iPod questions and help....

[Bosco]

I have been thinking about getting an iPod but know little about them. There are so many models and I don't know were to start.

I think that I would only use it for music and audio books as I don't think watching a video or movie on a small screen appeals to me. Also I have no need for one that has a phone option.

I have also read about podcasts...is it possible to put a 4 hour radio program on an ipod ?

Do you only have the option to buy music from Apple to download into the ipod or can you put music from your own cd's iinto one?

Can I get one that has a screen to "read the songs" and their order that is not video capable? or is this not really needed?

If you can download cd's on to an iPod what is the software that is used for this ? Is this the same software used for downloading podcasts also ?

About how long does it play before needed recharging?

What accessories or options do I need ?

Are iPods the same at every merchant?

These are basic questions and I am sure I will have more.

Your help and input is much appreciated.

Thanks

[nehemiah]

you can put your own music on there.

itunes comes w/ the ipod. you can get podcasts there. there are also some freeware programs to do the same thing.

i have a 30 gig model and around 6500 songs on there w/ 2.5 gigs left over. so i'm sure you could fit some long podcasts on there.

the video is fantastic for trips out of town. great to watch a couple of episodes of your favorite show on a train/plane. not to mention while you're taking some time off from visiting the family. :D

IMO, you should buy online. i don't trust the apple stores.

you don't need anything to get up and running. the earbuds kind of suck, though. and if you want to use it at the gym, you should get something to hold it on your arm. and there are a bunch of ways to use it around the house... i like the idock, but there is plenty of discussion about the other options.

[nehemiah]

o!

and the battery length varies. if you put it on shuffle and leave it alone - it runs for quite a while. made it through a five hour plane ride w/out approaching half battery.

if you keep changing songs and turning the volume up/down... you can get a couple of hours (i would guess 4 or 5) out of it.

[JEvans14]

Do you only have the option to buy music from Apple to download into the ipod or can you put music from your own cd's iinto one?
You can take your CD's and import them into iTunes or you can download music. You can import music you download through Limewire as well (but thats illegal... so who does that...:guy:

Can I get one that has a screen to "read the songs" and their order that is not video capable? or is this not really needed?
I've had both a 30 gb video and 8 gb nano video and both were great. I'm pretty sure every new iPod besides the shuffle comes with a video screen though.

If you can download cd's on to an iPod what is the software that is used for this ? Is this the same software used for downloading podcasts also ?
iTunes all the way!

About how long does it play before needed recharging?
It all depends on what iPod you get. The nano goes for a ton of hours though.

What accessories or options do I need ?
It all depends on what you want to do. iPods have an accessories page that you could drop thousands of $$$ on



Hope that helps...