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Apple 30 GB iPod AAC/MP3 Video Player Black (5.5 Generation) | 
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| Brand: Apple
Category: CE
List Price: $199.99
Buy Used: $125.00
You Save: $74.99 (37%)
New (8) from $259.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  651 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Hard Drive Size: 30
Size: 30 GB
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 1.5 x 5.4
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: MA446LL/A
Model: MA446LL/A
UPC: 885909104666
EAN: 0885909104666
Release Date: September 20, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | iPod holds 7500 songs, many hours of video, thousands of photos, and more on 30 GB of storage | | • | Download songs, podcasts, videos, games, and more from the iTunes Store | | • | Large, 2.5-inch, 320x240-pixel, color display screen is 60-percent brighter | | • | Search function lets you type out the name of a song with the Click Wheel for instant results | | • | Measures 2.4 x 4.1 x 0.43 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 4.8 ounces |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Now that you can buy movies from the iTunes Store and sync them to your iPod, the whole world is your theater. With a 30GB or 80GB iPod in hand, those movies fit comfortably next to TV shows, new iPod games, podcasts, audiobooks, photo albums, and, of course, an entire library of music - up to 20,000 songs, in fact.How much can your pocket hold? That's up to you and your iPod. It holds up to 20,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos, and up to 100 hours of video - or any combination of each. So you can browse movies on the iTunes Store, download the ones you want (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, perhaps?), and then sync it to your iPod. Same goes for TV episodes, new iPod games, 99? songs, best-selling audiobooks, and an entire universe of free podcasts. Go ahead. Fill 'er up.With all that music at your fingertips, you may never want to stop listening. Lucky thing your iPod plays audio for up to 20 hours. Or, if you'd rather watch, you can feast your eyes on movies and TV shows for up to six-and-a-half hours.It might be a miracle. Otherwise, it's hard to explain exactly how 30GB of storage can fit into an iPod that's over 30% thinner than the previous fourth generation. Or how an 80GB iPod can be the same size as the 60GB model before it. However it happened, it means you can carry your entire music collection - plus a nice selection of video - absolutely everywhere you go. And a 60% brighter, more vibrant display gives your album art, photos, and video extra oomph.Finding what you want to hear among 20,000 songs could be quite a chore - unless you have an iPod. A new interface lets you search your iPod using the patented Click Wheel. And if you're a fan of live albums, classical works, or anything that sounds best when it's continuous, iPod supports gapless playback that seamlessly transitions from one song to another.
Amazon.com Product Description
Now that you can buy movies from the iTunes Store and sync them to your iPod, the whole world is your theater. With the Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback in hand, those movies fit comfortably next to TV shows, new iPod games, podcasts, audiobooks, photo albums, and, of course, an entire library of music--up to 7500 songs. How much can your pocket hold? That's up to you and your iPod, but no matter how you organize it, the iPod holds loads of songs and plenty of hours of video. 
Your iPod library can now contain new iPod games, feature films, and up to 7,500 songs. | 
The same great iPod interface and ease of use that goes great in any hand. | With all your music at your fingertips, you may never want to stop listening. Lucky thing your iPod plays audio for hours and hours, or if you'd rather watch, you can feast your eyes on movies and TV shows for several hours without draining your battery. And you can count on the iPod to help you pack light. It is almost hard to explain exactly how 30 GB of storage can fit into an iPod that's over 30-percent thinner than the previous fourth generation. However it happened, it means you can carry more music and video absolutely anywhere you go. And with a 60-percent brighter screen, the vibrant display gives your album art, photos, and video extra oomph. As always, iPod makes finding what you want to hear a breeze. Plus, a new interface lets you search your iPod using the patented Click Wheel. And if you're a fan of live albums, classical works, or anything that sounds best when it is played continuously, iPod supports gapless playback that seamlessly transitions from one song to another. Music, Movies and TV Shows
Finding and playing music on your iPod is simple. Use the Click Wheel to adjust volume, navigate songs, or browse the Music menu by artists, composer, album, song, genre, or playlist. Want to mix things up? Simply click Shuffle Songs. iPod makes your music look as good as it sounds, thanks to its big, bright color display. Album art appears alongside your songs in the Now Playing screen, so you can see your music as you play it. After all, iPod loves music as much as you do. Now you can watch a movie while waiting in line for tickets to one. Download movies from the iTunes Store, then sync them to your iPod to watch anywhere, anytime. The iPod's gorgeous display--now 60-percent brighter--makes your movies pop. And thanks to improved video playback time, iPod keeps you entertained for several hours--even longer if you reduce brightness using the new brightness control. As for television programs, there's always something good on iPod. Browse thousands of episodes of your favorite TV shows on the iTunes Store, buy them for just a couple dollars each, then sync them to your iPod. Watch last night's episodes this morning, or buy a whole TV series and settle in for a pocket-size marathon. All your TV episodes display in order, so you can navigate them easily, and every episode you buy from iTunes is optimized to look great on the iPod's crystal-clear, 320 x 240-pixel display. Podcasts, Audiobooks, Games, and Photos
The iTunes Store features thousands of free podcasts--radio-type shows you subscribe to--including indie favorites and offerings from big names such as, ABC News, Comedy Central, ESPN, PBS, NPR, and many more. Browse and subscribe to podcasts, then sync them to your iPod and listen anytime. Even video podcasts sync to go, and all your podcasts appear in their own menu on your iPod, so they're easy to navigate. 
The iPod measures up nicely, and is over 30% thinner than the previous fourth generation. | 
The iTunes Store is the bridge between your iPod and all the content your heart desires. | The digital shelves of the iTunes Store are stocked with thousands of audiobooks, including such exclusives as the entire Harry Potter series. Download what you want, sync to your iPod and catch up on your reading the audio way. Just like podcasts, you can browse audiobooks in their own menu on your iPod. And your iPod automatically recognizes where you left off reading and bookmarks your place, so it is easy to dive back into the story. You can even change the reading speed to suit you--this is a perfect feature for learning a new language. Now that the iTunes Store features iPod games, you can keep hours of fun at your fingertips. Download brand-new and classic games, including Bejeweled, Texas Hold 'Em, Vortex, Mahjong, Mini Golf, Pac-Man, Tetris, and Zuma, for just a few dollars each, then sync them to your iPod and play along with your favorite tunes. All iPod games from the iTunes Store are designed specifically for the fifth-generation iPod, and all of them look great on the 2.5-inch color display. If you can fill your iPod with photos, then you've got a ton of images at your disposal. iPod holds tens of thousands of photos that you can sync from your Mac or Windows PC via iTunes. Use the Click Wheel to scroll through photo thumbnails the same way you scroll through song titles. To see a photo full-screen, just click the center button. You can even view photo slideshows--complete with music--on your iPod or on a TV via the optional iPod Video/Photo AV Cable. Select Slideshow Settings, choose the transition effect and the music, and then start the show. Search, Settings, and Extras
With thousands of songs, audiobooks, and more on your iPod, you need an easy way to search and enjoy your collection. A brand-new, built-in search function lets you use the Click Wheel to type out the name of the song, artist, album, audiobook, or podcast you're looking for, and your iPod returns results instantly as you select letters--finding what you want couldn't be easier. The fifth-generation iPod lets you customize menus, check capacity, change your language, change how your iPod sounds, and more, all from the easy-to-use Setting menu. Click About to see how many songs are on your iPod and how much room you have left. Click Main Menu to select what items appear in your Main Menu, tweak the built-in equalizer, or set a maximum volume limit--everything you need to personalize your iPod, from backlight timer to clicker sound effects, appear in Settings. And, lastly, your iPod is loaded with extras. Everything from calendars, contacts, and the World Clock appear in the Extras menu, along with a few more handy items. Take the Screen Lock, for example. Spin the Click Wheel to choose a four-digit combination and protect your iPod from prying eyes. If you forget your combo, you can reset it at your next sync. Or use the built-in stopwatch to log your best times at the gym. And when it's finally time to play, the Extras menu lists all your games, including the ones you purchase from the iTunes Store.
What's in the Box
Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter, case, and quick start guide.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 646 more reviews...
 The Suprise Price and Great Build Make This a Fantastic MP3 Player October 5, 2006
281 out of 294 found this review helpful
Although there are no large differences between the last iPod with Video Playback (like there was with the Nano), Apple has done some improvements that should be to your liking. Apple suprised everybody by making the price $249, and greatly impacted Microsoft's future MP3 player's price point.
*Technically this is still not the iPod Video, this is still an iPod with video playback; rumors are still buzzing about a Widescreen iPod, but still no official word*
NEW:
-Longer battery life
-Games
-iTunes 7 has movies
-Search feature
-Larger capacity
-Brighter screen
GOOD:
-Great build
-Bright screen
-Battery life on video is double what it was before
-Great interface
-Innovative search
-Games are pretty fun
-Excellent design
-Minimal buttons
-Oodles of potential accessories
BAD:
-Still scratches easily
-Prone to fingerprints
-Sometimes a little sluggish (not as much as before)
-Battery isn't removable
-Still no FM tuner, line-in, or voice record
-Expensive accessories (not many in box)
-Cheap earbuds
BOTTOM LINE: Still at the top of its game months after its original release, and the minor upgrades and tweaks keep this the best MP3 player on the market.
Great Pocket Music Box with Video as a Bonus September 27, 2006
192 out of 203 found this review helpful
I love this model of the iPod - it's compact and very user friendly. The black and chrome model does show smudges and scratches easily, so you may want to invest in a cover or a case in addition to the black velvet sleeve that comes in the box (nice, but you can't hit the controls or see the screen through it). Other than those minor quips, all you need to do is plug it in to your PC or Apple computer and it automatically registers itself and downloads everything you have in iTunes (with an option to download your photos as well).
The screen in this updated 6 generation is brighter, and the battery life is a little longer. Playing music without the backlight activated will last over 14 hours. Watching video or having the backlight on constantly will drain the battery at just over 3 hours. Not ideal for a Transatlantic flight or one to Europe, but great for domestic air travel and short commuter rides. You have to think of this as a music player with bonus video feature, rather than as a portable DVD player (even with movies added to iTunes). If you are in the market for more video seek out the 80 GB model which is has longer battery life and more memory to hold up to 80 features instead of 30 flicks at most. The unit is slimmer, the click wheel slightly improved, and it's about $50 cheaper out of the gate than the last models.
In the box you get the white basic headphones, a USB cable (no Firewire since the iPods are not Firewire compatible), a black velvet pouch for storage, a quick sketchy instruction booklet, and a docking sleeve for when you get a docking accessory. There is no iTunes installation CD, so be sure to download the program before you plug in.
The Way it Should Be November 11, 2006
65 out of 72 found this review helpful
My wife and I had previously owned two Philips GOGear HDD6330 30GB mp3 players and had many many problems. Mostly with syncing the songs onto the devices and also some with proper playback. The interface was also not as nice nor responsive as the iPod. So we returned the Philips players and got an 80GB and 30GB iPod. Neither has let us down once. They sound great, the battery lasts for days (4-6 hours a day use). itunes is very easy to use and seems to almost know what you need to do before you do. podcasts are neat and free, you can download tons of videos from google video, you can put pictures on it, no problems finding accessories. It is really just night and day vs. the current windows based offerings. On the 80GB iPod we have about 6,500 songs, 50 videos, 200 photos, and all of our outlook contacts and it is only about half full. Not to mention the games that come with it. If you don't mind spending a little more for quality, this is the way to go, it just works.
My wife uses the 30GB white version and loves it. it does have a lot less space and shorter battery life than the 80 GB, but it is much slimmer feeling as far as the thickness and still has all of the other features that make iPods so great. We also both sync using the same itunes without any problems (turn off auto syncing to do this and drag songs etc to device.) This was not the case when we both were using Philips GoGears and Windows Media Player. Everyone else that I know that owns an iPod has never said anything bad about them, Apple really has a winner here, it would take a lot of convincing to ever switch me back over to windows based mp3 systems.
 I hate this thing November 30, 2006
57 out of 119 found this review helpful
I've had this thing for about 12 hours now, and I'm about ready to chuck it out the window and let it rust away in the snow.
First thing you should know...there's no AC adapter in the box. You have to buy one separately. Yeah, I know, you charge it by connecting it to your computer. That's kinda handy, since you don't need another AC to plug in. But it does me no good on the road. Sure, you can purchase an AC adapter separately, but this is the only device I've ever seen that didn't have one in the box. Lame.
Second thing you need to know...the installation software is not in the box. You have to download it from the Internet. It took 5 stinking hours to download the da*n software. Yeah, I know...they recommend you have a broadband connection. But not everyone has access to broadband. So ruralites like me, who live in an area with no broadband and lousy phone lines...it's going to take hours to download. They save a couple bucks by not putting in a CD. I spend 5 hours to download. I don't know about you, but my time's worth more than $0.20 an hour. Lame.
iTunes, the software that you're supposed to use to manage your files, doesn't suit my needs. I use an MP3 player to listen to audio books while I'm driving. I have all the MP3 files on my computer, from when I ripped them from the (legally purchased) CDs back when I had my iRiver. All I needed to do was copy them to the iPod and listen to them. It should be so simple. You can copy the files to the iPod without installing the software, but you can't listen to them. Then when you install iTunes, you cannot access the files (until you check the checkbox that lets you manage the files yourself, and find where to Save that change). Once you do that, you can put them into the Library. Lame.
iTunes also does not let me customize the Library. I don't need "Movies", "TV Shows", "Radio", or "Podcasts". I need "AudioBooks", and I can't add it (and I can't remove Movies, etc.). I also can't create folders in the Library. All my audio-book files (which were nicely organized in folders on my computer) get dumped into the "Music" folder without the folder structure. Sure, I can create Playlists for each book, and I can create folders to organize the Playlists. But I have to dig through thousands of files in the Music Library to populate the Playlists. And besides, I already have them organized. Now I have to do it again. Lame.
And this blasted wheel control on the iPod. Sure, after some practice I'll get the hang of it. But you know...you shouldn't have to practice to be able to use it. I didn't have to practice to use my iRiver, I could use it right away without problems.
If this thing doesn't last longer than my iRiver did, I'm going to be really angry.
 A Niche Product March 3, 2007
54 out of 60 found this review helpful
First things first. The Apple sounds great. With the Etymotic ER4S (a reference of mine for over 7 years), I find the headphone amp to be a little warm & rounded under moderate volumes and to get a little brittle on top at high volumes. However, it doesn't get tinny and weird in the highs like the Sandisk Sansa e260 at high volumes and is far more transparent and delicate than the Sandisk, Phillips, or Archos units. It is a night and day difference from the Phillips when it comes to smoothness and lack of distortion. The circuitry is also well designed to the point that you'll never get thuds if you turn on or off the iPod when connected to a stereo. Since the headphone jack works much better into 10k ohms loads, I would assume the sound is similar to at least a good mid-fi CD unit if you use a dongle on the bottom to get the pure line-out from it.
However...
1) The battery is not user replaceable.
2) Battery life is below that rated by Apple unless under very controlled conditions.
3) There is no MTP or MSC support. You cannot use the unit with a non-Apple syncing program. You cannot drag music into it manually. You cannot drag music out of it manually. Imagine you accidentally delete an original recording off your computer and the only copy left is on this ipod...hope your ipod lasts forever. When it doesn't, you'll have to send it to Apple to replace the battery and they will not send your unit back, rather you'll get a refurb unit with a wiped drive. Again, you MUST use iTunes with it, and this program will constantly try to connect to the iTunes store to sell you something.
5) iTunes is NOT included in the packaging. You must download it. If you are unfortunate enough to temporarily have dial-up, that will take up to 5 hours and requires a steady connection. If someone picks up the phone, you must start over. If you have no internet at the moment, you cannot use this product.
6) These newest gen iPods are surprisingly laggy. Combined with the touch-wheel it is the least precise implementation of the iPod menu system Apple has executed to date.
7) You cannot jog/run with the unit, climb stairs rapidly, or walk too fast for more than about 20 or 30 seconds before it starts to lose the sound, especially with WAV files. I cannot stress this enough. If you hold the ipod in your hand and run gently you might get a few minutes out of it...tops. Eventually, it will still skip. Some micro-HD units can handle it, but this iPod is worse than a cheap Sony CD player with anti-shock in this regard. I find this perplexing, because Apple includes a stopwatch with lap markers on this unit. Do they think you'll leave a two hundred and fifty dollar timer just sitting on a track bench while you run?
8) The unit is EXTREMELY temperature sensitive. I went outside and less than 10 minutes later it completely froze up...processing-wise, but just the same. This was before I knew how to reset it, so I had to come all the way back home. It's not below freezing out and my warm hand was around it.
If you mostly want video, one of those dedicated video players is probably a better bet. If you're just gently walking with the unit and it is thermally protected inside a foam case or in your jacket, you'll be fine with the new iPod. Anything short of this will produce problems with it. I'm looking for good sound, skip protection, reasonable capacity, reasonable temperature durability, and thoughtful packaging. I did not find all of this here.
Edit: WinAmp now supports iPods. This is excellent news since WinAmp also has, via plug-in, 24-bit ASIO direct-to-output bit-perfect support. It makes a complete media playback package. This does not require a custom firmware inside the unit to work. Thank goodness for hackers!
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