User profile for user: Arek
Arek Author
User level: Level 1
70 points

My Experience with the NEW Apple IPOD Video 60GB (Black)

I just recently purchased an Apple IPOD 60GB Video as a gift for my wife, her birthday is not until Dec 11. However, I purchased it earlier to get a crash course on how to use this product. At first it appeared simple, however, as I got more and more into the product I have discovered a few problems. First of all, iTunes, great software; one problem, you can't use it across with multiple computers. If you use iTunes on one computer with the iPOD, and try to connect it to another computer with iTunes, your entire content of the IPOD is erased. Next, the video uploads. God that took me 4hrs to figure out, it's not easy as apple says it is to be. I purchased the Quick Time Pro 7.0 Player and what a disappointment. Worse $40 dollar purchase I have done in my life. Apple states that you need this software to convert videos and it does it in about 25 minutes for video clips. That's not accurate, actually they are way off base on that estimate. It took me nearly 2.5hrs to convert a 68MB music video clip to the IPOD MPEG4 format, and get this, it only did 38% in 2.5hrs and I still was not finished. To make things even worse, I managed to get my conversion done under 10 minutes with third party software that get this, is FREE! I also managed to figure out how to get my DVD Movie collection on the IPOD, that took another third party program that was FREE! Another problem that I have with the IPOD is that it scratches on the metallic plating very easily, your fingers stick to it and leave finger prints all over. I have yet to take off the plastic covering on the front for fear it may scratch. I have spent extra dollars to get some special protective covering for the IPOD that suppose to be scratch proof, it has yet to arrive so i'm waiting on that. Overall, it's a great product, plays music well. You can listen to music on one battery charge fine, however if you watch video you'll notice that the time gets cut down significantly. I guess i understand that, I mean after all it powers the LCD throughout this whole time. Last about 2-3hrs on video constantly playing, so you can watch one movie before it actually runs out of power. Other than that, I have no problems with the product other than 1) Scratches Easily, leaves finger prints all over the IPOD when in hand 2) Videos are complex to upload, Quick Time Pro 7.0 does not work as explained in the documentation and it takes extremely long to convert. Found a third party program that does it 100x faster, and 3) iTunes, does not allow you to share the IPOD across multiple computers, if you connect it with one and try with another, your IPOD is erased completely.

Intel P4 3.2 S775 Windows XP Pro 2GB RAM, 256MB Video, 300GB HD

Posted on Nov 23, 2005 10:18 AM

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82 replies
User profile for user: Raging_Emotion
Raging_Emotion
User level: Level 1
20 points

Nov 23, 2005 6:10 PM in response to Arek

Hey listen if you got the secret on how to work an ipod then let me know becuz I just got it like 2 days ago and I have no clue on how to put my OWN video's, movie's, or some t.v. show's, and use the radio..which I'm asuming it has..I bought the black 30gb and I have absolute NO computer skills I need help bad and I don't know ANYONE who has an ipod to walk me through this stuff. I think it was nice of you to work the ipod first before giving it to your wife and saving her the troubles of having to figure out everything by herself.

Anyway I appreciate it if anyone who knows how to help me with my problem holla at me with answers . I'm DenyingDestiny@aol. Windows XP Dell PC
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User profile for user: Arek
Arek Author
User level: Level 1
70 points

Nov 23, 2005 11:05 PM in response to Raging_Emotion

There is no real secret to it really, have you read the manual on how to use iTunes? I think that is your first step that you need to take prior to starting to learn the third party programs that are required when converting videos & dvd movie media. Figure out how to upload music to your ipod first, once you get a handle on that, everything else will be simpler, or at least it seems to be until you get to the videos.
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User profile for user: Fifty50
Fifty50
User level: Level 1
30 points

Nov 24, 2005 3:05 AM in response to Arek

1. Every iPod, since the first generation model back in 2001 (of which I am proud to be an original owner) has always scratched on all surfaces – front, back, you name it, but basically everything scratches and this is nothing new. If you toss your shiny new cell phone into your pocket with your car keys it is also bound to be scratched. Just because the iPod costs about ten times more than your cell phone doesn't mean that the iPod is scratch-proof or will stop a bullet.

If you go out and buy a brand new, scratchless BMW are you going to expect it to never get a scratch or fingerprint on it? Excuse me, but get real or get a case for it.

2. Transferring video to the iPod was meant to be "easy" for videos that you have purchased over iTunes. It gets more complicated when you want to "back up" your DVDs or avi files that you have on your computer. Unfortunately, QuickTime Pro is not the fastest option for converting to m4v format. There are dozens of applications out there that will rip your DVDs to your hard drive and a handful more which will take this file and convert it to an iPod-friendly format.

3. It's possible to use your iPod with more than one computer without it being erased. When you connect the iPod to a computer which isn't the first one you used it with, it will say that the iTunes library is not the same one on your iPod and whether or not you want to overwrite the iPod. Obviously you can click no. In the iPod's preferences (found in iTunes), click "manually transfer songs and playlists". You can now take single songs or entire albums from your secondary computer and put them on your iPod.
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User profile for user: RavenG4
RavenG4
User level: Level 2
150 points

Nov 24, 2005 4:31 AM in response to Arek

Firstly, your compliant about not being able to put songs from on multiple computers from your iPod was most likely done to "appease" the record industry so that people wouldn't pirate music by sharing sharing it with others. There are plenty of 3rd party apps liek ehpod (I think is the name). You can find a bunch of these from ilounge.com. About it clearing out your songs when you plug into another computer. There should be instructions on this but I don't think their are. I just tell people to set everything to Manual on the ipod then you can update how you like.

One thing that bothers me is people complaining about spending money on something when a company tells you that you need it to do something in particular WITHOUT first doing some research on your own. The iPod has been out for a few years now and there really isn't any excuse for people to complain that they HAD to buy Quicktime Pro because Apple said it was needed to convert video. http://www.ilounge.com HAS EVERYTHING iPod and iPod related. A quick Google search would have solved your poroblem and save you 29 dollars.

Would you buy a car wihout researching it first? Would you buy it without test driving it? No. It's the same with any elxectronics purchase. Especially something like the iPod that has been out a while.

Just my 2 cents
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User profile for user: 0b81
0b81
User level: Level 1
10 points

Nov 24, 2005 4:33 AM in response to Fifty50

I purchased my Ipod Video maybe a week or so ago, and with the case that they issued with it, I have managed minimal scratches, and fingerprints is pretty much unpreventable without a case. When it gets bad just wipe it with a damp soft cloth. I have not had any issues with the video download. I was a bit "T'd" at having to buy QuickPRO, but it does its job. It is slow, but its simple and pretty conveinient. I want 3rd party for burning DVD's for placement on my ipod, and that works great also. I really suck at using computers, but I managed to get everything I wanted with minimal effort. You have to give your ipod a chance. A few googles and you are gonna wish you had bought a 60GB because its so much stuff that you can put on your ipod. I recommend getting a case, and reading a few manuals. Even this forums helps you find sites to download 3rd party software for faster and FREE burning/downloading.

Imac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3) iPOD G5 (60GB) iPOD NANO
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User profile for user: Arek
Arek Author
User level: Level 1
70 points

Nov 24, 2005 10:29 AM in response to RavenG4

It's not a matter of a complaint, multiple connections is not what i'm referring to. It's the fact that there is no warning message when you connect your ipod to another computer. The itunes just immediately initializes the ipod without warning, thus, erasing everything on it. I have a third party program that allows me to take full control of the issue after, like you say doing research.
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User profile for user: Arek
Arek Author
User level: Level 1
70 points

Nov 24, 2005 10:32 AM in response to 0b81

To be honest, this is the first product that I have come across that gets extremely dirty from handling, that's my reason for giving it a low rating. Its very sticky, i don't like the material, that's what my complaint is about. It has nothing to do with how the product functions when i refer to the fingerprints and the actual size of the item. Sure everything scratches, but all i have to do is run a finger nail across it and it is scratched. And I do this in the gentleness way possible and it still scratches. So excuse my frustration however, every customer experience is unique, and if you have a problem with that move along.
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My Experience with the NEW Apple IPOD Video 60GB (Black)

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