Apple iPod mini 2nd Generation Pink (4 GB) MP3 Player

I was lucky enough to get one of these literally 5 minutes before the store sold out. I have the 6gb version, which is identical to this one except for the capacity (and the price - it was $50 more than this 4gb version). I also have a 40gb 4th generation iPod, an iPod shuffle, and I have owned and used MP3 players by Creative and iRiver.

The new "2nd generation" iPod mini builds on the strengths that made the original mini a blockbuster best-seller: easy to learn, easy to use, elegant user interface, immensely usable "click-wheel," and outstanding sound quality. Since the original mini was introduced a year ago, some competitors appeared that offered higher capacity, better battery life, and lower price. This new iPod mini answers the competition with some important improvements which make it a compelling choice over the competition:

1) Battery life is now 18 hours instead of 8 hours for the first generation mini.

2) The 2nd generation mini is cheaper: the original mini was $250 for 4 gigabytes of storage, which holds up to 1000 songs. The new mini is $200 for 4 gigabytes, or you can pay $250 for 6 gigabytes (up to 1500 songs). To achieve this price drop, though, Apple no longer includes a dock or charger - these are available separately, but you can live without them just fine. For example, the battery charges whenever the mini is plugged into your computer's USB port.

In addition to these improvements, there is a minor cosmetic difference, concerning the color choices: gold is no longer an option (it was the worst seller in the original mini), and the other colors are now a bit brighter.

The iPod mini comes with iTunes software to help you organize the music on your iPod, and to transfer music from your CD collection to your player. If you wish, you can use the iTunes software to purchase music from Apple's online store and download them directly to your iPod, but the software absolutely does not push you to do so.

The mini also comes with the same earbuds that accompany every other iPod. They are better than the headphones that come with most MP3 players, but you'll probably want to consider replacing them with something a bit nicer.

Like its predecessor, the build quality of the new iPod mini is excellent, very sturdy, just like all iPods. My 40gb iPod has taken a lot of abuse and has held up extremely well. Plus, I did a fair amount of research on the original mini and it has held up well since it was introduced. So I fully expect that my new iPod mini will last a long time.

I also considered the Creative Zen Micro, the Dell Pocket DJ and the Rio Carbon, which seem to be the closest competitors to the mini. They have more features than the iPod mini, but are not as elegantly designed and their build quality feels a little cheaper than the mini. Plus, as a previous owner of other iPods, I already have a lot of music in Apple's AAC format, which these other players cannot deal with.

But it's not just about looks - the iPod Mini sounds fantastic. After comparing it with my third-generation iPod, tracks definitely sounded clearer on the iPod Mini, as if it were capable of better frequency response. By comparison the 3G iPod sounded positively muffled. A sign of PortalPlayer's enhanced audio chip, perhaps.

The Mini's packaging is as lovely as ever. The box lid slides off to reveal the mini wrapped in plastic. The box underneath is split in two halves - one for the install discs and one for the headphones, USB cable and a belt holster. As with all the new iPods there's no Firewire cable, no dock, no remote - but they are available as optional extras. There's no AC adaptor either, so you can only charge when connected to the PC.

There are other missing features that might give pause for thought, such as a radio, recording function and microphone. But if it's just a player you want these absences won't be noticed. For me the only reason I wouldn't want one is that I do want to carry my entire music collection around with me. Or at least more of it than I could fit on a 6GB drive.

One day of course, a 20GB iPod will be this size, but for now six gigs is your limit. At this capacity it no longer loses out to the Zen Micro and H10, but while Creative and iRiver have both worked hard on improving the look and usability of their players, the Mini is still miles ahead. With its rounded sides and neat click-wheel interface, it feels right in you hand and is easy to control and use too.

Verdict
With the new iPod Mini, Apple has increased its capacity by a 50 per cent, battery-life by one-and-a-quarter times and improved sound quality. It's a pretty impressive triple whammy and as long as its capacity is large enough for you, the iPod Mini would be our recommended digital audio player.

jamieday83

With the Ipod Mini officially retired, the only way you are going to find one is online or on the clearance shelf. That actually works in your favor as this is probably the best MP3 player on the market for the dollar.

Everyone knows Apple has a stranglehold on the MP3 market and the Mini did nothing to reduce that theory. It was small, had the infamous click-wheel as well as an assortment of colors that appeal to just about everyone. It has a wealth of accessories available at cheap prices as well as great technical support (though you won't need it most likely).

The menu system is intuitive and easy to navigate. The display is clear and bright and has a nice bluish shade that fades out from non-use. It's durable too though it's hard-drive based so you'd be smart not to use it while jogging or otherwise moving constantly. It also includes ITunes which is pretty much the software to use for MP3 maintenance.

It's unfortunate that Apple didn't incorporate FM radio into any of it's MP3 players like Rio did. Of course, people snatched them up anyway because it's Apple. The battery itself has some issues as well and often will die before the 500 charge/recharge cycle as arrived. If it's not under warranty, you may as well buy a new Ipod since battery replacement costs nearly as much as buy one.

New Ipod Mini's can be had for $150 on eBay so it's a great time to buy one. Though the Ipod Nano replaced it, it's a stellar MP3 player to own provided you don't need mega-storage.

I decided to purchase a pink Ipod because the member had a 100% feedback score and stated the ipod was in "immaculate condition", and even went as far in an e-mail to state it was in "perfect condition". When I received it I noticed immediately the dent and scratches on it, which were not disclosed. I contacted the member who did not care, and then ebay, who did absolutely nothing. I gave this member a neutral and honestly stated I was disappointed in the description which stated a falsehood in the condition of the item, and received a negative feedback from this member in retaliation on my perfect score. Again, ebay did nothing about this except express apologies which do me no good.

I did like the mini alot, I was replacing one that had been stolen. But it has not been upto par. It will at time delete all my songs. So I have not been real satisfied with purchase.

this was not an apple ipod pink second gen 4 gb. it was a knock of version which did does not function properly. my daughter has not been able to add songs and the songs she tried to put on didnt work. the item is a piece of garbage. and i got a full refund on the purchase!

first of all, I was supposed to recieve a pink ipod and I recieved a green one. Second, we tried for hours to get it to work and still to this day it does not work. So we have an $80.00 ipod sitting here unuseable.

I bought a mini pink ipod . It was in excellent conditions. The ipod description before I bought it was an exact description of it when its arrive. It has the complete accesories, tha warranty documents, its box apperance was as new. My daughter is very happy with the product. The payment and shipping process ocurred very esay and responsible. The seller was very polite too. Thanks,

Like New. is Like new. it's in great shape. and works well. I love it and use it for working out.
THANKS

Only had the Ipod for about a month and it doesn't work.. It will not turn on anymore. I have to take it to the Apple store.. Also I didn't realize I was buying a refurbished ipod. Hopefully the Apple store can help me out, but I'm sure I'll be putting more money into this ipod. Mad at myself for buying.. If it doesn't work after leaving the apple store I will try and contact seller. It's frustrating

i love this ipod you can download 1000 songs. i decide to buy this because i am a music lover and i want to be able to take my music with me every where.

The item functions very well. It was formatted to be used with McIntosh computers, but was easily re-formatted using the internet to be used with my windows computer. Holds a great amount of songs and works great. Really enjoy the item. The size is small, but it is a little more sturdy and durable than the new nanos, which I really like.

My daughter told me after I was almost finished with her Christmas shopping that she wanted an ipod - finding this mini ipod at this price was the perfect topper to her Christmas wish list.

I never received this item. Seller said it was damaged in shipping but promptly refunded my money with no problems at all. I wanted this item for my workouts and ended up finding another one at a good price and I love it.

I actually bought this for my friend who wanted it as a christmas gift. She loves pink and wanted a pink Ipod. Ebay is so great at having things i cant find anywhere else. She loves it!

The kids love them. However changing the face plates to the designer colors is a real pain and tedious. and if you are not very careful they are very easy to damage.

This 2nd generation iPod mini has up to 16 hours of continuous playtime and the batteries don't need to be replaced as often. The design is ultra-compact, and a bit more durable than the newer cousin, the iPod 'nano'.

The 4GB holds 1000 songs, which is the same as the higher-end nano and you can get the mini for a lot less cash.

The only downside, they don't have color screens for photos and such, but that's not too important for me anyway.

I first learned about the Ipod thru a friend and absolutely had to have one. It was impossible to find one in my area that was pink and so i searched ebay and was so lucky to find an honest seller of a pink mini and upon receiving it I was so pleased that all the original documents were included and it practically looked brand new. It is a superior quality product and I highly recommend it to anyone in the market for an mp3 player.

Product was in great condition and I received it promptly. My daughter loves this starter IPod. I will be searching for one for myself. Very pleased with product.

I like that it was at a good price. My girlfriend wanted one for x-mas and i've seen the prices on them. So thank you very much.

i love this item but i bought it used so the charge isn't holding up but if it did, i would love this even more.

Absolutely love the color,pink, her favorite and the price was within my budget. I was very glad to be able to get a iPod for her. She is one of nine grandchildren . I know that not only will she be thrilled to get one, but will get many hours of listening pleasure as well!

Needed an ipod and found this one, and the description and pictures didnt do it justice! For the price, it was a GREAT deal and Im very pleased!