I hate my iPod Nano
September 25th, 2006So I did it. I broke down and bought a 8GB iPod Nano yesterday.
And now, less than 24 hours later I can say that I hate my iPod Nano. There's nothing wrong with the device, exactly. In fact, it stores and plays music just like it promised it would. But I'm still left feeling cheated.
First let me point out that I am not qualified to review personal audio players. I have used very few of them and do not really know what to expect. However, I do know what to expect from software and electronic devices in general, and I base my opinions on that knowledge.
Before I start sobbing uncontrollably, I'd like to remember why I bought the iPod brand in the first place: iTunes and recommendations.
Let's start with iTunes. From what I've been told, if you want to use iTunes to its full capacity you have to have an iPod brand player. And, from what I've been told, you want to use iTunes to its full capacity. But, in practice, it doesn't seem to offer anything that other media managers don't offer and, in many cases, falls behind. Maybe I don't know how to use it and maybe I'm just an idiot, but I couldn't even get it to sync up. iTunes locked up every time I tried to uncheck all of my media so that I could select only a subset of it to send to the iPod. I'll admit that I didn't read any kind of manual, but I didn't read a manual for Media Monkey either. "Media Monkey":http://www.mediamonkey.com/, however, worked flawlessly and it is what I ended up using to load music on my iPod. Furthermore, even when it was working, iTunes was slower, more difficult to navigate, and less feature-full than Media Monkey.
Now about those recommendations. While I read millions of recommendations for the iPod, I think part of the problem is that technology is no longer reviewed only by technologically inclined people. Everyone uses this new technology and, therefore, their statements cannot be assumed to be educated or experienced. Further more, an iPod is a fashion statement. This makes many of these recommendations merely a review of what's cool and not what actually works well.
I remember back in the early 90s when people used to swear that Doc Martens were the best boots ever and that there was no comparison and that they were totally worth the extra cost compared to other brands. The truth was, many of the people making such claims had never owned any boot other than Doc Martens and only purchased that brand because it was the "in" thing. Now, I'm not saying Docs weren't the best. I don't know, I never owned a pair.
As far as the iPod Nano is concerned, yeah it works. It plays music. I can press some buttons and get the device to play a song and I can recognize the song being played as music that I intended to be played. So it certainly meets the base criteria required for a personal audio player. But that doesn't make it stand out. Almost every player on the market meets this criteria.
From what I can see, the iPod Nano offers few extra features, is constructed in a way that begs it to be scratched, scuffed, and destroyed, is guaranteed to need to be replaced eventually, and serves to lock me into its technology and buying more ipods. Furthermore, in my opinion, it isn't all that nice looking.
First and foremost, is the battery. The iPod Nano's battery is locked in place. It's not "user replaceable". Yes, it can be replaced, but it hasn't been designed to be. One day the battery will die and I will be in a situation where I have to decide between having it replaced and buying a new one. Can you guess what Apple is hoping I'll do?
As if this wasn't bad enough, the iPod doesn't even include a wall charger. Without a USB port on a computer that is turned on and powered up, you can't charge the iPod without buying more equipment. Want to charge your iPod in your hotel room? You'd better have your laptop with you or you'll need to buy some extra equipment. How silly would it be if laptop vendors only provided a means to charge your laptop from your desktop?
Regardless of these things, the iPod Nano supposedly has a vast array of superior features when compared to other players. Now,We've already discussed iTunes and its failings in comparison with Media Monkey. So any feature that is only available due to that software is moot considering that Media Monkey is free and works with many compliant media players, unlike iTunes which will only fully lock and load with an iPod. So how about the features of the device itself. Well, check this out! It offers a calendar! And notes! And you can look at photos! And it has a clock!! Of course, all of these things do nothing for me. Oh, and yeah, it plays music too.
As far as music playing features goes it has all the normal things you'd come to expect from any music player: it plays music, you can skip tracks, you can pause the music, and you can turn it off. In addition, it has the following features that you'd expect from most advanced players: you can select a specific song to be played, you can seek in a track, and you can play an entire Album, Artist, or Playlist. The only special features is has is that it will display album art and you can rate the track you are listening to. That's it.
To me, those two features alone are not worth the increased price. On top of that, to me, a Nano feels too breakable, seems easily scratchable, and isn't all that nice looking. When I consider that there are other players with *more* features, wall chargers, a user replaceable battery, and a nicer look and feel for *less* money, buying a Nano seems downright stupid.
Take, for instance, the Creative Zen V. It plays music and has the same basic and advanced features that we've come to expect from a full-featured music player. This is basically where the Nano stops. But not the Zen V. In addition, it has a line level input, built in microphone, and FM radio. The battery is user replaceable and, for those who need more battery life, several can be purchased, pre-charged, and replaced when needed.
In addition to these things the Zen V offers some extra features in the music playing department, the most important of which is on-the-fly playlist building (known as DJ mode). To me, building a playlist on the fly is a crucial feature that all audio players should have and the fact that the Nano does not is just silly. I found myself listening to one song and wanting to hear another song next. But, having no way to "queue" it up, I'd have to wait for the song I was listening to to finish, stop the music, browse to the next song, and then start it up again. Some time back I was playing with someone else's audio player I remember that I used on-the-fly playlist building more than anything else, queueing up song after song and arranging my newly built playlist to my heart's content. I found this feature to be so crucial that I figured the Nano must include it and actually broke out the manual which is as short and simple as the Nano is featureless. Nope. It doesn't do it.
So, the price tag on the iPod isn't for its features, construction, reliability, or interoperability. It's for the brand name. It's a fashion statement.
Will I be buying a Creative Zen V? Maybe. Will I be taking my iPod Nano back? Most likely.
If anyone would like to recommend a product OTHER than an iPod, I'd love to hear it. Please state which other audio players you've used and when you use words to relate your product to others (like easy, best, better, awesome, and sucks) please indicate what experience or education in this arena you have to allow you to make these qualifications.
Skwid wrote:
I am completely confused by this post. I have no idea what the difficulty you describe with iTunes syncing up is. By default, when your library is larger than the iPod's capacity it will attempt to sync as much of that library as possible. The solution to this "problem" is to create a playlist with the songs you want on it (or a Smart Playlist based on criteria, more likely), and then have the iPod sync only that playlist. This is both potentially powerful and (IMO) highly intuitive. Out of curiosity, though, what features does MM have that iTunes lacks?
On-The-Go Playlists work, as far as I can tell, exactly as you desire. When a song, album, or playlist is selected in the on-screen menu, pressing and holding the select button will add it to the On-The-Go Playlist. This is described on the iPod in the Playlist section, as well as in the manual.
And if you think for a second that I'm not a technologically-inclined person, you're fooling yourself. I chose iPod after doing copious research, handling other players and reading numerous user accounts of software and hardware on Slashdot, DAPReview.net, and other places. Are they a fashion statement for many? Yes. But the iTunes/iPod interaction is the best around, iPods are far more resilient than first appearances might suggest, and the accessory market for them is about 1000 times bigger than any other product. Every feature you mention is available in an accessory, and most can be had cheaply as they frequently get sold by purchasers who never used them like they thought they would.
I think you owe it to yourself to give the product more than a day. I think it will win you over.
Posted on 25-Sep-06 at 12:28 pm | Permalink
Rebecca wrote:
I have an iPod and 2 creative's. One is an older one and the other is a Zen. Yes, iPod makes a machine a tad smaller than Creative for the same storage. It also adds to the pricetag for that ounce less bulk. But I hate iTunes. I LOVE LOVE LOVER the Creative software. It is far superior, IMO in making play lists and keeping up with my music. I regret buying the iPod too so my teenage daughter uses it most of the time and I stick with the Creative. I hate the fact that iPod doesn't come with wall/car chargers. I did buy a cool thing at Walmart on clearance that plugs into my cigarette lighter and transmits my iPod to the FM radio, but even on clearance it was $25. I find the little wheel clumsy to use. I really just don't like it either.
Posted on 25-Sep-06 at 4:20 pm | Permalink
Ryan wrote:
So I feel a tad guilty for recommending the Nano when it turns out to be sucking your life force away. Perhaps a little insight into my philosophy about technology…specfically media players.
I have an 80g external hard drive damn near full of my music library. I use media monkey primarily to organize my music collection on my computer. The media player serves only to be my music library on the go.
I have used several players over the years (creative, dell) and they have all had pretty much the same features. And until someone makes a device that acts as a functional cell phone, intuitive PDA, memory rich media player, and has fast internet that weighs a few ounces…I won't be buying a mp3 player for the features.
As long as it plays music intuitively (which Apple does brilliantly) I'm set. Since my home computer serves as my main media center, I only have one criteria for a portable device…sex appeal.
If I'm going to carry it with me it needs to be dead sexy. And the Nano has this in spades over the competition. Think about it. It is a glorified memory stick.
Getting rid of the Nano now will be like dumping that really hot chick you once dated. Every other girl you are with after her may try and wow you, but they are all variations on the same theme. None will ever be as sexy as the one that got away.
Posted on 26-Sep-06 at 11:06 pm | Permalink
Chris K wrote:
I agree totally! The Nano may be the hot girlfriend you'll always brag about, but she wasn't really that much fun to be with anyway and was only good to look at. By the way, did you actually get the ratings etc to sync back? Itunes 7 is the worst piece of software I've actually used in the last several years. Notwithstanding the audio problems other people have had, it is the slowest piece of software on my computer and non-intuitive if you want to use it even slightly differently from how Apple specified.
That said, I'd not heard of MediaMonkey and will definitely be trying it before I sell (dump) the nano(model) and trade it in for something that actually works and isn't just a work of art.
Posted on 13-Oct-06 at 8:02 am | Permalink
Peter wrote:
Got also a 8G nano. Isn't all that bad, but, as, happily, with everything (most things?) in life, everybody can have his own ideas on what sofware/UI/functionalities he prefers.
What you described exists on the nano: the "on the go playlist". Although you have to be playing the list first, and then you can add "on the go". The feature that you are listening to a song (selected in a different way), and start using that as the first song in a new "on the go" playlist, doesn't exist IMO.
Additionally, there is a bug in the 8G nano's, that will not let you add albums/artists/genres to an "on the go" playlist.
Posted on 03-Nov-06 at 8:28 am | Permalink
PlainJoe wrote:
I bought an IPod to check out what all the fuss was about. I hate the wheel. Took forever to get music working properly. iTunes is crap. Still can't get videos to work properly. No sound. For MP3s my cheap USB players made in China or where-ever have been working fine for years and still is more convenient. I prefer PSP for watching videos and playing games when travelling. My Sony Ericsson phone is great and so is any notebook I've used. I don't care about Macs, Windows and Linux, have used them all and as long as they work. Next to CD-ROMs that end up wasting tons of CDs, adware, spyware and viruses, IT hypers, Free And Open Source (FOSS) evangelists that are actually communists selling proprietary software … the iPod is the worst abuse of technology I've come across.
Posted on 26-Nov-06 at 1:40 pm | Permalink
Julz wrote:
I feel your pain. I frequently see articles with comments attached by either lucky people like Skwid who haven't gotten a faulty ipod and who are technologically minded so can figure the bloody things out, or stupid people like Skwid who are caught up in the popularity of the Ipod and/or possibly work for Apple. I posted the folling on my webpage…
'I googled 'Ipod don't wast your money' and looked at the first website that came up. It was a Mac forum. I read the bullshit article. Then the reader comments. I typed in the following comment because everyone seemed to be in favour of the ipod because of it's fashion statement or the fact that they obviously work for Apple. You know those things were you have to enter some scrambled code to be able to submit a comment/message to deter spammers? Well, that picture didn't work. There was a little red X in the box so I couldn't see the code. Bullshit. So I couldn't enter my comment. Looks deliberate. Anywho, here it is…
Well, I totally agree with Ted A. Cal Worthington, itunes is SPECIFICALLY designed for the ipod so of course other portable music players aren't going to be compatible. Apple loves that exclusivity (is that a word?). I'm not 'tech savy' either but I know that I've had 3 40gb ipods and all of them have been fautly and all of them have drained the battery very quickly. The warranty only lasts one year, so if you've had in ipod for 6 months and get it replaced, the new one is only under warranty for 6 months. As well as that, the warranty doesn't mean that Apple will fix the problem. They will replace the ipod which means you could end up with another faulty one, rather than one that was faulty but has now been fixed. And, of course, they come back with no music on them. My last ipod that died lost over 20GB of music! My ipod cost around AU$800. Don't waste your money!'
Does everyone remember when Apple and Dell had to admit that the lithium batteries in their laptops were exploding and they had to send replacements to everyone? Why didn't Apple do the same for Ipods? They also use lithium batteries and ipod owners are having lots of trouble with them. If your ipod battery is faulty and you need it replaced, do you know what happens? They send you a new ipod. I know that is is possible to replace the battery. Why waste our time by sending us a new one with NO MUSIC ON IT? Because Ipods are cheap and crappy. People feel safe when they spend lots of money on something because they believe it to be a better brand. Well, it's not. The joke is on us and it makes me so mad. We have all been sucked in.
I'd just like to add that I have never ever been recommended the IPOD by anyone I know. The only recommendations I have seen are on Mac/Apple websites or on websites/tv programs/magazines that are probably being paid to talk about it without getting technical. I have been recommended the Iriver and a few other portable music players.
Question: Why did Apple tell us that we can jog with IPODS because they have no moving parts?
They do have moving parts and you CAN jog with them if you want them to break!
Posted on 15-Jan-07 at 4:04 pm | Permalink
Donna Ford wrote:
For all the reasons you describe I rebelled against the iPod Nano and bought the Sandisk Sansa m240 for half the price. It is a great little player for music but that is not my interest; I want audiobooks so I have an
Audible membership but my primary goal for financial reasons was to be
able to rip library audio CD books to my player for one time use.
My point is that iPod is about the only player/program that provides a
"join tracks" command while ripping that will produce a seamless audio book
copy. I think some of the Creative players have software that might do that too but am not sure.
Most websites and tutorials center on music but there are hundreds of
folks who use MP3 players for books. By painful trial and error I have
learned how to rip and load a CD book on my m240 with each CD as
an album. I still want a player that will play a ripped book seamlessly
without being divided up. I looked at iPods yesterday but like you I resent the price and most of all the throwaway situation regarding the
battery. My m240 operates on a single AAA battery for 15-19 hours,
came with an armband and a carrying case. I call it MY POOR WOMAN's iPOD! LOL
Here's hoping I have sense enough to listen to my first strong feelings
and not sell out to Apple. Today I needed your post.
Posted on 14-Feb-07 at 10:24 am | Permalink
HaloMasta wrote:
My Ipod really stinks because I bought it … well not really that. It was the first one on the shelves but it had a problem with the left ear….DID NOT WORK AT ALL. Now it is on screen lock but i can't get onto my administrative account because of the hard drive. Now that that has happened I'm going to try letting the battery run out. But it might not work. (hopefully it will) I have Itunes on my other acount! Is there anyway to restart your Ipod and redo everything? Please help dawgz.
Posted on 22-Feb-07 at 10:36 pm | Permalink
michael wrote:
You hit the nail on the head. iPods are fine, iTunes is absolute crap. As long as you want to store and sync your music precisely the way it wants you to, everything works. If you want to store it your way, forget it.
Of course, deep down in its guts, it's very configurable and there are workarounds for everything. But compared to unbelievable easy of use of Creative's software, it's really garbage.
Posted on 23-Feb-07 at 9:56 pm | Permalink
Kacey wrote:
my ipod nano is so confusing
i cant put photos on it because there is no photo folder, and i cant get it back now. i bought it second hand but it was never used. now i am beginning to wonder if it really was used. makes me mad!!!! i do like my ipod because it plays the music really nicely. i am mad though because i cant figure out how to use my pictures!!!!
Posted on 07-Mar-07 at 10:25 pm | Permalink
v wrote:
Haha to all those idiots that wasted their money on an Ipod and Itunes. You have been ensared by Madison Ave. marketing. I have the Zen Sleek Photo. A lot more bang for the buck- $179.00 ($0.00 for shipping from Amazon.com) for 20G and all the other features that should come with a player and more. I can store photos and files as well as tune into FM radio. There are 32 presets for your stations and as another posting said DJ and playlists you can program. The best feature is the fact that you DO NOT have to buy your music or download it from one place. You can purchase other ZEN players with more storage but that was not in my own personal budget…
Posted on 10-Apr-07 at 10:09 am | Permalink