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Apple iPod classic (160GB)

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By Donald Bell, CNET.com
Sep 12, 2007

The iPod classic is the latest revamping of Apple's iconic hard drive MP3 player, formerly known as the Video iPod or fifth-generation iPod. As Apple's only remaining high-capacity MP3 player, the iPod classic comes in both 80GB (S$428 (US$303.89)) and 160GB versions (S$598 (US$424.60)), available in black or silver.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products and services in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.


Design

Cosmetically, the iPod classic's improvements over its predecessors are minor. An anodized-aluminum faceplate now replaces the glossy, all-plastic facade found on the previous generation. Overall thickness has also improved, with the 160GB iPod classic now measuring 104 x 61 x 13.5 mm--just a fraction of an inch thinner than the 80GB Video iPod we had in our lab. The new 80GB model is also slimmer than the earlier 30GB iPod. The screen, however, is still made from scratch-prone plastic (unlike the iPhone's and iPod Touch's), and the chrome found on the back cover still begs for smudges.


The iPod classic is nearly identical to the 30GB fifth-generation iPod (right). The iPod nano (left) now shares all iPod classic's capabilities, but in a much smaller format.
The classic's most impressive design improvement is its dramatically overhauled menu system. One of the most striking changes is a split-screen main menu that displays the selections on the right half of the screen and a picture related to the selection on the left. For example, highlight the Music selection on the main menu, and the right half of the screen displays a random, drifting close-up of cover artwork from your music library. This same effect accompanies menu items such as movies, podcasts, and photos. Some might write off this split-screen effect as pure novelty, but the end result is quite beautiful.

The Cover Flow system, for browsing your music collection with an emphasis on album artwork, finally makes its classic debut, although Cover Flow does lose some appeal when not on a touch-screen device such as the iPhone. We also found a noticeable amount of lag using Cover Flow. Users with large music collections to sort through will prefer browsing using the list mode or search function. That said, Cover Flow makes for a scenic and engaging, if slow, way to browse your music.

 
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