iPod Photo

[DavidTO]

Well, I got my third iPod, and couldn't resist--I got the iPod Photo (http://www.apple.com/ipodphoto/) .

There are plenty of reviews of it online, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on it with you guys.

First off, any iPod 3rd or 4th generation will store images while in the field with the addition of the Belkin Digital Camera Link (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201526&pcount=&Product_Id=173207) . You don't need the iPod Photo for that. And in fact, the iPod Photo doesn't add any added functionality as far as that goes. You can load your images on it just like any other iPod and then import them to your computer. Until you've synchronized them with the computer, however, you can't view them. You can only view images that have been optimized by iTunes for viewing on the iPod. Even if you select the option to keep your full-rez files on the iPod, that's only for storage, you can't view them.

So what good is it? Well, I loaded all of my music and all of my photos on my 40 gig iPod Photo and I still have 15 gigs left. That's 20 gigs of music (4755 songs) and 3365 (about 3 gigs) of photos. This thing scrolls through photos lightning fast. Very, very fast. You don't have to be stuck viewing them on the 2" screen as you can hook this thing up to your TV and present a slideshow, complete with music from the playlist of your choice.

I have to say that there's very few practical reasons to spend the extra $100 over a regular 40 gig iPod. But damn, it's cool. It's fun, and the color screen is beautiful. Nice to be able to view your album covers on it, too.

As far as hard-drive alternatives go for storing media in the field, the iPod/Belkin Card Reader option is great IF you're already committed to buying an iPod for music. For an extra $80 you can download and erase your CF card many a time and keep shooting. If all you're buying it for is the media storage, there are more cost-efficient options. But they don't play music or look so cool. And none of them are as cool as the iPod Photo. Not a rational decision, but one I'm glad I made.

[digismile]

Not a rational decision, but one I'm glad I made.
Life would be pretty boring if all our decisions were rational :D .

Keep enjoying life and and your Ipod!

[mercphoto]

First off, any iPod 3rd or 4th generation will store images while in the field with the addition of the Belkin Digital Camera Link (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201526&pcount=&Product_Id=173207) .

But I have heard nothing good about that product. It is supposed to be terribly slow and reading and downloading data from the CF card into the iPod. Its a clumsy attachment (i.e. two things on your belt). And it chews through batteries. All from what I have heard.

I was really hoping the iPod Photo would have a card reader.

[DavidTO]

But I have heard nothing good about that product. It is supposed to be terribly slow and reading and downloading data from the CF card into the iPod. Its a clumsy attachment (i.e. two things on your belt). And it chews through batteries. All from what I have heard.

I was really hoping the iPod Photo would have a card reader.

It is USB speed, which is slow, but also pretty common. Most cameras attach via USB, right?

Can't argue with it being another thing and therefore clumsy, and I trust that if your iPod is accessing the drive as much as it would have to that you would run down your battery quicker than usual.

And there are better options, no doubt.

But if you already have an iPod, another $80 for a card reader makes sense to me...

And as far as the iPod Photo not having a card reader--would have been great, but also would have made it too large, IMO. Unless you can find a great use for making presentations on the road with it, the iPod Photo really is more of a very cool gadget than a useful tool. Like I said, not rational in the least. But cool.

[photocat]

I won an Ipod in september in a photo contest (AOP-London), and the belkin card reader. I have used it once.
The card reader I mean.
You hook it up to the iPod which can not be in the dock because it only has one entrance, and it EATS the Ipods batteries. If you are downloading to your iPod and the batteries run out, all the pics on your card can be lost.
So who is going to take that risk? So despite the Belkin card reader I still take my laptop when I travel.
Unless i miss a very easy point here... Am I using the reader correct?