What is the best I-pod to use for J-Pod 101?

[ShiroiNeko]

I am thinking about getting an I-Pod so that I can get access to the lesson text and other features while commuting to and from work.

I am looking at a 16 Gb Nano, but is this the best one to get?
Are there any models which can't use J-Pod features?
Can they all play the videos?
Can they show the pdfs?
Are there any I should avoid at all costs?
... or are there any other mp3 players that do a better job ?
( and so on )


Comments and recommendations accepted with thanks !!

FierceKat ooOO ( Nya, Nya )

[Psy]

Are there any models which can't use J-Pod features?

Old ones. Also, the iPod Touch/iPhone are the only models which are going to support anything beyond audio/video.

Can they all play the videos?

All modern models except the shuffle.

Can they show the pdfs?

The touch can.

Are there any I should avoid at all costs?

The shuffle, or anything more than 1 year old.

... or are there any other mp3 players that do a better job ?

Probably. I have a 3rd gen nano and love it, but depending on your needs you might be better suited with something else. The 4th gen nano (what you'll find in the electronics stores nowadays) is a huge improvement on mine, so assuming I was in the market for a new device, I would either choose it or the iPod touch. For jPod 16 gigs is more than enough (I'm quite cozy with 8gb). I've always been a big fan of the apple MP3 players (some people report problems, but the three iPods I've owned have served remarkably well), and unless anything comes out that really blows them out of the water, I'm likely to stay loyal to the brand. Still, shop around-- there's a lot available.

Happy shopping.

[ShiroiNeko]

Psy-san, thank you for the advice

[Javizy]

It has to be the Touch, doesn't it? I'd say flat-out right now go and buy it, and curse me all you want if you don't feel you've gotten full value for money. The pricing of the Nano is an insult when you compare the features. I was going to get my dad one for his birthday, assuming they were proportionately cheaper, and would've spat out my coffee, if I'd been drinking any, when I saw the prices.

If you don't have an electronic dictionary, you save yourself at least £100.
You can type Japanese (including writing kanji with your finger), which you can save or e-mail.
You can use flash cards (including Anki) wherever you are.
You can read the manga from the store and the e-books from i文庫.
You can view the PDFs.
You can play games like KanjiPop and 四字四字ロジック.
You can watch videos on a screen big enough to read subtitles.
Assuming you have WiFi access, you can go to whatever website you want (including Veoh), e-mail your friends, and well, use the Internet.
You prepare yourself for whatever awesome apps will be released in future

The screen and the amazing multi-touch interface (which you'll definitely love) would justify the price difference for me. Just doing simple things like browsing your music is so much easier. It's also a very sleek, good-looking gadget, and thin enough not to bulge out in your pocket, despite the nice big screen

[ShiroiNeko]

Javizy-san,

The i-Touch does look impressive !!
A couple of questions, onegaishimasu

-- PDFs
How do you bring up the pdfs?
Do you need the new pdfs, or the pdf lite?

-- Bringing up the lesson text
I've heard on many of the JPOD promos "Click on the centre button to bring up the lesson text" - never having an i-Pod, I've never seen this feature in use
Can the lesson text still be viewed with the i-Touch ?

FierceCat ooOO ( wun, wun ? )

My new job is a 40 minute train trip, twice a day - a good chance to get some study done ..

[プチクレア]

I agree 100 % with Javizy-さん. If you want to buy an Ipod for use with Jpod, go for the Ipod Touch (or the iPhone). If you only use Jpod, and only the main tracks, 16 Gb is OK (my playlist of Jpod main tracks only, every one of them since the very first podcast, is 8,47 Gb); if you are planning on adding other languages, or music, maybe you should consider a 32 Gb (even though the price is steep).

To answer some of your questions :

You need to use the PDF lites. To Put them on the iPod, you need a software such as "Memory Stick" (0,79 € in the App Store) which connects wirelessly to your computer. Then you just have to drag-and-drop the files. There are other free apps that do the same, but I've had problems with them while "memory stick" has always been reliable.

Bringing up the text from the lessons : I haven't used this one in a while, but it used to work on my iTouch with Koreanclass lessons. It only works with audio files you transfered over from your computer, though, and last time I checked the regular (ie free) feed had only romaji text, with kana-and-kanji text in the premium dialogue tracks

One very cool feature that Javizy-さん hasn't mentioned is that you can now stream or download the podcasts directly on your iTouch through mobile iTunes Store.It means that if you have wi-fi access during your lunch hour (let's say), you can either listen or directly download podcasts without going through your computer ! Very convenient if you are away from your computer for a few days and want to keep in touch.

[Javizy]

The 'touch the screen' thing Peter is always on about shows the lyrics field of the file. It generally seems to be the kana transcript with the English following, but the audio blog has the kanji transcript sometimes, and the beginner lessons have romaji. Since you can copy and paste from the new PDF's, you can just copy whatever transcript you want and paste it into the lyrics section that of lesson.

Another cool feature is that music keeps playing while running most applications that don't require sound, so you can use whatever dictionary you get while listening to the lessons. If you hear a word in the banter that you don't know, you can look it up in seconds. You can even use the double tap shortcut to pause it while you do it without exiting the application.

There are tons of apps in the store, and I'm sure you'll find some you like that aren't related to Japanese as well. I have a bunch of brain training ones, an English dictionary, an e-book reader, a TV Guide, Premier league statistics, you name it