Apple iPod 3rd Generation White (30 GB) MP3 Player

Reviews are supposed to offer real-life thoughts and experiences about a product, and any iPod is going to be a fantastic example of how different peoples' experiences can be. Some people here love this iPod; others hate it.

Based on my score, I'll say that I love it. This is not to say that it's perfect, but we *are* talking about a three year old model. Comparing it to the newer, sleeker, lighter and higher capacity models that we have now is not fair. It was the flagship model in its day, and it remains a fantastic buy.

I never liked the "click" button design of later iPods; this particular generation of iPods had the best user interface, in my opinion.

My 30 gig iPod has been dropped, smacked, scratched, used and abused, and it still works fine. I replaced the battery after about two-and-a-half years, and it still keeps going strong. My particular iPod has about 7000 songs in it, and I never have a problem finding what I'm looking for.

The downsides? The little black-and-white screen isn't as pretty as the newer color screens. Hard disk life is always going to be questionable in these things, and it's anyone's guess when that will go. The pretty finish of the iPod scratches and wears quickly. We prefer to think of it as "having personality", but some people don't like that.

If you don't mind having an iPod that's a hair thicker than the new models, these older ones can be a fantastic buy. Put a fresh battery in (a relatively easy task for a tech-saavy individual), and you'll have a very well-designed, reliable music player. Hopefully for some time to come.