ipod and dac?

If price is an issue, there are other companies, like CREATIVE, that have hard drive players like the i-pod that cost less. As far as Hard Drives failing, I have had a lot of lap-top computers and have been working with external hard drives over the last few years. I travel around quite a bit and always take a lap-top with me. I've never had a hard drive fail.
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The Holy grail will be when you can get a digital out from your i-pod and/or your computer. Are you listening, Apple?

This is an excellent thread! Great points both pro and con.

As a daily working Mac pro, it's amazing that I've totally missed out on this. Probably from being overworked and not watching TechTV enough! You guys have given me much to think about. It'll be interesting to see how the tech trends develop and what the next CES Macworlds reveal.

Thanks for educating me!
Dean

How do you connect an iPOD to an external DAC?

On some of the headphone sites, where they spend alot of time talking about portable audio, people seem to say that the ipod is not the top of the group in sonics. One that is purportedly better is the Rio Kharma, which holds 20 mb and can be had for $250 if you look hard. It doesn't have the industrial art of the ipod, nor quite as good a navigation system, but still rated as pretty darn good.

I own two iPods, a 1rst Gen 10 Gb, that I gave to my wife...OK so I own one now, and a second Gen 20 Gb (bought from MacMall for $259 when the new versions came out) I absolutely love them, but would not use them for critical listening.

I think some of you are missing the point. I have 3465 songs for 9.6 days of continuous music on my 20 Gb iPod (I used 192 mbps MP3 until AAC, which I use the same rate for) This thing has saved my sanity more than once on transAtlantic flights!!! No, it's not 'audiophile' gear. The convienence of having so much of my music available is the reason I never travel without it!!! I even carry a current converter with me abroad so I can charge my digital camera and iPod so I never am out of batteries.

As for the batteries lasting, mine are two years old and work fine. Ed is right, you can change the batteries yourself, though I've not done it. I am reminded of how much I love my iPod when I sit next to someone on a plane who has to dig through their bags to find CD's, while sometimes what they are listenming to sounds good to me and I just call the album up and start listening to it right away...no hassels, and seemingly endless music to boot!

This is why I use iPods........as for MAC's, well if you don't know why I use them....