The best way to deal with the wants of children is to make them work for the things that they don’t need. First of all little kids have no need for something as fancy and expensive as an ipod anyway. So your child is probably 13 and up. At that age they need to be learning some responsibility and they need to learn that the good things in life are things that you work for. Put them to work to earn that ipod and the chances of them really appreciating it and taking care of it are going to skyrocket.

If you are planning to buy it for their birthday, the ipod might be a little extravagant. If it is one f the big birthdays like the 16th or the 19th or even the 21st then perhaps an ipod is an okay choice, otherwise you kid is gong to turn into a spoiled brat who thinks that the world should be handed to them on a platter. The fact of the matter is that the world does not work that way nor does it revolve around your son or daughter no matter how much they wish that it did.

When it comes to giving an ipod as a Christmas gift that is only really a good choice if that is all you are going to be giving your kid. And if you have a few kids you are looking at some serious bucks if you want to get one for everyone.

There are other cheaper options of course. Many of the mp3 players out there can be purchased for just over a hundred dollars and they work pretty good and they hold a good number of songs. They are not as snazzy as the ipod or as sophisticated but they will do for most kids. Especially if you are unsure of how well your child will be bale to take care of it. It is probably a good idea to start them out on a lesser model to see if they can handle the responsibility of an ipod. That is a lot of money, and while they are worth every penny, some kids just should not have them.

For example, don’t ever let your kid take their ipod to school. Hundreds of them get stolen every year from just about every single school. Kids joke about the cheapest place to get an ipod being at school. You do not want to see your hard earned money go that way.

S. Stammberger is the editor of Poddies
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But you can still stuff an amazing number of songs on it, it has 25 minutes of skip protection, the battery lasts eight hours and it comes in five colors: silver, gold, green, pink or blue. Belt clip and earbud headphones included.

Apple iPod mini can store up to 1,000 tunes in its hard disk.

With their ipod mini, users can effortlessly connect with the iTunes Music Store, the most widely used online music store in the world.

Together with the Apple ipod mini comes a power adaptor, a FireWire cable, a USB 2.0 cable and a CD with iTunes 4.6. The iTunes 4.6 is compatible both for Windows and Mac. The battery life can last up to 8 hours.

With the exciting array of features, colors and capabilities, it is no wonder why Apple ipod mini have made its mark in the music player industry in such a short span of time.

Before the creation of Apple ipod mini, it seems that nothing can beat Apple ipod in its game. Besides being the leading in the hard and portable music player, Apple have already dominated the all other portable market industry.

So it does not come as a surprise that only Apple can out design the original ipod when they introduced Apple ipod mini.

But just like the original and full sized ipod, Apple iPod Mini carries a premium price tag. A tag not everyone have the capability to leave up to. For those who have, they realize that it is one thing worth paying.

A speedy FireWire/USB 2.0 connection used by Apple ipod mini makes downloads a breeze. The new click wheel inherent in the mini ipod with integrated buttons is in fact easier to navigate as opposed with the original controls.

The one tough decision consumers have a difficult time making is choosing a color. A more advanced battery is also developed to last twice that of an ipod. But then, this comes with a price range suiting an excellent device.

Among the flash memory players, the iRiver iFP-390T won Editors’ Choice award. It has a sharp design, a very easy-to-use interface, and a wealth of features that go beyond those seen in other music players.

The FM tuner reception was top-notch and voice recordings were excellent. A USB 2.0 interface would probably have earned it a rating of 5.

For the fickle minded consumers, buying an Apple ipod would have caused them some regrets now that they have seen a much better device with Apple ipod mini.

Blame it all on the geniuses from Apple. Those who are just planning on buying an ipod will definitely have something to lust after in Apple ipod mini.

People are already thinking ahead. If Apple ipod mini is the thing now, what would they think of next? Leave it to Apple to come up with something that will amaze even the most difficult persons to amaze.

For the time being, Apple ipod mini is the THING. Unless the next big thing comes early, then it will remain that way for some time.

S. Stammberger is editor of Movie
Download Unlimited. Find out everything about the iPod Family, podcasting and downloading iPod Movies.

The newest kid on the block, the iPod Video, is wanted by those with a high budget or who wish to watch video on their iPod. It has a slightly larger screen than the iPod Nano and play a crisp 30 fps video display.

iPod video, in either black or white, has a 30GB and 60GB storage memory. It features a 2.5-inch color screen and is thinner than the older ipod. The new video feature has long been waited for and has already been the subject of many Apple rumor in many websites for some time now.

How does ipod video works?

You first have to go to the iTunes store through the new iTunes 6 software and access the videos area.

iTunes 6 gives you:

Okay that may be a bit overboard, but let’s face the fact, not all of us can just go to our nearest electronics store and get an iPod. Why do you think so many people log on and complete the offers marketing strategies with free iPod schemes? Because people love getting freebies? Yes, but not quite, iPod’s are not really cheap. They cost hundreds of dollars and this is money that could be used for other pressing needs.

But who wouldn’t want an iPod? Even with its high price, the iPod is tallying record sales; now imagine if it was cheaper. You’d probably see an iPod in every corner of your neighborhood and the schools. While it seems like it now, a cheap iPod would make it more accessible to other people.

So back to our quest, where can we really find a cheap iPod? To be honest, if your aiming for the newest iPods, it is going to be a long and tedious search. Although there are many websites that offers affordable and cheap iPods, they do not really range far from the original price. A reduction of about twenty percent would be the norm.

Not a bad deal, but if you want cheap, or dirt cheap, you might as well settle for the older generations of iPods. There are still some second and third generation surplus of iPods that are now still being sold. It’s just a matter of looking for them. Don’t worry, the internet is your best friend on this one.

If you are willing to settle for the old grayscale screens then fine, you could most probably find a cheap iPod. Although they are among the older generation, these iPods provide great quality sounds, that is the basic point there. Most of them have good hard disks with big capacity so you can still have a great number of songs.

But if you want to really find those newer generation iPods with lots of features, there are sites that sells second hand or used iPods that are still in great shape. Some of them are just being sold because the owners wanted to switch to the newer iPods. These second hand iPods are being sold cheap but that doesn’t mean they are no good.

One of the best places to go and find a cheap iPod is ebay. You can find cheap iPods for less than 50 to 60 percent of their original price. Not only that, you can get lots of accessories and iPod hook ups as well.

It doesn’t matter if your cheap iPod has a few scratches, all it matters is that it works great. With a new case or shell, it would look just like new. Just check for damages like a cracked screen or memory problems.

With less than a hundred bucks to your name, you can soon have your own iPod. So forget the myths, fables and legends, a cheap iPod is not a dream. Its no wonder so many people have iPods, I wouldn’t even be surprised if they caught Big Foot with a headset and an iPod in his hand.

S. Stammberger is editor of Mega Beats
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Call it impossible. Call it amazing. Call it surprising. Call it everything you want. Nevertheless, it is true. You can now fit, a plethora of songs, a multitude of videos and an eternity of pictures in the palm of your hand. Introducing, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Apple iPod.

The iPod is a small transportable audio and video innovation that provides high quality multimedia entertainment. Since its introduction in 2001, it has dominated its market and never looked back. Now on its fifth generation, it has offered so many innovations and has continued to “wow” its loyal clientele.

So, I guess it’s safe to assume that everyone or most everyone has heard about the iPod. Since your reading it from the internet, you must know something about today’s latest technologies. And since your reading this, you’re probably on the market for an iPod or has just recently bought one.

Congratulations, you have just made an excellent choice. The iPod is not the most popular portable multimedia player in the market for nothing. There are some things though that you could do to keep your iPod in tiptop condition.

The first thing somebody does after buying their iPod, besides putting songs in it and enjoying its great quality) is to customize their iPods. They want it to look totally customized and unique, just like adding rims to your car and body kits as well. But sometimes, you have to prioritize which add-ons you need.

You have to buy accessories that can address the immediate needs of your iPod.

Okay so nothing is perfect. There are some unavoidable problems that could be brought upon by certain elements, such as scratches. This is the most common problem of many iPod users. Then there is the dilemma of extreme heat when charging the iPod when it is in a non-breathable casing.

It’s a shame to see blemishes on your beautiful iPod. This could be brought upon by many circumstances, one of them is putting them in your pocket with sharp metal such as keys. So basically, you need some sort of protection. Like a skin or case maybe for the iPod.

Aside from this, you have to ensure that you know the basic care techniques, like for example charging and discharging your batteries. Without proper care, your batteries won’t provide you with its maximum performance and may die down sooner than expected.

An iPod is a great investment, not that it would earn for you, but you would get great quality performance every time. With proper care and maintenance, you could keep in tiptop shape and keep its resale value high. When the new iPod comes, you can sell your old one and get almost enough to finance for the new one.

S. Stammberger is editor of  Eipod
Forever. A daily updated Ipod blog with news, reviews and resources.