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Apple iPod classic 120 GB Black (6th Generation)

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Brand: Apple
Category: CE

List Price: ~~$249.99~~
Buy New: $219.95
You Save: $30.04 (12%)

New (17) from $218.99

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

171 reviews

Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: No
Display Size: 3.5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.4
Warranty: 1 year warranty

MPN: MB565LL/A
Model: MB565LL/A
UPC: 885909237036
EAN: 0885909237036

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Features:

•	120 GB capacity for 30,000 songs, 25,000 photos, or 150 hours of video
•	Up to 36 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video playback when fully charged
•	2.5-inch color LCD with LED backlight and 320-by-240-pixel resolution
•	Supported audio formats: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
•	Supported video formats: H.264, MPEG-4; Supported image file types: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG

Accessories:

•	Belkin Mobile Power Cord for iPod with Dock Connector (White)
•	Merkury Innovations Car Charger for iPod
•	Lenmar Charger with USB Charge Port for iPod (White)
•	Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro Earphones (Black)
•	Cables To Go 5-foot USB Sync Cable for iPod (White)

Space Available, and Lots of It

Meet a Musical Genius
Say you're listening to a song you really like and want to hear other tracks that go great with it. With a few clicks, the new Genius feature finds the songs in your library that go great together and makes a playlist for you. You can listen to the playlist right away, save it for later, or even refresh it and give it another go. Count on Genius to create a mix you wouldn't have thought of yourself.

Hold Everything
iPod classic gives you 120 GB of storage capacity, good for up to 30,000 songs, 150 hours of video, 25,000 photos, or any combination. And you get up to 36 hours of battery life, so you can keep on rocking for a long, long time.*

Leave No Tune Behind
With 120 GB of space, iPod classic means you can always have your entire music and movie library with you. Carry it from the living room to a party in the backyard. Or take it on a cross-country road trip and never listen to the same song twice.

Click to Enjoy
Finding exactly what you want to watch or listen to is easy. Use the Click Wheel to browse by album art with Cover Flow or navigate your songs and videos by playlist, artist, album, genre, and more. You also can search for specific titles and artists. Want to mix things up? Click Shuffle Songs for a different experience every time.

Watch Movies and TV Shows
The vivid 2.5-inch display makes video come alive. Purchase or rent movies, buy TV shows, and download video podcasts from the iTunes Store, then sync them to your iPod classic to watch anywhere, anytime.

Play iPod Games
Put hours of fun at your fingertips. iPod classic comes with three games--Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike--and you can purchase games, such as Monopoly, from the iTunes Store. All iPod games are designed specifically for the iPod interface.

Share Your Photos
iPod classic uses iTunes to sync the photos you have in iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop Album on a PC. View photo slideshows complete with music and transitions on iPod classic, or play them on a TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.

Reduced Environmental Impact
iPod classic embodies Apple's continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

Arsenic-free glass
Brominated flame retardant-free
Mercury-free
PVC-free
Highly recyclable aluminum and stainless steel enclosure
Recycled and bio-based packaging materials

What's in the Box
Apple iPod classic 120 GB (Black), earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter, quick start guide

Customer Reviews: Read 166 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

The Original - Survives September 10, 2008
175 out of 181 found this review helpful

The updated iPod Classic was probably the least exciting of the new iPods announced in the September 2008 update, but that does not mean it should be dismissed.

I own the 160 GB iPod Classic that has now been discontinued, but there are few differences (perhaps the biggest being the much slimmer shape of this 120 model), and I did get to check this updated 120 GB version out at the store, when picking up the new nano and touch.

Firstly, the 120 GB version is again smaller than the largest capacity available last year, but it is a single platter hard drive, which allows it to maintain the slim shape of the 80 GB version from last year. More storage, a hundred dollars less, and just as small. That is progress despite calls from others that the classic isn't exciting. It still serves its purpose as the original iPod idea. Big capacity in a simple to use device.

Next, the software has been slightly updated on the iPod Classic. It now includes Genius, like iTunes and the other new iPods. This allows you, when on a song you enjoy, to select the genius feature. The iPod will then compile a list of songs (playlist), which goes together with the original song you were listening to. This helps you rediscover music in your library, with a playlist to fit your mood at the time. I have been using the genius feature for a few days now, and it is impressive the way it compiles these playlists. I was skeptical, but overall, it does a good job. Furthermore, as another review mentioned, the iPod does seem more responsive with this update from what I saw at the store compared to my original 160 GB iPod Classic. Some speculation has been that the older iPod Classics will receive the software update of this new one, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Overall, the original iPod concept was so good, and that is why the iPod Classic is still a solid choice for a music and media player. It will hold thousands and thousands of songs (up to 30,000 according to Apple at 128 bitrate). I also backup some important files to my iPod Classic, in disk mode, so that I have that additional extra copy of my most vital files. When you have such a large iPod, you can do that. It shouldn't be forgotten either that while the display of the iPod Classic isn't as good as the iPod Touch or iPhone, it is still quite good and you can play music videos, TV shows, and movies purchased on the iTunes Store.

Battery life for this new 120 GB model improved over the 80GB model from last year. Apple now estimates it at 36 hours audio and 6 hours video.

I'd recommend the iPod Classic without hesitation, to those who have more than 8 or 16 GBs of music in their iTunes library and want to carry their entire collection. Furthermore, if you have videos and video podcasts you want to always carry with you, again, you can't beat the storage. I have the lower capacity flash devices as well, but the big hard drive based iPod Classic continues to play an important role in my iPod Collection.

5 out of 5 stars

I Actually bought one (Unlike some people) and I love it! September 11, 2008
114 out of 123 found this review helpful

I am a big tech nerd, and although I am a little disappointed that apple will be paying less attention to the classic ipod I bought one, and I really enjoy It!

I previously had a 30GB Video Ipod and It lasted me about 3 years. Its being repaired for a new battery now, but I figured I would upgrade since my library had grown.

Not much has changed to these new ones, except the interface a little. I love genius and I am stoked that it was worked into the functionality. It remains about the same size as my 5th generation? video and so still fits my old rubber case (which is nice).

Probably the best thing about it is, doing a comparison between my roommates 30GB ipod video and this one, I find that the audio quality on this one has improved quite a bit. I don't know if its the connectors or maybe a d-a converter, but it definitely sounds better. I am a recording engineer so I might be a little more apt to hear it, but its cool.

Overall I am stoked about my new ipod. Its a great device! I will be sad to see apple move on to more of a multi-tool type device, but that doesn't sway my review on this one. Enjoy!

3 out of 5 stars

1 step forward, 2 steps back October 11, 2008
88 out of 105 found this review helpful

My 4th Generation photo ipod broke this week and I was forced to purchase the latest 6th generation ipod.

Whilst this new slimmer version looks better, has more capacity and runs longer, there are a few things it doesnt do aswell.

There is some backward technology here that annoys me.

I have over 4000 songs categorically filed in their respsective albums with cover art. Everytime I delve into an artists directory Im annoyed by the (albeit momenatary) load up time of the cover art. It is a small lag, but the delay is frustrating. I hate load up times. And this is something I never had to endure in my 4th Generation ipod. Perhaps it is a software weakness.

And this small minute but gigantically annoying lag also exists everytime I want to skip a track. There is a small but noticable lag between pressing the button and processing the change. Its small... I know... but it wasnt a problem before.

And my biggest gripe is the lack of sturdiness in the ipod itself. It looks flashy but I'm scared its going to break the first time I drop it. ANd I will drop it eventually. The original ipods were wrapped in a layer of thick acrylic. This thing is glasshouse in my overly excited hands.

Ultimately Apple needs to remember that a percentage of its original customer use the ipod for what it was intended. A huge portable collection of music that they wish to access with ease, speed and safety. The bigger screens, the flashy metal and the video capacity comes second. Leave that stuff for the ipod touch.

The ipod classic as it is intended is a step forward but two steps back.

4 out of 5 stars

The Music Lover's iPod November 20, 2008
71 out of 74 found this review helpful

In a number of circles, the iPod Classic is now considered the "less sexy" iPod. Largely because of the things it appears to lack vis-a-vis the newest "fully-wired" iPods/iPhones: it doesn't have a phone function (d'oh!), it doesn't "do" wide-screen for video and games the way an iPhone/iPod Touch does, and...well, it doesn't seem as much *fun*, darn it! (Memo to the only-two-colors-available fashionistas: silver and [charcoal] black, being *classic* colors, go with everything. When's the last time you saw a pink Audi or Merc? Mary Kay doesn't hand either of those out to its top sales stars, which is just as well.) ;-)

Let's rewind a bit (sorry for the tape-based analogy) to a MacWorld seemingly long, long ago.

At the time, people were clamoring for Apple to include video in their next-generation iPods (they had just announced the iPod Photo, which was the very first iPod I ever owned...sometimes, not being an "early adopter' can pay off). His Steveness replied, more or less, that people value music a lot more than than they value TV/video stuff, so for the time being, no video iPods. While I happened to agree with Jobs' sentiments (I rarely watch the box, so there), I also knew how shrewd a businessman he was, and if the Hoi Polloi wanted video in their iPods, by cracky, he'd make 'em! And while I wouldn't damn him to Hades for such a pragmatic decision (he's doing this stuff to make a buck, okay?), the aesthete in me would be put off just a bit. That was then.

NOW: Through a bit of hard work and happenstance, an iPod Classic (120GB) happened to fall into my lap recently (long story). My beloved 60GB iPod Photo wasn't even half-full, but I welcomed this newest 'Pod with open arms. The reasons?

- Capacity. Let the deniers who bought their iPhones, Touches, and nanos prattle on; if you're a serious music lover, you've got a ton of music on the home front, and, if you're Of A Certain Age, probably in more than one format: CD, LP cassette, and, if you're particularly well-preserved, you might even have a few commercially-produced open-reel tapes lurking about. Paying upwards of $400 or so for the "biggest" iPod Touch might be a bit of a stretch for you...am I right? You might not even give a rat's tuchus (it's okay to say that here, right?) about video and gaming capability, but you'll really care about capacity. Are we grokking here?

Good. Because this iPod, even this late in the game, is aimed toward you and me. Apple, now the 900lb gorilla of the portable digital-media market (how strange that must be to Mssrs Gates & Ballmer) has the market covered: you want a device that's all-singing, all-dancing? You can get an iPhone, or, short of that, an iPod Touch. If it's got to be as tiny as possible (I won't ask why...), there's the nano, or, if it really has to be much smaller, the lovely 2nd-Gen Shuffle (which my Significant Other managed to lose shortly after I presented one to her as a gift; she'll inherit my iPod Photo now).

- True Gapless Playback. The iPod Photo had just one glaring flaw: any album by a group that had a thing for track-into-track segues (say, XTC, the Beatles, Pink Floyd...you get the idea) didn't translate at all with the Photo; you'd get an abrupt track change instead of the smooth, proper transition the band and engineers intended. I know the iPod Generation kicked off the "rip/mix/burn-it-like-you-wanna" thing, but if I want to hear the damn album the way it was released, then I should be able to. In the iPod world, this possibility didn't materialize until the 5th Gen iPod (video). Now that I have the newest Classic, I really, really appreciate this.

- The Sound. Most talk about getting good sound from an iPod is almost entirely focused on headphones, usually fairly pricey ones. But, to use a high-end audio mantra, you only get out what you put in. Sometime around the introduction of the first iPod Classic, Apple quietly made some serious engineering changes in the output section of the iPod, resulting in both a reduced noise floor and improved detail. One online review stated that the new design appeared to be ever-so-slightly less "warm" sounding than the previous design, but between the lowered noise floor and improved musical detail the new design was a solid net gain. I concur: subjectively, the Classic's overall sound might sound a tad less "euphonic" than my iPod Photo, but I also notice better transient detail and handling of low, delicate notes with both my semi-isolating, against-the-ear Sennheiser PMX200 headphones and my Sony MDR-EX85LP in-ear 'phones. Somehow this seems to have at least a slight effect on line output, too: playback through the living-room hi-fi (via a Griffin AirDock, also a screaming bargain at its current price) offers similar, but not quite as obvious improvements over the iPod Photo. This isn't a case of bad versus good: this is good versus Mighty Good.

- The Classic is, as close as can be, a direct descendant of the original iPod that turned the portable digital music-player market on its ear. The enhancements it has picked up since then have made sense insomuch as they haven't gotten much in the way of the Prime Directive, if you will: allowing the user to carry and access her/his music collection about easily, and with reasonable fidelity. No, it was never a direct replacement for a killer home 'fi (which most people don't possess), but more than ear-pleasing in the environs in which these devices are most-often used. (Yes, as a New Yorker, the subway comes to mind most often...particularly the F, A, C, and #2/3 lines.)

- While I do admit that the iPhone/iPod Touch interface is mad-cool and industry-leading, I still believe the Click Wheel more than holds its own in terms of overall ergonomics; as has been pointed out in a few other reviews here, it's still the only interface you can manage one-handed, and which allows you to navigate between music tracks without looking at the unit (why isn't THIS the iPod "Touch?"). Like the 5G iPod, you get video, which for the most part I couldn't care less about (although I can now view the video portion of my iTunes purchase of The Traveling Wilburys Collection, which is sort of nice). The notion of watching music videos, let alone feature-length movies, on a not-even-three-inch screen, when we're being assaulted with the idea that a 32" screen at home is woefully inadequate, 'specially if it ain't high-def, is a bit inconsistent.

But, this is about music, music you can take with you.

By this lone standard, the iPod Classic clearly blows everything else Apple offers into the weeds. Anything not made by Apple, IMO, hasn't even found its way to the starting line. The interface is highly functional and sexy enough, without allowing surface to roll straight over substance.

The happy thing is that Apple offers options to fit just about anyone. If you need a single do-it-all device, and don't care (at least at the moment) about capacity for all your fave tracks, you've got either the iPhone 3G or iPod Touch; if you want your device as tiny and unobtrusive as possible, you've got either the Shuffle or the polychromatic nano. And, finally, if, like me, you want, over all else, as much of your music at hand, wherever you are, as your balm, your salve, your relief from waiting-room Hell or airport Purgatory, the Classic is really it. And, for what it's worth, the current (120GB) Classic wil be able to use the newest Apple earbuds with in-line remote control and microphone (they've got a twin-driver 'phone "coming soon" that promises to be grand-sounding; we'll see). If you haven't checked out any 'Pods since the Photo or before, this is likely the one to finally pop for.

5 out of 5 stars

Upgraded from An iPod photo September 17, 2008
43 out of 46 found this review helpful

My trusty Apple iPod 30 GB Photo White M9829LL/A (4th Generation) finally got filled so it was time for a bigger capacity model. Surprisingly, the battery has never been replaced so its been a very reliable unit. I went as long as I could, taking out the album cover art, podcasts and contacts. I could have still used my old iPod, iTunes is so smart, it just made a playlist that was small enough to fit on the 30GB drive.

There are several choices, even the Zune, but I have purchased music from iTunes so I would lose them since they can't be played on the Zune. I really didn't want an Apple iPod touch 32 GB (1st Generation) because the capacity is too small and I have LCD HD TVs everywhere in my house, so there is no way I am watching a movie on such a tiny screen.

The new "Classic" fit the bill with its large capacity, small size and it has features the old iPod photo doesn't. I did have a couple of music videos so I could watch them on the new Classic which have just sat on my iTunes. The screen is better and bigger, so I can put some of my best photos on it and show people when out and about. I like the new Genius which takes a song you have on either on your iTunes, where it matches it to songs on your iTunes or the iTunes store, and its on the iPod where it will make a list of songs like the one you are currently listening to. The main screen is split with a screen saver on the right of your album cover art.

If you want to buy a protective cover, it is the same size as the 80GB model, something it took me a little research to confirm. I bought a cover by iFrogz.

Vastly increased capacity, better and bigger screen, smaller size, video capabilty and at a lower price. For anyone upgrading, this is a great choice.

*Amazon has this labeled incorrectly as 6th Generation. Its the 7th Generation Classic.

Oh, and as usual the iPod buds are still garbage. Muddy lows and weak highs. You may not agree until you try a quality bud like the Yuin Pk2 Earphones or Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones but once you try them you will and you will hear things you never did before in your music. Its worth the extra money.

UPDATE-Still loving my iPod. I am now buying my Blu-Ray movies with Digital Copies to load into my iPod and watch while waiting for my daughter at her dance classes. But I have found that some Digital Copies are not iPod compatible, so make sure you check that first when buying them. I watched Wanted [Blu-ray] and it was very enjoyable on the tiny screen. Of course when I got home I popped it onto the big set with the surround system, but for a movie on the go it was great.

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