Apple 40 GB iPod from HP (MP103)
By: Hewlett-Packard Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 27
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 On: 2008-01-04
I bought one of these POS 40 gig HP - MP103. It was DOA. The Seller replaced it. The 2nd one was always buggy and crashed within 60 days. I spent 60 minutes on the phone with India. Only the run around. The HP internet "care center" it should be more like the HP "screw the customer center" does not even recognize the part number, so you can not get internet support. Oh yes, they no longer offer phone support for their Ipods...click. Waste of time, waste of money. Id suggest never buying ANY product from HP
On: 2007-02-27
My daughter bought her Dad a 40GB IPOD for Christmas in 2004. Unaware that she had purchased an HP/Apple IPOD, everything seemed rosy until about a year later when it needed a new battery.
I brought it to an Apple Store and after waiting 45 minutes for an "appointment," the geek took one look at the HP logo on the back and simply said, "Cant do, its HP, not Apple." After arguing back and forth, I was told to contact HP.
It seems that HP and Apple had entered into a short-lasting partnership around 2004 in which Apple would design the IPOD, HP would stick its name on it and sell it, and in return, HP would configure their computers with ITUNES. The deal was terminated in less than a year.
Getting back to the story, after much prodding with HP, I was able to reset my IPOD using the AC charger, but was told that I would need to contact a 3rd party for the battery.
I searched on the internet and found a battery for approx $59 that included two plastic pryers to open the hermedically sealed IPOD. They should use Apple to design the tiles for the Space Shuttle, theyll never come off! After hours of trying, and only minimal damage to the case, I was finally able to replace the battery.
Skip to Feb 2007. Upon connecting IPOD to computer to download songs from ITUNES, I get the cute little Apple sad face :( with an exclamation point ! which means...YOURE SCREWED AGAIN, SUCKER! I am now back in the same dumpster I was in when I bought the $59 battery. I will not buy another one. I will dump my IPOD, burn all the tunes in ITUNES to a cd, copy to hard drive and transfer to a new mp3 player.
Heres why the title of this post is what it is: Both HP and Apple have shirked their responsibility to their customers so that they could make a quick buck. Sell the product, get the money, and leave the customer hanging. HP entered into an agreement with Apple, it didnt work out, and now their customers pay the price.
Any company who designs an electronic product that takes a surgeon to remove a battery and charges $89 for the privilege is basically saying to their customers, "You are a SUCKER!" How much can that battery possibly cost them? A few bucks at most? Its easier to take the battery out of my computers motherboard!
And the arrogance of Apple with their smirky little "we dont repair HP products" even though it clearly says on the back of the case: Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China....& copyright 2004 Apple Computers, Inc. All rights reserved." Apparently, that means nothing to them.
There is only one thing left for me to do: I myself will never buy or recommend any device made by Hewlitt Packard or APPLE. This applies to any kind of product HP makes, Printers, Cameras, etc. There are many other choices to make for mp3 players. If you unfortunately happen to join the Apple ITUNE family, Im sure that when your battery runs out, your service contract expires, they leave you in the lurch, and you are forced to pay as much as you would for an automobile battery that lasts 3-5 times longer, you will probably be of the same opinion.
On: 2006-07-01
away from this product. HP will not honor its warranty. If you want an iPod, get it from an Apple distributor.
On: 2006-03-03
I too own a 40GB ipod from HP that I purchased in Dec 2004. The whole kit cost me close to $500. It seems from the other reviews I read that the time frame that these ipods were made they are all defective. This is my third one since I purchased it. The first two did not work due to know fault of my own. I just got a file on the screen both times and after hours of tech support they still could not tell me anything other then it was corrupt software. After loading everything on my new one it happened again only a couple of weeks later. Again they sent me a new one. Now Im aggraviated because I have to redo the ipod again. I decide to purchase the extended warranty only to be told when I needed tech support and it was a warranty for the Apple not the HP Apple. Well needless to say, I am left out to dry. Apple will not support this product and HP decided they no longer would be doing Ipods so if I needed repair I would have to take it to a service center and pay for it myself. Even though the product is not reliable they still would not let me upgrade to an Apple ipod. So tell me how a consumer who purchases a $500 piece of equipment is left to fix a defective product. I will never buy another HP product again and I will be taking further action against HP. They cant just leave their customers stranded like this.
On: 2006-02-16
Got mine in Dec. 2004. Worked until April, when it started skipping, randomly shutting off, not starting up, etc. So they sent me a replacement. Damaged in shipping. Send me another replacement that continually gave me (-64)errors ... that one last for 2 months before it stopped working ... the next replacement IPod worked from September through late January when it died ... the iPod would freeze after a song was selected and no matter what, you couldnt free it ... I had to let the power drain, then recharge, only to have it to it again.
So I call customer service at HP YET AGAIN and am told its 74 days out of warranty and that theres nothing that they can do. Ya know, that might be, but I paid nearly $600 for the first one, and have not had one last for more than a few months. Is this good product reliability? No. Good service on HP? Maybe, though I understand they have thresholds for repairs, this is idiotic. They should stand by a $600 product. Its not like I had one that lasted me even this long ... this product is terrible and I wouldnt reccomend it to anybody.
On: 2006-01-21
I own a 20G HP ipod...well own is a relative term I think it has spent more time at Hp then with me. I realize this is a different item, but I would like to warn everyone. My original Ipod which I received Dec 2004 broke in March, and was sent back, due to it continually skipping through songs. I received another one from Hp which lasted until...November 2005. That one just crapped out and showed me a file with an exclamation point that meant..the Hard drive had crapped out..so once again I sat on the phone with HP for hours doing what they asked me to before they would agree to service it. So I again sent it back. Well now on my third Ipod in 13 months and guess what???? It too is broken. The click wheel wouldnt work, it froze on certain songs and the computer didnt recognize that it was plugged into it. So after spending hours on the phone with HP for the third time, they offered another refurbished replacement. After I continued to complain they told me there was nothing further to be done because none of the problems were related. I did ask how that had any relevance considering these were three differenct ipods two of which they had sent me as replacements..they had no answer. Only that if I had yet another problem, which I am confident I will..then they will try to offer some other trade. And you can forget about getting an extended warranty they will only give you an extra 30 days from the time you get the new one. Buyer Beware!!! I love my IPOD its just unfortunate that I have had such a crappy time with its actual perfomance.
On: 2006-01-20
I own a 20G HP ipod...well own is a relative term I think it has spent more time at Hp then with me. I realize this is a different item, but I would like to warn everyone. My original Ipod which I received Dec 2004 broke in March, and was sent back, due to it continually skipping through songs. I received another one from Hp which lasted until...November 2005. That one just crapped out and showed me a file with an exclamation point that meant..the Hard drive had crapped out..so once again I sat on the phone with HP for hours doing what they asked me to before they would agree to service it. So I again sent it back. Well now on my third Ipod in 13 months and guess what???? It too is broken. The click wheel wouldnt work, it froze on certain songs and the computer didnt recognize that it was plugged into it. So after spending hours on the phone with HP for the third time, they offered another refurbished replacement. After I continued to complain they told me there was nothing further to be done because none of the problems were related. I did ask how that had any relevance considering these were three differenct ipods two of which they had sent me as replacements..they had no answer. Only that if I had yet another problem, which I am confident I will..then they will try to offer some other trade. And you can forget about getting an extended warranty they will only give you an extra 30 days from the time you get the new one. Buyer Beware!!! I love my IPOD its just unfortunate that I have had such a crappy time with its actual perfomance.
On: 2005-11-04
I accidently clicked the buy-in-1click button,
it was set on by default in my Amazon account. I
couldnt take a look at the product thoroughly.
and purchase the product from amazon market place
long thing short
i purchased the product from amazon market place for 265 dollars
less then 3 months back (the Product was a warranty replacements from HP thats why i got the product for 265 dollars from amazon market place i was told the product is good )
and the product is not working now... .... hardy after 2.5 months of purchasing the product
On: 2005-05-29
My friend had an ipod. It broke randomly on the bus 3 days after the warrenty expired. She paid for it herself and was very upset so really, what im saying is ipod is over-rated, over-priced and not made out for long-term use.
 On: 2005-02-16
both me and one of my family members hav ipods i have the 40 my son has the 20, both by hp, great support by hp, and a gra=eat by overall. I got a hp ipod for my birthday and got my son an hp 20 because of the support. both my son and I think if you have a big(over 5,000 songs)music library get a 40 if you have a smaller library get a 20 if you just want an ipod for the gym or if your a young child get a shuffle. but no matter what minis cost to much and arent worth it.
 On: 2005-02-13
i know i will love this but as my new ipod + hp was charging, i rounded up all my cds sorted them, read the manual front to back and sat down to download the software and get started. i cannot get the darn software installed. i keep getting thed 1607 error report and even after following every idea given, i am still without music.
it shouldnt be this hard
On: 2005-01-28
I researched mp3 players for months and months, spent hours in electronics stores, read all the Amazon reviews, and never once considered an iPod. Just some sort of Apple prejudice from my formative years, I guess.
Then I ran into a review for one of the myriad OTHER non-Apple mp3 players on Amazon that basically said, "Get an iPod. Youll be happy you did. Apple just does things right." I looked into the iPod, and after my initial sticker shock I realized the reviewer had been right. Instead of completely revamping designs every year or two, or coming out with esoteric new models with new gimmicks attached to them, Apple has spent the past 5 or so years PERFECTING the iPod. It is truly a beautiful machine, from the pristine exterior to the elegant controls and interface. Case in point--if you pull out the headphones while a song is playing, the player automatically PAUSES the song, and lets you restart it when the phones are back in. This is but one example of the many thoughtful features of the iPod that other manufacturers couldnt even get their kludgy machines to do.
There was a learning curve for me, what with converting everything into iTunes and all, but the trouble it took was FAR outweighed by the pleasure of owning such a stunning piece of electronics. I am sure the iPod will only get better as Apple keeps making new models.
That said, I have some advice for anyone thinking of buying one:
A) Research and choose a case for your iPod BEFORE you bring it home. Theyre beatiful, but extremely prone to scratches. And youll want to use it immediately. The case I bought (after a month of searching) was the iSkin eVo2, which came with a screen guard and a click wheel guard. There are products out there that will buff out scraches and dull areas out of your iPod, but getting them on there in the first place just feels bad.
B) Its also a good idea to research how to best extend the life of your iPods battery. There are proven techniques that can help avert premature battery drain, which is apparently a complaint of some iPod users, due to the non-user-replaceable battery.
My only two (extremely minor) complaints are: ONE, with the player in your pocket, you have to put your hand all the way AROUND the player to access the controls. Thats in contrast to having some or all controls available on the top of the unit. But, they make a plug-in device that puts supplementary controls on the top of the iPod now, so there you go.
TWO, unlike other media players, iTunes does not display song titles on the task bar. Its a minor pain to have to click over from what youre doing just to figure out whos singing. On the other hand, with the player minimized and set to "On Top Always", you dont have to deal with that, either.
Buy an iPod. Im serious. I dont give perfect ratings on anything, but truly the iPod is one of few things in this world close to perfection.
Enjoy!
On: 2005-01-27
I bought the 40GB iPod from HP with the intention of putting my entire music collection on it. I was successful. It turned out I only had about 2700 tracks of music (which I thought was a lot at the time), and am only using a little less than a quarter of the the capacity of the 40GB. I really could have saved some money by getting the 20GB model instead. Lesson learned: Take the time to count how many tracks youll be storing and then select the correct capacity leaving some room for future expansion.
As far as the operation and sound quality go, I am 100% satisfied.
Be prepared to purchase some armor for your iPod. I bought both the silicon and the leather versions of cases. The silicon armor is tough to get on and off of the iPod, but offers pretty good shock and dust protection. The leather armor is easier to take off but it more readily allows dust to get trapped against the iPod screen. I found that you have to remove the armor if you want to use a docking station.
One last note... you will probably want to get speakers to share your iPod music collection with others. Many brands are available, but Ill leave that up to your research.
 On: 2005-01-13
Despite the advertising, this ipod (and the 10 gb model, judging by posts elsewhere), is not suitable for active people. The music is stored on a hard drive, which functions only when it is still. To get around this, the unit has a "skip protection" memory buffer advertised to last 25 minutes. The buffer works for only 17 minutes, then the unit locks up and must be rebooted. Mine wouldnt reboot for a long time-- until long after I had finished my workout! Unless you need huge storage capacity, stick with a flash memory mp3 player or casette tapes.
On: 2004-12-31
I was shocked on Christmas morning to find this under the tree from my wife. I didnt ask for it or expect it, but 5 days later, I cant see how it wasnt on my list! Responding to a couple of the previous reviews; first, the HP-iPod does charge itself when connected to a pc via the Firewire cable and, second, after putting in over 5,000 songs from my CD collection the past few days, I had absolutely no problems with either the iTunes software or iPod. As a matter of fact, Ive had no problems whatsoever with anything. This is a gadget that begs for accessories. The first "must" is a case, then an FM transmitter, and so on.... I highly recommend this iPod, I dont see how it could be any different from the Apple version.
On: 2004-12-09
The first MP3 Jukebox I ever bought was the Nomad Jukebox back when 6gig was a big deal. I used a compact flash RCA Lyra (the original) as my first portable MP3 player. Since then Ive been through a few small yield MP3 players with solid state media and a Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen NX 20gig.
I never concidered getting an IPod due to the battery issue I wish they would solve, and a loathing of Apple products simply because I dont go for this whole computer chic thing.
I purchaced my IPod at a military BX. It was there and cheap, and I must admit I have been rather curious about the product. First I will say the fact it was an Apple IPod manufactured by HP made this a bit easier on me. I think the HP work helped it when I connected it to my computer. So I was rather shocked that it worked so well after the requisite 4 hour initial charge.
Once it was loaded I was ready to load it up with my music. The problem was I use RealPlayer for all my music. I had heard Real had been able to crack Apples little proprietary world and so I decided to do it that way. I found that as long as I never update the IPod firmware ahead of Reals upgrade to their IPod driver I was safe.
Picking this up against my Zen I noticed the obvious differences between the two. The Creative is about the size of an 80s portable tape player. The Ipod fit well into my hands, and the headphones were more comfortable then anything Ive really ever used. Even Ear buds from Sony make my ears hurt after an hour or so. The IPod earbuds havent caused any fatigue in my ears, and that in and of itself is impressive.
Im probably going to play around with redoing my music into Apples iTunes software. I dont buy music and I dont expect ever to buy any music that isnt on a CD. This isnt about the restrictions Apple and others put on it (Though that is a real factor) but more about having a real backup to my music collection. It may cost more, but at least I am confient all I have to do is just sitdown and be patient as I rebuild my music collection from the original CDs.
All in all I am very happy with this product. I plan to enjoy it for a long time and hope to see more. I more then likely will never buy a Mac computer as I prefer to build my computers. But I dont see any problems with the PC version of this IPod here. Honestly I think this is a good product and plan to keep up with it as needed in the future.
As with all products there is a downside. The lack of replaceable battery is a major concern of mine, and hope Apple will fix this problem in the future. Also, Id like to see it more open with some other music programs so transfering over playlists from other music programs.
All in all I give it a 4 out of 5. On the plus side we have the size and shape. The controls are easy to handle, organization and usage of music on the device is very easy. Also I do enjoy the headphones and the sound. On the down side definatly the battery issue, and the lock in with iTunes is a big annoyance at times.
On: 2004-11-25
I bought the HP version of the 40 Ipod and struggled for hours, to no avail, just to get the software set up. I returned it to the store and found that I was one of about 15 this week to return the HP version to that same store. I exchanged for the Apple PC version and was up and running within 30 minutes.
I have a HP Media Center, which for some reason conflicted with the software.
I will never purchase HP again.
On: 2004-10-26
Love this product. Sounds great, works great. No problems at all with the setup and operation, and Im not the most computer literate person in my family. Having my entire CD collection at my fingertips is a wonderful thing. My only beef is that the headphones, (which I had planned to upgrade anyway), worked for only a few minutes before the right bud began sputtering. Didnt complain because I was happy it wasnt the Ipod itself. For that much money youd think the earphones would have lasted longer AND been able to wear with some comfort. Also, I believe the Itunes site could use a little work to become more user friendly but in the end, a great product.
On: 2004-10-25
Love this product. Sounds great, works great. No problems at all with the setup and operation, and Im not the most computer literate person in my family. Having my entire CD collection at my fingertips is a wonderful thing. My only beef is that the headphones, (which I had planned to upgrade anyway), worked for only a few minutes before the right bud began sputtering. Didnt complain because I was happy it wasnt the Ipod itself. For that much money youd think the earphones would have lasted longer AND been able to wear with some comfort. Also, I believe the Itunes site could use a little work to become more user friendly but in the end, a great product.
On: 2004-10-17
Hi,
I got my IPOD @ COMPUSA before I headed off for Europe for 6 months -- BIG MISTAKE! I tried to get connect my unit to my Win XP laptop and ended up getting an error message on the screen. I called HP Tech Support who not only had no clue what the error message meant (the unit displayed a folder with an exclamation mark on it), but they also had no process in place to help if I was calling from outside the US. I will end up having to send the unit back to the US and pay for it (!!!) and theyll then send it back to my parents only so that Ill have to pay to get it shipped back again! SO STAY AWAY OF HP SERVICE, wherever you are....
by: darthkommissar On: 2004-10-12
Early in the twenty-first century, MP3 players became a very popular way for people to listen to music, and with good reason - rather than hauling around a whole mess of CDs, people were able to fit practically their entire music collection in the palm of their hand! By far the most popular MP3 player on the market is the iPod line, from Apple Computers. How does the 40 GB model, redesigned for 2004, measure up? Read on for my review.
PROS:
-THE DEVICE CAN FIT UP TO (APPROXIMATELY) TEN THOUSAND SONGS! If youre like me and you have tons of CDs (and I mean numbers of CDs in the hundreds), THIS DEVICE IS FOR YOU! More likely than not, youll be able to fit your entire discography onto the device!
-EASY TO USE ONCE YOU GET THE HANG OF IT. The click wheel and buttons may be a little tricky to use at first, but once you get the hang of them, youre going to wonder how you ever lived without them! Its MUCH easuer using this interface than the one on earlier iPods.
-THIS NEW MODEL HAS BEEN SLIMMED DOWN CONSIDERABLY. The new version of the 40 GB iPod is slimmer than its older 40 GB counterpart, making it much easier to carry around.
-THE NEW VERSION COSTS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN ITS OLDER COUNTERPART! Earlier 40 GB iPods were very pricey. This new version is no exception, but its gonna cost you about a hundred bucks less than the old one!
-THIS VERSION INCLUDES THE BASE! The base (normally sold seperately for a pretty large amount of money) is included with this version of the iPod, making it easier to charge your device and to listen to songs while youre at home!
-A DISC WITH THE SOFTWARE YOU NEED IS INCLUDED. The iPod works with Apples iTunes program, and youll get a CD that has the program on it with your iPod.
-SOFTWARE IS EASY TO USE. All you do to get music from your CDs into your iTunes library is stick the CD in your computer and press import! Its as simple as that!
-HEADPHONES INCLUDED. And the headphones included are actually very good ones! They are the earbud style, and they get the job done very well.
-THIS IS THE BEST DIGITAL MUSIC DEVICE ON THE MARKET, PERIOD! Not many other digital music players let you put ten thousand songs on them!
-BONUS FEATURES. The device includes some games, including Solitare and a ball-busting game similar to the arcade classic, Breakout. But the best of these bonus games is, by far, the music quiz. The player will play a song from your library at random, and you must guess (from a list of five songs) which one is playing! The faster you answer, the more points you get! This gets especially interesting when your digital music library gets to be as big as mine is.
-A BETTER VALUE THAN MOST DEVICES OF THE SAME TYPE. It really doesnt cost a whole lot more than the iPods that hold considerably less music, and it includes the base, making it the best value of all the iPods!
-ITS GOT A BACKLIGHT! This way, you can easily navigate your music library in the dark!
CONS:
-STILL PRETTY EXPENSIVE. Lets face the facts, not everyone needs a 40 GB digital music player. But still, its a much better value than any other iPod.
-GETTING MUSIC ONTO THE DEVICE IS CONFUSING AT FIRST. You MUST use iTunes for this - you cant simply click and drag. But once you get the hang of it, youll agree that iTunes is a good program.
-RETITLING SONGS/ARTISTS/ALBUMS GETS ANNOYING. This is a VERY time-consuming process, but if you DONT do it, youre going to end up with a jumbled mess of songs in your library. On the other hand, if you DO retitle them all, youre going to lose MANY hours of your social life.
-THE CHROME-STYLED BACK OF THE DEVICE IS POORLY DESIGNED. Because of the chrome stylings of this part of the player, it can easily get fingerprints on it, and get scratched. Why couldnt they just make the whole thing out of the same material?
-MANUAL IS NOT VERY HELPFUL. The manual is very small and doesnt have too many pages, and it doesnt really say a whole lot that will help you - youre better off just using the info thats on the iTunes installation CD.
OVERALL:
Let me put it simply - THIS is the digital music player that everybody should own. Maybe you dont need a 40 GB yet, but chances are your music library will grow enough that youll need one eventually, making this model the better choice in the long run. If youre going to shell out the cash for an iPod, you might as well get the best one of all. Final verdict? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ANYONE WHO OWNS A COMPUTER AND A LARGE CD COLLECTION.
On: 2004-10-11
I purchased the 40gb iPod about a week ago. My previous MP3 player was a Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox 20gb version. I finally decided to upgrade because the Nomad has a horrible battery life. It would rarely hold a charge over 2 hours, so I decided it was time to upgrade to a new MP3 player.
Ive been following the iPod for quite awhile and was very impressed with all of its positive reviews. Especially the sound quality and its battery life. When the new HP+ version of the iPod was released I decided it was time to buy. Apon checking my local retailer and online, there really wasnt much of a price difference so I decided to buy locally and save the time it takes for shipping.
There are two versions of the HP+ iPod. There is a 20-gigabyte version and a 40-gigabyte version with about a $100 price difference. I had originally planned on buying the 20gb model because I only have about 10 gigs of music and just dont need all that extra space. Apon closer examination I found the 40gb model also included a dock for easy syncing with my PC. Separately the dock costs $39.95 and I was going to buy one anyways. So for only $60 more I could have 20 more gigs of space. Thats great to have if I ever needed to back up any large files from my desktop.
The iPod was very well packaged. There wasnt a lot of garbage plastic and annoying ads telling me to buy accessories. The documentation included with the unit was concise and easy to follow. I had the unit up and charging in minutes although Windows XP did require a reboot to finalize the driver installation when I first plugged it in.
The sound is incredible! My old Nomad Jukebox was junk compared to this player. Im not sure what Apple has done to make sound quality this good, but it has to be heard to be believed. The iPods control wheel does take a little bit of getting used to but I quickly learned it can be completely controlled with just one hand. Im left handed and havent had any problems with it. Its also touch sensitive. Just lightly rubbing the wheel clockwise or counter-clockwise will adjust the volume or scroll through the iPods menus. The iPods casing feels very rugged and strong. I wouldnt recommend dropping it, but I think if I did it would survive.
Apple has designed this unit with simplicity in mind. There are only two ports on the unit. One is for the headphones and the other one can be used by the firewire or USB 2.0 cable. It automatically charges its self through this cable and doesnt have to be plugged in. If you do wish to charge it through a wall socket, an included hybrid power adaptor is included. Its basically a plug-in adaptor with a firewire port.
I was not impressed with the earbud headphones. Not that they have bad sound quality, quite the opposite, they sound excellent but they just wont stay in place for me. Wrap around headphones should have been included. I know earbuds are quite popular right now, but I really have problems with them. I had an ear operation a number of years ago and just dont have the ear support to keep them in place. Ive had to use wrap around earphones for years, which is no big deal since I already have a pair that I bought to use with my old MP3 player.
The bundled software is basic. Its just one program, but its very versatile. Its called iTunes. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but I got the hang of it in about an hour or so. iTunes automatically sorts all of your music into three categories. Genre, Artist and Album. This makes it easy to find music fast. Burning music to the iPod is a breeze. Just drop your CD into the computer and iTunes automatically updates the album name, tracks and artists for you. Just click the copy to iPod button and iTunes takes care of the rest! Play lists are easy to create and upload to the iPod. I have a travel play list for on the road, and a home play list for around the house. iTunes also gives you the option to preview and download music online. There is quite a variety of music to choose from. Whatever your taste in music, there is something for everyone. Ive already downloaded three songs and they only cost $.99 a piece. (Sure I could have gotten them for free, but I have a conscience) Entire albums can be downloaded for $9.99. To pay for the music iTunes can either charge a valid credit card or an active America Online account.
Positives:
- iPod has the best sound Ive heard
- 40gb version is the best deal and includes a dock.
- The dock is extremely handy and almost required
- Can display .txt, calendar and contact files
- Works as a backup hard drive
- Excellent battery life
- Built in games
Negatives:
- High Price
- Earbud Headphones
- Only Firewire & USB 2.0 Compatible (No USB 1.1)
- Can only be configured with one computer (No Swapping between 2)
Even with a few minor negatives this iPod gets 5 stars. Its the best MP3 player out there!
On: 2004-10-10
I purchased the 40gb iPod about a week ago. My previous MP3 player was a Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox 20gb version. I finally decided to upgrade because the Nomad has a horrible battery life. It would rarely hold a charge over 2 hours, so I decided it was time to upgrade to a new MP3 player.
Ive been following the iPod for quite awhile and was very impressed with all of its positive reviews. Especially the sound quality and its battery life. When the new HP+ version of the iPod was released I decided it was time to buy. Apon checking my local retailer and online, there really wasnt much of a price difference so I decided to buy locally and save the time it takes for shipping.
There are two versions of the HP+ iPod. There is a 20-gigabyte version and a 40-gigabyte version with about a $100 price difference. I had originally planned on buying the 20gb model because I only have about 10 gigs of music and just dont need all that extra space. Apon closer examination I found the 40gb model also included a dock for easy syncing with my PC. Separately the dock costs $39.95 and I was going to buy one anyways. So for only $60 more I could have 20 more gigs of space. Thats great to have if I ever needed to back up any large files from my desktop.
The iPod was very well packaged. There wasnt a lot of garbage plastic and annoying ads telling me to buy accessories. The documentation included with the unit was concise and easy to follow. I had the unit up and charging in minutes although Windows XP did require a reboot to finalize the driver installation when I first plugged it in.
The sound is incredible! My old Nomad Jukebox was junk compared to this player. Im not sure what Apple has done to make sound quality this good, but it has to be heard to be believed. The iPods control wheel does take a little bit of getting used to but I quickly learned it can be completely controlled with just one hand. Im left handed and havent had any problems with it. Its also touch sensitive. Just lightly rubbing the wheel clockwise or counter-clockwise will adjust the volume or scroll through the iPods menus. The iPods casing feels very rugged and strong. I wouldnt recommend dropping it, but I think if I did it would survive.
Apple has designed this unit with simplicity in mind. There are only two ports on the unit. One is for the headphones and the other one can be used by the firewire or USB 2.0 cable. It automatically charges its self through this cable and doesnt have to be plugged in. If you do wish to charge it through a wall socket, an included hybrid power adaptor is included. Its basically a plug-in adaptor with a firewire port.
I was not impressed with the earbud headphones. Not that they have bad sound quality, quite the opposite, they sound excellent but they just wont stay in place for me. Wrap around headphones should have been included. I know earbuds are quite popular right now, but I really have problems with them. I had an ear operation a number of years ago and just dont have the ear support to keep them in place. Ive had to use wrap around earphones for years, which is no big deal since I already have a pair that I bought to use with my old MP3 player.
The bundled software is basic. Its just one program, but its very versatile. Its called iTunes. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but I got the hang of it in about an hour or so. iTunes automatically sorts all of your music into three categories. Genre, Artist and Album. This makes it easy to find music fast. Burning music to the iPod is a breeze. Just drop your CD into the computer and iTunes automatically updates the album name, tracks and artists for you. Just click the copy to iPod button and iTunes takes care of the rest! Play lists are easy to create and upload to the iPod. I have a travel play list for on the road, and a home play list for around the house. iTunes also gives you the option to preview and download music online. There is quite a variety of music to choose from. Whatever your taste in music, there is something for everyone. Ive already downloaded three songs and they only cost $.99 a piece. (Sure I could have gotten them for free, but I have a conscience) Entire albums can be downloaded for $9.99. To pay for the music iTunes can either charge a valid credit card or an active America Online account.
Positives:
- iPod has the best sound Ive heard
- 40gb version is the best deal and includes a dock.
- The dock is extremely handy and almost required
- Can display .txt, calendar and contact files
- Works as a backup hard drive
- Excellent battery life
- Built in games
Negatives:
- High Price
- Earbud Headphones
- Only Firewire & USB 2.0 Compatible (No USB 1.1)
- Can only be configured with one computer (No Swapping between 2)
Even with a few minor negatives this iPod gets 5 stars. Its the best MP3 player out there!
On: 2004-09-29
First, this HP iPod is the same as the Apple iPod. There is an Apple store 1 block from my office and I took it in and compared them. The ONLY difference in the unit itself is a smal HP logo on the back.
I bought this simply because it was in stock and the "Apple" version wasnt, no other reason.
I really like my iPod for all the reasons everyone else does..its elegant, works well, holds a ton of music, etc. That said, here are a few cons I thought Id mention...
-Using the device as a hard-drive in Windows requires a setting that makes you "eject" each time you disconnect the cable. Seems like an odd extra step.
-USB connection charges the battery, Firewire doesnt.
-There are fewer cases/covers available for this new design without the buttons above the selector wheel. These things scratch so easily you need a case.
-Sometimes the wrong song title appears on the display, even though the file has the correct one in iTunes.
I also have a few issues with iTunes 4.6 for Windows, a key component of the iPod:
-The screen doesnt refresh automatically, showing a different song playing than actually is. Sometimes I get gibberish on the screen.
-The music store is often quite slow to respond to searches or even hangs.
-Theres not enough information on the music to make purchase decisions, so I find myself browsing at Amazon and then buying at iTunes.
-Different iTunes songs have different volume levels. I think theres a setting to make them all the same, but I havent found it.
-Its hard to synch all your music onto multiple computers. I would like to have my music on my iPod, work laptop, and home desktop. Getting them all the same isnt easy.
-You really have to watch pricing on albums. Most albums cost $9.99 and most songs cost 99 cents. If there are less than 10 songs on an album, you still get charged $9.99, even if you could get all the songs individually for less.
-I had one of the original Rio MP3 players and ripped a lot of songs using their software, which combined song-album-artist into one field. iTunes doesnt parse these when importing.
-If I import music from a CD without an Internet connection, iTunes doesnt go to the CDDB later when I do have a connection to get track info.
Despite all the above, Im really enjoying my iPod, I just wanted to point out a few of the shortcomings in the hopes that Apple would address.
On: 2004-09-28
First, this HP iPod is the same as the Apple iPod. There is an Apple store 1 block from my office and I took it in and compared them. The ONLY difference in the unit itself is a smal HP logo on the back.
I bought this simply because it was in stock and the "Apple" version wasnt, no other reason.
I really like my iPod for all the reasons everyone else does..its elegant, works well, holds a ton of music, etc. That said, here are a few cons I thought Id mention...
-Using the device as a hard-drive in Windows requires a setting that makes you "eject" each time you disconnect the cable. Seems like an odd extra step.
-USB connection charges the battery, Firewire doesnt.
-There are fewer cases/covers available for this new design without the buttons above the selector wheel. These things scratch so easily you need a case.
-Sometimes the wrong song title appears on the display, even though the file has the correct one in iTunes.
I also have a few issues with iTunes 4.6 for Windows, a key component of the iPod:
-The screen doesnt refresh automatically, showing a different song playing than actually is. Sometimes I get gibberish on the screen.
-The music store is often quite slow to respond to searches or even hangs.
-Theres not enough information on the music to make purchase decisions, so I find myself browsing at Amazon and then buying at iTunes.
-Different iTunes songs have different volume levels. I think theres a setting to make them all the same, but I havent found it.
-Its hard to synch all your music onto multiple computers. I would like to have my music on my iPod, work laptop, and home desktop. Getting them all the same isnt easy.
-You really have to watch pricing on albums. Most albums cost $9.99 and most songs cost 99 cents. If there are less than 10 songs on an album, you still get charged $9.99, even if you could get all the songs individually for less.
-I had one of the original Rio MP3 players and ripped a lot of songs using their software, which combined song-album-artist into one field. iTunes doesnt parse these when importing.
-If I import music from a CD without an Internet connection, iTunes doesnt go to the CDDB later when I do have a connection to get track info.
Despite all the above, Im really enjoying my iPod, I just wanted to point out a few of the shortcomings in the hopes that Apple would address.
On: 2004-09-25
I have seem so many bad reviews for both the 20GB version of +HP Ipods and the 40 GB version of +hp Ipods. The reviewer seems to not understand the whole concept of the technology share venture between HP and Apple. Apple has good design, HP has its manufacturing and Marketing power. Its a natural combination!
Ive been wanting to buy an ipod for quite a while now and IT IS very difficult to find an APPLE brand 20 GB 4th Gen Ipod! Apple simply cant keep up with the demand! The +HP brand Ipod is EXACTLY the same as the Apple Brand Ipod. The only few difference are listed here
- HP Logo at the back of ipod player (Nothing serious here)
- HP support (Not bad either, 24/7 with quick pickup)
- Allows HP Ipod custom printable skins (Nice addition, but the skins would probablly work on regular Apple IPods as well).
- PC Softwares (Does this really matter? +HP ipod would also work on Macs if you download itune for macs)
People kept on complaining about no WMA support. Remember Apple IPOD design is a copyrighted design by apple. If apple dont want to offer WMA support, there is nothing HP can do about it! HP simply helps the manufacturing and distribution!!! Nothing else. BTW, Hp invented is simply a catchy marketing phrase. The main core business of HP is printers and computers, did HP invent either one of these??? Dont concentrate too much on their marketing techniques, what really matters is the product.
Everything else is exactly the same! Even the apple logo still exist on the back of this ipod player.
So the only big difference I can see is apple support or HP support. To me, I dont really care. But if you really want Apple support dont get this. Otherwise dont look any further.
On: 2004-09-24
This is totally a rebranded Apple iPod under the uglier skin. People had hoped for HP adding WMA support, but there is none in this. If you want an iPod, get the real thing. If you want a really good MP3 jukebox, check out the Creative Zen Touch. HP has very poor tech support, by the way, so the ten bucks you save over the iPod doesnt make this a better value.
On: 2004-09-24
I have seem so many bad reviews for both the 20GB version of +HP Ipods and the 40 GB version of +hp Ipods. The reviewer seems to not understand the whole concept of the technology share venture between HP and Apple. Apple has good design, HP has its manufacturing and Marketing power. Its a natural combination!
Ive been wanting to buy an ipod for quite a while now and IT IS very difficult to find an APPLE brand 20 GB 4th Gen Ipod! Apple simply cant keep up with the demand! The +HP brand Ipod is EXACTLY the same as the Apple Brand Ipod. The only few difference are listed here
- HP Logo at the back of ipod player (Nothing serious here)
- HP support (Not bad either, 24/7 with quick pickup)
- Allows HP Ipod custom printable skins (Nice addition, but the skins would probablly work on regular Apple IPods as well).
- PC Softwares (Does this really matter? +HP ipod would also work on Macs if you download itune for macs)
People kept on complaining about no WMA support. Remember Apple IPOD design is a copyrighted design by apple. If apple dont want to offer WMA support, there is nothing HP can do about it! HP simply helps the manufacturing and distribution!!! Nothing else. BTW, Hp invented is simply a catchy marketing phrase. The main core business of HP is printers and computers, did HP invent either one of these??? Dont concentrate too much on their marketing techniques, what really matters is the product.
Everything else is exactly the same! Even the apple logo still exist on the back of this ipod player.
So the only big difference I can see is apple support or HP support. To me, I dont really care. But if you really want Apple support dont get this. Otherwise dont look any further.
On: 2004-09-23
This is totally a rebranded Apple iPod under the uglier skin. People had hoped for HP adding WMA support, but there is none in this. If you want an iPod, get the real thing. If you want a really good MP3 jukebox, check out the Creative Zen Touch. HP has very poor tech support, by the way, so the ten bucks you save over the iPod doesnt make this a better value.
On: 2004-09-18
What can I say other than "WOW" This is one of the best products that HP introduced. The best MP3 player ever! The other cool thing is that the 24/7 support from hp now all I have to do is call one number and get support for all my HP products. Great job HP!!! Keep inventing!
 On: 2004-09-18
This is a great product but there is a difference in support between HP and Apple iPods. I was having problems with iTunes not correctly importing my song ID tags (see below) so I called HP. HP told me that it does not support iTunes, and then I called Apple and they told me that they do not support iTunes for HP iPods-Only Apple iPods!!! Apple verifies that you have an Apple iPod by the serial number, which they require for tech support. Further, I believe iTunes is the only application that you can use with the new iPods, so you dont have a choice to use a program that works better for you. What are they thinking??? I hope they correct this issue as soon as possible.
I believe iTunes may need some fine tuning because my song tags were fine on my old iPod (2G), MusicMatch, Windows Explorer, XPlay, etc., but when I imported the songs into iTunes, many of my songs (a couple hundred of them) had extra spaces at the end of artist, album, and track names, and some genres changed among other issues. It looks like iTunes reverted the songs to their original tags from long ago. It took a couple of hours to get them back the way I had them.
On: 2004-09-17
What can I say other than "WOW" This is one of the best products that HP introduced. The best MP3 player ever! The other cool thing is that the 24/7 support from hp now all I have to do is call one number and get support for all my HP products. Great job HP!!! Keep inventing!
On: 2004-09-13
No worries, when you order this item it comes with "ipod for PC" emblazened all over it, but it still works just the same on your mac. If you would like to go thru hp and get their warranty, feel free, i dont know if its better than apples and i dont know if theres an hp equivilent to "applecare" but with hps marketing muscle, there will now no longer be problems getting ipods. I had to wait weeks for amazon to even have this item, but now that its here, im in nirvana. :)
On: 2004-09-05
Just a correction to another review - I have the 4G 40 Gig Apple iPod, and it DOES include both USB and Firewire cables. Ive seen this one too, and its another fine product (but then, its pretty much the same thing as Apples product, since HP licensed it from Apple.)
On: 2004-09-03
This is a great new offering from HP! This iPOD is better in the fact that you get great reliability and support from HP. In addition, HPs iPOD provides a USB 2.0 AND Firewire cable with the product. A $20 option Apple doesnt provide! PC lovers rejoice!
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