iPod Mini Review - Setup, Features, Quality
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Setting up the iPod mini is extremely simple. Without installing any software, Windows XP recognizes the iPod as a 4GB FAT32 removable disk, allowing you to immediately transfer files between your PC and iPod. But if you want to efficiently keep track of songs and playlists on your iPod, all you need to do is install iTunes which is included on the CD or can be downloaded online. With iTunes you can choose to automatically synchronize your iPod with your entire music library (if it is under 4GB), or you can drag and drop specific songs. You can also edit MP3 tags so the iPod organizes files properly (often times artist names are spelled multiple different ways and songs from one artist show up in different groups).
Another neat feature is that the iPod battery charges through the USB or FireWire cable whenever it is connected to the PC. It works just as efficiently as the outlet charger; a total 3 hour charge time for a fully depleted battery and 1 hour fast charge for 80% power.
The iPod mini is more than an audio player. Extra features which make the iPod unique are a clock, alarm clock, sleep timer, organization tools like contacts, calendar, to-do list, and notes. The sleep timer works well for people who want to listen to some tunes before falling asleep. The organization tools work just fine, and are about the same as those found on a cell phone. The iPod mini also features four games: Brick, Music Quiz, Parachute, and Solitaire. Brick is like Breakout. In Parachute, you shoot down helicopters, and Music Quiz plays a random song while showing you a list of songs where you have to guess the correct title before time runs out. Of course transferring files between PC and iPod is not limited to music -- it can be ANYTHING from Word documents to movies. Because the iPod acts as a removable disk, copy music from iPod to PC is not restricted unlike some other MP3 players which prohibit it.
In terms of the playback quality the iPod is the best of all digital audio players. I have a Samsung Yepp and a MPIO DMG, and the iPod blows them away in terms of sound quality. Unless you have these players side-by-side playing the same song with the same headphones, it's really hard to tell how good the iPod's quality is, so I'm telling you now that the iPod is great. The iPod is perfect for plugging into your home stereo or car stereo, producing rich, high quality sound, which is very crisp and not drowned out by bass.
The included ear buds are both good and bad. The good is that they produce above average sound. They host neodymium drivers which are more powerful than average aluminum, cobalt, or ceramic drivers. But the bad is they are slightly too large and can be uncomfortable if left in the ear for too long.
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