Today I finally decided to purchase the U2 iPod. Being a big fan of U2, as soon as the iPod was announced I was ready to purchase it. Unfortunately my friends didn't think that it was appealing, and the fact that I owned a 3g iPod made me think twice. Once the How to dismantle an atomic bomb was released, my urge to purchase the iPod was reignited. Not having a credit card I was determined to purchase the U2 iPod from a local store, and the first one happened to be NextByte on Bridge Rd. Luckily they had 1 left and had them put it on hold. When I got there and had a look, I found that the box was opened and the shrink rap was off, and the seal was broken. I would have normally said it was unacceptable, but knowing how long I have to wait and seeing that all the contents were there, I decided to take it anyway. So here goes the review:
Having owned the 3rd generation iPod, opening the box was exactly the same. The bit that goes around the box had a different design as you can see from the photo. From this exact moment you know that something special was hidden within. I guess this is one of the changes Apple made when they switched to the 4G was that they started to use recycled material for the inside of the box. One side of me agrees that it's good for the environment, but the other would have liked something a bit more. But i guess it's just a box :P
One of the things I noticed different other then the iPod was the special content that was inside
It comes with the normal CD, the Getting Started booklet, but also come with Apple logo stickers and a poster of all the U2 albums and on the back with a photo of a beach and Bono's monologue.
Not much of a comparison, but the big difference in seeing a white iPod and a black with the red. The red coloured scroll wheel was one of the things that everyone around me have complained about, but for me it's something that makes it special. The white markings really stand out as you can see, and the black is really shiny. I would describe the shininess of the black like a black porsche.
Not having owned a 4G iPod, my comments would probably be exactly the same as one doing a review on the 4G. I really like the scroll wheel concept which goes back to the first 2 generations. The 3G iPod was what really got the public's attention, but from the user's point of view, the 4G is far superior. I haven't noticed any difference in sound quality, and so far I haven't heard any of the audio defects that have been reported from the 4G. The first thing I noticed was that the screen on this new iPod was sharper.The texts were clearer. Secondly, the clicker sound was different also.
Holding the U2 iPod in my hands, I'm starting to wonder how practical it is to carry something you love so much. I don't want to put it into a silicon case because I love the touch and feel of it so much. Unfortunately, being black means that it's easier to see finger print marks and probably scratches which I hopefully can avoid. If I have the money this is something that i would put inside a glass case and have it for viewing only. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
