ipod or ipod nano ?

[pippip]

I have decided to get myself an ipod so I can take advantage of Japanese 101 on the go. However I 'm not sure which is best, an ipod or ipod nano. Is having a screen (which you dont have with a nano) a big advantage? I'd appreciate any comments from those of you who use either. Thanks.

[Tom]

I think you mean iPod Shuffle when you say iPod Nano; the Nano has a screen while the Shuffle does not.

Anyway, if you get an iPod with a screen, there is some text to go with the audio that you can take advantage of. I have never done this (I don't have an iPod), but I assume it's a transcript or vocabulary or something.

[Psy]

Ignore the shuffle as you can't control the songlist. Whether to go for an iPod or a Nano depends on what you want to do: iPod has a ton of space and support for video; Nano has far less space, no* video support, but will easily fit in your pocket. If language learning on-the-go is your primary use, go for the Nano.

*video is technically possible, but you have to do a lot of geek-level operations to get it working.

[seanolan]

I'd have to say go for the full-sized iPod with the video capabilities. Even if all you want it for is learning Japanese (and once you get an iPod, I promise you will use it for more!) there are a lot of other resources out there (for instance, NHK's Japanese lessons) that are offered as videos, and even though the iPod generally only plays MP4 format, you can easily convert almost any format to MP4 and watch a Japanese lesson on the bus, train, or in almost any situation. I'd even suggest getting the 60 gb version over the 30 gb (which I have) because you will be amazed at how quickly you fill it up.

Sean

[Tom]

Ignore the shuffle as you can't control the songlist.

That's not true, as you can use playlist mode to go through songs in the order you specify in iTunes.

[hana_izumi]

I was using ipod video, and it's useful in the sense that there's a display for song lyrics so you can practice looking at the words while you listen. So, I guess the same goes with the tracks available in this site.

[Belton]

my 2¢ (I use an iPod video)

iPod video. If cost isn't a factor.

A shuffle is much cheaper and you might be happy with just audio and swapping playlists in and out if you have a large collection.

But,

The iPod video while not as small as a shuffle (or a nano) is quite small and easy to carry.
The screen is useful. To find tracks. To read lyrics. To do the iLearning Center thing from this site.
And it's so much more convenient to have all your stuff stored in one place on a large drive I think. (just don't lose it)

One thing I will say is get some decent closed headphones. Any earbuds I got from Apple were pretty pathetic. (I like Sony's in-ear fontopeia earbuds myself. They block out most commuting noise (closed design) and you don't annoy other people with tinny sound leaks)

[pippip]

Thank you for all the replies to my question. Today I went out and bought myself an ipod (full ipod with video). Now I guess I just have to figure out how to use it.
Thanks again folks,
Pippip

[bonitoclub]

And to see the lesson transcript while you're listening, press the middle button twice. I discovered this by accident. It's great when listening on the train and you want to check something.

- Tony

[jaypunkrawk]

I would prefer the larger screen of the iPod for checking out the vocabulary and dialogue. At least it's what I have, and I like it! iPodが大好き！

[Ulver_684]

I would prefer the larger screen of the iPod for checking out the vocabulary and dialogue. At least it's what I have, and I like it! iPodが大好き！

I agree with you Jay-san! I'll go for the Sexy iPod!

iPod nano screen is too small and beside it is too thin!

[ddell]

I use a nano with jp101 -- the course notes are very useful since you can follow along with new vocab (well, not if you're listening while driving!). The screen isn't too small -- my 47 year old eyes can read it just fine.

I like the portability of it. I keep it in my shirt pocket and it's always available when I have a free minute for reviewing a lesson.

I agree with the other posters about the shuffle -- you have only one playlist and you can't choose the lesson by looking at the list.

I have created playlists in iTunes for each lesson type (Newbie, Beginner, etc), and I copy the lessons there from the Podcast section. This way I can find the lesson I want faster. One problem with the nano's small screen -- I shorten the lesson titles by removing the word "lesson", etc so I can see more useful title in the nano's screen. For example:

Original title: Beginner Lesson #52 - Rainy Day (end cut off on nano screen)
Modified title: Beginner#52: Rainy Day (all displayed on nano)

I could probably also remove the word "Beginner" since I put only Beginner episodes into the "Beginner" playlist.

[littlenemo]

I really like my Nano and never thought I would ever get interested in any of the big models.

Now that I've started using the lesson notes on my iPod, I am changing my mind. Yes, they are readable even on the tiny Nano screen, at least in Romaji and Hiragana.

The more complicated Kanji aren't really recognizable though, and as I've decided to learn writing Kanji as well I prefer a device where I can clearly read every stroke in a Kanji.

Could any of the big-screen iPod owners please comment? Is the iPod's resolution much better than the Nano's or do they simply fit more text on the screen?

[Ulver_684]

I really like my Nano and never thought I would ever get interested in any of the big models.

Now that I've started using the lesson notes on my iPod, I am changing my mind. Yes, they are readable even on the tiny Nano screen, at least in Romaji and Hiragana.

The more complicated Kanji aren't really recognizable though, and as I've decided to learn writing Kanji as well I prefer a device where I can clearly read every stroke in a Kanji.

Could any of the big-screen iPod owners please comment? Is the iPod's resolution much better than the Nano's or do they simply fit more text on the screen?

Littlenemo-san!

Your right! ipod Nano looks great but I still have my doubts will see! I'm going to get one for my birthday 23 (June 2 2007) I also own a ipod video and it's much bigger, heavy but much better with more text fits on the screen too.

[swiftman]

is the 80 GB really necessary? or would 30GB be sufficient.