Yesterday we brought you a rundown of all the new iPods for 2008, but we also realize that some people still won’t know how to choose the right iPod for themselves or a loved one.
It can be confusing looking at all the various iPods and deciding which one will best suit your needs. So we’re going to give you a short checklist to hopefully help you ease that decision somewhat.
Age
If you are buying for someone other than yourself, how old is the person? If they are a child, you are probably going to see a mixture of a fair amount of use and not being quite as careful. Under the age of 10 would probably be best suited to an iPod Shuffle due to ease of use, low cost and sturdy construction. Ages 11 – 16 I would say an iPod Nano due to cool colors, decent storage size and the ability to do more. After the age of 16 you’ll probably need to look at other factors.
Number of Songs
How many songs does the person currently have in their music collection? And a second part of that question should be how much of the collection they want to take with them. If they only have a small collection, but fit the age criteria from above, I would say a Nano. A moderate collection would fall under the iPod Touch, and huge collections would have to go with the iPod Classic.
Video
Do they want to watch videos? If so, all but the Shuffle will play video, but you need to factor in amount of videos and how good their eye sight is. While the Nano and Classic will play videos, this is one area where the Touch really shines.
Internet
The only iPod to have Internet connectivity is the iPod Touch. If they are a heavy Internet user, this is the perfect choice for them, and with the ability to watch YouTube, and use streaming music apps like Pandora or Last.fm, it really extends this one beyond it’s maximum size of 32GB.
Summary
While it may seem daunting to pick out an expensive gadget for someone, it really is no more complicated than buying any other gift. It all centers on how well you know the person, what their needs are and what your budget is. Don’t let all the shiny colors scare you, the iPods won’t bite you, we promise.
