I was going to get an iPod, but hearing they are overrated? Help!?

I was going to get an iPod, but now I am hearing that there doesn%26#39;t seem to be much benefit other than name.

My primary use will be to dock and use to play music on speakers, not as a personal music device or to play music in the car (I have small kids and don%26#39;t want to be isolated).

Thoughts?

Answer:

iPods certaintly are a great device and Apple was at the front of the portable MP3 player movement. However it seems they have kind of backed themselves into a corner with they way in which both the iPods and the iTunes are set up. Apple took great pains to court the music industry into offering music on iTunes, as well as set themselves up as the best in business. iTunes downloads are not in MP3 format, they are in a unique music format designed to play only on iPods (and your computer). As for the iPods themselves, once you put music onto them, it is (nearly) impossible to transfer it to another computer, or backup your music library. The players are quite easily broken (you wouldn%26#39;t know it from the commercials of people dancing around, iPod in hand) and there are reports of the internal batteries dying quickly, too. Apple has a whole motherload of accessories for the iPod but with the amount of money these devices cost, you would expect more flexibility with music transfers, as well as a more extensive warranty. My advice would be to look into some of the newer MP3 players that are now on the market from other companies. You might get a more convient player at a lower cost. Good luck! they may be overrated but they ARE worth it. I also thought they were overrated but then I bought a video and they are AWESOME. I recommend an iHome if you buy one, as those are very useful for travelling and listening to music aloud. then a cd player will do fine lol. I love all three of my iPods dearly, but I also have different needs, such as long drives and storing movies and lots of songs. iPods are NOT overrated, but for your needs I don%26#39;t think a 250$ iPod would be the best choice. Maybe a different mp3 player that%26#39;s cheaper? They all work the same.