Apple iPod (20GB, 4th generation) review

Apple iPod (20GB, 4th generation) Review

Reviewed by: James Kim

Reviewed on: 24 July 2004

As with other versions, this iPod will mount as a FireWire hard drive so that you can store personal data in addition to audio files. For those interested in expanding its features, the iPod is compatible with the Belkin voice recorder and media reader. The voice recorder adds a microphone and a 16mm speaker for capturing WAV and AIFF files, which then transfer automatically to your Mac or PC during syncing. The media reader turns the iPod into a digital photo wallet. The module lets you pull images from your digicam's CompactFlash, SmartMedia, SD/MMC, or Memory Stick media to make more room for new photos without having to upload the previous batch to a computer.

Three more treats remain untouched: an alarm clock that can beep or play the song of your choice through a home stereo; games (in the form of Brick, Parachute, and Solitaire); and the ability to play tunes from the iPod's hard drive while it's connected to your computer (so that you can delete your music collection from your computer's drive to free up space).

While the updated list of features impressed us, we're still waiting for useful innovations such as a built-in MP3 encoder or, better yet, a wireless component to tie in with the recently announced AirPort Express.

Performance

Perhaps the biggest performance claim by Apple is the improved battery life of up to 12 hours. That's 50 percent--or 4 hours--longer than the previous iPod's.

In our tests we were able to hit nearly 14 hours in its standardized drain procedure. This is a major improvement, thanks to the combination of a larger-capacity battery, upgraded internal electronics, and more efficient power-saving features in the software. Apple wouldn't get specific, but the new iPods boast entirely new chipsets, which is why third-generation models can't utilize the fourth-generation firmware.

According to Apple's Web site, the battery charges in about 4 hours (about 80 minutes longer than the last iPod), and after 2 hours, the cell will be at 80 percent. An Apple spokesperson clarified this, saying that recharge time is only 3 hours when using FireWire, though the process over USB will take longer. Our tests split the difference, with a full FireWire charge taking 3.5 hours to complete.

New chipset and all, the iPod's sound quality remains great. Apple won't release the signal-to-noise ratio, but the player sounds quite clean to our ears, and it's better through the dock's line-out jack, which bypasses the device's volume circuitry. It's also more than loud enough, even through our test headphones, outputting 30mW per channel.

Although slightly slower than the previous generation's transfer rate of 6.9MB per second, the new iPod's numbers came in at a brisk 5.2MB per second over FireWire (equivalent to about one song each second) from Macs and Windows machines. At this point, we attribute the slower transfer speed to the iPod's new chipset.

Edited by: John Morris
Additional editing by: Chris Stevens