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[Saint]:
I've "gone clip", several models thereof, and I've gone back. Repeatedly.

I guess this points out how drastically different opinions within the same community can be.

The Clip line, to me, both looks and feels as though it is going to implode if I look at it the wrong way. The Fuze line I find not entirely dissimilar, though slightly better. If I had to draw an analogy, I would compare them to many Samsung mobile handsets, surprisingly well made, and surprisingly poorly made, both at the same time.

Fairly decent hardware crammed into a flimsy, creaky, cheap feeling plastic shell.

Now, don't get me wrong...I am by no means an iWhore or Apple fanboy, but those guys over in Cupertino really know how to make some well machined hardware. The software isn't worth a damn, as is the case with many devices from many manufacturers, but the hardware and fitting are top notch.

You raise a valid point in regard to longevity, this is inarguable, at least directly.

But I would like to raise the issue of repairablity.

If the NAND *does* fail for any reason, outside of your warranty cover (if you ever had any), your device just became completely useless. Whereas with a HDD based player, while it may be somewhat of a financial setback, you can trivially replace the drive and go about your business.

If the battery should balloon, or lose its efficiency after extended or improper usage, if you aren't handy with and familiar to a soldering iron, you can also kiss the device goodbye.

Personally, I value the repairabilty of a device. With an iPod (or, indeed, many other device lines such as the iriver H** series or the Toshiba Gigabeat series, for example), the above mentioned issues are trivially overcome.

The cost is greater. Most definitely. Would I purchase an iDevice brand new? Most certainly not.
Go to your local pawn shop and check out the deals there.

The cost, I believe, is negated in the long term by the reparability and overall quality. My iPod Video 5.5Gs are some 9 years old now, the Classic 6/7Gs some 7 or 6 years old respectively, and they all look and run the same as they did when I, or their original first owners, got them.

I have also converted several of them to large capacity solid state drives, and one of them even has an embedded BlueTooth transmitter and direct microUSB access to the compact flash card adapter plate routed to the case exterior. :)

I suppose it eventually boils down to each individual needing to consider:


--- Quote ---Do I want to buy a more expensive device, with high build quality, and extreme longevity by way of repairabilty, or do I want to buy a less expensive device of lower overall quality and repairability knowing that if any part of it fails I will almost certainly have to replace the entire device, potentially negating any savings in initial cost?
--- End quote ---

The environment in which you typically use the device will play a large part in this consideration, I imagine.

I treat my audio players like a newborn child, because I have sunk a LOT of money into the customization of them. If for some reason you're in an environment where your device could be destroyed catastrophically by any number of hazards, I suppose the choice in which device to purchase is fairly obvious.

If your needs are not as demanding and the risks to the hardware less great, and you are wanting a device that will "Just Work" and continue to do so for years to come, the choice becomes a lot less clear cut.

Edited to add: An additional, slightly tongue in cheek, point to take into consideration is that if you "value quality music listening above all else" (assuming this means faithful representation of an audio signal), physical measurement suggests that you should most definitely be using another device. ;)


[Saint]

luisdent:

--- Quote from: [Saint] on May 28, 2014, 11:56:24 PM ---Edited to add: An additional, slightly tongue in cheek, point to take into consideration is that if you "value quality music listening above all else" (assuming this means faithful representation of an audio signal), physical measurement suggests that you should most definitely be using another device. ;)


[Saint]

--- End quote ---

Definitely disagree on that last part :-P
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/sansa-clip-measured.html

I've done double blind tests between the zip and my ipod and there is no audible difference with any style of music with decent bitrate files. The clip+ he reviews in that link is the clip zip. They are identical audio hardware, and he says that.

As for the other points you made, I agree with most of them, however, I find repairing an ipod a risk in itself. You can easily damage them, and I'm a 15+ year computer technician/administrator. The third part hardware options are also limited, from sometimes sketchy sources, not cheap and not well guaranteed. The drive perhaps isn't too bad, but I can replace a 132gb zip with microsd with only the $40-50 cost of the player if it fails, or the $120 cost of the memory if it fails. The ipod drive alone approaches the microsd card and is more prone to failure again. But to each his own. I definitely have gear that i prefer to repair and have that option. It just doesn't add up for me in this case.

As to construction, I definitely agree with you that the zip feels cheaply made. However, I don't think it "is" cheap in terms of durability. The lightweight body and size make it very unlikely to be damaged if dropped, no moving parts reduces failures, etc. etc. But again, they both have ups and downs. :-)

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