Please Help me with an iPod Dilemma!!

[rebbierae]

I wanted an iPod REALLY bad, and my dad is a huge Apple guy, so I figured he'd get me one...but he didn't. Got home last night and my best friend had gotten me one--she said she wanted to but didn't know if my dad would or not. Anyway, I had originally wanted the 60 gig one, but Robin got me the 30. If I want to take it back and exchange it and pay the difference, I can. But I'm trying to decide if I really need to. I basically just want it for music, and I am a big music head, with about 1,400 cds. But I probably don't need to have ALL of them on an iPod, do I? Or do I? So that is my dilemma...do I keep what I have or take it back and spend the extra $100 and get the 60.

[damronjr]

Get the 60, then you'll never run out of space! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

[rebbierae]

Good point.

[Kari]

One possible hitch to the 60 though: Do you have 60 gigs of available space on your hard drive on your computer? Will filling up the space digitizing your 1,400 CDs leave you with enough space left on the hard drive to actually use the computer? I've not ever used one connected to a Windows machine but I know the way the iPod works on the Mac is that it basically copies the iTunes library -- meaning that all of the songs on the iPod are also on the computer. There are ways to get around that, but IMHO I would much rather have a backup of all of my digital tunes on my computer as well, just in case something happens to the iPod.Just something to consider

[scherry2]

you can only listen to 1 song at a time. I'd keep the 30 Gig and change the music after you get sick of whats on there.

[damronjr]

Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »you can only listen to 1 song at a time. I'd keep the 30 Gig and change the music after you get sick of whats on there. That's what I noticed, I might have had 1400 cd's in my life and I would get to like 500 and start selling all the ones I didn't lsiten to anymore. Even ones I barely record I get sick of after a few weeks.

[rebbierae]

I guess for now all I plan on doing is taking my favorite cds and putting them on the iPod so I can take lots of my music anywhere I go. As you can tell, I know NOTHING about iPods or how to do it, so let me ask you this...if I put my existing cds on the iPod do I have to keep them on the computer as well? I'm so clueless.

[konabri]

I just got the 60GB iPod for x-mas. iTunes is great software, much better than I expected it to be. Even so, importing that large number of CD's is gonna be a major ***** for you. I just left a stack of my CD's around the computer and would always have one importing no matter what else I was doing on the computer. I wouldn't worry about taking up the drive space on your computer. Hard drives are so cheap now that if you don't have the room for it, it costs very little to add another internal or external drive, and in so doing you have the benefit of having a backup of all of your tunes. I have my iPod hard wired to my Vibe's stereo (Kenwood ez500) and it works great. My CD collection was about 15GB.

[jwalcik]

i've done both. i bought one of the original 20GB ipod back when it was large enough to hold my entire music library with breathing room (four years ago). a year later, it was no longer enough, so i had to pare down the music it carried. this past summer, i upgraded to a 60GB (pre-video) ipod because again, it was large enough to hold my entire music collection. i give it maybe another 18 months before it's full.i've had quite a bit of success breaking my music up into large, broad smart playlists in itunes and just selecting which lists get synced. that's what i did after my 20GB filled up, and it's what i'll do when the 60GB fills up. it's really nice to be able to carry around your entire music library, but it can be a very expensive habit to keep up with (ipod capacity wise).

[Kari]

Quote, originally posted by rebbierae »if I put my existing cds on the iPod do I have to keep them on the computer as well?Pretty much, yes. That's how the iPod gets its music; it copies it off of your hard drive. That's also how it updates the library on the iPod -- when something new is added to the computer, it adds it to your iPod as well.

[northvibe]

if your not going to do video then keep the 30, i have a 6gb mini and my music collection ONLY on my pc is 40gb but I only put the music i like/listen to the most on the ipod that way im not a music pack rat on my ipod

[binary]

Quote, originally posted by northvibe »if your not going to do video then keep the 30, i have a 6gb mini and my music collection ONLY on my pc is 40gb but I only put the music i like/listen to the most on the ipod that way im not a music pack rat on my ipod I survive with a shuffle, 1GB. I have about 30GB of music on my workstation at home... I dock and sync about every other day so I get a new mix of tunes.Really the only bonus to the newest iPods in video... and is it really that big of a deal?Also, do you really have to carry ALL of your music? if you rip them to AAC format 128k (default iTunes method) you'll see you can fit a ton of music in 30GB.I'd save the $100 and put it in a iPod fund... so next year when the 100GB ipod comes out, you're already 1/4 of the way to buy it.

[tnpartsguy]

Apple has stated the 60 is about the limit for an iPod. They DO however have another product in the works.....a iBook mini! 100 gig HDD, and the entire unit will be as small as a hardback book (or smaller), say a 5~7 inch monitor.Back on Topic......spend the extra $100.....you'll be better off with more room in the long run, IMHO>PS, you got a REALLY cool best freind, tell her (or him, Robin could be either) that I'm looking for more freinds......

[rebbierae]

LOL TN, I'll tell her that. She's the best--I don't know what I'd do without her! Ok, so last night I went to Best Buy and exchanged the 30 for the 60. And just so you know, I don't plan on putting ALL of my cds on there--I have to admit I have a few in my collection that now belong in the "What Was I Thinking" category--I mean, hey, who needs Vanilla Ice on an iPod! (kidding, but I do have a few that don't need to go with me everywhere). I think the iPod Fund is a good idea though...I'm already thinking I need a cool case, the iTrip if they make it in black, a car charger....and if I looked on Apple's website I'm sure I could come up with more. But man that little thing is cool. I was too tired last night to do much but d/l iTunes on my computer, but it's so little and so sleek--can't wait to get some stuff on there! Maybe this weekend. Thanks for your advice guys--and I'm sure that as I get into it, I'll have more Stupid iPod User questions!

[Mr. Poopypants]

I have the Dell Jukebox 30GB, I have roughly 10,000 songs on it and it is about half full. I would stick with the smaller Ipod, but that's just me.

[northvibe]

there should be a new shuffle coming out too, thats smaller and comes in colors! apple also said something about a new powerbook this january.........muahhaha i dont know why they would release a g5 powerbook as the intel switch is coming soon but maybe its just to get rid of the last chips they have, or a faster g4...i just got my mom a new Macmini, should be here january 2nd now if they only knew how to use a ipod

[VibeGriff]

Stick with the 30Gig and wait, im sure Steve over at apple will think of some new a psychotic thing to do with the iPod once the stock dips too low , P.S. i still have my 1986 mac...

[mcgusto82]

so i guess i'm the caveman here. i still burn cd's in MP3 format. ohh wait, my sony has issues playing MP3's. so no MP3, just audio cd's plus i barely have 2 Gb of music. i have over 12Gb video on the other hand.

[rebbierae]

And I thought I was the cave man for just now finally getting one! I did get the 60 GB and have 1,761 songs on it, barely using any space. Now my new dilemmas are 1) how to be able to listen to it in the car, and 2)a better way to listen at my desk at work. I think Jim is going to help me figure out the car--do something like Mike did to Kari's car. But why couldn't Pontiac just make it easy and put the output thing on the back of our stereos??? Come on, everybody's doing it! And as far as work goes, if I spend $100 on an ihome I can listen happily at work. This could turn in to an expensive Christmas gift!!

[tnpartsguy]

the problem I have discovered is how freaking hard it is to convert dvd's to ipod....in fact, you can't do it easily or cheaply on a Mac, but you can on a WinDuh's machine....but all 9 DAYS of my cd's are on my mac mini....if I move to my windows box, I'll lose all my music...The program to encode dvd's is called PDQdvd.

[fortiffany]

I got the 60 for Christmas and if I were you I would get the 60. The reason I say that is you can always add more songs then if you need/want to. If you got the video one then you can start adding movies and things. You will get hooked on it and add stuff all the time and it adds up after a while. Deffently go with the 60.-A Happy 60 gig iPod Video Owner

[rebbierae]

Well Tiffany I already made THAT decision--got the 60 GB. Now I'm just deciding on all the accoutrements to go with! I can't afford this!!