Apple iPod 40GB MP3 Player (Apple-M9245LLA)

Reviewed by: sandyebauer

Strengths: Size and quality. Ease of converting music with iTunes. Ease of loading iPod from iTunes.

Weaknesses: Lack of support for WMA, headphones could be a lot better.

Overall: This is the second MP3 player I've purchased. My first was the Nomad Jukebox (6 gig) and I quickly ran out of room for my music collection and also had the hardware die. I waited quite a while to buy another system but after hearing so much about the iPod, I jumped in and bought the 40 gig model. It was so easy to convert CDs via iTunes. Wish I could say it was simple to just point to my directory with all my .wma files (previously converted CDs with Dell Jukebox software) but I found I had to point to each individual directory/folder to convert all the music I already had on my laptop (8 gig).It was very easy to connect to my Bose Wave radio I keep on my nightstand and great to use the sleep timer to listen to some ocean waves music to put me to sleep. Since I already had the cables from my Nomad Jukebox I was in business - Apple should include cables with the system considering the price of 40 gig model. Case that came with the 40 gig is nice, sleek and seems to have sturdy clip to attach to waistband or whatever.Sound quality is great. Earphones could be better as everyone has noticed already. I'm debating which earphones to replace with considering all the high-quality in-ear sets out there. I'm also looking forward to purcashing the Media reader so I can off-load digital camera photos and the voice recorder so I can use it to make notes to myself.All in all - I'm a very happy iPod owner and appreciate the quality Apple has designed into this product. I definitely would recommend the iPods to anyone looking for purchase a portable MP3 player.

Reviewed by: CarolH05

Strengths: None- Not even 1. Very Hard to use.

Overall: The software to move MP3's from your computer to the I Pod is actually software for the Apple I Tunes web site. It's was very difficult to move music that I already had backed up on cd's to the I Pod. You can't create a folder on the I Pod and copy music to that folder, or move a whole folder of music to the I Pod. If you want to be forced to buy musicfrom I tunes buy an I Pod. Its set up so you have much difficulty using music you have because they want you to pay for music using I-Tunes.

Reviewed by: natekraut

Strengths: compact and easy to use

Weaknesses: the ear piece tends to fall out when being used. a pair of headsets would be better.

Overall: The ipod is a great, compact, easy-to-use and fun product. I am amazed at the quality of the reproduction. The only criticism I have (and this is truly a minor one) is that the ear piece tends to fall out of my ears. Therefore, I have replaced the ear piece with a pair of headsets.

Reviewed by: Ironclad21

Strengths: Excellent product, stylist shape, excellent touch scroll system, vast selection of optional accessories, great factory warranty and optional protection care plan for your IPOD. Excellent sound.

Weaknesses: It doesn't brew coffee (laugh).

Overall: I?ve been researching MP3 players for a while. With a vast selection to chose, it took me forever to make a decision. In my personal opinion, all the manufacturers have done a great job, creating great products. As my personal choice, it?s undisputed that the 40gig IPOD had everything I wanted, plus more. The product it?s built to last and to stay fairly current with all the optional additional attachments that you can use with your IPOD. So far I haven?t found any weakness (Besides the coffee. Laugh). Compare to other brands, the IPOD?s battery will last 8 hours and I have put it to the test, to the point that the battery meter was blank and it continue to play beyond 7 ½ hours. I advice anybody that purchase this unit to charge it first regardless that the instruction states that it?s 80 % charged. The included accessories are current with today?s notebooks laptop and desk tops for MAC or PC?s, but if you have an older model system, verify your computer systems requirement and proceed to purchase the additional accessories of your needs. I?m a PC hardcore user, however IPOD being an APPLE product, it worked flawlessly with my Windows Professional 2000 PC. The price of the 40gig IPOD is high, and it?s worth it, all the way. It?s very important to say that, some companies don't provide basic Technical Support to assist you to troubleshoot or for basic questions for electronic devices like these. It's also a fact that some companies offer you a basic warranty and Technical Support for 90 days but won't offer you an extended Care Protection Plan (for an additional fee), to service, repair your product. These topics are very important because you don't want your product to become an expensive paperweight. To all readers, I hope that all this information helps you to purchase a good product, because in my personal opinion, the "IPOD" is. Ironclad21@excite.com

Reviewed by: cdp1276

Strengths: 3rd generation design is top notch; curved edges slip into a pocket nicely; the touch scroll is very cool; the display is crisp; integration with XP (including auto-sync) is better than expected.

Weaknesses: The price is steep (but the extra $100 you spend over other units is actually in the product refinement and details; nice case, headphones & remote); battery life could be a lot better.

Overall: All in all, I'm really impressed I think it's worth purchasing over the new Dell DJ. It is disappointing more formats aren't compatiable as it doesn't support ogg or wma files. But with 40 gig I can't imagine filling this up. Do yourself a favor and buy some quality earphones. The earbuds that come with the iPod are good but you will get so much more enjoyment out of it with a good high quality set of earphones or earbuds. I would also recommend you have SP1 installed for XP as it provides a lot of fixes for USB2 if you plan to go that way rather than Firewire. And you must buy another cable ($19) to go USB2.