Apple ipod & jogging possible?

[ArchStudent]

Just curious to know if anyone has tried jogging or running with an apple Ipod, or Ipod mini? Using common sense one would think that running with a hard drive that is spinning might not be a good idea...

thinking of an ipod, also great as a portable drive... but would me going for 5 km runs damage it?

 

[Bluestealth]

I read some review stating that Apple does not believe that this would be a problem since the HD only spins up to load more music into its cache. However I do believe its possible to damage the HD if it were to have to read from the HD while you were running. I do not know how this would affect the Laptop drive/mini-HD. I doubt it would do much, unless you were to drop it while it was spining....
They were skeptical of Apples answer and im not sure how it would affect it, though HDs usally only don't like violent shocks while spinning... though I have never tried running with a laptop/Ipod device lol

 

[Lyfer]

Get a cheap $50-$60 64mb/128mb Mp3 flashdrive player if you want to go jogging, thats what I use.

 

[Tostada]

I'm still running with the Rio 500 I got in 1999... that thing can certainly take a beating.

I suppose I have to agree with everybody. I don't think you're going to destroy an iPod by taking it on a jog, but I'd be much more comfortable jogging with a cheap solid-state player.

The Rio Sport is just under $100 for 128MB, and you can get an extra 512MB SD card for $90. If you're just going to run with it, though, you probably don't care about having more than 1.5 hours of music, so you could just get one of those cool Creative Muvo players that's also a USB 2.0 pen drive.

 

[jdiddy]

I always jog with my ipod in my pocket and never had it skip or damaged and its going on a year and a half old now.

 

[0roo0roo]

they have arm band mounts for the mini...the memory holds enough for a decent job alone. upper arm doesn't jolt much, rest of body has already absorbed much of the shock.

 

[Mucker]

Take a serious look at this http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008VFDL/qid=1089026032/sr=8-5/ref=pd_ka_5/104-8773023-8665512?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

This is a joggers dream......no moving parts, excellent sound quality, FM Tuner, NO PROPRIETARY BATTERY (I use 1 AA NiMH....20 hours). Best audio device I've ever owned. Will hold about 160 songs (128bit)....simply excellent!

Get a good pair of earbuds like these http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000092YQW/qid=1089026428/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2_etk-electronics/104-8773023-8665512?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172282
and you'll be set

mucker

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Mucker


Get a good pair of earbuds like these http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000092YQW/qid=1089026428/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2_etk-electronics/104-8773023-8665512?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172282
and you'll be set

mucker

Those don't fall out when you run??

 

[0roo0roo]

no, the ear wax seal is very strong

 

[mb]

Haha, what about the extension weighing down the cord like one reviewew said? Does it really tug the phones? I like to keep my mp3 player in my pocket so it looks like I'd have to use it with these. Everything else about them seems nice though.


Awesome sound, really. If you are not doing any high impact activity, these will stay in your ear for sure. They also block out outside sound very well.
The only issue is this:
Headphones come with an extension piece. Without this extension, the headphones measure 16 inches, basically unusable. When you connect them to the extension (so you can wear the audio source in your pocket or whatever) where the male and female connection is made it becomes heavy, and wildly bounces around, making running basically impossible cause the cable is pulling at your ears due to the weight. Basically, they are AWSOME for weightlifting or low impact aerobics. On the treadmill, I had to hold the connection point in my hand the entire time so the headphones would not come out of my ear. Quite annoying. If they fix this issue, these are one awesome pair of headphones.

 

[0roo0roo]

hm that sounds bad. i can see how that would really suck. plus, you want something less isolating for jogging..for safety

 

[mb]

I run my headphones under my shirt so I don't snag them in my arms, but I can still see how the extension can tug if it does weigh too much. My headphones are starting to fray so I wouldn't mind a new pair.. I'll probably just get the same ones I have now.. if I can find them.

 

[nortexoid]

i've ran with my ipod in my pocket and it's skipped....it doesn't really skip tho - it just stops playing for like 5min. then suddenly starts again. if u run with it in your hand tho, it's ok.

like others, i use a flash based player for running. i still have my old rio500 which plays the role well.

 

[addragyn]

The iPods have a 32MB buffer. Largest off all the HD players.

The iPod will jog just fine. But you have to keep it somewhere where it's not constantly getting hit with a jarring motion around. Armband is ideal - pocket is not.

And the lower the bitrate your music is at the more you can get into that 32MB buffer.

 

[addragyn]

Or just go solid state and not worry about it.

 

[ArchStudent]

thanks for the suggestions people

I'm kind of looking for something that can be used as an external HD... I have thought about the Iriver mp3 player, the 512MB or 1GB, but the Ipod mini seems to be my best bet. It is compact and can store a good deal... plus I like to do long distance running, sometimes 3 hours or an hour to two hours...

will need to think a little bit

Oh, good places to buy an ipod mini from? (I'm in the great white north, Canada)

 

[BespinReactorShaft]

I have a 3rd Gen 40G and it is DEFINITELY NOT for jogging or other skip-friendly activities. Hearsay it's got to do with the different platter layouts on the larger capacity hard drives; this could mean that the smaller capacity iPods e.g. 15GB are more skip-proof.

From a paranoid perspective, even if it is skip-proof, I have this fear that all that shaking about will greatly hasten the mechanical demise of the internal hard drive. If I had to have a player for jogging I'd surely opt for a flash mem player like those from iRiver.