Comments on: iPoll: How many iPods have you owned?

The Audiophiliac wants to know how many iPods you have bought over the years.

[nintendoeats]

3 20 gigs over an extended warranty of 2 years. Had to replace a broken screen on my own and the last one crapped out about 2 months ago. I borrowed a 60 gig iPod until today. someone else gave me their 60 gig video as a bench charge for trying to fix it. I just got it repaired for 90 bucks and that should last me...well until it breaks. thats 3 years and 5 ipods. Oh, and for a while there I was using a CD player because the 20 vanished during a move.

Of course everyone else in my family has had theirs but I had the only one for ages. My dad got a 20 photo, called in a warranty a few months later and than upgraded to an 80 video. Someone bought it at cost a month ago and he bought a 160GB. My brother has a 2 gig nano and my mom uses dad's old 20.

If it weren't for iTunes I would buy something else. I just have to much invested in that library. 25 gigs of music scored fin the name of a shuffle playlist!!!!!

[frank bruce]

My first iPod like yours is a 3G iPod 10GB (after a couple of smart battery changes still play)
My second iPod was a 1G iPod Schuffle (still my gym companion)
My third iPod is a Red Nano Aluminum, not the new nano.
Very happy with them, when my 3G dies, and the iPod Touch has evolve enough I will be discarding the old one for the new one.

[Sganske]

I got a first generation ipod in 2001 to replace a non functioning mp3 player that I had. I have had one of each generation since then. They always break shortly after the warranty period for me, like planned obsolesce is at work, but, I am so addicted to my Ipod I always go out and buy a new one as soon as one breaks. I currently have the 160gb video I use my ipod for audio books. I never use itunes to buy music because their DRM only lets you download once and it gets sticky moving items from one drive to another. Audible keeps a link to material I have purchased in my member file so their server is really a back-up of anything I ever bought from them. I buy cds and rip them. I never share them with anyone but my spouse after I have ripped them, and I like having the actual cd in my closet for backup. I have tv shows movies and I do buy these from itunes as no other movie download service supports mac os. I've never had my ipod stolen,or lost. There are 8 people in my immediate family and 7 ipods of different varieties, there is no telling how many total I've bought.

[RBUTCHER]

You are right when you say they are designed to breakdown after the warranty period.
My first Mp3 player was a RCA Lyra with an SD card expansion slot. That lasted less than 3 months. Luckily Sears had 90 day return policy and I got my money back.
My second and 3rd were Rio flash players. The first lasted a few months and I got it replaced under warranty. The next Rio lasted about 1 year so I was out of luck.
My 4th is a Sony flash player. This time I got wise and got a 3 year warranty.
That should take me until technology makes it osolete.
The guy at Sears said the RCA's have an 80% or higher return rate and that's why that's the one not selling.
It's interesting how I have all of those SD cards which I used in the RCA and RIO which never failed, however the players always did.
The memory must be made far inferior to the memory on the expansion cards.

[filmfan214]

My first iPod was the original U2 iPod (not sure what generation). It stopped working last spring, at which point I performed some surgery on it and got it working again for a short while. When it stopped working the second time I gave up and started using my fiancee's because she didn't use it much.
My Dad recently gave me his nano (1st gen) because he never used. I like it because it is easy to use at the gym or to take to work. I still like having the bigger hard drive one for in the car or at home, though.
I bought a radio adapter once (my current car has a jack built in), but no other accessories. I don't buy from iTunes anymore, but my purchase of the U2 digital box set (and a few other albums and singles) has kept me from branching out to try other players (which I would like to do). Usually, I rid CDs and have started buying music from Amazon's MP3 Download service.

[duperstar]

Three and about to be four. I had a first gen shuffle (gift, then given away when I got) a 30 gb Video (gift from same person, then stolen), Now i have a 2nd gen shuffle and will be picking up the 80 gb classic today.

[nitewing98]

I'm on my first, a 1st gen Nano, 2gb. Got it last year from the clearance section at the Apple online store for $99 at Christmas and it's the best money I've ever spent. I love the thing and use it every day, often while cooking when others in the house are watching TV.

Usage? I do use the contacts and calendars, play the games sometimes when waiting at a doctor's office (won a game of solitaire for the first time just this week!) and actually do use the photo album and notes as well. I've got frequently used recipes in the notes.

Accessories? $20 bucks on a FM transmitter, $5 on a silicone skin, $6 on cheap, battery-operated speakers, $10 on ear pads, and lots of batteries for the two battery devices.

Music? Ripped all my CD's (and new ones as I order them from BMG, cheaper than iTunes with all their "buy 1 get 4 free" deals). I usually download the free singles on Tuesday (if I like them) and have purchased some classical music pieces from iTunes just recently. So I have mp3's, AAC's, and DRM'd items as well as a few iTunes Plus items. And some freebies that I got for trying eMusic.

I'll hang onto it until the video nanos start showing in the refurbs at Apple, then I'll trade up!

[nick9980]

I had a Mini (second gen), but the drive bit the dust.
I won a Shuffle later, but my dog chewed it up after a few months (seriously!)
I got a Nano for Chirstmas '06, but it has recently gone missing. Has anyone seen a black nano, 8 gb? anyone? It has mostly music on it, but also a few pictures from a ski trip... does that narrow it down any?

[jhracing]

Let's see...

1st gen (the mechanical wheel is still my favorite), 2nd gen, 3rd gen (least favorite, sorry Steve), video (4th gen?), 2nd gen Shuffle and latest Nano. Still have 'em all and they all still work.

[ftfekete]

On # 4 right now (80 gig classic), because I actually need the space for the tunes (nearing 10,000) and none of them from iTunes ( not until I can download the uncompressed version of a song).
Luckily the accessories (dock,plug adaptor etc.) have migrated well, though I miss the firewire connection (especially with the advent of the 800 protocol).
I also fondly remember the time when the iPod came with all basics for its use:
dock, plug adaptor, buds and wire connections. So it goes.

[jodeslie]

I have 3:
* One iPod (bought years ago, still works like a charm)
* One shuffle
* One iPhone

All work great. Wouldn't part with a one of them!

[cephasjohn]

I got a free 2GB Nano when I purchased a Mac G5 during the teacher promotion of summer 2006. It is still working great. It is for my wife and I, but I hog it most of the time.

[Penguinisto]

I own one - a 2GB Nano I bought in January 2006- and I'm still using it 2 years later. Before that, I used my old Compaq PDA (running the Familiar Linux distro) with a 1GB memstick in it for portable music (which has worked just fine ever since 2003 or so).

I don't need or use the iTunes Music Store, since my CD collection is plenty large and I can easily rip them to mp3. Also, I prefer non-RIAA labels for my music, which means I buy and listen to a lot of indie music that iTMS simply doesn't have.

/P

[alagrin]

I had an ipod mini 3 or 4 years ago, an ipod video 30 GB 2 years ago as a gift, and now I am on my ipod Touch (best thing out there/ revolutionary!) and intend to stay with it till it dies.

[KevCureton]

I'm still using the 2nd generation iPod (10 GB) I got for Christmas in 2002. My sons are both on their second iPods (their first ones were Minis, their current ones are 30 GB and 80 GB models with video).

[Mystakill]

I've never owned an iPod and don't intend to as long as I can find a cheaper player which runs Rockbox (rockbox.org). I don't want to be locked into anybody's DRM "solution", especially after the hell I've gone through thanks to the retarded DRM on Microsoft's Xbox 360. Getting locked out of several hundred dollars worth of DRM-protected virtual content thanks to defective, poorly-designed hardware (the 360) was the final straw.

[coldfusion123]

i Have had 3 iPod's, mini Video and the mighty iPhone which is better than the lg voyager which sucks !!!

[coldfusion123]

i Have had 3 iPod's, mini Video and the mighty iPhone which is the best Phone iPod internet comunications device ever !!!

[pkolson]

You won't believe this, but, "zero" for me. Although I am one of the biggest boosters of Apple and the Macintosh platform you will ever meet, I've really never seen the need for an iPod. Sorry, Steve. This is why God invented National Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio.

[Whitehorsevideo]

Lol! I couldn't agree more. I love the radio because stations like NPR, WNYC, and the college stations will find a wide range of new and exciting stuff that I don't have to own. I don't have any interest in listening to the same narrow playlist over and over, that's what commercial FM is for...
I had an ipod nano but I gave it away cause I couldn't tyhink of anything to do with it. I bought one for my wife and she regifted it to her brother. Lol!
I think these digital walkman clones are just toys for teens.

[nopcbs]

God di not invent NPR. It is not really likely that anyone who works at NPR would even acknowledge the possability of such an entity as God. NPR was invented by the left wing of the Democrat party.

However, I do sympathize with your non-ownership of iPODS. I momentarally had two for making deposits in brokerage accounts, but promptly sold both on eBay. I do have much more compact, less expensive non-Apple mp3 players.

[TJGodel]

Yes God invented NPR, and I listen to NPR anytime I want by downloading podcasts of their shows on my computer or iPOD. I use the iPOD to manage my audio needs. It's an on-demand world and the iPOD is a very nice tool for busy people.

[kennvc]

Wow, NPR is one of the reasons that I love having an iPod! I subscribe to hours of podcasts (more than I can listen to most weeks, so I always have a great selection. Here are some off the top of my head--I know I'll leave some out: This American Life, Prarie Home Companion, Science Friday, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Car Talk, NPR Technology, Koppel on the News, Fresh Air, Nova Audio, Quest.

And I certainly don't consider my playlists "narrow." I have more than 11,000 songs (some hand-picked from my CDs, others bought via iTunes and I keep adding more) organized into more than 70 playlists. So I can listen to whatever I'm in the mood for. Or sometimes I just set it shuffle all songs, so I have no idea what's coming next--I'm constantly surprised. It's like having my own custom radio station, with no commercials!

[wherbert]

> I've really never seen the need for an iPod ...

It's much the same with me.

And I really like the flexibility of high bit-rate, non-DRM MP3 formats. I like having my CDROMs which I rip to MP3s.

And I don't care for the current trend in portable players that you have to look at to control. I have a couple of old Creative MuVo players that require no visual feedback and offer minimal controls that are touch and sound oriented.

I listen obsessively to my favorite performances over and over again, so I don't need a lot of portable storage. I have a Linux computer that I use for a home server and all the music storage is there as one big shared folder, available for playback on any computer in the house, and available for selective downloads into my MuVo thumb drives.

[jj2me]

I agree with TJGodel and kennvc. An MP3 player gives you everything you get now, only much more.
- Can you pause radio so you don't miss anything when you get busy?
- Can you get another program that is broadcast at the same time?
- Can you listen at your convenience (timeshift) rather than be at the radio at a certain time?
- Can you listen to radio programs without commercials?
- Can you get programs that are not broadcast in your area?
- Can you get programs that are not broadcast at all?

An MP3 player allows you to timeshift like with a VCR, as well as adding a lot of extra free channels you can't usually get.

You can get what you're listening to now, plus more:
- NPR selected shows
- other news/talk podcasts, like NYTimes, Slate.com, etc.
- all sorts of specialized hobby talk (autos, photography, sports, etc.)
- free library audiobooks (if your library supports it and you get a PlaysForSure player--iPod does not support PlaysForSure)
- free video podcasts (e.g., I watch NBC Today's 1st hour in about 15 minutes on my Zune using a lot of very fast forward, and it's nice and big and bright). I also just loaded a long Yahoo Developers video on my Zune, because it's easier to watch pieces when and where I want, rather than sit at my PC watching for 45 minutes.

I also have a specialized AM/FM recording MP3 player (the brand is Radio YourWay), that uses several timers, just like a VCR for radio. But it turns out that most all of the radio shows I record are available as podcasts, and are better as podcasts (they have the commercials edited out, and are more reliably recorded than my timers, as sometimes my recorder's battery runs low, or the show changes its timeslot).

You can even load text to listen to, using a text-to-audio program like Text Aloud (about $30 + $30 for better voices).

This is not music you pay for. It's the same stuff you listen to for free, except more programs available, and more listening options, and time-shifted to your convenience.

For music, you have to pay some way, unless you're happy with radio. But most MP3 players (not iPod) come with an FM tuner, so that's covered too.

It's a good thing you've resisted so long, because MP3 prices have fallen drastically--you can buy a name brand (like Creative or Sandisk) refurb 2GB for about $30 now that can do all the above. But if you like the Apple landscape, then you have to pay for their nice integration with iTunes and Mac by paying their higher iPod prices, and you won't get an FM tuner. You can start with a cheap non-iPod one and drag-and-drop podcasts from where iTunes deposits them on your computer to the player (though I don't know if the Mac supports that with these players, sorry.)

Downside: MP3 players can become another time waster. If you're happy with your uncomplicated listening requirements, stick with them and enjoy the rest of life.

[RBUTCHER]

Radio is good for some, however the canned music they offer would never satisfy my listening desires.
Most radios over pop and other music that the big music corporations have decided the majority of listeners should like.
There are a lot of us that buy music that is never played on 90% of the radio stations.

[Evayy]

me either but we have at least 5 + sansa's in the house and love our sansa's they range from 1gig to 4 gig and 3 of them have video options and are expandable
no ipods here not even 1

[deanbed]

Nothing wrong with public radio but its nice to be able to listen to music of your own choice without the rantings of the dj interrupting in between.
Ipods are more than just a Personal Mega Jukebox, they do all sorts of stuff nowadays including time shifted radio to a time suitable for you.
Oh and remember the days of the tape deck in the car, isn't it nice to have all your favourite albums when you are on a long journey, I can always turn on the radio for the news if needed, you gotta move with the times, I am surprised you don't call it the wireless set.

[btmacdou]

I echo pkolsons comments. Call me old school (i'm 50) but I just prefer to process the random noise of life around me (while I'm not listening toFM or NPR). I do love music, and have a fair collection on my PC, but find the whole process of downloading, installing, organizing to be just too much hassle. Also, I don't think songs are worth $1 apiece. $0.25 mabe (this is a entirely different topic). "Play Lists"? Why spend the time making them? If I listen at all, I'll just put the entire collectoin on random and go from there. I guess that's why I'm more of an FM fan (love OPB music in the evening)... I like the random nature of radio and the fact that they hit you with tunes you never heard.

That said, I do own an iAudio X5 30gb player... and miss having a choice of accessories! That's one thing you have to agree with, Apple did an outstanding job of creating a culture and the accessory product demand to support it... kind of like the IBM PC.. sort of...

[jst2sk8]

this is my....5th ipod i believe.

[Rosedith]

Pink Mini not in use much
iPod Video (40gb) plugged pretty much permanently into my car with all music files
iPod Touch used mostly for podcasts and TV shows, youtube browsing...
Shuffle (2nd gen) received as a promo from the bank - not used much but should switch the podcasts to this one...