Review : Apple iPod Mini 2nd Gen

This week I decided to get an iPod Mini for an accessory to my iBook. It started off with an idea to get an iPod Shuffle but the plan evolved.

My TDK Mojo MP3 player has gotten harder to use since the PC only sync software is now locking up on me and It freezes when I try to use the Mac iTunes plug-in then even the system will not delete some specific folders and it has grown into a pain in the ass to use. I was going to give it to one of my cousins but they have iPods. So I am going to give my old MP3 player to Goodwill or a friend.

I also wanted a MP3 player to listen to while I jog and ride my bike for a workout so instead of joining a guy I got a next generation iPod Mini. I know that sounds strange but in my mind it works out. I took a three hour hike with it the first night with it.

I had worked overtime last week so I felt like blowing the disposable income on something fun. I was thinking about an iPod Shuffle that start at 100 but I had my eye on the 1 Gig for $150. Then I found a store that had them in stock but I saw the iPod Minis next to them that stored 4 and 6 gigs and had the screen for displaying information. I just found about iCal, Address Book, Notes syncing on iPods via iSync. This was a pretty major step up from the iPod shuffle and since I was using a paper notebook to keep commonly used information this PDA like functionality could come in handy. So I drank the cool aid and walked home with a new 6-Gig iPod Mini. I got the silver one. The blue was cool and pink is not really going to match my outfits. I betcha the Pink iPods are preferred with the worlds Hello Kitty fans.

The regular iPod does store more songs but 6 gigs of music is a hell of a lot of tunes to listen to in one sitting. I just had to hold the iPod Mini in my hand to see how it could be sleeker and compact. I was turned on to the twelve hour plus battery and that you do not need an external charger. It can charge off the USB2 or Firewire ports.

I am already a long time iTunes addict so I had a predisposition to enabling my habit with an iPod. The industrial design of the unit is so simple and elegant. The brushed metal casing feels like an old Cigarette case from the 30s and it can slip in to any pocket with out a bulge The user interface was quickly grasped and later in the first night I was able to use it like a pro with out much of a glance. Got how the touch pad acts like an simulated analog dial. By providing instant feedback to the tactile touch it feels more natural than hitting a button to change the volume. It feels about the right size. It is not small enough to worry about loosing but it is not going to show up when you have it in your pocked. The Hold switch on the top of the unit is pretty important so you don't trigger the touch dial by accident when it is in your pocket.

The sound is perfect and I loaded it up with about five days of music. I know there are larger ones but being able to listen to music for 24 hours a day for five days without listening to the same song twice is fine with me. You can add and remove songs easily and quickly with iTunes. Slick iPod accessories have become a cottage industry and I am glad that it is Spartanistic and simple but it can be pimped out if you so desire. Some people have complaints about the headphones saying they don't fit in the ear right but there is a loop that once you have them in your ears you run the loop up towards your chin and it keeps them in place by acting like a light drawstring. If you have serious complaints about the headphones then by all means get some non-Apple ones. It is not like you are forced to use the little white ones.

I am keeping my iPod full of a steady diet of DRM free MP3s but I might change if i start to use the iTunes Music Store more often.

So far I love this little thing and it has earned a permanent place in my coat pocket. Apple iPods are the most popular digital music player because of the ease of use and high quality not those dancing silhouette people in the TV commercials