Shop Junction Blog» Apple http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog Product news, reviews and more.... Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:18:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Amazon MP3 Downloads is a new Apple iTunes rival http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/285/amazon-mp3-downloads-is-a-new-apple-itunes-rival/ http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/285/amazon-mp3-downloads-is-a-new-apple-itunes-rival/#comments Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:30:30 +0000 admin http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/?p=285 Amazon UK has just launched its MP3 Music Downloads service. At first glance it looks very good. There are songs and albums from every genre and with albums from just £3 and songs from only 59p, this looks like a big competitor to iTunes from Apple. Key features of the Amazon service include:

  • Can be played on all MP3 players, including iPods
  • Can be loaded (via PC or Mac) into most media-enabled mobile phones
  • Downloads instantly to iTunes, Windows Media Player and most other Mac and PC music players
  • Free from DRM (digital rights management), so you’re not restricted in how you use the music you buy

I have bought some songs from Amazon MP3 Downloads and the purchase was very easy. The low prices might be an opening sales ploy but if they continue, I think Apple might have to revise their own pricing policy. I mostly buy single tracks and Amazon undercuts Apple by between 10p and 20p. At the same time, the MP3 songs at Amazon are encoded with a higher bit rate which normally means higher sound quality, particularly if you play the tracks through hi-fi equipment like I do.

It’s all good news for the music-loving customer as far as I am concerned!

]]> http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/285/amazon-mp3-downloads-is-a-new-apple-itunes-rival/feed/ 0 Protect Your iPod With a Gelaskin http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/49/protect-your-ipod-with-a-gelaskin/ http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/49/protect-your-ipod-with-a-gelaskin/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:41:32 +0000 admin http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/49/protect-your-ipod-with-a-gelaskin/ As a fairly recent iPod purchaser, I have been amazed by the number of iPod accessories that are available. One of my recent iPod accessory purchases has been an iPod Gelaskin which will protect your iPod back, front, and screen, with a simple, thin, semi-adhesive ’skin’ that can be positioned over the iPod, and repositioned, with ease.

Once applied, the skin covers the surfaces of your iPod to prevent scratching and other marks. Best of all, the Gelaskins come in a range of different, artist-designed styles. I went for the ‘mod’ look but there’s something for everyone – see example below.

Of course, the skin is also a great way of customising your iPod!

Gelaskins

]]> http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/49/protect-your-ipod-with-a-gelaskin/feed/ 0 Apple MacBook Air from PC World http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/44/apple-macbook-air-from-pc-world/ http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/44/apple-macbook-air-from-pc-world/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:18:25 +0000 admin http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/44/apple-macbook-air-from-pc-world/ Pre-Order Now! The Apple MacBook Air has an ultra thin, ultra portable design, making it the world’s thinnest laptop without compromising on performance.

Price £1199.00 – Free Delivery

» Apple MacBook Air from PC World

Mac Book Air

]]> http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/44/apple-macbook-air-from-pc-world/feed/ 0 Buying an iPod for Christmas http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/15/buying-an-ipod-for-christmas/ http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/15/buying-an-ipod-for-christmas/#comments Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:29:33 +0000 admin http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/15/buying-an-ipod-for-christmas/ I usually buy myself a Christmas present every year [it beats another pair of socks] and this time I decided that an Apple iPod would be the choice.  The only difficulty was deciding which one to buy and where to buy it from.

ipods

Related » MP3 Players on Shop Junction

The iPod Shuffle is remarkably small and does the basics but was too limited for my intended usage. Then, there’s the cool new iPod Touch with its touch screen wizardry.  In the end, the iPod Classic seemed to be the best combination for me, offering large capacity (80 or 160 GB) for storing songs, video, and photos etc, together with a decent screen [I love that Cover Flow thing].

Next question, where to buy it from?

Many online retailers stock the iPod range and prices seem to be very similar. In the UK, that’s £159 for the iPod Classic with 80 Gb memory and £230 to £250 for the higher capacity 160 GB version. In the end, I bought an 80 GB iPod Classic in silver from Play.com for £149.  I have bought CDs from Play.com regularly and the service has alway been very good [touch wood].

Now, all I need to do is stock up my iTunes library….

]]> http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/15/buying-an-ipod-for-christmas/feed/ 0 Apple iPhone in the UK http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/4/apple-iphone-in-the-uk/ http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/4/apple-iphone-in-the-uk/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:06:07 +0000 admin http://www.shopjunction.co.uk/blog/4/apple-iphone-in-the-uk/ After being available in the USA for some time, Apple’s much praised iPhone finally reaches the UK on 9 November, just in time for the Christmas season.  The iPhone is priced from £269 in the UK and it’s bound to be one of the best-selling products for Christmas.

The iPhone combines a revolutionary touch screen mobile phone, widescreen iPod, and Internet browser into one lightweight handheld device. It comes in a seductive black and silver casing with the same sort of style that Apple is famous for.  Only one word can describe it. Cool.

I might even have to upgrade my (very) old Nokia. Now, that’s saying something for an old stick-in-the-mud like me.

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