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General discussion

Ipod Touch 2G refurb on Apple site?

Dec 16, 2008 2:59AM PST

Hey guys, I was just wondering about when the Apple Ipod Touch 2G refurbished (primarily the 8GB) would pop up on the Apple web site, any suggestions? This is because I would like to have one for either for Christmas or my b-day which is in February, and I know what refurb products are like, since they are usually in great condition and a lower price.

Andres_A

p.s. Here is the 1G iPod Touch refurb on the apple site right now:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipod/ipod_touch

Also, for some really weird reason, my username is Andres_A, not Isomerset....maybe I should make a new account just in case...

Discussion is locked

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Apple Value
Dec 16, 2008 4:06PM PST

I suspect the saving offered is quite poor if the thing has been used/abused, shipped back to Apple, disassembled, reassembled -- whatever. The main consideration must be battery life and I wouldn't touch it unless there was some undertaking that you can expect the normal 18 months or so until you have ship it back to Apple and pay them serious money to disassemble, reassemble etc etc.

Right now for around the same money or less you could buy a brand new compact Sony MP3 Player with more memory, much better intervals between recharging and, reportedly, better sound. You'd also sidestep the nonsensensical iTunes software that so restricts your use of an Apple player. If you must have multimedia and wireless, at least look at models from Cowon, Creative Samsung etc.

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Refurbs @ Apple
Dec 19, 2008 10:37PM PST

The savings on a refurb are worth having and the the device, whatever it is, comes with exactly the same warranty as a new one.
They also qualify for AppleCare extended warranty.

From your statement, one assumes that you would never buy an iPod, given that there is not an 18 month warranty on any of them.

Just as a matter of interest,in what way does the iTunes software restrict your use of an Apple player?


P

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Apple Problems
Dec 21, 2008 6:13PM PST

Itunes is sufficiently confusing that I, a PC user, frequently have to rescue Mac owning friends who have problems. It seemingly restricts your use of your Ipod to only two computers (one a Mac).

I gather the latest Ipod models won't let users choose third party software instead of Itunes. My feeling is that most of Apple's efforts in this direction are to do with preventing users from swapping files -- which may suit Apple's business model but does restrict the user's options, as I stated.

Personally, I favour normal drag and drop MP3 players which require no software and I notice Sony have stopped using their proprietary Sonic Stage software on their latest models.

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iTunes is so easy...
Dec 22, 2008 10:04AM PST

my friend's 6 year old uses it for her own iPod. Wink

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But the Sonys are nice
Dec 22, 2008 10:25AM PST

I have an E436 in addition to my 7 iPods. I gave my NWZ-816 to my brother after his Sandisk Sansa Clip died.

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So easy ?
Dec 23, 2008 12:02AM PST

I suspect Itunes works well if it's just used to buy tracks from the Istore but my friends usually have problems ripping their own CDs, when the resulting files sink into a black hole.

The PC version of Itunes seems to breach one of the rules of Windows programs in that the main listing does not include the date and time of creation column -- so you can't group files as albums.

The only rememdy I found was to drill down through several layers of folders to an enormous folder where the files produced in Itunes are dumped. Then sort them using Windows Explorer, then drag them into a new folder with the album title. Then try and figure why they also had to be added to a "Library" or "Playlist" (presumably another folder or a shortcut/alias).

Some file management knowledge is normal for PC users but due to the Mac way of working my friends simply don't work with their computers in that way. Maybe I'm just dumb but I have been using PC's since 1985 and I've never encountered a mainstream program as opaque and user-hostile as Itunes.

There's no comparison with the intuitive ease of using Roxio's Easy CD to rip files to WAV and then burn to CD. It just works.

As for the Itunes/Ipod docking thing where it may wipe your Ipod if you've deleted files from the computer, well that's just guaranteed to leave users in tears.

Ipods are probably the nicest players you can buy -- it's just a pity they are overpriced and tied into Itunes. Thus my suggestion that potential buyers look at alternatives.

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Ipods
Dec 26, 2008 8:39AM PST

Yes the ipods do pretty much have the best user interfaces on an mp3 to date (especially the iPod Touch Happy ), and I agree with you that it is just too bad that ipod is tied to itunes, though if you can overcome the sluggishness of itunes on windows and risk paying a dollar a song, it's worth getting an ipod IMHO.

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iTunes alternatives
Dec 26, 2008 2:23PM PST

Link is to an article by CNET's MP3 Insider Podcast co-host Donald Bell:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10104294-49.html?tag=smallCarouselArea.1

You don't have to buy from iTunes. You can give your .79-.99 to Amazon/Napster/Rhapsody/Zune Marketplace (all sell DRM free mp3s) to buy individual tracks or subscribe to eMusic or Audio Lunchbox. Plenty of people own iPods and never buy from the iTunes store, or buy any digital downloads. They rip cds from their collections.