iPod Question? Running

[southpaw]

Hi

I'm looking to get an Ipod. Not sure which one yet but likely to be either Video or Nano.

However I read something today that surprised me.

The main reason I want an Ipod is to use while I go running. In the past I tried a personal anti shock cd player however while running it still skipped on songs.

Today I read a review of the Ipod Shuffle and it mentioned that due to it not having moving parts unlike others (they didn't say!) it doesn't skip songs whilst exercising.

Does that mean that the video and Nano do skip?

Thanks in advance.
I don't have an mp3 player so I'm very new to this.

[dannius]

The nano, like the shuffle is solid state so will not skip. The video ipod's are hard drive based and will skip.

[djmetsandy]

smaller mp3 players will use internal memory chips which do not skip but as dannius said the bigger hard drive ones probably will as they have a spinning disk inside!

[deakodude]

I only use my nano while gardening in the summer and have never known it to skip.

[Strobe]

The hard-drive based ipods do have a memory buffer so that they are not reading to the hard drive all the time. If you record music at lower bitrates, hence smaller file sizes, then you can get away with out the player skipping but it is most definitely NOT recommended. If you are running, then use a solid state flash based player; in the Apple range the Nano and Shuffle, but there are also loads of other brands.

I have just ordered one of the new Shuffles to go running with.

[Dwayne Dibley]

I run with my Ipod Video and have never suffered with skipping.

It was something I was specific about when looking at this piece of kit and asked the sales bloke in the Apple shop. He proceeded to demostrate the lack of skip by shaking the demo ipod vigorously for about 30 seconds without a problem.

[limegreenzx]

I agree with Strobe.
If your main use is for when you run, then get the Nano. The buffer used in the disk based ipod is enough to allow it to play without accessing the disk for well over 5 minutes. Shaking an ipod for 30 seconds is not a good test to see how robust the disk is.

However, I've run with my ipod and I've have never had a problem with skipping.

[Strobe]

Not saying you can't go running with the hard-drive ipods, cos obviously you can. Skipping shouldn't be too much of an issue unless you run off a play-list or rip at high bitrates. It's just the idea of jigging something with moving parts in it (particularly delicate hard drive component parts) doesn't strike me as a particularly good idea!

The flash based players also tend to be a bit smaller, so easier to run with.

I personally have a 4th gen 20 gig ipod for general use and hooking up to the hifi and use a small flash player for running.

My current flash player is a 512 MB Iaudio which cost £200 when new! Had it for ages but it's just packed up so have ordered the new 1 gig shuffle for £55.

[everfunbiz]

We have supplied many our overseas cutomers the Ipod nano and shuffle,no problem woth slip or other problem.But as the mates said,sometimes lucky is another question.
Hope you find a good Ipod soon.Never doubt Ipod quality and run with.
Best regards
Jeffrey

[lazymatt]

I also have an Ipod video, and a shuffle for running...they're just so much smaller and lighter, much easier to run with. Also they're now so cheap if you drop it/it gets wet/it breaks (which is more likely if you're running) it's not such a problem.

BTW I was in an Apple shop recently when a guy walked in with a broken iPod (30 Gb) and the sales assistant asked him if he runs with it, to which the guy replied 'yes'. Sales assitant said that's probably the problem...for the reasons mentioned above. They couldn't fix the iPod and the poor guy had a brick..it was just out of warrenty.