30GB iPod vs 4GB iPod Nano (1 Viewer)

[SethH]

Ok, I'm thinking about possibly purchasing an iPod. The Nano is very interesting to me because of it's size and lack of a mechanical hard drive. Additionally, I don't really need 30GB of space in the foreseeable future, so 4GB should be fine for me.

HOWEVER, I know that when the Nano's first came out there were reports of them being scratched very easily. I'm a little worried about how fragile the Nano seems and think I might prefer the "bulk" (for lack of a better word) of the regular iPod.

Could anyone share their experiences with these two devices and their preferences? I would also like to hear about battery life on these newer models.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Go for the 30 GB iPod you say you don't need the space now but in my experience I keep running out of room

 

[SethH]

That's a good point. It would be nice to be able to use it to back up some files as well.

How's the battery life?

 

[MarkHastings]

Seth, I second andrew's recommendation about never having enough HD space - you'll always be looking for more in the future. Also, think of it this way...even if you don't use the 30GB, considering you were thinking of the 4GB, that just means you could basically put the same amount on the 30GB as uncompressed audio. As far as the size issue, the regular iPod is small to begin with...it's not like the nano is considerably smaller to the point where you're like "Wow! This is MUCH better than the regular iPod".

As far as the non-mechanical hard drive. I'm curious too at the battery consumption between the 2. Does a mechanical hard drive use more battery power? I don't usually use my (3rd gen.) iPod without it being plugged into a power source, but if I recall, battery life wasn't that superb. I think 3-4 hours max. (if that).

Also, the iPods are notorious for not having gapless playback. That's a definite on my iPod, but I wonder if someone can verify the same with the nano?

 

[SethH]

I would think that it would. But my other concern is just the possibility of HD failure. Mechanical HD's are much, much more likely to fail than flash memory.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Is there ANY iPod that doesn't scratch easily? It's like they're made of soft clay or something.

BTW, those silicone skins they sell for about $20? Walmart has an off-brand version for $3 that's pretty much exactly the same thing (the colors aren't as cool though).

 

[Scott L]

I say go with the Nano. Personally, it's a PITA carrying a 30gb ipod, cell phone, car keys, etc... 4gb goes a long way when it comes to music.

 

[SethH]

Hmm, that's also a very good point, Scott. I do carry lots of crap in my pockets already.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i guess we now know that unless you get a case, whatever you buy is going to get scratched up pretty quickly.

i say go for the 30 GB. it can double as a decent size removable hard drive (my 4th gen 20 GB ipod saved my ass one time), and it's not too small. unless you have small hands for a guy, you may find the nano to be too small. a friend of mine had one, and it was really nice, but i could barely hold the damn thing, it was just too small for me to hold and use the clickwheel with one hand.

CJ

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The discontinued iPod Mini had a more durable, scratch resistent case than any other iPod. My wife has a 6GB model.

Personally, I would go for the extra storage capacity. I own a 40GB iPod, and I still cannot fit all my music on the device. Battery life is decent -- about 12 hours.

 

[Carlo_M]

I have the 60GB G5 iPod and my girlfriend has the 4GB nano, here's my impressions:

1. They both supposedly scratch easily, but we wouldn't know as we put the clear plastic shields on them immediately and then bought the iSee from ContourCase for both of them.

2. She loves the fact that the nano is ultra portable. I bought it for her because I figured it would last longer with less moving parts. I bought the 60GB for me because I have a massive amount of music (3100 and counting) that I encode at 320kbps AAC. Currently I'm using 30GB of the HD.

3. The video aspect is kinda cool for the 5G. The nano's screen and video capability pales in comparison. Now I don't watch full length movies, but I do have some Family Guy and Simpsons episodes in there, for those times where I have 20+ minutes to burn while, say, at a mall and she is shopping for clothes. Or on a bus, or waiting for a friend at a coffee house. I also have things like the Natalie Portman rap from SNL and the Ted Ferguson Budlight Daredevil commercials in there. Tres cool.

4. Carrying my 5G isn't a huge burden, but it does take an additional pocket, whereas the Nano could fit anywhere. Basically my setup is: keys in left pocket, wallet in right pocket, nano in hip or jacket pocket.

5. Battery life is listed at 20 hours for the 5G, but I tend to get 12-14 hours because of the size of my files, and the fact that I always use random play, so the HD is working more (both for seeking around the HD, and has to hit the drive more often because the memory buffer doesn't hold as many songs since my average filesize is 12MB). I'll ask my girlfriend how long she gets on the battery life for the 4GB.

 

[DaveF]

Both are good options, but I chose the 4GB nano for its size. My main use is at the gym and I wanted something small, easily worn on my belt, and shock resistant. The nano fit the bill. It also works well for the car with an additional FM transmitter.

It is a nuisance having to manage my music files; I have too many to fit all on the nano. But overall I enjoy the nano. If I had opportunities to use the video features of the iPod, I'd choose the 30 or 60GB models.

For me, the ideal model would be an 8GB nano -- enough room to hold all of my music while keeping the awesome form factor.

 

[Craig Beam]

I got the 60GB model about two months ago, thinking I could never possibly fill the damn thing. I know better now. I predict I'll run out of room by summer, and I'll have to start deleting stuff to make more room. I've been adding full-length movies lately, which is hastening this eventuality.