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Students Get iPods as Study Aids

WIAKywbfatw writes "Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia has given iPod digital music players to its students to help them with their coursework, as reported by BBC News. Apple donated about 50 iPods as part of an experimental project to illustrate creative uses for the machine, and University professors say the gadgets have helped the students think more critically about their Gothic Imagination course." I wonder if I can write off my new iPod as an education expense.

6 of 230 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Can they record? by Dylan+Zimmerman · · Score: 4, Informative

    iPod's can't record, but if you really want something that does, then get a Sony Mini-disk player/recorder. They aren't that expensive and the disks hold quite a bit of audio.

    Now, I wonder if the iPod's remote buttons are separate from the internal buttons from the iPod's point of view. If they are, then it should be possible to mod your remote and make it into a microphone that you could use with either hacked iPod software (yeah, right) or the Linux on iPod project. Just write a program that interprets the 'next' button on the remote as microphone data.

  2. Re:Gothic Imagination course? by Zathrus · · Score: 3, Informative

    I was never into Gothic music, but my wife is (as evidenced by her collection of Bauhaus, SoM, and others).

    For those actually interested:

    http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~rviau/GothicIm.h tm l

  3. Re:Can they record? by JebusIsLord · · Score: 3, Informative

    The creative nomad jukebox 3 can. you need an external mic though. this is why i bought one of those instead of an ipod, even though the ipods are admittedly sexier.

    --
    Jeremy
  4. Re:Can they record? by Herg · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Archos Recorder is another MP3 player that has a recording function. It has a built-in mic, about 10 hours uptime per charge, and the 20GB model can be had for less than $250.

    The interface to a PC is simply a USB HDD, so it can be used with just about any OS, unlike the iPod.

    It doesn't run Linux, but there is an open-source replacement firmware available, Rockbox.

  5. Recording on Gen 2 by RedX · · Score: 4, Informative

    Don't be so sure that you can't record on the new Gen 2 iPod as a LINEIN setting has been discovered in Diagnostic Mode.

  6. Re:Can they record? by blixel · · Score: 3, Informative

    even though the ipods are admittedly sexier.

    I have to admit I chose form over function when I bought my MP3 player, which was the iPod. I spent days reading reviews on cnet.com and a few other sources, compared prices, features, even created a spread sheet of my own so I could compare them quickly at a glance. In the end I decided the iPod just wasn't worth the money vs. the features it had. But I bought one anyway because of the size and sleek design.

    Now that I own it, I can't say I'm sorry about my choice either. I'm happy with the product. My only regret is that I didn't wait another 2 months for the new iPods to come out because I think they are quite an improvement. The only bad thing about the new iPod is that they sacrificed battery life for size. The new iPod has a smaller battery and thus wont last as long between recharges. That aside, the even smaller design of the new one combined with some new features made me break down and buy the new one as well. I was dissapointed to see that Apple didn't include an FM tuner. That would be my personal first choice for a new feature to be added. I would also like to see voice recording, FM recording, line in/out on the device itself with the ability to RIP MP3's directly from a stereo without using a computer, more dumb little games, an FM Transmitter, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. But to put all that stuff in the player would probably make it much larger and wouldn't be worth it to many people who need the ultra slim design of the iPod.