I am not anti-Apple, anti-iPod or anti-iTunes, but since posting “Buying a Product for Cachet”, I've receive a plethora of contacts regarding the iPod as a device. The top three? Ssound quality, battery life and durability.
Sound quality: get better headphones. Apple doesn't do default headphones any better (or worse) than anyone else.
Battery? Make sure you charge it all the way up before using it the first time, and do your best to let the device run all the way down to zero (the battery manufacturers cite you no longer have to do that, but I subscribe to that methodology).
It was the durability question that most shocked me the most: two of my co-workers own more than one iPod and at least one is in a non-working state. I find this incredible: I've had the same player for the past 2-1/2 years. I simply cannot imagine replacing an ~$500 piece of hardware after less than a year and then buying another.
While on the subject, it looks like the door has been opened to other vendors, seeking to dethrone Apple's iTunes and iPod dominance. Even though Rio decided not to do personal digital audio anymore, Sony has new players (link courtesy of TechTree) and sites like MSN Music have increasing traffic month after month. Business Week chimes in with “What's the next verse in Apple's Song?“
Me, I like my Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen (current version, the Xtra is linked) and my MSN Music account.