Apple iPod 15Gb
Apple's iPod leads the way in innovative player design and quality features.
The 15GB iPod is the third generation of iPods, and somehow Apple's managed to make the unit smaller, with better capacity and a control interface that makes other players look somewhat pathetic.
The iPod has always had a friendly approach to its design layout, and the new iPod continues this. The scroll wheel has become a scroll touchpad, and is used for track selection and volume control, while four face buttons control playback, menu selection and track skipping. It's a simple design that works remarkably well.
We're not big on bud headphones at ZDNet, and so we can't entirely recommend the iPod's white buds, but they're no worse than any other. A cabled remote with simple playback functions and no LCD is also supplied, which is handy when the iPod is in its carrying case, as there's no way to access the front of the iPod.
The iPod we've tested here is the 15GB AU$799 variant, although Apple also sell 10GB AU$595 and 30GB AU$999 iPods as well. The primary difference (aside from capacity) between all three is that the 10GB model doesn't come with a docking station, remote or case; if you buy the 10GB version or need replacements they'll cost you AU$75 a piece.
The iPod works with MP3, WAV, AIFF and AAC files. The latter file format may not be too familiar to most readers, but it's the format that Apple delivers music to iPods via its online music store. Sadly, the service is US-only at the present time, so the capability to play AAC files is a touch moot for Australian users at the present time. Like Windows WMV format, AAC files claim to sound better at smaller file sizes than MP3, but there's little approaching MP3's popularity in the wider marketplace in any case. The 15GB iPod should be good for around 3,500 average length MP3 files, or about 175 hours.
The iPod we looked at transfers via a custom Firewire cable through a port in the base of the iPod or the docking station; a decent touch that means you don't have to carry the dock with you wherever you go, as long as there's a Mac with a Firewire port handy. The dock is a useful addition, however, as in combination with iTunes it's very easy to keep your desktop/notebook Mac and iPod synchronised. It's also possible to bypass Apple's rather rudimentary DRM protection if you must shuffle files between multiple machines.
The iPod also has a few functions we've not seen in any other MP3 player in our roundup; it doubles as a musical alarm clock and comes bundled with three very rudimentary games; if you feel the burning need to brush up on your breakout skills after many years, the iPod's got you covered.
While other manufacturers have essentially stood still on the issue of developing new and interesting MP3 players, Apple's continued to push the envelope in terms of physical design, interface and usability. There's simply nothing on the market today that touches the iPod in any real way, and that enables it to handily walk away with our Editor's Choice for best MP3 player.
Apple 15GB iPod
Company: Apple Australia
Price: AU$799
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 13 36 22
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