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General discussion

old iPod vs. new mp3

Dec 5, 2008 4:38AM PST

Should I purchase a 3 year old, 20Gb, 5th gen, iPod or a newer mp3? If I purchase the mp3, I can only spend under $100. Which one is the better deal? Is it better to go with an old iPod or just buy newer generic mp3? With the old iPod, will I be setting myself up for hardware problems because its old? I will basically be using it for listening to music around the house, and in the car. I'd like to put about 10 cd's on it with a few 45 minute speeches. I also don't know how many Gb's I need for that much media? Would the iPod be too much?

Discussion is locked

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if it's 20 GB
Dec 5, 2008 7:10AM PST

It's not a 5th generation video iPod. At minimum, it should be a 30 GB. Anyway, if you're only putting 10 cds on it, even 20 GB is overkill, unless you're planning on doing lossless. But if you go that route, that would put a strain on battery life. My own 30GB iPod holds about 5000 songs and maybe 40 hours of audio podcasts with room to spare.

When you say that it's 3 years old, are you talking about a used iPod, rather than a new but unused one or a refurbished model? The reason that I'm asking is that if it is used, and it has gone through a bunch of charge cycles the battery will probably need to be changed at some point, maybe soon. While the battery isn't user replaceable, if you are somewhat of a mechanically inclined DIY-er, it can be done on the fairly cheap.

How much space you'll need depends on the bitrate you use to rip your cds. The higher the bitrate, the better the sound quality, but with increasing file size. If I'm not mistaken, ripping at 128kbps mp3 should produce a file size that is roughly 1MB per minute. It sounds like you haven't ripped anything to your computer yet. I suggest that you do that. Experiment with different bitrates to find out what sounds good for you.

Depending on your space needs, you can get a brand new player for under $100. And since they have flash memory rather than hard drives, they are smaller and much lighter. Sony has the E436, which is an excellent sounding player that retails for $89 for the 4GB version. I got mine on sale for $10 less at Best Buy. If you don't need any serious bells and whistles (no video or photo viewing) you can get a SanDisk Sansa Clip. Sales abound and you can get a 2GB one for around $30 or a 4GB one for $50, maybe even less.

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answers to your questions
Dec 6, 2008 7:58AM PST

I had a feeling that the person selling me the iPod didn't know what generation it was either. When I was researching the iPod on the internet I noticed that 5th gen only came in 30 or 60 Gb and the person is selling me a 20 Gb. So oh well. Whatever. By the way, it is a used iPod, not new and not refurbished, but in excellent condition. It sounds like maybe going with a newer mp3 might be better. I'm not a DIY-er and I really don't want to buy the iPod and then have to plunk down more money for a new battery. Regarding memory, I don't really understand all the computer jargon, but it sounds like you're saying that the 20Gb may be too much and that I can get away with 4Mb. Ok, I actually just figured in out myself and "did the math". 1000Mb is 1Gb. I just ripped a CD and total Mbs were approx. 50. Wow. A 20Gb iPod would definately be too much. Think so?? If I did want to buy the used iPod how much does a replacement batterty cost?

Thanks for the valuable insight!! This really helped!!

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replacement battery
Dec 6, 2008 10:56AM PST

It can be as cheap as $10 with shipping, but you would have to replace it yourself. If you're not a DIY-er, I would suggest that you don't since the iPod's casing is not designed for the user to open up. You could risk having a non-working iPod. Battery replacement services should run about $30.

I did a search and came up with this battery replacement kit:
http://www.amazon.com/4th-Generation-iPod-Battery-Replacement/dp/B000LY0V4A

I don't really know that much about battery replacements/services as I never get to that point with my own iPods. I seem to be getting a new one every 12-18 months. And not because they break, but because something different (better?) comes along that I want.

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forgot to add
Dec 6, 2008 11:07AM PST

Apple does have a battery replacement program. It costs roughly $65, which includes shipping. I believe they will ship a box to you, then you send it off to them.