Which iPod?

[Beads]

Yes, it IS a running related question! I listen to my iPod when running (and walking the dog) and would have been quite happy about it until I heard you lot going on about GPS, mapping routes, tracking runs, Endomondo, MapMyRun and ZOMBIES. So as it's your fault I've been corrupted I'm asking your advice.

I'm a bit of a luddite and would prefer to be behind the times technology-wise. Hubby bought me a new phone for Christmas 2011 as my previous Nokia 3310 had given up the ghost after only 8 or 10 years or something the previous summer. I'm happy with my phone as it makes phone calls and does a few extra things when I can be bothered but it doesn't have GPS and can't be used for playing with ZOMBIES.

My iPod (the little square nano) was only bought so I could listen to audiobooks as my old Sony mp3 wouldn't talk to the library computer. It's now suffering from 'sweat damage' having been stuck down my bra for running (TMI? get used to it! ) so the sound disappears in time to my walks/runs (not good when you're listening to music, but when young James Bond is about to fall out of a tower it's bloody annoying to say the least!).

So which iPod do I get? I understand the 'touch' is the way to go (even though they're twice the size of my perfectly proportioned nano (there was a reason I got the little square one rather than the newer one)). But which one? I'm not too fussed about loads of memory as I'll download a book, 'read' it and return to download another, and don't tend to have too much music on it anyway. But how much memory do these fancy apps use? Also which generation? Will 2nd generation do or do I need 4th? What's the difference (other than about 0.5cm and 14g)?

Any other suggestions?

Thanking you in advance,

H

p.s. I'm focusing on actual iPods as Santa brought me a baby iPad for Christmas (too big to take running, even though I have the MapMyRun app on it) and there's a 'comfort factor' in the iPod touch looking like a small version of something that I'm already familiar with (Luddite/technophobe, remember).

[Fingalo Graduate]

Have to say Beads, I understood very little of that.

Some bleedin' Luddite you are!

[Beads Graduate in reply to Fingalo]

Know thy enemy, that's the quote isn't it? Or was i just rambling on again?

[jenniej Graduate]

Have you thought about a garmin watch instead of using your ipod for GPS etc? I love mine & its very easy to use. It gives you all the stats you could possibly want & maps your run. That way you dont need to bother with apps etc, its all done for you.

I use my old ipod nano - the original rectangular version - for podcasts & music. I put it in a little pouch that I hang round my neck. It has a little pocket where I store keys & money. And one good thing - no sweat problems!

[Beads Graduate in reply to jenniej]

I'm close to needing to replace my iPod anyway, so thought 2 birds one stone type thing..........

I almost bought one of the Garmin watches in the amazon Black Friday deal before Christmas, but backed out, did I need all the extra stuff it did and other questions. I don't wear a watch and the screens are too small without my glasses to be of much use........

[shelleymcb Graduate]

Id be interested to hear an answer to this aswell. I emailed the zombies people as although I have a garmin watch I dont have a fancy phone. their reply was "Zombies, Run! audio files are not available to download separately from the app. It's not required that your phone has GPS in order for the game to work, you just need an iOS device or an Android device. GPS is only required to map your runs, but if you already have something that does that, you'll be fine".

I dont know what an iOS device is but am presuming it is one that supports apps?? birthday soon so may be on the lookout for a cheapo phone that has apps on it so I can join in with the fun aswell. hubby gave me a funny look when I mentioned it to him

[Beads Graduate in reply to shelleymcb]

I don't think my phone is iOS and it's definitely not an android one. So no luck there.

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to shelleymcb]

iOS device is the software on apple devices, so the iPod Touch, iPhone & iPad all run iOS.

Android is an alternative to iOS and can be found on cheaper handsets such as Samsung, HTC etc.

[greenlegs Graduate]

I was once an ICT coordinator. Ha! Can't keep up with all that now though. What is the zombies thing? Not that I'm remotely likely to want to get involved, I'm just very curious how zombies have anything to do with running.

My phone is ancient and very basic. I am tempted to get a flashy one, so I could play with apps (ok, so I could find out what playing with apps means) but am not sure I've got the energy to work out how to use it, seeing that I have trouble playing dvds on the tv. Too many remotes, half of which don't seem to have batteries in. Why? I feel old.

[Beads Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

There's a zombie run app that you listen to and the zombies creep up behind you while you're out on your run and you have to outrun them. It's sort of like a training programme, but with fun added on, think what it would have been like in week 2 if Laura had said, that's the end of your 2 minute recovery walk, time to run, oh and by the way you need to run fast coz the zombies are catching up! You get points for how fast and far you run and get to play a computer game when you get home and download your run. It was mentioned here before Christmas and has been again this week.

Being old, yes, I can relate, I just don't have the mental energy to keep up these days with all the tech or the purse strings!

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to Beads]

Thanks for that - now I get it! I really couldn't figure out how the zombies got involved at all!

[Ribena]

The new iPod nano has nike fitness on it - with a pedometer - though I'm not sure it works with sticking in your bra =/

I'm after a new iPod soon too.

[Beads Graduate in reply to Ribena]

Sticking it down bra is not a good idea, at least not if it's in a 'protective case'. I've retrieved it at the end of a run before now and it's been..... soggy is the word I want to use here, but that doesn't really apply to non-absorbent things. I thought the protective case was protecting it, but it appears it was just providing the correct environment for the salts to start eating away at the metal case (and you don't want to know the amount of solid salts that came out of the case when I took it off, let's just say I've been working hard when I've been running).

Not sure I want just a pedometer, if I'm forking out hard earned cash to 'upgrade' I want the upgrade to be able to do more!

[Ribena in reply to Beads]

Yeah, that's why I'm holding off on upgrading my iPod, I feel less bad about getting one that I've had for a few years covered in sweat.

[Norni Graduate]

My brain hurts. I don't even know what half of these things are....

[Beads Graduate in reply to Norni]

I'm sure that's what my parents were thinking when betamax and VHS and Atari started off as well.

(Arghhhh - Firefox spell check says betamax is spelt wrong, you must be getting old when your browser doesn't know about things that were cutting edge back when you were younger!)

[Hidden]

I think the iPod nano can also be used with the Nike foot thingy magig

[Beads Graduate in reply to Hidden]

That's 2 things to lose, sorry, to carry with me.........

[SBG356 Graduate]

"Any other suggestions?"

Listen to the radio; read a paperback; use an A-Z; watch a horror film!!

OK, OK, you cant do these when running; I know.......!! Sorry, couldnt resist

Ahhh, the good ol' Atari on the tv......we thought we were sooo cutting edge when we got that.

Which ipod? Havent a clue as I still use my ipod classic for the podcasts/music and my garmin for the route but if I were changing it I would most probably go with the ipod touch 4th generation as its not as pricy as the latest one but dont think they have GPS.

[Beads Graduate in reply to SBG356]

Well, you've just saved me some money. I've been on the apple site and apparently neither the 4th or 5th generation touch have the GPS for playing with the zombies and mapping my runs, so I'll probably just stick to this one and curse when the sound goes out until they do one that does. Or I decide to get with it and get a posh phone.

Though i could borrow my son's new phone on a Saturday morning. He's a teenager so will generally be fast asleep until lunchtime.....

[Beads Graduate in reply to Beads]

p.s. When you said listen to the radio, I had visions of running with one of the 80s boom boxes strapped to my shoulder!

[Mitts Graduate]

I have an ipod shuffle which allows me to listen to Laura and make playlists. Anything more complicated is out.

apple.com/ipod-shuffle/

I also have a Garmin Forerunner 10 which records my runs and my stats and allows me to upload them to the website which converts them into cute little maps and diagrams. I got it all set up myself so it's idiot-proof.

sites.garmin.com/forerunner10/

I also have a new phone which would probably allow me to do all that too, but it's complicated...

But it all depends on exactly what you want to do... happy shopping!

[mrqwest Graduate]

Hi Beads,

I've just had a quick look on the Apple site and I don't believe the iPod Touch has GPS. It certainly not listed on the features page.

[HectorsHouse Graduate]

You CAN get an ipod touch to get GPS, but it either takes buying a seperate pack (costing nearly as much as the ipod itself) or jailbreaking (hacking) the ipod, and then doing some highly technically complicated wizardry.

BUT...

Creative Zen's have been pretty good for a number of years (when I was first looking at getting myself an mp3 player, I was like 'not ipod', and the Zen's were nearly as good, if not better in some respects - about 7 years ago). The Touch 2 is on Android and has GPS, which means that mapmyrun, run Zombies, the nike thing etc are compatible.

us.store.creative.com/Creat...

or

amazon.com/gp/product/B004E...

- which has a link to the 16gb or 8gb options.

[Beads Graduate in reply to HectorsHouse]

Only one on eBay, for the UK market, coming in from the states with postage astronomical (I think they don't like exporting here as postage is always high, I was going to order some glass once but it must have had its own first class seat on Concorde the amount postage was going to be). The ones on UK amazon don't say anything about GPS so I'm assuming they don't have it.

[Beads Graduate in reply to Beads]

Sorry, that wasn't a comment about individual sellers and their postage rates, more to the USPS charges.

[Beads Graduate]

UPDATE: Someone on free cycle has offered a 'Nokia with GPS', I've asked if I can download apps to it and if so can I have it. Keep your fingers crossed for me!