What makes ipods so special?

What makes iPods so special??? All of the people that I know think that they are awesome, but I can't figure out how to use them!

I don't think iPods are special. There are lots of digital music players out there. I think iPods are a good product.

iPods are expensive, but sleek and attractive. I find the click wheel and interface very intuitive; perhaps it will get easier after you use them for a while.

I can also play mp3s on my Palm Zire 72 and my Sony PSP but I do notice that the same files sound better on my iPod.

My biggest problem with them is that they are basically disposable. The battery is sealed inside making a battery replacement expensive enough that you are better off just buy a new and improved model when you iPod quits holding a charge after a year or two.

there's nothing really special about iPods anymore these days. what sells them is that they keep getting thinner and that they're backed by a big name company (Apple). people associate the quality of a product with a name. for instance, someone says they want a good system to play a video game on. you say, xbox/playstation/nintendo gamecube.

like filletofspam said, the problem is that iPods aren't designed for the long haul in mind. it seems every two years (if that) Apple comes out with a thinner, better, more stylish generation of iPods that basically leaves last years models in the dust. and even if you wanted to stay loyal to your old school iPod, you'd have a hard time finding even Apple support to replace the parts and would basically drive yourself into financial madness. all mp3 players these days have basically risen to meet at least the standards iPod users have: photo, video/audio capability, etc. some have even gone above that, like Zunes which offer a radio capability (very nifty) and a larger screen.

another problem iPod is probably going to run into is that they're unknowingly undoing themselves by releasing things like the iPhone. it's basically an iPod that makes phonecalls. people will buy that over an iPod simply because of the double-touch property it has (and for the fact its a phone... that's important too I suppose). they're one saving grace lies in the hope that people aren't intrigued enough to switch their phone services entirely to get their hands on an iPhone (currently, they're released exclusively to one provider).

what it comes down to is, iPods WERE special years ago because they weren't cd players and could hold more songs than most people will ever hear.

Marketing. Thats about it.

Apple is apparently doing something write in that department. There are a lot of other MP3 players that are better and even cheaper than iPod. Don't fall for the fad. Be a rebel!

Fight the good fight. :D

hehe...shhhpeshhhial

I have a psp, ipod shuffle,the new ipod nano,mp3 playerr. I love my new ipod nano. <3

I think IPod's are special because you can take your music anywhere and listen to it anytime. I love my IPod nano and you can also put photos in it. If you love music you will love IPods.