iConfused (by design?)

[marc weber]

I passed on the last couple generations of iPods, so my old hard-drive, low-resolution b&w screen mini puts me in the iStoneAge. When the new nanos were unveiled yesterday, I was immediately ready to snatch one up. Just $199 for 8GB flash and a high-resolution color screen (photos and album art flipping!) and video... Not to mention the cool colors! Ay, there's the rub. Do I want classic silver or black? The red looks sharp and promotes a good cause. On the other hand, that retro "surf" green is too cool. So I hesitated.

Meanwhile, I watched the promo for the new iPod touch, which I hadn't given much consideration because watching video on a handheld device doesn't do much for me. But wait... The iPod touch also has Wi-Fi and Safari! So for $100 more than the 8GB nano, I could get an 8GB touch with the big horizontal screen and Wi-Fi? (Not to mention features like customizing buttons, setting wallpaper, etc.) Okay, the touch is obviously the way to go.

But wait again... The 8GB iPhone has suddenly dropped from $599 to $399! I had convinced myself that the first-generation iPhone was just a bit too much for what I needed, and decided to wait for the rumored iPhone nano (whatever that might entail). But if I'm going to spend $299 for an iPod touch, and I know I eventually want some sort of iPhone, why don't I just spend another $100 to get the phone now, along with the camera, email, text messaging, and EDGE (yeah, whatever) network? I mean, do I really want an iPod nano (or touch) and and an iPhone nano (when it comes out)? Why not get the whole package now in one cool, innovative device?

In other words, if the iPod nano makes any sense, then the iPhone makes even more sense. :roll: And then I don't have to make a color choice.

Okay. Convince me.
[ September 06, 2007: Message edited by: marc weber ]

[Bear Bibeault]

Don't you hate it (in a good way) when Apple does this to us?!?!

For me, even though the price drop in the iPhone puts it into the realm of possibility, the monthly plan is what will eat my lunch. I'm just not "on the go" enough to justify the monthly expense.

Now the iPod Touch on the other hand... I'm trying to find out if it synchs Address Book and iCal. If it does (anybody know?), it's a slam dunk for my Birthday and Christmas list!

I don't have any advice for you, but isn't it great to have such dilemmas?

[Bear Bibeault]

Looks like I know what's gonna be on my lists:



It's clearly got Calendar and Contacts apps.

I'd like to see a notepad to keep track of shopping lists.
[ September 06, 2007: Message edited by: Bear Bibeault ]

[marc weber]

Originally posted by Bear Bibeault:
...the monthly plan is what will eat my lunch...

I talk so little on a mobile phone that I can easily fit into their cheapest plan, which isn't much more than what I'm paying now. And with unused minutes rolling over...

Yeah, this is a good dilemma to have.

[Pauline McNamara]

Hmmm. Do they do those pedestrian things that other MP3 players have offered for so long, like radio reception and voice record? I know, I know it's not an MP3 player it's an ipod, but all the same...

If the iTunes wasn't just Music Store, and would let me update podcasts without connecting to the computer, now that would get me drooling.

[marc weber]

Originally posted by Pauline McNamara:
... Do they do those pedestrian things that other MP3 players have offered for so long, like radio reception and voice record? ...

Hey, the Zune receives radio! (Has anyone actually seen one of these in the wild?)

In Minneapolis, radio is something to be avoided. I have to give credit to our public jazz station, KBEM, and our public news station, KNOW. But in general...

The radio thing reminds me of when movies first became available on VHS. We bought them so we didn't have to watch the dismal offerings on television. Now, some of the best-selling DVD sets are television shows.

I'm not so sure about voice recording. Wouldn't that require a cassette tape?

[marc weber]

I hate it when people ask questions like: "Should I buy this now, or should I wait for what's next?" But this time it's different, because it's me. :roll: So should we infer from the 16GB iPod touch that a storage bump is imminent for the iPhone? Is GPS coming? Maybe I should wait for a built-in fax/printer...

[Pauline McNamara]

GPS, yes, but you'll want to wait for the one with the built-in empty parking spot locator.

So in answer to your question, "Should I buy this now, or should I wait for what's next?" what you really want to hear is...

...Yes.

Buy this now, wait for what's next, then buy that. iWant. iBuy. iSignedUpToo.

[marc weber]

Originally posted by Pauline McNamara:
... but you'll want to wait for the one with the built-in empty parking spot locator...

That's the problem with online satellite images like Google Maps. They're not real-time streaming video. I mean, how does some static photo taken several months ago help me now? :roll:

This might be ironic after my post concerning radio, but I heard part of a discussion on KNOW this morning about consumerism. One of the guests made a point about how no matter what the specs are, we never feel it's "enough." I'm not planning on storing video, and probably won't carry more than a few dozen photos, so how is 8 GB (or maybe 7.3 GB usable) not enough for music? Especially considering how easy it is to switch files.

So you're right: The correct response is, "Yes. There has never been a better time to buy, nor will there be in the future. Go forth and purchase!"

[marc weber]

I can't use Apple headphones. They're not comfortable for me, and even if I'm perfectly still, they won't stay in my ears. Not to mention their sound is just "okay." So for my iPod, I finally found some nice Sennheisers that are comfortable, stay put, look cool, and sound great.

But because of the iPhone's recessed jack, my Sennheisers won't work with it unless I also buy an obtrusively large Belkin adaptor (required for most third-party headphones). Aside from looking ridiculous, reviews of this adaptor suggest it reduces sound quality, crackles, cuts in and out, causes erratic behavior of the iPhone's non-headphone audio, and then just stops working. Hmmm... So the "best iPod ever" only works with those low-end earphones?

So I'm back to waiting. If the rumored iPhone nano materializes, maybe that will work for me. Besides, it can't be that long before an improved, next-generation iPhone appears, right?

[Bert Bates]

fwiw I love my sennheisser (sp?) px-100's

[marc weber]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
fwiw I love my sennheisser (sp?) px-100's

Do you know if these plug into an iPhone without an adaptor? If I could find a different set that I really like, that would be okay.

Mine are the Sennheiser OMX 90 VC. A lot of people complain that they don't have enough bass, but I like them because they are accurate -- they don't color the sound like a lot of bass-enhanced headphones do (like the much cheaper Sennheiser MX 51 Street).

It's all pretty subjective. So once you find something you really like...

[Bert Bates]

Marc -

Yes the px-100s fit directly into the iPod - that's what I meant to say, that's how I listen to my iPod when I use headphones

[marc weber]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
Marc -

Yes the px-100s fit directly into the iPod - that's what I meant to say, that's how I listen to my iPod when I use headphones

Yes, but do you know if they fit the iPhone? The iPods all seem to have accessible jacks (and work fine with my Sennheisers).

The problem with the iPhone's jack is that it's recessed so that the headphone plugs need to have a very small diameter and sufficient straight length (before angling) to fit in that recess.
[ September 24, 2007: Message edited by: marc weber ]

[marc weber]

I just found the Griffin adaptor for iPhone, which looks much better (to me) than the Belkin solution. A white one is made by Raindrop Technology. These still look obtrusive (especially if you plug a right-angled jack into one of these) and shouldn't be needed in the first place...

Meanwhile, third parties seem to be scrambling to offer "iPhone jack-compatible" headphones. Altec Lansing reportedly has some on the way.
[ September 24, 2007: Message edited by: marc weber ]

[marc weber]

Altec Lansing introduces Upgrader Series ... for iPhone...

Note: The release says, "Three of the new Upgrader Series� headphones � the UHS 302, UHS 306 and UHS 307 � feature microphones..." However, the product page show microphones on models UHS 301, UHS 306, and UHS 307. I don't see a "302" model.

The 307 model might work for me, although its low price ($40) makes me leery about sound quality. I wish the 303 or 304 models had a microphone.