Not sure which iPod I want...

[Cadium]

Get the iPod Classic. I run ALOT at around the 6 min/mile mark and I hold the iPod in my hand and it plays with no problems at all. If you want a dedicated music player with a bonus ability to play videos, then that's all you need. iPod Touch and iPod Nano are more like fashion statements than anything else.

Really? And you haven't had any issues with skipping or with the hard drive failing? Does anyone know what sort of protection mechanisms are in place with the iPod classic?

[MrA]

I think I have made a decision on the iPod nano (8 GB) in either silver or black for use as a media player when I am on the go, however I am also considering replacing my cell phone on the 11th of July with an iPhone 3G which could kill two birds with one stone so to speak (I really don't like the Motorola RAZR V3). I'll keep everyone updated on what happens.

If you want to run/jog, then don't get the iPhone. I have one and love it, but it's too big and heavy to keep in your pocket while running. The nano is small and light and perfect for use while running.

Really? And you haven't had any issues with skipping or with the hard drive failing? Does anyone know what sort of protection mechanisms are in place with the iPod classic?

The classic plays back music from RAM, not directly from the disk. When you start a song, the next few are also loaded into memory and then decoded on the fly. You'll never experience skipping while in the middle of a song, but there might be a delay when a song needs to be loaded.

[Cadium]

The classic plays back music from RAM, not directly from the disk. When you start a song, the next few are also loaded into memory and then decoded on the fly. You'll never experience skipping while in the middle of a song, but there might be a delay when a song needs to be loaded.

There is still a higher risk of damage to the hard drive, is there not? Or does it keep it parked? What about if the iPod were to slip and fall or whatnot?

[Cadium]

After much consideration over the past week, and after trying various iPod models at my local Apple Authorized Reseller today I decided to purchase an iPod classic (80 GB) in black. I tried out the iPod nano but I found that the click wheel was a little bit harder to get used to compared to the one on the iPod classic. I didn't want to get another iPod touch simply because of my active lifestyle and the chance of the screen cover becoming damaged once again (at $350 to $400 a pop after taxes, they are not cheap to replace).

With that being said, what is any Apple purchase without... unboxing photos!