But it is very, very good. Apple's iPod is a work of art - it looks great, and feels just right in your hand. Even the packaging is gorgeous!

While holding it, your thumb has easy access to all five buttons and the scroll wheel. The wheel makes navigating the interface very quick and easy - it allows you to scroll through long lists of MP3's, and change the volume. The cover looks great, although it is prone to scratches, and greasy fingerprints show up on the polished metal backing.

Apple neglected to supply a case with the iPod. Fortunately, there are a number of nice cases available from various manufacturers. Sound quality is excellent - the earphones that come with it are good, although some people find them a bit too large to sit comfortably in their ears. It hasn't skipped on me yet, although there is a slight pause should you fastforward several tracks at once.

If you have a Mac, then you really ought to get an iPod. They work beautifully together - transferring songs is simple and very, very quick. If you don't have a Mac, then you might run into a few problems - the iPod isn't officially supported.

You'll need a firewire card, and some third party software to allow you to get songs across. My original firewire card was incompatible. You need to be prepared to get your hands dirty if you're planning on running an iPod solely off a PC. A remote might've been nice, so you don't have to take the iPod out of your pocket when you want to skip tracks. Some users have bemoaned the lack of an equalizer, although to be honest, it sounds fine without it. Some of you might be considering an Archos. It has a lot more storage space, although given how quickly you can transfer songs back & forth from an iPod, this isn't really an issue.

The Archos will quite happily run on a PC, although it is a whole lot slower due to its USB connection. Aesthetically, I don't think Archos can hold a candle to the iPod.

I love my iPod. You should too. The iPod has received a lot of hype and outstanding reviews from people who haven't really used the device for long. The problem being that the media tried to quickly push out reviews of the device to feed their audience's demand - there's a frenzy around the iPod, especially amongst loyal Apple fans. However, these reviews hide the real picture: Apple rushed out an unfinished product and it's a lot to pay for design flaws, bugs and battery problems. Remember, Apple only provide a 90 day warranty. The iPod is undoubtedly sexy.

From the toughtful packaging (you won't want to throw the box away, not even the wrappers that came with the headphones!), to the sleek design and ingenious buttons. The iTunes software is easy to use and Firewire transfer of songs between Mac and iPod is blisteringly fast.

You also get 5 gigs of space to fill with MP3s, over 1000 songs! So far so good, so what's the problem? Well, put simply, the iPod would be an excellent device if you didn't actually have to carry it around - which defeats the point, since it's a portable audio player: 1. The iPod is fragile. Portable electronic goods, from phones to audio players, should be durabel. They should be compact, but you shouldn't worry about where you put them in your pocket or bag. Whilst the iPod is certainly compact, it's not very portable.

Apple forums across the Internet are full of people who've had stuck or loose buttons after only two weeks of use. Beware: those buttons don't like being pushed! The iPod is dirty. The iPod has pure sexy white cover and an even sexier silver back. The problem is that both surfaces are prone to scratching from even the softest contact with other surfaces. The back scratches easily and the whole device is prone to smudging. To preserve the exterior, you'll need to use your iPod with gloves.

Oh, and Apple forgot to include a carry pouch or protective cover - you'll have to order these from the United states (add another 30-40 pounds to the iPod purchase). The iPod is flawed. The built-in iPod software has bugs which Apple failed to resolve before mass production and distribution. You'll have problems with the battery indicator, track skipping amongst other things. You'll need to update your software via Apple's support site. Why should you pay so much for a product and have to correct the faults yourself? Shouldn't the manufacturer be responsible for delivering you a working product, especially since its charging you so much?

The battery sucks, sometimes. The iPod battery is unpredictable. It'll die on you, just as you're getting into the mood for some good music on your travels. The indicator might as well not be there - half the time it's inaccurate. This isn't just my experience, log on to the Net and find out how thousands of iPod users are experiencing short battery life.

The bottom line is this: only buy the iPod if you are a fundamentalist Apple user or you absolutely must have the latest gadgets sitting on your desk. Otherwise, wait for the 10 gig iPod due for release late march (reportedly at the same price as the iPod is available now): it will have less (hopefully, none!) bugs, better battery performance and more realistic design. The iPod is Apple's first step into the consumer electronics market after a very, very long time - they're design team is still thinking in terms of desk and lap-top products, not mobile devices that you carry in pockets. Hopefully, with iPod 2 they would have learnt their lesson.

I'm returning my iPod - I don't want to pay so much money for someone else's expensive experiment. But it is very, very good. Apple's iPod is a work of art - it looks great, and feels just right in your hand. Even the packaging is gorgeous! While holding it, your thumb has easy access to all five buttons and the scroll wheel.

The wheel makes navigating the interface very quick and easy - it allows you to scroll through long lists of MP3's, and change the volume. The cover looks great, although it is prone to scratches, and greasy fingerprints show up on the polished metal backing. Apple neglected to supply a case with the iPod. Fortunately, there are a number of nice cases available from various manufacturers.

Sound quality is excellent - the earphones that come with it are good, although some people find them a bit too large to sit comfortably in their ears. It hasn't skipped on me yet, although there is a slight pause should you fastforward several tracks at once. If you have a Mac, then you really ought to get an iPod. They work beautifully together - transferring songs is simple and very, very quick. If you don't have a Mac, then you might run into a few problems - the iPod isn't officially supported. You'll need a firewire card, and some third party software to allow you to get songs across. My original firewire card was incompatible.

You need to be prepared to get your hands dirty if you're planning on running an iPod solely off a PC. A remote might've been nice, so you don't have to take the iPod out of your pocket when you want to skip tracks. Some users have bemoaned the lack of an equalizer, although to be honest, it sounds fine without it. Some of you might be considering an Archos. It has a lot more storage space, although given how quickly you can transfer songs back & forth from an iPod, this isn't really an issue. The Archos will quite happily run on a PC, although it is a whole lot slower due to its USB connection. Aesthetically, I don't think Archos can hold a candle to the iPod.

I love my iPod. You should too. I bought an iPod five months ago. I've used it every day to listen to music and as a hard disc to carry my work to and from the office. Unlike the first reviewer, I've seen no problems with the battery either personally or on the numerous iPod/MP3-related internet sites, of which I'm an avid reader.

Track skipping is also an unknown phenomenon (actually the iPod has a 20-minute skip protection, compared the the minute or so of rival products). The dial for scrolling through the menus has perhaps become slightly looser than it was when the iPod was new, but this has not affected its performance. The buttons remain fine. The software updates were quick and easy to download and install - they have mostly added more languages to the menus; I'd not experienced any problems at all with the software before downloading them. Scratching of the case IS a real problem, but (somewhat surprisingly) the mirror-finish stainless steel can be buffed up with Brasso. I've not had any scratches on the front yet, but I've probably been lucky.

Dirt is not a problem; the thing may be white, but it wipes clean - most of the case is stainless steel after all. If you want to protect the iPod suitable mini disc player cases are readily-available in the UK (I got mine in John Lewis). The iPod isn't perfect, but it IS the best MP3 player out there at the moment. The new version will no doubt have a greater hard disc capacity, and probably a remote control too (the firmware is already built into the iPod to accommodate it), and is probably worth waiting for. I'm a mac user who has owned an iPod for six months now and I've had no problems with it. There's a couple of specific points I'd like to state for the record: (1) The software now on iPod's has ironed out the bugs mentioned elsewhere in these reviews and now includes an equaliser. (2) The fact that the machine is updatable through downloads from the apple site means that the machine I bought six months ago has more capabilities than when I bought it.

The addition of the equaliser, also you can store and display a full address book on your iPod. (3) I am a very snobby audiophile. The iPod sounds great. And unlike every other portable audio product, it doesn't come bundled with bad headphones. (4) It sounds better than minidisc. (5) It is durable and does not skip. I regularly take it to the gym.

Apple Macs Laptops

Sure, it gets scratched but you're USING it, duh! You can't live in a glasshouse! (6) It is the size of a pack of cards. Note that there is a 10Gb version now out, but 5Gb is a lot of music. This is the best thing ever! Just got a sexy new 10GB ipod fat32 formatted for windows. It works great, but the earbuds must be made for someone with bigger ears than me because after a while they hurt like hell, and the little covers keep coming off.

Anyway I installed it to a cheap sub £20 firewire card, but I was having no end of problems. Thinking it was the cheap firewire card I installed the card and the software to a different PC with less crap running on it and it works fine. A tip from me is let musicmatch setup the Ipod folders for the music then uninstall it leaving just the 'ipod for windows' software installed. And use Ephpod instead, mush better and easier and quicker to use. This 5gb iPod is the first generation release, so some of the reviews below are a bit dated. I bought the 10Gb version in July, and coverted 200 of my CDs to MP3 - a whole music collection in my pocket. And it IS pocket sized.

I bought a case with the iPod, but very rarely use it. I've found it very robust in use, and easy to clean if you want to preserve that gorgeous finish. Sound is excellent, and it makes an excellent juke box if you plug it into your amp.or car stereo. Two minor caveats - could do with a remote control to avoid taking it out of your shirt pocket, and the earphones get a little uncomfortable after a couple of hours. Of course, the 20Gb version is now out, with a remote control and improved headphones, and totally compatible with PCs for the same price. Don't you hate it when that happens? Simply the best mp3 player around if you can afford it.

And if you can't, save up until you can. That hasn't been already said about this fantastic piece of miniturisation and engineering? Sure, the price is high, but the convenience factor more than makes up for it, and if you are in the market for a high-end mp3 player, then this is surely the choice. My iPod has been on the go for a couple of months now, is full to the brim with my cd collection and goes everywhere I go. Get a cassette adaptor to banish those long-car-journey blues!

Great interface and great design make this a product well worth having. You MUST get an Apple iPod. They make a GREAT mp3 player and a great backup firewire hard drive as well. =0) You can fit up to 4000 songs on your iPod which is extremely handy if you have a lot of travelling to do and don't want to cart around 400 CD's. It's also great to use as a backup device. And I can't stress how WONDERFUL the headphones and remote are.

Make sure you buy one, you wont regret it. =0) The iPod rulz!!!!

The bundled iTunes 3 software is also terrific. It allows you to download online audio books. The iPod has received a lot of hype and outstanding reviews from people who haven't really used the device for long.

The problem being that the media tried to quickly push out reviews of the device to feed their audience's demand - there's a frenzy around the iPod, especially amongst loyal Apple fans. However, these reviews hide the real picture: Apple rushed out an unfinished product and it's a lot to pay for design flaws, bugs and battery problems. Remember, Apple only provide a 90 day warranty. The iPod is undoubtedly sexy. From the toughtful packaging (you won't want to throw the box away, not even the wrappers that came with the headphones!), to the sleek design and ingenious buttons.

The iTunes software is easy to use and Firewire transfer of songs between Mac and iPod is blisteringly fast. You also get 5 gigs of space to fill with MP3s, over 1000 songs! So far so good, so what's the problem? Well, put simply, the iPod would be an excellent device if you didn't actually have to carry it around - which defeats the point, since it's a portable audio player: 1.

The iPod is fragile. Portable electronic goods, from phones to audio players, should be durabel.

They should be compact, but you shouldn't worry about where you put them in your pocket or bag. Whilst the iPod is certainly compact, it's not very portable. Apple forums across the Internet are full of people who've had stuck or loose buttons after only two weeks of use.

Beware: those buttons don't like being pushed! The iPod is dirty. The iPod has pure sexy white cover and an even sexier silver back. The problem is that both surfaces are prone to scratching from even the softest contact with other surfaces. The back scratches easily and the whole device is prone to smudging. To preserve the exterior, you'll need to use your iPod with gloves. Oh, and Apple forgot to include a carry pouch or protective cover - you'll have to order these from the United states (add another 30-40 pounds to the iPod purchase).

Apple Mac For School

The iPod is flawed. The built-in iPod software has bugs which Apple failed to resolve before mass production and distribution.

You'll have problems with the battery indicator, track skipping amongst other things. You'll need to update your software via Apple's support site. Why should you pay so much for a product and have to correct the faults yourself? Shouldn't the manufacturer be responsible for delivering you a working product, especially since its charging you so much? The battery sucks, sometimes. The iPod battery is unpredictable. It'll die on you, just as you're getting into the mood for some good music on your travels.

The indicator might as well not be there - half the time it's inaccurate. This isn't just my experience, log on to the Net and find out how thousands of iPod users are experiencing short battery life. The bottom line is this: only buy the iPod if you are a fundamentalist Apple user or you absolutely must have the latest gadgets sitting on your desk. Otherwise, wait for the 10 gig iPod due for release late march (reportedly at the same price as the iPod is available now): it will have less (hopefully, none!) bugs, better battery performance and more realistic design. The iPod is Apple's first step into the consumer electronics market after a very, very long time - they're design team is still thinking in terms of desk and lap-top products, not mobile devices that you carry in pockets.

Hopefully, with iPod 2 they would have learnt their lesson. I'm returning my iPod - I don't want to pay so much money for someone else's expensive experiment.

Product Information. Once the Apple iPod Classic 1st Generation was introduced, music storage and portability were changed forever. This classic device can store up to 5 GB worth of MP3 files, meaning it has a maximum storage capacity of about 1,000 songs. The 2-inch monochrome LCD display screen is easy to read and shows both the song title and artist of the song currently playing. Users are able to quickly and easily navigate through their playlists, songs, and artists using the iPod’s scroll wheel, center button, and auxiliary button.

Add in an impressive 10-hour battery life and iTunes compatibility, and it is no wonder why iPod is the most popular music player on the market. The Gold Standard for portable MP3 Players! This is the device that started it all! The iPod 1st Generation was the gold standard by which all others that came after it were measured. Excellent audio, seriously portable, easy to use, easy to load and reload. It is no wonder that Apple kept this style up through the Classic ipods! If you get a chance to own one of these iconic devices, I would recommend that you take that chance and get it.

You will not be disappointed. I have had mine for over 14 years and its still going strong.

Verified purchase: No. Apple iPod (5 GB, MAC - M8513LL/A) MP3 Player Just in case your wondering, this will work on a Windows machine as long as you have a firewire port (which most Windows machines don't have.) Otherwise it will work with any Mac that has a firewire port. If updated to the latest software version you can view Calenders, Clocks, play Brick, and listen to music. That's about all you can do unless you try installing iPod Linux which expands the capabilities but is not recommended unless you are technically savvy. Apple ipod 1st generation 5GB i am currently listening to this very ipod and it sounds terrific! All of the functions are in perfect working order, and syncs with itunes like a dream.

And the ipod is in beautiful condition. It is obvious that this ipod, though used, was well cared for. I intend to continue the the caring process.the first thing i did was apply a clear skin to protect it. I decided to purchase this ipod to add to my ipod collection, until now i didn't have a first generation. Now that i do, i consider it special, they don't make them like this anymore! The Brick That Built the House of Apple What more can be said of the iPod than has already been said? It changed industries and managed to put Apple back at the top of the innovation curve where it so sorely needed to be.

I never owned a first-generation iPod, but I have had 2 different Nano's and the 2nd generation iPod Touch and cant imagine what life was like before the ease of these devices. I'm a music lover and these little devices were simply made to help my enjoyment of music grow.