Product ReviewsApple iPod 15GB MP3 Player - White

It's pretty good.

Well, there are good news to it, and there are bad news. More good news though! What I like about it is that it holds A LOT of songs. Not even I know that much in a lifetime. I also like the way it looks. Everything about it is very original, (well duh) It's one of the very first iPods out there. A collectors item to me. There's nothing I can really complain about. Maybe that it's big but that's not a major downfall for me. The reason why I got this iPod was to replace my iPod Nano that died on me for good. This was a major replacement...I love it. The only thing that's bad about it is, That I have a new laptop now, running Windows Vista, and somehow, the iPod third gen won't load any songs or do anything with it. I'm not too sure of what's the problem. Maybe it's because Apple hasn't upgraded the versions for older iPods to be compatible with the new Windows Vista? Not too sure... that's the only thing that is a problem for me. Other than that, I'm loving it. :)Read full review...

Good, retro audio mp3 player

This 3rd gen iPod was in very good condition for it's age. It's only 15 gigs but, it holds enough music for me to enjoy all day long. The sound is pretty good (I convert my CD's to WAV file format) on crappy earbuds, I'd imagine it would be even better with a quality pair of earbuds or headphones. Battery life is not the greatest, it'll last about 7 hours of continuous music playing on a full charge (or a little bit longer if you turn off the backlight), but considering that I use this when I'm at work, or connected to a charger in my car on the way to work, it's not too bad. If you're getting one of these be sure to get a FireWire cable and charger because that is the only way to charge this generation iPod instead of using the sync cable like the later iPods. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: skins247

Apple Ipod classic 3rd gen

The iPod was ok. I switched from my nano 2nd gen to the classic to hold more songs. It is way bigger and bulky compared to the nanos which took some getting used to. The buttons that are across the top of the wheel rather than built in were kind of cool. Takes some getting used to but in a good way. I did not like how the iPod did not charge threw the pc. You have to charge it with a wall charger. The iPod also froze up a lot, probably because it is an older one. The one I happened to buy was not working properly ( it wouldn’t sync with iTunes and wouldn’t hold a charge) but I don’t thing it was that type of iPod, it was maybe just the one I boughtRead full review...

I Prefer the 3rd Gen iPod - but the 20 GB is better

The Third Generation Apple iPod is my favorite in the line of full-size iPods and the 20GB version is my preferred model because it maintains its small size / frame while still being able to hold a huge library of music. While the 40GB iPod is appealing for the additional storage, I still prefer the 10-20GBs slimmer body which is still small enough to workout with (though clearly not as portable as any flash player). The 10 & 15GB iPods share the same size and body as the 20GB and, consequently, I prefer the 20GB iPod as it holds more music without sacrificing size.

The Third Generation iPod has two major differences between itself and the 4th generation:

1) Button Placement. The 3rd generation iPod has the back, forward, menu and play/pause buttons above the click wheel. The 4th generation iPod has those button integrated into the click wheel - its completely a personal preference, but I like the button sitting above the wheel because, to me, it provides faster scrolling and more direct response. That said, I know several people who prefer the 4th generation. Up to you!

2) Battery Life. The biggest advantage of the 4th generation is its improved battery life - that said, I get far more than the suggested 8hour battery life. My iPod will generally last nearly two full work days with about 12 hours of use.

I do prefer the 3rd generation iPod to the 4th generation and, on eBay, it's a rather substantial price difference that gives the 3rd generation iPod the edge in my opinion. Either way though, you can't go wrong.

iPod Specifics:
Size of Display 2 inch
Digital Storage Media 20 GB (Hard Drive)
PC Interface Supported Firewire, USB 2.0
Battery Run Time 8 hrs.
Battery Type AC/DC Adapter, Internal Battery
Dimensions (W X D X H) 2.4 in. x .62 in. x 4.1 in.
Weight 5.6 oz.Read full review...

Pros and cons of buying the 3rd generation iPod.

The iPod itself is perfect as far as ease of use goes. The buttons off the click wheel is just the way I like it. 3rd generation iPods come in 10, 20, 30 and 40GB so there is the right size for everyone.

Here is the downside and is very important information before you purchase a 3rd generation iPod... Practically all of them that we ever got from customers on returns and that being hundreds of these, all have a battery problem. In my opinion there should be an official recall on batteries for these 3rd generation iPods and Apple should simply replace all the 3rd generation batteries, but they do not.

You can still purchase the brand new battery for under $10 shipping included, right here on eBay, but beware, if you buy one and want to use it immediatelyy, most likely you will not be able to, because the battery will not hold any kind of charge. The detailed specs are below:

Configuration: Mac/Windows
Generation 3rd Generation (3G)
Manufacturer: Apple
Additional Features: Equalizer, Calendar, Contact List, Games, On-the-Fly Playlists
Anti-Shock Memory: 25 minute(s)
Audio Output Connectors: Audio - Headphone Out (1/8" Mini)
Average Playback Time: 8 hour(s)
Batteries Included: Yes
Built-in Memory: 15 GB
CD Ripping/Encoding Formats Supported: AAC, MP3, WAV
Format Supported: AAC, AIFF, MP3, WAV
General Features: LCD Display
Maximum Compression Rate Supported: 320 Kbps
Other Connectors: FireWire - IEEE 1394
Playback Features: Repeat Mode, Resume Play, Shuffle Play Mode, Custom Playlists
Power Source: Rechargeable Battery
Storage Media Supported: Internal Hard Drive System
Connectivity: FireWire, USB 2.0
Hard Drive Capacity: 15 GB
Dimensions: 4.0" x 2.4" x 0.62"
Weight: 5.6 ozRead full review...

Late to get on the bandwagon but loving my ipod

I love my ipod, nothing else to say. It does everything I want it to and more. I used to have a RCA MP3 player, it had more hard drive space but the user interface was not the greatest and something the ipod has an advantage over all other mp3 players is it is now a world wide recognized name and has thousands of aftermarket accessories for it. It is still the number one MP3 player no matter what the rivals say and with the upcoming ipod video player and now color screens on the new ipods it will remain so.

I have a 3rd Generation 15GB iPod, the only bitch I would have with it is it is a tad small at least for me, I ended up having to cut my music down from around 19GB down to the 15, so if I had a choice I would have gotten the 20GB version. But I did not really have a choice, a mate of mine had the 15GB version and it was too small for him so he traded it to me for a HTPC computer case I had. It was a great deal on my end, so I got myself an iPod, sold my RCA player and have never looked back.

Like some other reviewers have said the 3rd gen has the buttons above the click wheel which I like more than integrated into the click wheel like the 4th Gen.
Even with that the 4th Gen does have the advantages of now having a color screen and a longer battery life. The Apple store has them on display so if you want to play around with one that is a good place to do it.Read full review...

Good for the iPod fanatic, OK for the casual user...

I bought this 3rd generation iPod for the first time about three years ago. Although it only lasted a few months after I bought it (it broke), I decided to get another one in the past month or so after having a couple of Nanos.

Anyways, I like the simple black-and-white screen (I often found color models to be quite daunting at times, and the real purpose behind them of being able to watch videos and view photos never reached me.) The 15 GB size is fair enough to hold my moderate sized music collection, although some might prefer the extra few gigs for their videos.

The buttons are relatively easy to use, although I tend to lock the buttons because all are touch sensitive and sticking your hand in your pocket where the iPod is often will shut it off or suddenly change the volume, so some may think that the button layout makes it too sensitive to use.

Battery life is fair enough (most of these iPods of this generation have poor battery life anyways; the one I purchased had a replacement battery, and it is a plus with this generation of iPod.

Another thing is the lag time between when you choose the song and it begins playing. Anyone graduating from a flash-based player such as the Nano, Touch, or Shuffle may find it annoying that you have to wait 2 seconds for a song to play (although it is not a bad thing in my personal opinion.)

I really think for the price range (~$75-$100) it is worth the purchase price, especially for those who have a music collection of average size (~2000 songs). The menus are no harder to navigate than a larger-storage iPod, and you won't be able to find a better iPod price with the features that this model has.

Finally, the options available. Most of the cases and add-ons available have been sold out, so it might be a bit hard if you are looking for things such as a case or skin for this generation. On the iPod, only a simple shuffle is at the front; otherwise you have to navigate through the menus to turn it on.

Overall, although this is an older model iPod and doesn't possess a lot of the glitz and glamour that today's Nano and Touch possess, I still like it because of its simple and friendly approach, and even though it has a monochrome screen, I still find it more than adequate for my purposes. If you like the original iPod and its nostalgic value, then this is for you. Otherwise, aim for a newer generation iPod.Read full review...

Excellent design, so-so battery life

I really liked the slim form factor of this ipod, and also the placement of the bottons I feel is better than the new design. I had this ipod for a while, and with the eq off, I got 10 hours of battery life, which gradually diminished to about 7 1/2 hours just before I sold it. I used the money to help purchase a nice new 30gb ipod with video.
If you have a music collection that will fit on this 15gb ipod, amd don't need a color screen, then I would recommend purchasing this ipod, and then if you notice the battery life getting shorter, it's only about fifty dollars to have apple replace the battery for you.
The Ipod is very durable, but I would recommend a case if you want to avoid cosmetic scratches.
Using this Ipod will score points with Mac fanboys, and anyone else that appreciates the "old school" style.Read full review...

the third generation ipod

i got a third generation ipod this summer for reasons which i don't quite know, but i can gladly say that what i got in the mail several days afterwards was quite worth it.
it was fully functional and had very impressive sound output, that is,from those who blow their heads out to the classical chimes. thus it was something well worth the buy.
anyway, like every purchase, there were several issues that came hand in hand with it. first, u had to have a firewire port in your computer, not only to transfer music, but charging it as well, and this is where new ipod users get trapped as the general opinion is that they will charge by anything. for me, i tried six chargers including the car types before i could successfully turn it on.
second, this ipod, and all the others typically require the use of itunes software to sync, and juice up the mp3 player, which is quite irritating, especially to those (I included) who enjoy no bounds using specific software.
luckily, apple have largely compensated for this by bringing in a seamless and very easy to use sync software, which is actually interesting to use as it also makes it very easy to customize data on the player.
conclusively, i can say that i am very glad i bought the player and it would . the odd thing is that i am figuring out how to get new head phone since the original neodymium earphones blew up on day two. and ifor that i cannot forgive the 'boombox'Read full review...

3rd gen ipod 15g

This is my second one, i sold the other to a friend and regretted doing so after i did. I use this in my basement, with the stereo that has speakers run outside. This is probably one of the toughest ipods i have ever owned, takes alot of abuse from use and keeps on working fine. i keep it on a charger at all times so battery is always good. Like the ease of use even for friends not familiar with ipods, dont like the battery life when not on the dock, these dont last as long as the newer ipods even when you replace it with a new one. Also these are pretty easy to open up once you figure it out. I would totally recommend this for anyone wanting one to use with an fm transmitter in car or work truck or like i have in my basement.Read full review...