Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

The iPod totally plays MP3s. I have MP3s purchased from AudioLunchbox, Bleep, eMusic and AmazonMP3, both variable and fixed from 128 to 320kbps, that transfer without any conversion or transcoding occuring.

You must have some transcoding setting turned on. Look for it. It may be the checkbox on the overview tab when your player is mounted in iTunes, depending on your iPod model (the nanos and shuffles have options to convert to 128 AAC to save storage space).

Back to the tablets: It's actually pretty cool that the N800 can play the iTunes Plus (non-DRM) tracks, since they're 320kbps AAC -- the N95 can't (it can only do 256 or less).

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

I don't think so. You import mp3 into ipod using iTunes or some 3 party app.

Try this.
Download a song and using iTunes load it on to the ipod, then delete the mp3 off your computer. Now, try getting that song back on to your computer by copying it off your ipod.

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

My experience with the Apple thumb-keyboard was the exact opposite. Plus, the way they have it laid out leaves a tiny text/screen area, and no option for swapping between full screen keyboard and full screen text.

Last, the fact that it doesn't work with an external bluetooth keyboard were the nail in the coffin for me on the text input front.

I agree about other areas in which Hildon could be better for finger friendliness, like inertial finger scrolling, making things easier on the zoom in/zoom out front, and making the UI more usable with finger clicking... but not on the text input front. Maemo/Hildon is far superior to Apple in this area, IMO.

The only thing I would really like to see Maemo/Hildon add is "spell check as you type" as a universal input service (so all apps can use it directly in their text input widgets). That's the one thing Apple's devices have right for text input, and they inherited it from their desktop OS.

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

I would agree and actually was a little suprised that the Apple implementation hasn't had more critics. (Although I guess I'm really never in those forums.)

After a couple days with it my mother (who received a Touch for xmas) actually asked me if she could buy a stylus for it to make some things easier (hitting web links without pinch-zooming all the time, using the keypad, and just generally not leaving fingerprints all over the screen). You can't use "just any" stylus with it so I found one today that will work, the Pogo. Of course it's $25. A bargain Apple land. :D

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

Like I said, you DON'T need iTunes. use winamp or ephpod.


I still don't understand, it DOES play mp3s. My iPod has been playing thousands of mp3s.


I've had my hard drive crash, and lost over 3500 mp3s. I bought a new hard drive and used winamp to copy 3500+ MP3s from my ipod back to my computer.

there are a ton of other programs that do this, (like winamp or ephpod) just do a google search.

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

You know, a lot of the comments here are starting to sound like the comments over at /. . Some ***** is suing Apple because the iPod doesn't play WMV. They say Apple has a monopoly on the music download industry. They're saying the iPod only plays "proprietary" music files. I'm thinking most of the people making comments here and there have never even used an iPod.

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

I've been biting my tongue while reading these 3 pages. I find it ironic that Internet Tablet users, of all people, complain about workarounds. :confused:

I completely agree. Most all the complaints I've read on this thread on ipods have a solution. Go to ilounge.com for answers.

I'm in the ipod touch/iphone-keyboard-sucks camp. First thing i say when someone asks what I think of the iphone: "Keyboard sucks."

Cavaet#1: I own an 160 ipod classic (my third ipod - NEVER had anything but mp3's on them).

Cavaet#2: I use high-res monitor laptops (1920x1200 17" and 1680x1050 15") so I can be accurate with a mouse pointer and I don't have fat fingers. I can't type for shid on an iphone.

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

I stand corrected, I would like to say I was wrong.

The ipod does store music as mp3's, however when putting the music on the ipod itune renames the files to some weird file name making it almost impossible to locate your mp3 going through windows explorer. Kid Rock-Cowboy.mp3 becomes ZPAZ.mp3 and gets buried deep in hidden directories in the ipod. Yet I found an answer for that as well, you can within windows explorer set up columns with the song titles, and set windows to make hidden folders visible and find you mp3 that way.

I did not know this until this post so thank you for correcting me. You all were right, I was worng.

With that said IMHO I just don't like the way the ipod handles music, I still like my Creative Zeen , and N800 better then the ipod. I really like the fact that with both the zeen and n800 I can just drag and drop song using windows explore and I'm done. No itune, winamp, or other 3-party software needed, just a quick drag and drop.

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

Yeah... it's like suing Microsoft over browser bullying!

:rolleyes:

Re: spent some time with an ipod Touch this weekend
 

ebe51, it takes a lot to stand up and admit that you were wrong or really just misinformed in this case. I am familiar with the way the ipod stores music on the device, making direct browsing of files difficult. I think it has something to do with the way the device catalogs songs by the ID3 tags instead of filenames. Like you said there is a work-around for this. But you might want to give one of the other 3rd party programs a try (like ephpod or winamp), and then just get rid of iTunes all together!

I didn't mean for this to turn into an apple or ipod bashing thread, but rather just post up my experience with the GUI on the ipod touch which I think is very good overall for a small device.