i pod i tunes

[FUZZYBEE]

I'm a total techno-phobe so sorry if this is a stupid question but here goes, I am planning to buy hubby an i pod touch do you pay for songs from i tunes? if so how much per song please.
Many thanks in advance.
fuzzy
also has anyone any preferences with i pods, is the touch just a gimmick because of the screen and should I just buy a NANO ?

[Hammer]

You don't have to pay again for your music if you already have the CDs. You can transfer all your CDs to your PC and then copy them across to your ipod.

You can buy music from apple if you like, I think it's about 80p per track and you just get a digital copy with restrictions about where you can copy it to - copying it to 1 or 2 ipods is fine, but sharing with all your friends is not, in a nutshell.

The basic difference between the touch and the nano is the size. If you want your whole CD collection on it go for a touch, if you don't then go for a nano (an 8gb nano will probably hold around 100 - 200 albums)

[fo3nix]

I'd disagree with the previous comparison of the touch and nano. Nano uses a regular scroll wheel and is very small. The touch has the same advanced multitouch screen as the iPhone and is larger. It also has a full web browser, and a calendar and all sorts of other stuff. The screen is no gimmick. Soon most electronic players will use something similar.

If you husband wants just a small music player, go for the iPhone. Otherwise, the touch is the one to go for.

Music: above is correct. Music bought on iTunes is just for iPod. If you buy something else, your music won't play (the record industry is at fault; most other legal stores are the same). As such, buy music on cd and use iTunes to put it on your iPod for you.

[FUZZYBEE]

Thank you for your answers, I didn't know you could use your own cd's. That's a bonus because we have loads.
Another question though, do you just download single tracks on i-tunes or do you have to download a whole album? Have i-tunes an on screen catalogue to choose from or do you have to know what you want to download in advance ? really sorry I have no idea about all this new fangled stuff.

[fo3nix]

single or album, and yes it's very easy. I'd try and persuade you not to though.

[Hammer]

I bow down to fo3nix's greater knowledge about the touch, and I agree that I would not recommend buying online - there are too many restrictions about what you can and can't do with it. In my opinion, you are better off buying the CD.

[fo3nix]

(Just seen a glaring error in my above answer. Where I wrote "If you husband wants just a small music player, go for the iPhone", I of course meant nano.)

[FUZZYBEE]

Thanks again people. Sounds like there's something I don't know about, is it really that difficult and troublesome to use i-tunes?
I'm assuming it's with regards to copyright etc ? Hubby is a postie and gets bored with all the chat on Radio, he likes a real mixture of music but not necessarily whole albums and it would literally be just for that purpose whilst he is at work. I just thought the touch looks good and it stores photo's too.
any more thoughts guys ?

[fo3nix]

iTunes is a program you run on your computer, which organises your music (to listen to it on your computer), as well as handling the iPod itself. You plug your iPod in, and music that's set up in iTunes gets copied to it.

iTunes also has a "music store", which is where you can purchase music. Most legal music that can be bought online (as a download I mean), is wrapped with something called DRM (Digital Rights Management). Essentially, if they just gave you the music to download and listen to, you could share it illegally with your friends, on or off the internet. The music industry don't want you doing this, so force DRM to be used. This prevents you from doing things with your music.

I, and many others, dislike this immensely. This is because it takes away your personal freedoms. If you've bought this music, its stands to reason that you should be able to do what you want with it (short of doing anything illegal with it of course). Even with CDs, it's illegal to share it with a friend. It's just that there's no protection, so everyone does it.

With DRM, it prevents you from doing things you should be able to do with your purchased music. For example, with a CD you can put it on your iPod, or any other music player you want. You've bought it, so can listen to it as you like.

With most legally downloaded music, you're restricted with what you can do with it. For example, music bought on the iTunes music store can only be played on iPods. If in a year or two you're bored of iPod and get another player, or just get something new, then you will lose all your music. Even though you purchased it completely legally, you're lose it all. The music you bought is only for iPods.

...

[fo3nix]

...

This is why illegal downloading is still so widespread, and will continue to be. The illegal music can be played on any device, and always will be able to be (since it's in standard music formats like mp3, and there is no DRM). So there's more advantage to gettting the music illegally.

I am still a fan of CDs, simply because I can put it on my iPod, as well as any other music player I may decide to buy in the future.

[FUZZYBEE]

Thanks again for your informative answers. I will probably still but one but use our cd.

[fathead]

I'm not good wit technology, but I just put my own cd's onto my ipod - I have a nano. I have only bought 4 songs from itunes just cos I really wanted them.
I have just bought one of those fm senders so it picks up your ipod on any radio, in the house or car, better than loads of cd's cluttering up my car door pockets.Good luck FUZZYBEE, if I can do it , you can.