Ipod Classic Question

[CyinCo]

My dad is looking at getting a digital music player. I suggested the Ipod classic. He went to Best Buy and a BB sales rep told him that you can't put music on the ipod without an internet connection. Well, my dad doesn't have an internet connection (I know, hard to believe) but he does have loads of digital music from ripped CDs. He wants to essentially convert his entire CD library to digital and then put it all on an ipod. Now, I understand without an internet connection, you won't be able to buy from the online store, but I don't understand why you couldn't use the itunes software and the cable to transfer music to the ipod from a PC without a connection.

Does anyone know if the BB rep is full of it or is it true you need an internet connection.

I have two ipods but I'm also very connected at my house so I don't know the answer.

 

[Angie]

All he needs is to get iTunes installed on his machine (it's the easiest way to do it) - if you can get him a CD with the installer on it, he should be fine. No need for internet connection if he's just pulling from existing CD's - that's really only if you're buying music.

 

[1100011CS]

Get a SanDisk. Cheaper than an iPod and he won't have to mess with iTunes, and use MS Media Player or pretty much any other player (MediaMonkey is good) to get his music on to his PC and sync with his player.

 

[CyinCo]

Get a SanDisk. Cheaper than an iPod and he won't have to mess with iTunes, and use MS Media Player or pretty much any other player (MediaMonkey is good) to get his music on to his PC and sync with his player.

My dad is really into sound quality. The dude at BB told him that the ipod offers the best sound quality. I'm not sure if this is true but that is all my dad needed to hear to be sold on the ipod.

I have an itunes installer disc. Won't a new ipod come with the latest and greatest itunes on disc?

 

[IcSyU]

I have an itunes installer disc. Won't a new ipod come with the latest and greatest itunes on disc?

No. They expect you to download it.

 

[Bader]

My dad is really into sound quality. The dude at BB told him that the ipod offers the best sound quality. I'm not sure if this is true but that is all my dad needed to hear to be sold on the ipod.

I have an itunes installer disc. Won't a new ipod come with the latest and greatest itunes on disc?

I remember getting one with my Mini but haven't had one with my nano/touch so I don't think they put the disc in there anymore (although they might still use the old packaging with a Classic and have the disc in there)

Either way, just download the installer from Apple's website, throw it on a flash drive, and you're good to go.

 

[1100011CS]

My dad is really into sound quality. The dude at BB told him that the ipod offers the best sound quality. I'm not sure if this is true but that is all my dad needed to hear to be sold on the ipod.

I have an itunes installer disc. Won't a new ipod come with the latest and greatest itunes on disc?

Remember, this is the same guy that said you can't use an iPod without an internet connection DO NOT listen to the tards at BB.

 

[CyinCo]

I remember getting one with my Mini but haven't had one with my nano/touch so I don't think they put the disc in there anymore (although they might still use the old packaging with a Classic and have the disc in there)

Either way, just download the installer from Apple's website, throw it on a flash drive, and you're good to go.

So why woudn't the best buy guy just tell him that? He said "Won't work without an internet connection". He didn't expand on work around solutions that aren't that difficult. Strange.

 

[IcSyU]

Remember, this is the same guy that said you can't use an iPod without an internet connection DO NOT listen to the tards at BB.

He kind of has a point. You have to know someone with an internet connection or you don't have any way to download iTunes...

And not everyone who works at Best Buy is a tard. Are some of them? Yes. Are some of them very helpful and know what they are talking about? Yes.

 

[Bader]

So why woudn't the best buy guy just tell him that? He said "Won't work without an internet connection". He didn't expand on work around solutions that aren't that difficult. Strange.

Who knows, I assume he was referring to how the iTunes Store won't work so he won't be able to buy music from Apple. He also won't be able to get updates but that's never a major issue anyway, since this release of iTunes has been out for a while now updates are mostly security/feature tweaks and not fixes.

If you/your dad decide to go with a iPod there is no reason that I know that would prevent iTunes working without an internet connection. I've installed it before off line and work with it on my laptop offline all the time.

 

[Cloned4Life]

Won't a new ipod come with the latest and greatest itunes on disc?

You think so. Otherwise download it to a USB stick and install it for him that way.

Once you get iTunes setup, it's a simple drap-and-drop from your music folder(s) to the iPod in the iTunes library.

 

[1100011CS]

He kind of has a point. You have to know someone with an internet connection or you don't have any way to download iTunes...

And not everyone who works at Best Buy is a tard. Are some of them? Yes. Are some of them very helpful and know what they are talking about? Yes.

Okay, maybe "tards" was the wrong description. But, everyone of the salespeople there would try to sell you a $100 HDMI cable that you can buy for $20 somewhere else. I just wouldn't trust anyone there. Do you research first, then go there to buy if they have a deal.

 

[IcSyU]

Okay, maybe "tards" was the wrong description. But, everyone of the salespeople there would try to sell you a $100 HDMI cable that you can buy for $20 somewhere else. I just wouldn't trust anyone there. Do you research first, then go there to buy if they have a deal.

That's kind of how it goes though. If you're dumb enough to just walk in and buy something without doing any kind of research, you deserve to get ripped off in my opinion. I'm not going to fault them for promoting Best Buy crap. Isn't their job to sell Best Buy's crap?

Just from the 3 computers we've bought there, I've had 1 crappy salesman and 2 great ones. I knew exactly what I wanted my laptops to do and asked stupid questions I knew the answer to just to see if the salesmen were hacks or knew what they were doing. The crappy salesman was a hack and pretended to know everything and wouldn't ask other people for help (he tried telling me the hard drive was bigger so the computer would be faster...for the love of God people!)

 

[CyinCo]

That's kind of how it goes though. If you're dumb enough to just walk in and buy something without doing any kind of research, you deserve to get ripped off in my opinion. I'm not going to fault them for promoting Best Buy crap. Isn't their job to sell Best Buy's crap?

Just from the 3 computers we've bought there, I've had 1 crappy salesman and 2 great ones. I knew exactly what I wanted my laptops to do and asked stupid questions I knew the answer to just to see if the salesmen were hacks or knew what they were doing. The crappy salesman was a hack and pretended to know everything and wouldn't ask other people for help (he tried telling me the hard drive was bigger so the computer would be faster...for the love of God people!)

I always do lot of research before I buy as well. When I buy something, I usually know more about the product than most sales people. I just want the best deal when I'm shopping.

Thanks for the help on the Ipod. I suspected it could still be used as long as the itunes software was installed.

 

[dmclone]

My dad is really into sound quality. The dude at BB told him that the ipod offers the best sound quality. I'm not sure if this is true but that is all my dad needed to hear to be sold on the ipod.

If you're dad is really into quality you may want to have him convert them in the highest bitrate.

You may also want him to look at the new Sony MP3 players. Everything I've read says that the new Sony Walkmans have the best audio quality.

 

[ianoconnor]

Creative players have top notch sound quality and use a simple drag & drop method to transfer songs. I highly recommend them.

Creative Labs : Home Page - The leader in Digital Entertainment for your PC and the Internet

 

[Bader]

Creative players have top notch sound quality and use a simple drag & drop method to transfer songs. I highly recommend them.

Creative Labs : Home Page - The leader in Digital Entertainment for your PC and the Internet

Wow, Creative Labs. Makes me think of playing old LucasArts/Sierra games on my parents 486.

 

[dmclone]

If he decides to go with the Ipod (nothing wrong with that), make sure he has all the settings correct before he starts converting the CD's. I would make sure they are in MP3 Format and not AAC. Nothing is wrong with AAC but having them in MP3 format will make his life a lot easier if he ever decides to go to something else.


If size isn't an issue.

Itunes/Prefrences/General/Import settings

Use MPS encoding
256 or 320 mps

Some will say that this is a waste and you can't tell the difference between it and 192 but if he has the space I'd rather error on the side of quality.

 

[CyinCo]

If he decides to go with the Ipod (nothing wrong with that), make sure he has all the settings correct before he starts converting the CD's. I would make sure they are in MP3 Format and not AAC. Nothing is wrong with AAC but having them in MP3 format will make his life a lot easier if he ever decides to go to something else.


If size isn't an issue.

Itunes/Prefrences/General/Import settings

Use MPS encoding
256 or 320 mps

Some will say that this is a waste and you can't tell the difference between it and 192 but if he has the space I'd rather error on the side of quality.

He uses a separate ripper. I don't know what the name of it is. I think he has been ripping to 128 currently. I had the sound quality discussion with him yesterday and told him that the bit rate is limiting him more than the device.

 

[DaddyMac]

I got my wife a SanDisk player a couple years ago, and we recently got the new IPhones (translated - IPod player). I'm no musical prodigy to be certain - but in a million years I couldn't tell you the difference in sound between them.

And I just got my nieces IPods as gifts back in May and they did NOT come with any sort of ITunes software.

I'm not positive about this, but it seems that ITunes is really adament about registering your pc with the ITunes store. I have internet so I've never really cared - but not sure how things will work without it.

If he doesn't have an internet connection - I'd look at the MP3 that you can sync with WM Player. Really seems like the path of least resistance.