Apple iPod Mini Review
Product Description
From the ManufacturerThis season's must-have accessory? Your music. Listen in style with iPod mini. Like any classic fashion icon, iPod mini goes with everything: Macs, PCs, sequins, and tees. And with up to 18 hours of battery life, it'll outlast the latest trend. Weighing in at just 3.6 ounces, iPod mini fits your lifestyle and your bag, whether it be cocktail purse or messenger duffle.
From Runway to Subway
The chic, matte anodized aluminum case resists stains and scratches, all the while protecting your iPod mini—from, say, the jostle of overzealous paparazzi. Recessed in the case to keep its surface pristine, the 1.67-inch (diagonal) backlit screen displays full song and album titles, artists' names, and more. And iPod mini lasts up to 18 hours on a single charge:* enough for a transatlantic flight, the limo ride to your hotel, and a few solid hours of boutique shopping. Of course, iPod mini works just as well for your everyday pursuits. With up to 25 minutes of skip protection, you can even walk the dog in style.
Put on Some Tunes
So light and colorful, iPod mini yearns for the limelight. Indulge in a little scene-stealing yourself when you wear your music on your sleeve or around your neck. With optional accessories, including a stylish lanyard and mix-and-match armbands, your iPod mini becomes an ensemble essential. Wear it running a trail or walking the red carpet. iPod mini complements any look, from track suit to tiara.
Under Your Thumb
Always striving for perfection, Apple engineers moved the iPod's buttons under the wheel. The iPod mini Click Wheel—complete with color-coordinated icons—takes best advantage of miniscule space and lets you scroll single-handedly through up to 1,500 songs from your iTunes music collection. You'll find such thoughtful construction only from Apple. Because, try as they might, the competition can't touch this.
Behind the Click Wheel of your iPod mini await features that make it the world's best digital music player. Listen to your music as you fall asleep, and wake up with music or an alarm. Store a copy of your contacts, calendar and to-do lists on your iPod mini. Or keep anything from store restaurant reviews to nightlife guides, and news articles to exercise routines—right at your fingertips.
This second-generation iPod mini has enhanced USB support with one simple connection for all Mac and Windows users. It embodies freedom and portability, allowing you to bring your favorite music everywhere you go and to everything you do. Offering seamless integration with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, the iPod mini makes it a breeze to manage your music, and the innovative Click Wheel makes it easy to find exactly the right tune.
What's in the Box
iPod mini, battery, earbud headphones, belt clip, USB 2.0 cable, CD-ROM with iTunes for Mac and Windows, electronic documentation and getting started guide
Product Review
I was lucky enough to get one of these literally 5 minutes before the
store sold out. I have the 6gb version, which is identical to this one
except for the capacity (and the price - it was $50 more than this 4gb
version). I also have a 40gb 4th generation iPod, an iPod shuffle, and
I have owned and used MP3 players by Creative and iRiver.
The new "2nd generation" iPod mini builds on the strengths that made the original mini a blockbuster best-seller: easy to learn, easy to use, elegant user interface, immensely usable "click-wheel," and outstanding sound quality. Since the original mini was introduced a year ago, some competitors appeared that offered higher capacity, better battery life, and lower price. This new iPod mini answers the competition with some important improvements which make it a compelling choice over the competition:
1) Battery life is now 18 hours instead of 8 hours for the first generation mini.
2) The 2nd generation mini is cheaper: the original mini was $250 for 4 gigabytes of storage, which holds up to 1000 songs. The new mini is $200 for 4 gigabytes, or you can pay $250 for 6 gigabytes (up to 1500 songs). To achieve this price drop, though, Apple no longer includes a dock or charger - these are available separately, but you can live without them just fine. For example, the battery charges whenever the mini is plugged into your computer's USB port.
In addition to these improvements, there is a minor cosmetic difference, concerning the color choices: gold is no longer an option (it was the worst seller in the original mini), and the other colors are now a bit brighter.
The iPod mini comes with iTunes software to help you organize the music on your iPod, and to transfer music from your CD collection to your player. If you wish, you can use the iTunes software to purchase music from Apple's online store and download them directly to your iPod, but the software absolutely does not push you to do so.
The mini also comes with the same earbuds that accompany every other iPod. They are better than the headphones that come with most MP3 players, but you'll probably want to consider replacing them with something a bit nicer.
Like its predecessor, the build quality of the new iPod mini is excellent, very sturdy, just like all iPods. My 40gb iPod has taken a lot of abuse and has held up extremely well. Plus, I did a fair amount of research on the original mini and it has held up well since it was introduced. So I fully expect that my new iPod mini will last a long time.
I also considered the Creative Zen Micro, the Dell Pocket DJ and the Rio Carbon, which seem to be the closest competitors to the mini. They have more features than the iPod mini, but are not as elegantly designed and their build quality feels a little cheaper than the mini. Plus, as a previous owner of other iPods, I already have a lot of music in Apple's AAC format, which these other players cannot deal with.