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Wait for the end. You'll know what's coming, but it's just priceless.

Apple's iPods

Recently, I've been reconsidering switching to a newer iPod, financed mostly by selling my current model. At first it was the Touch, but then I began to consider the iPod classic.

For $50 less, you can get 10x more memory than the iPod touch, which means either the iPod classic is a great deal, or the iPod Touch is way overpriced. Today I visited the Apple store, and decided I'd get a verdict once and for all by playing around extensively with both versions.

The iPod Classic is a great product for many reasons. The screen is amazingly crisp and sharp, noticeably more than the 5G iPod. The aluminum casing is REALLY cool, and makes so much more sense than the impossible-to-protect glossy plastic on all their previous models--although I will say that the silver casing is about as exciting and appealing as a bowl of oatmeal (but not the kind with dinosaurs in it). I only wish they continued this trend on the back side of the device, which remains, unfortunately, just as scratch-prone as always. The hold button on top is noticeably "clickier" than previous models, which gives it a really high-quality feel.

I'm not crazy about the menu system though. The split display seems to be a surprisingly dumb move by Apple, as it only makes the user feel more cramped. It really doesn't look that cool to me, and certainly contributes to the overall sluggish performance of the device. The MAJOR flaw with the iPod Classic, and really the dealbreaker for me, is the fact that it simply couldn't handle multitasking. Even the simple task of switching from menu to menu (I haven't even started talking about Coverflow yet) consistently made the song skip and jump. When playing a song and attempting to use Coverflow, the song skipped horribly, the kind of skipping where one millisecond is repeated rapidly like machine gun fire, until the album artwork loaded (and this took a couple of seconds). To make sure this wasn't a defect, I switched iPods, but found this to be the case consistently in every unit I tested. WTF?

The new iPod interface is a classic (no pun intended) example of one of Apple's greatest pitfalls: form over function (and in this case...way way way over function). When they hit the mark, they produce a product that not only looks stunning, but functions beautifully. But with some of their products (good luck trying to find an iPod Hi-Fi these days), they simply overlook the functionality.

It is important, however, to note that I tried doing the same things on the new iPod nano, and actually found it to be almost perfectly smooth, and certainly without any song skipping. Of course, this is made possible by the flash-based memory, as it takes the iPod Classic a longer time to access information from it's enormous, spinning hard drive. Another notable factor is that the iPods in the Apple store have a minimal amount of media on their hard drives--a tiny sliver on the capacity meter at best. If the performance is sluggish with this marginal amount of media, I can't imagine what 160 GB or any amount close to that would do to affect the iPod's performance (actually, I can, but I'd rather not think about it).

The iPod Touch, of course, is an amazing product in just about every way. The thinness, the gorgeous screen, and the Wi-Fi capability make it just about the coolest device ever sold outside of Japan. But the price point is just unacceptable. For the pitiful capacity offerings, AT LEAST the same pricing as the iPod Classic would seem fair enough. I just can't bring myself to invest in this product until they settle on a more compelling price point, or dramatically increase the capacity.

My current iPod model has an awesome amount of memory that I've only filled up to half way so far. It's zippy, stylish, and simple, without too much flashy nonsense that slows it down. It plays video on a beautiful, bright display, and the battery life never ceases to amaze me. Apple currently offers no compelling reasons for me to upgrade my current device. Therefore, my verdict has been reached, and I happily await the next generation of iPod devices.

why i'll never download from iTunes ever again

With the recent release of Amazon MP3, I was hopeful, albeit skeptical, that someone would finally be offering a decent, DRM-free music downloading service. After giving it a try (I bought OK Computer by Radiohead, an artist the iTunes Store has never had), I must say that I am thoroughly impressed. Here's why Amazon MP3 is my new favorite music store:

1. NO DRM!!! Digital Rights Management is a codec that iTunes places on nearly all of their songs (up until recently, iTunes had zero DRM-free tracks)--however, its worth mentioning that the DRM-free tracks on iTunes come at an extra 30 cents per song, and includes a limited selection at that. DRM is "copyright protection" placed on downloaded MP3's by a deluded organization called the RIAA. They legally demand that labels under their influence (i.e. nearly every major label) place this copyright protection on their downloadable tracks. Frustrated that you can't play your iTunes music on more than five computers? Tired of having to give people your iTunes account information in order for them to listen to your music, or in order to stream your music (for others to STREAM and enjoy, not DOWNLOAD and keep) across multiple computers? Do you hate how you can't upload, email, or IM music you bought on the iTunes Store? That's what DRM does. ALL content on Amazon MP3 is DRM-free.

2. It's cheaper. Not only does Amazon MP3 NOT charge you extra for the DRM-free tracks, but their prices are actually lower than the DRM-ENCRYPTED content on iTunes! This includes brand new releases from popular artists--and get this, new content. Some of you might be familiar with KT Tunstall and her new album, Drastic Fantastic. On iTunes, the album is $14.99, and each track is $1.29 (because it's DRM-free). On Amazon, each track is also DRM-free, each track is 89 cents, and the album is $8.99.

3. It's incredibly easy. All you have to do is download the Amazon MP3 Downloader (a free download that leaves a minimally small footprint on your computer's hard drive, available for both Mac and Windows), and when you buy an album on Amazon, the Amazon MP3 downloader opens up, downloads your tracks, and adds them automatically to the digital jukebox of your choice (including iTunes). If you're an iPod user like me, all that's left is to sync up your songs and listen to the high-quality, cheap, DRM-free bliss.

I can see no reason to support the iTunes store with my business any longer, as Amazon MP3 is obviously the superior alternative. My final verdict: It's ABOUT F---ING TIME!

To try it out, just go to Amazonmp3.com.

[Update: There is a catch. As of now, only a few record labels are distributing their music without DRM. Granted, "a few record labels" means a lot of artists, so there's a good chance you'll find what you're looking for. Supporting DRM-free distributors like Amazon MP3 is important, because if the sales are high, other record labels will catch on and follow suit, and soon we'll be able to enjoy all the music we can think of, sans DRM.]