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iPod What DON'T you like about the iPod Classic?

motulist

motulist

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 2, 2003
4,236
611
I'm thinking about getting an 80GB Classic (my first pmp ever) but before I buy I want to know everything that's wrong with it first. I already know most of what's great about it, but I want to know what the gripes are because it's not fun to stumble upon some unexpected disappointments in a new toy.

I heard that even the latest firmware update hasn't fixed the interface lag for everyone. Is that true?

Is the split screen interface weird to use? Does it take up space in a way that cramps the important display information?

Has anyone found a cheaper alternative to the video out cable?

Is the dull matte finish surface as boring as it looks in pictures?

What else don't you like about it?

What's disappointed you about it since you started using it?
 
Well, I don't have the new Classic, but once they make a 32GB flash based one...or a 32GB Touch...or better yet a 32GB iPhone I'll go for it!
 
hayduke said:
Well, I don't have the new Classic, but once they make a 32GB flash based one...or a 32GB Touch...or better yet a 32GB iPhone I'll go for it!
Click to expand...

I don't think your feeling that 'it isn't as good as a device that doesn't exist yet' qualifies as a gripe with the current Classic.
 
motulist said:
I'm thinking about getting an 80GB Classic (my first pmp ever) but before I buy I want to know everything that's wrong with it first. I already know most of what's great about it, but I want to know what the gripes are because it's not fun to stumble upon some unexpected disappointments in a new toy.

I heard that even the latest firmware update hasn't fixed the interface lag for everyone. Is that true?

Is the split screen interface weird to use? Does it take up space in a way that cramps the important display information?

Has anyone found a cheaper alternative to the video out cable?

Is the dull matte finish surface as boring as it looks in pictures?

What else don't you like about it?

What's disappointed you about it since you started using it?
Click to expand...

The dull matte finish doesn't look boring - not the black version anyway. Together with its metal back plate, it looks and feels very classy.

Unfortunately there is a bit of an interface lag still.

The video out cable is about £15 here which is par for the course for reasonable quality cables.

Given that it's my first ipod, the split screen interface doesn't feel awkward and is easy to use.

It feels solid and classy, I love everything about it apart from one thing - the EU volume cap. But I have found a solution by using an inline volume booster.
 
motulist said:
I heard that even the latest firmware update hasn't fixed the interface lag for everyone. Is that true? There is still lag, but it is much better than it was at first.

Is the split screen interface weird to use? Does it take up space in a way that cramps the important display information? The new interface is much better in almost every way, and it never cramps important information at all, (However it can be annoying for anyone who has less than about 75% of their album art.)

Is the dull matte finish surface as boring as it looks in pictures? While it may not look as good as the shininess of the 5G iPods, it is much better in terms of resistance to scratches or any other damage, meaning no case is needed, so I think it is an improvement

What's disappointed you about it since you started using it? Cover flow takes ages to load and shows the same album multiple times. Also, on the now playing screen, if a song does not have album art, it gets a place holder graphic of a musical note, rather than just more space for the text.
Click to expand...
.
 
Clickwheel less responsive compared to earlier video iPod

Clickwheel is less responsive than my earlier video iPod (still own). Perhaps that may qualify as interface lag?
 
surf4peace said:
Clickwheel is less responsive than my earlier video iPod (still own). Perhaps that may qualify as interface lag?
Click to expand...

I've found this too... its less responsive than the video nano I had before. But I actually prefer this since I found I used to accidentally change the volume sometimes on the nano and I dont on the classic. And the clicky buttons (menu, play, back forward) are nicer on the classic.
 
raggedjimmi said:
Sir, I think it's hideous compared to the beautiful 5G.
Click to expand...

I agree! I have a 60GB White and really like it.


I think the classic has a cheap feel to it because you have to push harder on the wheel to click. Hearing the click sound sounds cheap. The 5G is much quieter when you click and just feels better.
 
I think mine is great, it's finally big enough to hold my music collection and much better looking than the crappy old 5G. :p

The only bad thing about the classic and all recent iPods is the lack of Firewire, the USB is dreadfully slow in comparison.
 
I haven't used it myself, but I keep hearing bad things about its speed (and sound q) compared to previous generations. Either way, my 5g still has plenty of battery life, and I'll stick with it for the future.
 
I don't like the fact that the back still has the 'shiny' metal finish. I wish they had just done the whole thing in the anodized finish, like the back of the iPhone. I'd love to be able to just throw the thing in my pocket, without a case, and not worry about it getting scratched and fingerprinty like the Classic does so easily.

OllyW said:
The only bad thing about the classic and all recent iPods is the lack of Firewire, the USB is dreadfully slow in comparison.
Click to expand...

This too.
 
Not enough progression in what really matters - the music, and how it can be presented (to the eye and ears) and controlled. Not a bad move up from the 5th gen in terms of features and of course the storage capacity is what I got it for but there's still work that can go into how the thing sounds and can be made to sound. Also, taking into account that the hardware is only half the story, after a superb start and the lead it created with features like Smart Playlists iTunes also seems to have plateaued in terms of it's musical versatility in terms of playback, selection and syncing.

Until it matures, the Touch is a half-assed not-really-PDA to flash around and impress the easily impressed, and it's not actually that great an iPod in a historical audio-only sense. The Classic is supposed to be more about the substance and less about the flash - and while it is a generally solid player, it hasn't quite moved on enough.
 
The fact that I have to wait until Dec.25th to know if I get one. :D

Seriously, the Classic is exactly what I wanted to replace my now-dead 3G. Everything I want, nothing I don't.
 
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