I’ve been enjoying my new iPod for a couple weeks now, and figured I would write a little review… so on to the show!
Comparing the 5th Gen. iPod (2006) to the Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 (2002)
The iPod wins on these counts:
Display: The iPod display is great, with anti-aliased text for titles, and bright colors for the album covers. The videos look excellent as well. The Jukebox’s screen is tiny, and it’s just b&w lcd. Not really nice to look at.
Podcasts: iTunes makes it really easy to subscribe to and manage podcasts. If I wanted to listen to a podcast on the Jukebox, it would have to be an mp3, and I’d have to copy it over like any other song. Kind of a hassle. In fact, too much of a hassle to even get me to try to listen to any. Maybe there are apps that will make it easier, but I haven’t found them. With the iPod/iTunes, it’s right there in front of you.
Physical size: The iPod is tiny! It takes up hardly any space in my bag or jacket pocket. The Jukebox was big. Like a CD player, only thicker.
Storage size: 30GB for the iPod and 20GB for the Jukebox
Visual design: The iPod looks so cool. Slim, shiny and glassy. The Jukebox looks so “dasai”. (uncool) Bulky, dull and plasticky. No one would think to steal my Jukebox, though.
Video: the iPod’s got it, the Jukebox doesn’t. I love watching podcasts and videos while falling asleep in bed.
The Jukebox wins on these counts:
Controls: This is where the Jukebox scores big. Clunky old buttons with good feeback are a real good thing to have. The iPod’s slick wheelie thing is simply hard to use for precise control, like when you have to select something that is one “click” away, the wheel is a pain. For instance, changing a rating from 3 stars to 4 is harder than changing 3 stars to 5. The scroll wheel on the Jukebox is more precise and easier to control, since it is “stepped” scrolling. Plus, the Jukebox’s old-school buttons make it easy to operate without needing to look at it. And you know how much volume you are changing by the number of time you press the button. On the iPod, you need to look at the screen to know how much you had changed the volume. The iPod’s smooth wheel and button may look cool, but it makes it really hard to use without looking at it. Plus, it’s too sensitive. If I am reaching for it, it’s too easy to mistakenly change the volume by brushing the wheel with my finger. And if I don’t hit the button squarely, I will change the menu item right before the button gets pressed down, resulting in the iPod playing the podcast just below the one I wanted to hear. And I wish the big center button was a bit more distinct than the wheel.
Sound Quality: I never realized how good the Creative Nomad’s line-out 98dB signal-to-noise ratio quality was until I compared it to the iPod’s headphone out. The iPod sounds good, but it can’t touch the crystal-clear audio of the Jukebox’s dual line-out ports.
A toss-up:
Durability: The iPod feels very fragile. I guess that’s the tradeoff, though, and one that I will definitely go for. Smaller and lighter is better as far as a portable music player is concerned. However, the iPod scratches *way* too easily. Just brushing my thumb across it made a bunch of hairline scratches within the first few minutes of use.
Syncing/File Transfer: The iPod is more automated and user-friendly. The Jukebox software is more manual. Just depends on what kind of user/mood you are in. With 3rd party software, though, you can have a range of solutions for either one.