# Key Post: Can I use an iPod while jogging?



## ah lad (2 May 2005)

Just wondering is the iPod mini any good for running?? Don't know if it skips or not with it being a HDD.......


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## ClubMan (2 May 2005)

*Re: iPod*

I'm not aware of any hard disk based _MP3 _player that is recommended for use during vigorous exercise due to the problems with impact damage, skipping etc. Better to use a flash memory based one for that sort of carry on.


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## TarfHead (2 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				ah lad said:
			
		

> Just wondering is the iPod mini any good for running?? Don't know if it skips or not with it being a HDD.......



AFAIK the built-in buffering should avoid you suffering skips while out on the road. But the regular motion *will* reduce the life of your iPod.


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## mickeyg (3 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

Can anyone recommend a good cheap iPOd?

Also I am going to the US next week and wondered if they were cheaper over there?

m


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## ClubMan (3 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				mickeyg said:
			
		

> Can anyone recommend a good cheap iPOd?
> 
> Also I am going to the US next week and wondered if they were cheaper over there?
> 
> m


Do you mean a cheap _iPod _or a cheap _MP3 _player? Do you mean a hard disk (5-40GB for example) or a flash memory (< 5GB) based player? There are loads of sites that provide reviews and recommendations of all sorts of brands of _MP3 _players and which you should be able to find using _Google_. For hard disk based _Apple _alternatives look out for brands like _Creative _and _iRiver_. Non Apple devices are often cheaper, more fully featured and have better sound quality even if they don't have the (supposed) sex appeal of _Apple _devices. Like most electronics gear _MP3 _players are a lot cheaper in the _US _than here.


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## mickeyg (3 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

Forgive my ignorance but what is the diff between the hard disk and the flash memory one??

£ for £ which do you think is the best option?? 
m


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## ClubMan (3 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

As ever Wikipedia gives a decent overview. There are loads of other sites out there that review and compare the different types of _MP3 _player available. In general if you want to exercise with one you may need to opt for a flash device. If you want to carry your full music collection with you then you will need a hard disk based player. € for € the hard disk players would generally give the best value for money. Look out for additional features such as built-in radio tuner, voice recorder etc. You should read up on the various different types and makes available before making a choice that suits your needs.


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## Purple (3 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				mickeyg said:
			
		

> Forgive my ignorance but what is the diff between the hard disk and the flash memory one??m


The hard disk one has a disk in it that stores the information. A reader head then travels over the disk to read the information. Because there are moving parts an impact can cause the reader head to bang into the disk and damage it's surface. The disk in an MP3 player is made from glass (the hard disk on a desk top is made from nickel plated aluminium) so there is less chance of surface damage but it's still not as resilient as a flash memory MP3 since that one has no moving parts.


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## sqoh (3 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

I've been using an iPod Mini while jogging for about 5 months without problems. Can't vouch for it above 45 minutes because my legs give in then!


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## Unregistered (8 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

Why is everyone gone iPod crazy. IPod are way over priced and by the way their prices are coming down month by month. the creative labs "zen" is a good little number and it is better than the iPod. I have loads of friends who have IPods and they all keep complaining about the connection cable to the PC. It is faulty and they have to leave it a certainway in order to transfer MP3 from their PC to the iPod. I would stay away from Apple iPod and buy a Creative zen.


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## ClubMan (8 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

Some people use the term _iPod_, or worse still _iPod clone_, when they actually mean _MP3 _ (and other digital audio) players in general. I agree with you about there being better value and quality players available.


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## extopia (8 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



> Non Apple devices are often cheaper, more fully featured and have better sound quality even if they don't have the (supposed) sex appeal of Apple devices



Cheaper, yes. More fully featured with better sound quality certainly not.

There's one overwhelming reason to use iPod over any other player and that is iTunes, which is WAY better than any other music database software on the market. 

It will change the way you use music.

With the euro-dollar exchange rate (and the absence of VAT) the iPod will cost you far less in NYC than you will pay here for one of the better iPod imitators such as the Zen.

The story above about bad iPod cables is one I've never heard before. I've been using my iPod now for 3 years with the original cables and original battery. Of course it's "only" a 10GB model so it's full up at last


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## ClubMan (8 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				extopia said:
			
		

> Cheaper, yes. More fully featured with better sound quality certainly not.



In the recent past _Creative _devices were generally considered to offer better sound quality (e.g. higher SNR and better sound reproduction/dynamic range generally) than _iPods_. I think that this may still be the case and that _iRivers _also compete well too. I'm sure that there are good technical competitive reviews available that will shed more light on this.



> There's one overwhelming reason to use iPod over any other player and that is iTunes, which is WAY better than any other music database software on the market.



Not all digital audio player users are interested in buying music online like this and many (myself included) prefer to convert their existing and growing _CD _collections to digital so this may not be a killer application for most users.



> With the euro-dollar exchange rate (and the absence of VAT) the iPod will cost you far less in NYC than you will pay here for one of the better iPod imitators such as the Zen.



Of course an _iPod _in the _US _will cost less than another manufacturers' player here. But if you're buying in the _US _then a _Creative _or _iRiver _or whatever may compete with the _iPod _on _US _price. By the way, if you look at the history of solid state and hard disk based digital audio players then you will see that _Creative _(and others) beat _Apple _to market with one so, if anything, the _iPod _is the imitator here.


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## extopia (8 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



> Creative devices were generally considered to offer better sound quality



Sound quality in these devices is all about the kind of compression you use and the quality of your headphones. The players themselves are only hard drives. In my opinion apple's supplied headphones are the best on the market. And the iPod is certainly capable of playing most if not all of the file formats out there. So really all players on the market are potentially equal in this area. The iPod's built in sofware (a slimmed down version of iTunes) is what differentiates it on a performance level, however. The whole iPod-iTunes-Macintosh system is a triumph of seamless integration and has to be experienced to be believed.



> all digital audio player users are interested in buying music online like this



iTunes indeed includes the best music store on the market. However I am referring to the player/music management/jukebox software, not the store. Try it and see for yourself (free download, mac or pc).



> euro-dollar exchange rate etc



I agree with you about price. But the poster asked if the ipod was cheaper over there. It is. By far.




> iPod is the imitator


Huh? Do you really believe that? There's a very good reason why Apple's iPod is the market leader (92% of all US hard-drive players last october were iPods), DESPITE its high price. I really don't care if the iPod was first to market. But you can't argue with the fact that it created the market for hard-drive-type players (which are far cheaper than flash players on a megabyte for megabyte basis). The iPod is by far the best and most elegant device on the market, in my opinion.

If you dig around in that Wikipedia entry you referenced you will find plenty to suggest that Creative copied Apple. But in the end, who cares? Each to his or her own.

By the way, to return to the original question, you can use the ipod while jogging, many many of us do. It has a 20 minute cache so it won't skip at all on short runs (if at all.)


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## ClubMan (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				extopia said:
			
		

> Sound quality in these devices is all about the kind of compression you use and the quality of your headphones. The players themselves are only hard drives.



That's not true. The quality of the digital to analogue circuitry/components plays a key role in the quality of the sound reproduced.



> iTunes indeed includes the best music store on the market. However I am referring to the player/music management/jukebox software, not the store. Try it and see for yourself (free download, mac or pc).



Fair enough. I assumed that you were referring to the online store specifically.



> I agree with you about price. But the poster asked if the ipod was cheaper over there.



And you said that an _iPod_ in the _US _would be cheaper than a _Creative _here. Hardly a fair comparison?



> The iPod is by far the best and most elegant device on the market, in my opinion.



Fair enough. Prospective buyers of digital audio players should check out the many technical and user experience reviews available online for a more balanced and objective view before making a choice on which player best suits their need and budget.



> By the way, to return to the original question, you can use the ipod while jogging, many many of us do. It has a 20 minute cache so it won't skip at all on short runs (if at all.)



The caching mechanism may help prevent it skipping but banging any hard disk based digital audio player won't do the hard disk any good in the long run. If you banjax the hard disk you can do a _DIY _replacement on some players using information posted on the web. Not sure if this is possible with the _iPod _though?


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## extopia (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



> And you said that an iPod in the US would be cheaper than a Creative here. Hardly a fair comparison?



20GB Players
Creative Zen Touch - Irish Price (Peats) €269
iPod - US Price (Apple Store online) €230 ($299)


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## MonsieurBond (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				ClubMan said:
			
		

> In the recent past _Creative _devices were generally considered to offer better sound quality (e.g. higher SNR and better sound reproduction/dynamic range generally) than _iPods_. I think that this may still be the case and that _iRivers _also compete well too. I'm sure that there are good technical competitive reviews available that will shed more light on this.



...Not according to What Hi Fi, which consistently rates the iPod as the best portable music player / MP3 type device - based first and foremost on sound quality (partially due to the technically superior AAC over the 10 year old MP3 standard and partly on the device itself) but taking into account user interface & ease of use of the device, build quality, ease of use of the PC & Mac software, battery life and features.

That's not to say the the Creative and iRivers etc. aren't good, but that the iPod is _better_.


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## ClubMan (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				extopia said:
			
		

> 20GB Players
> Creative Zen Touch - Irish Price (Peats) €269
> iPod - US Price (Apple Store online) €230 ($299)



Are you sure that the _Apple US _online store delivers outside the _US/North America_? If not then a fairer comparison would surely be the the _Apple EU/Ireland _online store price versus a local _Creative _vendor's price or else just stick to all _US _high street prices. That was my original point about your comparisons.


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## extopia (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

Jeez Clubman, no, the Apple store does NOT deliver outside of North America. 

I'm comparing the US street price of the iPod with the Irish street price of the Zen. I am demonstrating that if the original poster goes to the US he or she can get an iPod for less than he would pay for a comparable capacity non-iPod in Dublin. 

Q.E.D.


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## MonsieurBond (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				extopia said:
			
		

> Jeez Clubman, no, the Apple store does NOT deliver outside of North America.
> 
> I'm comparing the US street price of the iPod with the Irish street price of the Zen. I am demonstrating that if the original poster goes to the US he or she can get an iPod for less than he would pay for a comparable capacity non-iPod in Dublin. If you follow the logic of the thread you will see that you are starting to contradict yourself.
> 
> Q.E.D.


 
According to the SBPost, if you go to just about any European capital city apart from Ireland, the iPod [_or presumably any MP3 player_] is cheaper. 

Barcelona is apparently the cheapest - you can save about €40.


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## ClubMan (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				extopia said:
			
		

> I'm comparing the US street price of the iPod with the Irish street price of the Zen.



A meaningless comparison so. Thanks for finally confirming that for me.


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## extopia (10 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

Oh-Kay..... Perhaps if you read again through the thread? Don't always have to be so pedantic, old boy!


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## MonsieurBond (11 May 2005)

*Re: Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

CNET have a useful MP3 Buyers Guide on cnet.com.

The iPod or iPod Photo is the Editors' Choice for best MP3 hard disk player, iPod Mini is Editors' Choice for best [broken link removed].

Interestingly, in the Flash category, they don't rate the iPod Shuffle quite so highly (6.7 / 10), due to the lack of display and apparently not-so-great battery life, although they do say it is very easy to use and is an ideal choice if you already own an iPod or use iTunes. Fair enough.


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## Sparks (10 Jun 2005)

*Re: >>Can I use an iPod while jogging?*

I bought a Nike PSA250 MP3 player for use while running.  It's fab.  No skipping. The sound is great on it.  Got it from Argos.  Highly recommended.


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## MonsieurBond (10 Jun 2005)

*Re: >>Can I use an iPod while jogging?*



			
				Sparks said:
			
		

> I bought a Nike PSA250 MP3 player for use while running. It's fab. No skipping. The sound is great on it. Got it from Argos. Highly recommended.



The  player looks good.

I'd still prefer an iPod Shuffle with a Screen, though...


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