I am looking at a buying an iPod (probably 20gb version) for mrs alect - as her "push present" (our first child is due any day now).

I found that there are HP Apple Ipods - how are these different to the standard Apply iPods? Just the branding?

also even for the 20Gb versioin, there seem to be different generations and models. Is there only one current model and generation while the others are older discontinued ones? And if so is there a real downside to buying one fo the older models?

order at apple.com and get laser engraving
(its free)

So put in a special message or something.

I think the current generation is the G4.

Don't get a mini, they are way overpriced compared to the others.

20gig sounds good, although 20 gigs is alot of space. Mabey 15 or 10 would be better.

But remember if you order online you get laser engraving :-P

I LOVE my IPOD mini. It has only 4Gb of space, but 1000 songs is enough for me. If you think you need more than get the bigger one, but the mini rocks.

LOVE IT!!

The Ipod + HP is identical to the Apple Ipod except for a small hp logo on the unit and the packaging. Other than that they are identical, and both made by Apple.

The only real difference is the support. HP provides one year unlimited support for free. Apple's warranty is 1 year, but only provides single incident phone support for 90 days. So the HP warranty is better. The HP version comes formatted with the FAT filesystem, the Apple one comes formatted with the Apple filesystem. The first time you plug in either one, it will format it for whatever you need, either way. (You can go back and forth, but it's a reformat, so you have to re-download all the music.) Also, the HP version seems to be available with better discounts.

I bought the 40G version. It comes with the dock. The 20G version doesn't come with the dock. When you factor in the dock, the $100 extra for the 40G version seems like a much better deal. 2x the space plus the dock. I bought mine from the Apple store. First time I plugged it into my PC using the USB cable, it reformatted the drive to the FAT32 file system.

You want the newest 4th generation model (dock + click wheel) ipod.

-David

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....3.1.1.0?88,80

Apple sells refurbished iPods for quite a discount. I bought one almost a year ago and have no complaints whatsoever. I'm glad I got the 40GB model because while I only keep 20GB of music on it, I can use the rest as a portable storage device.

If the above link doesn't work for some reason, just go to http://store.apple.com and look toward the bottom of the right side of the page for the link to Apple's refurb store.

Unless you are wedded to an Apple system and having a 20 gb or more of storage, you should at least take a look at the new just released Creative Zen Micro which is a 5 gb device that handles mp3, wma and wav files. (To check it out just google on creative zen micro.)

I think it is a superior device for people that use Windows based systems. For such users, it has several advantages over the Ipod mini. The form factor is about the same as the Ipod mini but it has an extra gig of storage over the mini. It has a user removable rechargeable lithium battery so you can carry extras for long flights. (2 batteries equals about 24 hours of playtime.) It has a built in FM radio and also a microphone for doing voice recording of meetings or lectures. It can sync to MS Outlook for storing calendar and contact info. It can operate as a portable hard drive (maybe the Ipod can do this as well). You can load music on it with Windows Media Player 10 (which btw is vastly improved over previous versions). Finally, the signal to noise ratio is a little better that the Ipod which means slightly better sound quality. The cost is about $249 or less if you hunt around online.

very interesting - and had I been buying for myself you would have convinced me. alas mrs alect is more interested in a fashion accessory - hence it has to be an iPod. The HP sounds good though (especially the support).

Thanks all.

This is a marvelous idea!

Do not be tempted. Stay focused.
Latest edition of IPOD (3rd generation, I think), as large as you can afford is THE DEAL. Best electric device since the blender.

But it's not compatible with the WMA format.

It will convert unprotected wma files. If you have any protected wma files, you'll have to convert them some other way, if you can.

The moral of that story is that you get what you pay for when downloading music. If you buy the CD, it's yours forever, and you can rip and burn to your hearts content. (Well, at least for now you can.)

-David

How would I know if a file is protected or unprotected? If I purchase digital music from a place like buy.com, are those files unprotected? And what of the sound quality - is there a difference?

If you download it from a store like buy.com, the files are protected. Right click on the file, then view the license.

aloha

OTOH, you can't buy Apple Care for the HP branded iPod. I don't know what extended warranty plans HP offers.

http://www.ipodlounge.com/faqs_more....=4999_0_10_0_C

To the OP: www.ipodlounge.com is an excellent resource for all things iPod.

A new conga for those of you who are interested in getting a free 40GB photo iPod:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=373461

I missed out, but other people have gotten free iPod minis and LCD screen monitors through this same system.