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Apple Archive

Are There Any Real Alternatives to the iPod for Mac Users?

- 2005.09.30

It looks like all the complaining that some people have been doing about their defective iPod nano screens have gotten Apple to do something. They're getting the units replaced (or at least the screens) if they call Apple.

The problem that a few people have been having is basically that they put the nano into a pocket, take it out, and find the screen to be either nonfunctioning or cracked and broken altogether.

Others have found that the front of the unit scratches very easily, although Apple won't admit fault for that.

It's fantastic that Apple is honoring the complaints, but when this kind of publicity hits news sites such as BBC News, what choice does Apple have? Saying no to a few very vocal customers could cause a loss in sales as people examine other brands for MP3 player options.

Apple's already got a good reputation on the MP3 player front - I haven't met anyone who's been unhappy with their iPod.

My guess is that there won't be any sales losses for the iPod nano right now. It's an interesting device in the fact that it's one of the smallest MP3 players with a color screen. It's also Apple, and they're "cool" right now. Many people see them as the only real option for MP3 players, partly due to their extensive and memorable marketing (the shadow ads on TV), and the installed user base (walking around Montreal, roughly 85% of the headphones I see are white Apple earbuds).

Some people dislike how trendy the iPod has become - but what are the alternatives, and why would you not want to buy an iPod?

Firstly, Rio has a new Carbon 6 GB player available - and it's supposedly almost the size of the iPod nano. Plus it's got a built in voice recorder, something the iPod lacks (and it's rather useful for lectures, too). Unlike the Nano, it's got a hard drive inside, and it's priced at less than the low-end iPod nano (about $170). Their website is unclear whether it works with a Mac or not, although Amazon.com seems to suggest that it does.

The other big name in MP3 players is Creative. They've got the Zen micro, which is roughly equivalent to the iPod mini, featuring 4 GB, 5 GB, or 6 GB of storage - but it doesn't work with a Mac.

What does a Google search for Mac-compatible MP3 players bring up? Lots and lots of hits for the iPod, several for 5- or 6-year-old flash-based MP3 players, and, interestingly, a 5 GB MP3 player by Audiovox that seems to be nonexistent on their website.

So what works with the Mac ? The only clear answer I got using Google was the iPod.

I guess the question is why wouldn't you buy an iPod? If you're a Mac user and want assured compatibility, it unfortunately seems that you have few options to pick from. Plus, the integration between iTunes and the iPod is so good, why would you buy anything else anyway?

It's almost Apple's way of pushing you into the purchase - you're already using iTunes, so why not just buy an iPod that'll work with it? (Of course, there are a few portable media centers that the iPod isn't meant to match in terms of features. That's another thing altogether.)

Personally, I like the iPod. I like my 5 GB one very much - it was a groundbreaking device when it came out in 2001, and it's still fairly up-to-date today. My 40 GB one is even more amazing - 40 GB of music in a package the size of the one that holds 5 GB.

I think the interface on the iPod is very easy to access, and I've never really had any problems with either of them other than issues from basic wear-and-tear (for example, scratchy headphone jack, which is easy to fix. Spray it with contact cleaner, and it'll work great again).

If you like the product but don't like how popular it's become - my favorite solution is to use it anyway - but use third-party headphones. Not only do they usually sound better, but they also don't immediately single you out as another "iPod freak".

Recent Apple Archive articles

iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
More in the Apple Archive index.

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Best iPod nano Deals, 11.25. Refurb 8 GB 4G nano, $99; new, $126; refurb 16 GB, $129; new, $150; new 5G/8 GB, $134.60; 16 GB, $161.12. Shipping included.
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