So, I call what they call Customer Service and find that they won't give me any advice whatever until I FAX in a copy of my shipping document from Amazon and another sheet with a magic number on it from within the extended service package. They say that Amazon is not an authorized reseller and that they cannot check my order and date of sale from Amazon.

I explain that I do not have a FAX machine, and that I will go send the stuff in a few days when I feel like walking that far using my crutches.

I think that it is probably a good product, but if you are in any way handicapped and it is not convenient for you to run around to get their service, I recommend not buying it.

Makes most other MP3 players look antiques (Rating: 5.00)
Review : It's true - Apple's flair for design (certain models of iMac excepted) comes through again, albeit at a price (but that's always true for Apple).

I previously had an old USB Nomad Jukebox, with the drive upgraded to 30GB. My purchase of an iPod was prompted by an attempt to sync the 10GB or so of MP3s I'd ripped into iTunes to it. After 30 minutes, it was about 10% done - then it crashed for no reason. I'd previously ruled out the iPod as having too little capacity. Then along came the 20GB model. Technically speaking, it's still too small - I think I'd need at least 80GB to get my entire CD collection stored at reasonable quality - but the speed of the iPod's Firewire connection makes it so easy to drag music around that, once I get to the point where I've got over 20GB ripped, I can just sync particular playlists, rather than the entire iTunes collection.

Syncing is very fast indeed. The collection that caused my Nomad Jukebox to choke transferred in under ten minutes, automatically, the very first time I hooked the iPod to my PC. The only human intervention required in the entire process was to select English as my language when I first switched it on, plug it into a free Firewire socket and accept the default name it gave my iPod (the rather unimaginative "Alan Crawford's iPod").

The menus are easy to navigate (the circular dial for scrolling up and down is great once you grasp the idea of going round and round instead of linearly), the earbuds are comfy (as earbuds go - at home I still use my big honking Sony headphones), you can either charge it via the computer while it's connected or use the separate AC charger, there's a keylock to prevent sudden unexpected bursts of music, and there's a nice little belt holster to keep it in. Oh, and a little inline remote control gizmo that I haven't really had cause to use yet.

It's all packaged in that typical Apple style that makes just opening the box an event, the design is attractive (although I believe it's prone to scratches - maybe the holster will reduce that problem).

I really can't find anything wrong with it. I think that's a first.

For those wondering about the fate of the Nomad Jukebox - the drive went into a miniature Firewire enclosure for my wife's laptop, and the discarded husk is now a rather aerodynamically-poor frisbee.

Not for running or jogging! (Rating: 2.00)
Review : If what you want is a portable device to run or jog with, simply forget it. It freezes after three or four songs (every time) and it is just the way it was built. I sent it for repair (they charged $29.99 for shipping), just to have it back with the same problem and the explanation that iPod's skip protection just lasts 20 minutes, even while Apple's website specifically states you can run with it.

Apple does it again! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : When the iPod first came out, I wanted one, but hesitated. The hard drive on my old iMac didn't have much free space for mp3 files. Then I decided to get the latest iMac (17" monitor), and it had a nice 80 GB hard drive. That meant plenty of space to store my mp3s, so I bought the 20GB iPod as well. Within two days, I was hooked on this perfect little device, and it IS perfect.

FEATURES:

The touch wheel is so smooth and intuitive that I got used to it in about 20 seconds.

The menus are clear, straightforward and, again, intuitive. You can browse by artist, genre, composer, song title, album. You can have playlists of songs. You can repeat one song, or a group of songs. You can shuffle. And you don't need a reference book for how to do any of it. It's all right there, at the touch of your finger.

The sound is absolutely amazing--Equalizer settings are extensive. If you know how to play with iTunes, you can create your own settings, too, and they'll load into your iPod.

The download speed is fricking unbelievable--When I finally had a "few" songs loaded into my new iMac (about 140), it took less than 2 minutes to download all of them, including the playlists I'd set up. iTunes made the download process itself so easy--all I did was plug in the iPod and iTunes took care of the rest for me. Thank goodness for iTunes. I can't imagine handling mp3s without this nifty (and FREE) program! Oh--and while I was downloading my mp3s that first time, the iPod used my network clock to set the date and time on the player.

I haven't used the iPod as an alternate hard drive yet, but I definitely plan to. My husband has a PowerBook, and there are some files from my iMac that I'll want to bring with me when we travel. The iPod will be the perfect device for that.

I've looked at the calendar/contact features, but I don't really need them. My husband definitely plans to use both, though, in his work as a consultant.

I have one complaint about the headphones that come with the iPod: The earbuds are too big for my ears, and hurt after prolonged listening. This is most annoying, because the headphones are very, very good. The audio quality is wonderful--my husband considers the trade of his Sony earbuds for the iPod buds a great trade in HIS favor.

The remote control is great--I use it all the time, and it keeps me from having to pull the iPod out of my pocket or case to adjust the volume, pause, or skip a song (or part of a song--hold down the forward/backward button to fast-forward/rewind the current song).

The battery really does last 8 -10 hours, depending on how you use the iPod. Some battery drainers are excessive scrolling and backlighting, but, even then, the iPod lasts a LONG time without a recharge. This makes the iPod perfect for me, since I work in a factory and have my headphones on most of the time. Apple doesn't tell you that, yes, you can charge the iPod through your computer, BUT it doesn't charge as quickly as with the provided AC adapter. You also don't get as much info about the charging process when the iPod is plugged into the computer. A third party manufacturer makes a car charger for iPod. I bought one and it works great.

INTANGIBLES:

As always, Apple makes you feel good about spending so much money for one of their products, with the little things that make your ownership a delight. Providing nice headphones, a belt clip case, a remote control, a FireWire cable and an AC adapter are great touches [...] . The belt clip is well-made and the iPod won't fall out of it under most circumstances, but the clip isn't 100% safe. I was lucky to catch my iPod before it hit the floor when the cord caught on something once, and I don't know that I would feel safe doing strenuous exercise with it; I eventually bought a more secure case from a third party.

The convenience factor alone makes iPod worth every penny. Through audible.com, I can download books, and, thanks to my old portable CD car adapter, I'm able to listen to the iPod in my car. This means no more lugging around pre-recorded audio books and huge CD wallets of music. No more switching CDs while I'm driving. No more agonizing over which CDs to keep in my 6 + 1 player. I can record the songs I like off a CD (or the entire CD), and put the disc away, which means less wear and tear on the disk itself. I can put the iPod in my purse, rather than leaving all those listening goodies in my car, where they can get stolen or exposed to intense heat that destroys them (a serious problem here in Texas).

The mirror finish on the case and remote is beautiful, but it shows fingerprints very badly. I keep a polishing cloth handy and use it at least once a day. I don't remember if Apple mentioned it in their documentation, but the cover needs special cleaners. Alcohol and acetone-based cleaners will ruin the lucite layer on the front of the iPod. I've found that the iKlear polish kits work best for cleaning the iPod.

I didn't quite understand an earlier complaint about the lack of options for naming the iPod. Maybe on the Windows version this is a problem, but, on the Mac version, renaming the iPod is as easy as clicking on the name field when you first plug the iPod into your computer, and typing a new name for your new baby.

To be honest, the iPod has so many wonderful features that it's just about impossible to list them all here, and the potential uses for it are mindboggling. This is THE Mp3 player to have; no other comes close. BUY IT.

THE gadget of the year! Maybe Decade!!! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is amazing. A must have for any traveler. The easy firewire plug for charging is great. I like it better then the funky new charging firewire layout. This is simply standard. The unit itself it pretty tough. I dropped it running and it didn't skip or anything. Amazing battery time and everything. The one thing I don't like is the way Apple set up their mp3 sharing so that you can only copy music onto it or delete music. You can't transfer music back off it. This is probably to keep the record companies happy. iTunes is great. And the unit is great simply to use as a portable Hard Drive as well.