The Age Old Purchasing Question: Buy Now or Later?

[The5thElephant]

I now have a lucrative job for the summer and am itching to spend it. My old iPod burned out a while ago and I have been lacking ever since. I have a long commute and need more than books to sate my hunger for sensory stimulation besides terribly designed subway ads.

So I want to buy a new iPod. STOP. Do not tell me to buy something else. I have looked into other mp3 players and I have made my decision. I would prefer helpful comments here.

My dilemma is this: I have a friend who works in the new Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. She can give a 25% discount to friends or family on any item. I want a new iPod. But I am not so sure I want this generation or if I should wait for the next.

With the discount I can get a 5th-gen iPod with 60gb of storage for $300. Which is not bad at all. But I have heard some interesting rumours about the 6th-gen iPods.

First rumour: The entire front will be a touch-screen. Controls pop-up on screen when you touch it.

Second rumour: Games. Real games. Hmmmmm.

Also does anyone have experience with the 5th-gen's battery life? My 3rd-gen's battery lost its capacity for charge pretty fast.

[hiddensmoke]

Touch screen? That doesnt seem like a briliant idea when you stick them in your pocket when your listening to your favorite tune. Id buy it but not the one that uses a touch screen.

[Tails]

If the 6th gen iPod is going to cost any more than $100 more, I'd probably go for the 5th gen iPod.

This is because personally, I find touch screen to be very frustrating. Secondly, I would expect games, even "real" games are not going to be especially stimulating when played on an iPod.

The best way to pass time on a subway is to teach yourself the harmonica.

[snrjefe]

iPods have a lock switch that shuts off the user interface. Otherwise the touch-wheel has the same problems.

I've had an iPod mini for about 2 years now and it's just now getting in the range of full. It's been great. The battery usually lasts just long enough to get through a trans US flight. I've had no complaints.

My thoughts on stuff like this are just buy what's out when you want it. If you start putting off tech-toys for the next generation features, you won't end up with anything. Besides, retail has high turnover. If you can get the discount, for the love of Jeebus, do it now.

[The5thElephant]

I probably will just get one now. I'm going for the 60gig despite its extra thickness, gotta fit all my music!

[Slashco]

60 gigs? What have you got, the complete Encyclopaedia Britannica on tape?

For myself, I'd go with something small and light that doesn't skip, with a radio if possible. I find that I can only listen to a handful of songs anyway until I reach my destination or my ears get fatigued.

[A176]

A built-in radio is one reason I personally don't own an ipod.

...and what was the age old purchasing question? A better thread title is needed :\

[Benjamin]

thats cheap for only $300?...thats £160 ...get it, thats a bargin.

I have a 60gig iPod Video (http://www.idealgadget.com/wp-content/images/ipod-video-black.jpg) which cost £300 ($560)...never had any probblems with it. Translates to about 15,000 songs...but what the space is mainly for, is storing video.
The battery life is decent when just playing songs but it could be better. The main drain on the power is when playing video, that will realy drain the battery dry in around 2 hours so about the full length of a film. If you realy want good battery life get a wall charger...don't use your comp. In my experiance with this iPod you get alot more battery life when usinga wall charger. For some reason the comp doesn't fully charge up the battery.

As for the games...I think weve all seen the guy playing Half - Life 1 on his iPod Ipod halflife (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSk1aEayIGQ)

Sounds good, but from the video you can tell...Its lame as lame can be.

[Vijil]

"Second rumour: Games. Real games. Hmmmmm."

dude.

[General Blaze]

games+ ipod = no. Just no. The ipod was not meant for games. You want the PSP or DS to do THAT. You buy an ipod, you buy it for music and (with the ipod nano,) for movies.

Speaking of which, I should probably get an ipod one of these days. Maybe one of them ipod Shuffles.

[Retroboy]

The best way to pass time on a subway is to teach yourself the harmonica.You have a minor typo there. Here, let me fix it for you.

The best way to pass on to the next life on a subway is to teach yourself the harmonica.

There. That's better.

-- Retro

[SquidDNA]

:lol:

[BmB]

Must... resist... urge... to rant... about iPods...

[Fiirks]

I award retroboy three cookies for that. :thumb:

I've had an iPod G4 20gb model since last christmas and its worked great the whole time. Never had any issues with it and I'm still filling it up. I've come to use it for backing up my files too since its so large. My advice on purchasing right now or later: get it now and when the new one comes out, you can sell your old one on ebay...

[The5thElephant]

...and what was the age old purchasing question? A better thread title is needed :\

You are right I need to clarify that. I ment the question of whether to stick with whats around now or save yourself for something possibly new and better.

I don't care that the iPod doesn't have a radio since I never listen to the radio. It has lower quality sound and I can't pick what I want to listen to. Plus the damn adverts. I just got new Sennheiser PX100 headphones so I am eager to use them with my 320kbps songs on the streets of Manhattan instead of regular old radio which I hear in every damn deli I go into.

[Captain Taco]

I have a fifth-gen ipod, and I think it was a good purchase. I can't imagine playing games on an ipod, but then again all I do is plug it into my car on the way to work.

I've had it since december, and the battery life hasn't dropped off at all. I drove back from school (going from baltimore, maryland to dallas, texas) and I was able to listen to it from baltimore until knoxville, tennessee - a distance of 500 miles (about 8 hours of driving time).

I bet they'll have all kinds of trouble with the touch screen, too. I'd go with the fifth-gen.

[The5thElephant]

Knowing Apple they won't release a product that has major problems with one of its new defining features. Sure there were all those things about the batteries but that is not a defining feature AND the argument happens to be silly since it is true of all Lithium-ion batteries, not just iPods.

I bet Apple can come up with a damn good touch screen.

[Alliance]

thats not halflife on an Ipod! thats DOOM2 with HL skins on an Ipod.

[WingedKagouti]

As far as I've seen, iPods need to drop about 30-40% in price before they become comparable to most other brands.

The money I saved by buying something other than an iPod was spent on these (http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/05341) instead. With an iPod I wouldn't have had money for a decent pair of headphones, but at least you got that part covered already.

[boolybooly]

move out of NYC and get a job in the countryside where birds sing in the branches above your head, rendering the iPlop completely redundant but a good washable hat indispensable.