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Need help deciding on iPod/iPhone/etc.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by zenMachine, Sep 16, 2008.

  1. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    I've been trying to decide on which iPod or iPhone to get for my wife's birthday. Would like to hear from those familiar with the various products what the pros and cons are for each. The only requirement I have so far is that the product has to play well with the Prius (in case of iPhone this also means Bluetooth compatibility.)

    Thanks in advance.
     
    #1 zenMachine, Sep 16, 2008
  2. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    I have an 80gb iPod Classic in Silver that i got in May of 2008. I currently have 480 songs, 5 movies, and 2 podcasts on it and it has plenty of room for more.

    It works just fine with the Prius using the AUX input, only thing I would do is buy the DICE or VAIS unit because its annoying having to change songs with the iPod itself.
     
    #2 sdtundra, Sep 16, 2008
  3. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    Is the screen on the classic a bit too small for watching video?

    I'm also curious about the pros and cons of Flash- vs HD-based units.
     
    #3 zenMachine, Sep 17, 2008
  4. Alric

    Alric New Member

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    All iPods and iPhones are completely different products. It would be better to start with your requirements and work your way from there. If watching good video is important the best for that purpose is an iPod touch or an iPhone. I find the screen of other iPods to small and of the wrong aspect ration.
     
    #4 Alric, Sep 17, 2008
  5. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    The device will be used mostly for music. Video is not as important since she already has an Archos 605. The biggest requirement is ease of use, i.e. playlist management etc. and easy integration with the Prius so that it can be safe to manage while driving. Storage would probably be the next highest requirement.

    How does the music player on the iPhone compare to the iPod? Is the latest Nano any good?
     
    #5 zenMachine, Sep 17, 2008
  6. wchardin

    wchardin Senior Member

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    Does your wife need a new phone as well? If not you might want to look at the ipod touch instead of the iphone. The ipod touch is nice, but is best for video, and somewhat over priced. The new nanos are pretty good. They are pretty small to pack around, and they flip sideways when you want to watch video. The ipod classic is a nice ipod if you have lots of content. If you don't a lot of content, probably the nano is best for your wife.
     
    #6 wchardin, Sep 18, 2008
  7. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    Come to think of it, she doesn't really need a new phone.

    What we need is a device that can store lots of videos (and music too of course) which can be output to a headrest monitor and which she can easily and safely control while driving, preferably using the steering wheel buttons.

    I would like to retire the backseat DVD player because the little guy is getting old enough to muck around with it. And it's too much trouble to carry hard copies of DVDs around everywhere.

    One drawback of the Archos is that it doesn't integrate with the car's control system. It's great for airplane travel though.
     
    #7 zenMachine, Sep 19, 2008
  8. Cate Ross

    Cate Ross Owner of "Millenium Falcon"

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    I can't answer questions about compatibility with a headrest DVD player, but I can opine about iPods.

    I have an 80GB video iPod (5th Gen), and I use it for music and audiobooks. LOTS of audiobooks.

    I have a few movies and videos on it, but I agree--the screen is really too small to do them justice.

    At first I had a charger/aux cable to run it in the armrest of my '08 Prius, but it was VERY annoying to have to keep opening the armrest to restart after every stop, or to have the passengers change the tunes. I just had my dealer put in the Toyota iPod accessory, and so far, so good. I can control it from the steering wheel, MFD and/or radio controls.

    Since there is no video output in my car, there is no access to the photo, movie or video iPod libraries through my MFD.

    I've got tech lust, and would like an iPhone or iPod Touch, but with all the capabilities of the Prius nav system (package #6) I don't have any reason to get either one.

    The new nanos are flashy and fun. The Touch has less memory than the classics--rather spendy on a $ per GB basis, but serious geek cred!
     
    #8 Cate Ross, Sep 19, 2008
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