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Right now I have a first generation blue iPod mini, and I am being very tempted by a new 20 GB color iPod.

Ask yourself these questions:
(1) How much music do I have?
(2) How much will my library expand in the next year?
(3) Would I only use the iPod for music, or would I also use it as a portable external HD?
(4) Am I content with a grayscale LCD?
(5) Will the extra 3 hours of battery life on the mini make a difference?
 
Icic...thankyouverymuch...i think i'll pretty much consider going with the iPod... :)
 
The iPod has so much going for it - the cleaner looks, the larger colour screen, the larger capacity, but it's just too fragile. My iPod mini is the most robust piece of gadgetry I've ever owned. The adonized aluminum shell never cracks, gets scratched, or break. In upcoming 5G iPods, Apple needs to ditch the crappy two-piece shell of the iPod (the plastic and stainless steel back scratch far too much, and the back also dents very easily) and expand the adonized aluminum across the entire iPod line. When I hold a regular iPod in my hand it feels like it could fall apart if I dropped it two feet onto a pillow. The iPod mini, however, is strong and solid. I've dropped mine numerous times. The worst I've gotten is a tiny, miniscule chip in the aluminum on the corner. Had I dropped a regular iPod in the same circumstances onto its corner, the metal backing would be dented, and the white plastic around the front would be cracked.

I'd go with a 6GB mini for now, until the 5G iPods come out.
 
Love my Mini.

Volume wise, the iPod Mini over twice as small as the 20 gig iPod and you'll notice this if you carry it around in your pocket like I do.

I have 38 gigs of music at home, but the 5 that the Mini holds is more than plenty for the trips I take.

I only look at the screen to pick a playlist or shuffle it and that's it. Sometimes I play solitaire while I'm waiting for someone or riding the train.

Rock solid. Accidentally chucked it out of my pocket and onto the sidewalk. Dinged the corner, but that's about it. Still looks great.

If you DO run, the size difference is GIANT, though I'm sure a Shuffle's even better for that.

- j
 
I'm debating over the same question. I haven't decided yet :) The iPod mini will hold plenty of songs for my needs, but the regular iPod is plenty small IMO - I used a 3G iPod, and thought it's amazing. I've never seen an iPod mini in person, though. The color screen is tempting, and I have a feeling I might like the bigger size better. I might be wrong, though.

Just wanted to note that the color screen iPods are considered by Apple as 5G. So I don't think you should wait for a "5G" iPod, since it's already out.
 
Another vote for the mini. It's just much more robust than the regular iPods. I just sync my favorite playlists, and even if the mini typically just hold ~700 of the 10.000 tracks in my iTunes library, I've never gotten in a situation where I wished to hear a song that wasn't on the mini.
 
I've always appreciated the industrial design behind the tight little Mini and often found myself wishing each color had distinguishing ear-buds, so that I could pick out the Mini wearers in the seas of white buds I see on the streets...
 

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jayscheuerle said:
I've always appreciated the industrial design behind the tight little Mini and often found myself wishing each color had distinguishing ear-buds, so that I could pick out the Mini wearers in the seas of white buds I see on the streets...

Ya that's a great idea!

Colorware currently paints the iPod's headphones for an additional $10 (catch is you have to buy an iPod painted too), and they look pretty pimp...

Go here and click on "view details" beside iPod earbud headphones for an example of their work.
 
Capt Underpants said:
Ya that's a great idea!

Colorware currently paints the iPod's headphones for an additional $10 (catch is you have to buy an iPod painted too), and they look pretty pimp...

Except that i would automatically throw the stock headphones away and use real headphones instead.... :)
 
GanChan said:
Except that i would automatically throw the stock headphones away and use real headphones instead.... :)

meh... The iPod earphones are good enough for me. I bought a nicer pair of headphones, but they were alot bigger, and I don't feel like carrying them around. I also looked into some in-ear etymotics (because they are small) but I couldn't justify $120 on headphones. I guess im not much of an audiophile.

Besides, we all know to be cool you have to wear the stock headphones ;)
 
I love looking at the Colorware iPods. Apple needs to make a white version of the iPod mini.

jayscheuerle said:
I've always appreciated the industrial design behind the tight little Mini and often found myself wishing each color had distinguishing ear-buds, so that I could pick out the Mini wearers in the seas of white buds I see on the streets...

You forgot the light grey ring around the earbud. That should also be coloured. :)
 
As a general rule, and some of the best advice you can get about ipods is "buy the most you can afford." I struggled with the ipod vs. mini question for a long time, and consulted lots of friends and colleagues. The bottom line is you will eventually run out of storage capacity, so get the most bang for your buck. Is there any chance you'll want to use your iPod as a file storage device? This is a big question that you need to answer, also. My vote for you is the 20 gb.
 
I just bought a 20GB.

My reasons were that I actually can put half of my library on there, which will help a lot on long trips I'll take and not having to regularly re-sync it (like I need to with my Shuffle) is another plus. The size difference is small, I checked that out in a store (I really do think it makes not much of a difference but your mileage may vary).
The thing that won me over was the included charger that comes with it. All in all the better deal.
 
I'm debating this. I have a shuffle, which is worlds better for running/working out (I've tried all three), and when I get my new laptop for school I'll be using the current promo to get either a free mini or a very cheap full size ipod. I probably only need a mini, but the new color 20 GB ipod is so sexy.
 
QCassidy352 said:
I'm debating this. I have a shuffle, which is worlds better for running/working out (I've tried all three), and when I get my new laptop for school I'll be using the current promo to get either a free mini or a very cheap full size ipod. I probably only need a mini, but the new color 20 GB ipod is so sexy.

I'm in the same dilemma...I can use to Student Union promo and get an awesome silver iPod Mini...But i keep telling myself that its a steal to get the iPod color 20gb for only 90 bucks more! idk...Do you guys think that i should just settle with the iPod Mini or get the 20 Gb. I would like some space on to iPod for storage of other files and $90 compared to $269 is a big difference, thats why i think i should jump on this deal while i have the chance.
 
I've had 40G clickwheel model for 18 months and it's almost full. Battery life is notthing to write home about nor is the display which is hard to see. The case also scratched up very quickly and I tried to be nice to it.
I saw the 60G Ipod photo and that display looks light years better.
I'm tempted to buy a mini also just for carrying around.
My Ipod is a little heavy and I'm very afraid of dropping it.
I'm considering a 60G iphoto and an ipod mini. And just leaving my 40G Ipod as extra backup. And maybe an Ipod shuffle. More is better. ;)
 
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