[Parrot]

I have a 20GB iPod and am contemplating upgrading to the new 30GB model. While the extra 10GB would be nice, the new model has a shorter battery life and relies on the dock to connect to the Mac which I think is a backward step, especially for those of us syncing with an iBook or Powerbook. Carrying around a simple firewire cable is much easier.
Just wondering if anyone else has upgraded and can comment on any other differences ie sound quality, speed etc.

[Yossi]

You can plug in the FW cable direct to the iPod, there is no need to cary with the dock

[sebimeyer]

Yup, you only need the cable. The batter still lasts long enough for me and if you want to use it in a car you can always get a car charger.
I just upgraded from a 20 GB one and love it. Of course it's up to you if the price is worth it.

[Parrot]

Hi sebimeyer. Have you noticed any differences in sound or LCD quality?

[Jens]

I waited for the new releases before purchasing an iPod but I just can't seem to justify paying 100 euros more for the new version when all it ads is smaller size.
For me, I'll get the old 10 GIG and get a remote control and carry case and still save me some dough I can spent on audible.com.

[sebimeyer]

The sound is just as good as the old one it seems, but the display is a LOT better.
One major gripe I had with the old one was that when the backlight was on (mine was set to turn the backlight on for 10 seconds when I touched a button or the wheel) you could not read the screen in direct sunlight. So I always had to turn it off before I could read the screen. That can be quite tricky if you can't really see what your doing.
Yesterday I was sitting at the pool when I realized that the backlight was on but I could easily read the screen.
The contrast is vastly improved, which also makes it easier to read even under normal lighting conditions.