Pros and cons of the apple iPod mini

If you are thinking about getting an iPod there are some choices you need to make.There are several different versions from the shuffle, to the nano, to the mini to the humungous iPods with enough memory to store dozens of full length movies.Each iPod has its own set of reasons for buying it (or not buying it).If you are thinking of buying the moderately priced ($100)iPod mini there are some pros and cons that you should be aware of.

Cons

Maybe the biggest disadvantage of buying the iPod mini is the fact that the mini was discontinued and replaced by the nano in the fall of 2005.Since Apple is no longer selling the mini, you will most likely have to buy a used device.It's a little scary to buy used computer equipment because you have no idea what kind of abuse it might have been subject to by the previous owner.

The fact that is no longer commercially available might also hinder you from getting the device serviced if the need arises.While Apple still supports the mini and will replace the batteries on the device (which also can't be purchased in stores), more technical repairs and replacements might be difficult if not impossible.

Another disadvantage of the iPod mini is the short battery life.A charged battery only lasts about 8 hours for the first iPond mini.The battery problem was addressed and the battery life for the second generation of minis is about 18 hours.However, even in the second generation minis the battery can only be recharged about 400 times.This will give you a couple of years of service but then it has to be shipped to the company for battery replacement.

Pros

There is decent storage space on the iPod mini, they come in 4 GB models and 6 GB models so either will offers more than 1000 songs of storage.This is plenty of storage for most iPod users.

An advantage over the less expensive iPod shuffle is the ability to choose the songs you want to hear.The mini features the familiar click wheel that is used on most iPods.By using the click wheel you can use the playlists that you create with iTunes and you can select music by alblum, artist, and genre.

Another advantage is the price.These devices were made to sell for $200 to $250 dollars and that is probably about what they are worth.However, because they have been discontinued, you can find the mini on eBay for the "buy it now" price of $50 or less.There are still some new minis available and the asking price on the never used models is still about $200.

Overall, it might be a better idea to purchase the one of the new iPod nanos rather than the discontinued mini.However, in the c/net online reviews, the mini did receive some votes in the mini versus nano column but most of the reviewers listed price as the selling point for the mini.The biggest debate among proponents of either the nano or the mini seems to be about size.The nano is about half the size of the mini.Some people suggest that this makes it better and some people complain that the nano is just too small.One respondent wrote that it was so small he thought of it as a choking hazard for his small children.