Apple iPod (30GB, 5th Generation, Black) - Expert Reviews

Review summary: Portable audio/video player Given the brouhaha surrounding Apple's latest player, one might assume its name is the Video iPod. Think again: it's an iPod that can do video, not a dedicated video player. Don't get me wrong: the 2.5-inch screen on my ...

Verdict: The new iPod supports downloading videos from iTunes 6, as well as video encoded as H.264 or MPEG-4 (in my experience, however, not all third-party encoders worked). ITunes' inability to convert existing video into an iPod-friendly format is its ...

Review summary: The 5th generation Apple iPod, or sometimes known as the iPod Video and that's how we'll refer to it throughout the review, just might be the best iPod that we've seen from Apple. They added lots of features and slimmed the device down in size ...

Review summary: After all the media speculation, Apple has finally dipped its toe into the world of mobile video with the launch of the new iPod.

Verdict: But even if you never use this latest iPod for video, the other physical changes improve on an already good core product. There are now increased storage capacities, with the 30GB ($449) and 60GB models coming in the standard white, as well as a new ...

Review summary: Just in case you're a newbie, the iPod is a portable music player that's quite small and very attractive. It can play MP3 as well as AAC music along with Apple's own format used on the tunes in their iTunes store. You can burn your CDs using iTunes ...

Pros: Very easy to use, great sound, plays video as well as audio. Acts as a portable photo album and portable hard drive. Great color display that's saturated, bright and vivid. Huge capacity for music and video in a very, very thin and small device.

Cons: You can burn music from your CDs and put them on your iPod, no problem. But if you want to buy copy protected music it must come from the Apple iTunes store. Shows fingerprints like crazy and scratches easily. Battery life for video playback could be ...

Verdict: It's an iPod- what's not to like? It's gorgeous, can hold an obscene amount of music, show photos, easily fit in your pocket and there are a huge number of tempting accessories available for it. It's the easiest to use among media players with an ...

Pros: Original iPod functionality, smaller click wheel, video playback, photo viewer, crisp and clear LCD screen, smaller and lighter than previous models

Cons: Prone to scratching, poor battery life for video playback, delay when selecting videos, screen not quite large enough for videos, no cables or charger included in package, no built in speaker, converting video is a long process

Verdict: The iPod adds video playback to an already impressive features list, but poor battery life and no built in speaker prove that there is plenty of room for improvement.