Apple iPod classic 120 GB Black (6th Generation)

Firstly, the 120 GB version is again smaller than the largest capacity available last year, but it is a single platter hard drive, which allows it to maintain the slim shape of the 80 GB version from last year. More storage, a hundred dollars less, and just as small. That is progress despite calls from others that the classic isn't exciting. It still serves its purpose as the original iPod idea. Big capacity in a simple to use device.

Next, the software has been slightly updated on the iPod Classic. It now includes Genius, like iTunes and the other new iPods. This allows you, when on a song you enjoy, to select the genius feature. The iPod will then compile a list of songs (playlist), which goes together with the original song you were listening to. This helps you rediscover music in your library, with a playlist to fit your mood at the time. I have been using the genius feature for a few days now, and it is impressive the way it compiles these playlists. I was skeptical, but overall, it does a good job. Furthermore, as another review mentioned, the iPod does seem more responsive with this update from what I saw at the store compared to my original 160 GB iPod Classic. Some speculation has been that the older iPod Classics will receive the software update of this new one, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Overall, the original iPod concept was so good, and that is why the iPod Classic is still a solid choice for a music and media player. It will hold thousands and thousands of songs (up to 30,000 according to Apple at 128 bitrate). I also backup some important files to my iPod Classic, in disk mode, so that I have that additional extra copy of my most vital files. When you have such a large iPod, you can do that. It shouldn't be forgotten either that while the display of the iPod Classic isn't as good as the iPod Touch or iPhone, it is still quite good and you can play music videos, TV shows, and movies purchased on the iTunes Store.

Battery life for this new 120 GB model improved over the 80GB model from last year. Apple now estimates it at 36 hours audio and 6 hours video.

I'd recommend the iPod Classic without hesitation, to those who have more than 8 or 16 GBs of music in their iTunes library and want to carry their entire collection. Furthermore, if you have videos and video podcasts you want to always carry with you, again, you can't beat the storage. I have the lower capacity flash devices as well, but the big hard drive based iPod Classic continues to play an important role in my iPod Collection.

I bought my 120gb iPod classic just the other day. It was worth every penny I spent on it.

When I entered the world of iPods, I started with the 2GB nano, upgraded to a 30GB, and finally to my awesome 120GB. I must say the 120GB is the best of the three.

I definitely know that my iPod is the walkman of the future. I have over two days worth of audio on her, ten hours of videos, and thousands of photos. Simply put, the iPod is a pocket multimedia jukebox, and I'm very proud to own mine.
If you want a new iPod, or just upgrading, take it from me, this puppy can go and grow with you for years to come.

The iPod classic is a bit of a relic. In the current iPod lineup, it looks a bit tawdry and bland next to the new iPod nano and touch. It does, however, offer something all the other iPods don't--lots of storage space.

While the iPod nano and touch are sleek and streamlined devices, they only hold a maximum of 16 and 32 GB, respectively. That's plenty of storage for the average user, but there are some people out there whose music and video libraries would fill up even the highest-capacity iPod touch instantly.

The iPod classic has one reason for its existence: it's the only iPod choice for people who a.) have iTunes libraries bigger than 30GB, and b.) want to carry all their music and videos around with them at all times, without having to mess with play lists and selective syncing.

The iPod classic doesn't have the beautiful glass screen of the iPod touch, and it's much more bulky than the sleek little iPod nano, but it holds a lot more data on its internal hard drive, and the screen size (2.5" at 320x240 pixels) is an agreeable compromise between the "squint-o-vision" stamp-sized screen of the nano, and the incredible 3.5" widescreen on the touch.

The classic is the only iPod with a hard drive, which means that it's a bit more fragile than the flash-based nano and touch, but it also means that it has vastly more storage space. It's also by the best value when you compare the dollars-per-megabyte ratio of all the iPod models. If you go jogging with your iPod, this is not the best choice, but for everyday use (working and walking around with the iPod in your pocket, for example), the classic is plenty sturdy enough. (Mine has taken two falls from my desk onto our hardwood floor while the hard drive was copying data, and the iPod survived both falls just fine.)

The hard drive isn't as fast as the flash memory in the nano and touch, but in everyday use, the slower read speeds are not an issue. You'll mainly notice that it takes the Cover Flow view a second to replace the placeholder graphics with the proper cover art as the hard drive tries to catch up while you scroll through your album covers. On the plus side, the hard drive has much faster write speeds than flash memory, which makes the sync process with iTunes faster.

The classic's click wheel allows for one-handed changing of tracks and volume without looking at the screen, which is not possible with the iPod touch. It also offers superior battery life to either the nano or the touch at 36 hours of music and 7 hours of video playback. (I routinely get 40 hours out of mine, so Apple's battery life estimates are a bit on the conservative side.)

The technology under the shell of the classic is not the latest and greatest, but it's the evolution of a proven, user-friendly concept. It lacks the Wi-Fi connectivity and large screen of the iPod touch, and it's not nearly as svelte as the iPod nano, but it combines lots of storage with a decent screen, a proven and intuitive user interface, and excellent battery life.

Lastly, you can use the iPod classic as an external USB hard drive for backups and data transfer, which is a bit pointless with the nano (because of its low capacity), and not possible at all with the touch.

Like any other piece of kit, the iPod classic has a few weak spots. The back is still polished chrome, which collects scratches extremely well, and the screen is plastic rather than glass, which means it's more prone to marring. If you want to keep it pristine, you won't get around purchasing a good case for it. (The slick chrome back also makes it a bit slippery in the hand if you use it without a case.)

It doesn't do Internet access, you can't make calls with it, and it's not a PDA...but for just listening to music and watching videos on the run, the iPod classic is still one of the best devices on the market.

I have several small MP3 players that I carry around, but finally gave in an bought the 120GB iPod Classic to put all my music on one device. For the most part, I'm happy with it. It of course stores a huge amount of music, and what it does, it does pretty well. The video is clear and smooth. It sounds very good once you get rid of the garbage ear buds that Apple still insists on pairing with their iPods. The thing I hate the most is the iPod's marriage to iTunes. Pretty much, Apple doesn't want you using your iPod on more than one computer, or hooking up another iPod to you computer. There's are ways around it, but it's a hassle. I can hook up my Sony players to any computer, and drag and drop songs all I want. All in all, the iPod Classic 120GB serves the purpose I bought it for. Sound very good. Store all my music. Be portable enough to carry around with me.

Much simpler to use the slim design and space saving features are very conveneient. The search capability is much improved and the user interface is equally good. I had hoped for video integration in this 6 ir 7th generation model but overall it is a nice continuation of the iPod platform and worth the money.

I've had a good few iPods over the years. Specifically, Generation 1, 3, 5, iPhone 3G and now the Classic (120gb). Apple seems intent on forcing all of it's customers to use iTunes exclusively with their new encryption scheme. Most 3rd party apps and devices have been made useless by this tactic. Thanks! I shall cut to the chase: If you purchase this device, you can expect EXTREMELY slow iTunes response and if you choose to manually load your iPod via drag-n-drop (again iTunes), you will be presented with a melange of duplicate/triplicate and on occasion...appropriate songs on the device. I've played with all manner of iTunes alternatives, but nothing really fits the bill. Shame on Apple. By the way, this iteration of the iPod sounds shrill and tinny compared with all of the predecessors I've heard. A misstep indeed.

For this latest generation of iPods Apple added authentication chips which check to see whether your accessories are genuine Apple or Apple licensed. As a result, many popular accessories such as AV cables and camera adapters no longer function--because Apple doesn't want them to. For me, this means I can no longer use my inexpensive Belkin AV cable to connect the iPod to the TV. Instead, my only option is the spend $49 on Apple's cable.

This will be my last iPod. I never would have purchased it had Apple been forthcoming about this new limitation. Shame on them.