShop, RadioShack, etc.

The included heaphones do the job, and those who are not picky about their music will find them completely sufficient. I am sort of an audiophile, and I am still pleased with their performance. In a few months I will most likely purchase new Sennheiser around-the-neck headphones, but for now these headphones will definitely do.

The sound quality on the Mini (and the entire iPod line) is great. It is a flat sound, and I prefer this type of straight output. Too many players these days have ridiculous EQ that boosts the sound so much that it doesn't sound natural. There are only a few EQ settings on the iPod that I would ever use, but those ones are extremely useful. I do wish there was a manual EQ control, but it really isn't neccessary - 99% of the time I have no EQ on whatsoever. Extra EQ can also waste battery. If you find the EQ isn't sufficient, I would reccommend new headphones - when using my large Sennheiser HD570 studio headphones, the sound is phenomenal... do not blame poor sound quality on the iPod because the audio engine is terrific.

The build quality of the iPod Mini is fantastic. There are no seams on the side and the top and bottom are perfectly formed. As I mentioned earlier, the iPod Mini has some weight to it that makes it feel like it is worth the money! The click wheel is a godsend... this player has the most intuitive interface I have ever used. A simple circular motion on the click wheel moves you throughout the menu system, and the default settings leave the menu system populated with the most useful features. You can change which options you want shown, and the configurations are endless. The screen is very crisp and can be viewed easily at night, in direct sunlight, and pretty much any situation I have been in.

I have yet to hear my iPod skip - the hard drive has 25 minutes of shock protection... it would be extremely hard to skip these machines, unless you dropped from a decent height. The brushed metal surface looks fantastic, and doesn't scratch too easily. That being said, I have ordered an Agent18 Mini Shock case for $35CDN from the Apple Store to give me peace of mind when carrying the iPod in my pocket or in a bookbag.

Overall, this is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time, and with the disk use option enabled, the iPod is an extremely versatile piece of equipment. It is a wonderful music player, it can be used as a portable hard drive independent of operating system, and with alternate (and free) software, you can sync your iPod to store weather information, e-mail messages, contacts/address books, to-do lists.

4GB is plenty for tonnes of music, and I leave about 500mb free to use as a portable hard drive. The software is just as intuitive and easy to use as the player itself and I would reccommend the iPod Mini to everyone - audiophiles, music lovers, occasional listeners, people who exercise, people who drive long distances, students, teachers, moms, dads, etc.

You won't be disappointed.