Buying Ipod or Mp3 player???

[diddldonna]

I am looking at buying one of these for my husband while in the USA for christmas. Can i use them here in the uk? will they connect to uk computers. Would i need to buy anything for them to work here in the uk?

Donna

 

[peanut1967]

IPOD is just the make name, its still an MP3 player. If you do go with buying one...dont forget to point your husband in the direction of the Dis Podcast....fantastic info...friendly team that create it.

 

[diddldonna]

Lol silly me didn't know an ipod was actually an mp3 player, lol thought they was different.

Oh i love listerning to the disney podcast and have downloaded and listerned to them on my computer.

Donna

 

[wayneg]

There has been threads about buying Ipods and other electrical goods in USA. More or less came to the conclusion there was not enough savings to buy in USA.
Take into account, tax on any prices you see in Florida, possible warranty problems if anything goes wrong and chance of import tax on return if you go over limit.
If you do kelkoo and Pricerunner searches they can usually find prices comparable to USA but not always.
There are times when it is worth doing just know your prices before you travel and it is the exact model you are comparing.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

We have bought our iPods in the USA and they are now three years old without any problems.
they do play in the UK and you can buy a multi country plug to charge them (or just use the very slow USB cable)

Apple control the price of their goods quite tight. The price in the Apple stores is the same as in best buy, Circuit City etc..

For example, an 80Gb Ipod Classic Video ipod is £152-159 in the UK
the American price is $249-249.99 and then it will depend on the exchange rate, so around £126-136

Even Ebay prices are around the £159 mark.

 

[wayneg]

For example, an 80Gb Ipod Classic Video ipod is £152-159 in the UK
the American price is $249-249.99 and then it will depend on the exchange rate, so around £126-136

Even Ebay prices are around the £159 mark.

It was available from John lewis last week(out of stock again now)
at £159 less £10 discount with code (available on cashback and voucher sites) less 5% cashback(Quidco). Total cost was £141.05 delivered.
If you search in UK there is usually not a lot of difference, all depends on the purchaser and how happy you are taking time out in US to go shopping, for us its last thing we want to do, buying trainers is the limit for us, rather pay a few £ more and have it delivered to home.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

It was available from John lewis last week(out of stock again now)
at £159 less £10 discount with code (available on cashback and voucher sites) less 5% cashback(Quidco). Total cost was £141.05 delivered.
If you search in UK there is usually not a lot of difference, all depends on the purchaser and how happy you are taking time out in US to go shopping, for us its last thing we want to do, buying trainers is the limit for us, rather pay a few £ more and have it delivered to home.

Interesting, as you say, possibly up to a £10 difference on the UK price, but more than met by the £=$ prices and availabuility. The John Lewis it looks like, is a hit or miss if its available. Apple themselves are doing the iPod at £159 including free delivery. It does tickle me that some people are paying over this to buy one on Ebay as if its a bargain!

Shopping a major part of our US holidays, so for us, no problem whatsoever.

 

[scottishsue]

Shopping a major part of our US holidays, so for us, no problem whatsoever.

Same here Obi - I love shopping in the US !!

 

[wayneg]

Same here Obi - I love shopping in the US !!

In UK I have not been shopping since Xmas pressies last Dec. In US we do Disney Discount shops, converse and Reebok. Thats it. DW goes to M&S every now and then when she has to. We all hate shopping.

 

[wicket2005]

I can recommend the IPod Touch as an ideal present. The savings on this 16 gb are £70 if bought in the USA at the moment.

 

[wayneg]

I can recommend the IPod Touch as an ideal present. The savings on this 16 gb are £70 if bought in the USA at the moment.

I think thats probably where the best savings are in US, On newly launched items with few discounts available in UK, a few months down the line then I would expect the gap to close, proabaly well after Xmas for the Touch.

 

[nicokpe]

that's the same thing

 

[andip1967]

If your gonna buy one then I must also suggest the iPOD touch, its amazing, $399 for the 16gb version.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

If your gonna buy one then I must also suggest the iPOD touch, its amazing, $399 for the 16gb version.

As you say though, its only 16 Gb, very small compared to the 80 & 160 GB classics.
No hard drive in that version.

My ipod collection would not fit on such a small card and I don't want to carry around a load of cards.

I would have looked at it if it was 60Gb and above.

 

[wicket2005]

The Ipod Touch is a totally new generation of IPod, the like of which we have not seen before, I love it. Accessing the internet and ITunes wifi store is fantastic.

Yes it is only 16gb but no doubt the storage capabilities will expand as new generations come out. However the 16 gb is ideal for me and once I fill that I would just be selective on the tracks on it. On my old ipods I just have a smart list set up to play any song with less than 10 play counts from the library, to their storage capacities. I don't particularly need to have access to every single cd I have.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

You don't play videos on it?

I convert US TV shows to MP4 format then play them whilst away on the iPOd. Takes a bit of space though

 

[wicket2005]

Just got it a week ago, previous Ipods didn't play video. Usually use my psp for tv/films.

 

[bavaria]

You don't play videos on it?

I convert US TV shows to MP4 format then play them whilst away on the iPOd. Takes a bit of space though

Here's a tip that I use while travelling internationally. I purchase iTunes cards while in the US, and set up a US iTunes account. Then I can download American television shows a few days after they air in America, and not wait months (or suffer through German TV!)

While not a big TV fan, this has definitely helped to pass time while sitting in India for weeks on end during monsoon with little or no power!

(Note that in order to do this, you DO need to purchase the cards in America; cards purchased in Canada for instance do not work)

I also have a travel hard drive and I transfer my TV shows/movies to that while not in use. I have yet to fill my 80gb iPod, but I did fill my laptop hard drive rather quickly!

 

[castanea1985]

Hi Donna
One great thing about Apple is there universal guarantee. I bought an I pod mini in Washington when they first came out a few years ago and have had no problems at all.
I pods also keep their prices too!
My DH will be selling his current video ipod before we go at Christmas, then will be buying the new ipod when we get there!
Tracy

 

[jctwizzer]

The Ipod I had evidently accepted music transfers directly from Apple computers only......There's a conversion process for PC's, but I was never able to get it to work. Apple exchanged the Ipod twice and I still had no luck...They were reluctant to take it back until I told I evidently wasn't smart enough to transfer music to it thru my PC. Also many of the music sites do not work with Ipod, except for imusic.
Went with a Sansa mp3 unit and have had no
problems transferring songs from a number of inernet sites....it's much more
staightforward to use than the Ipod. I'm sure other mp3 units work equally well, but Sansa is the one I had success with. IMHO Apple has made the Ipod difficult to use with non Apple equipment and I would shy away from it for that reason alone........