So, I've been awaiting the new iPod revisions since roughly January. Finally, when they were announced on April 28th, I ordered my personalized 15GB that same day with the laser engraving of "Once you go Mac, you never go back."

Today when I got home from school, I noticed a package in the same of a cube on my doorstep and I knew it could only be one thing. I rushed to grab it (it was hailing at the time!), ran up to my room, and carefully begin to dissect the package.

Like everyone else has said, and continuing with Apple tradition, the packaging was one of a kind. The "box in a box" method they used is awesome. I'll definitely be keeping this box for show...right now it's sitting on top of my TV on my entertainment center.

Anyways, after reading through the directions briefly (Yes, I actually read the directions! I'd rather get things right than have to do it again ;) ), I hooked up the dock to my iBook via FireWire, slid in my iPod, and iTunes immediately began transferring songs and my whole music library was transferred in about a minute (I have a measily 135 songs at the moment).

I had just been to CompUSA where I bought a RCA "Y" cable so I could hook it up to my 400-watt stereo system in my room. I hooked it up via the dock's line out port, fired up the iPod, browsed to Dr. Dre "Forgot About Dre", and listened to my first tunes on my new setup.

Let me tell you, this setup kicks. It sounds spectacular. I didn't expect such outstanding quality from a $5 cable. It sounds just like a CD, except I have my whole music library on something smaller than a CD ;)

A couple of notes.

I'm awaiting some of the new cases to be announced. While the provided Apple case does justice, that somewhat rough Apple tag on the inside has me scared enough to not put my iPod in it for fear of it scratching my iPod up.

Some people are reporting a "clicking" sound between songs, and I notice this as well...but I don't see the big deal people are making about it...it's just a small click that is barely noticable. If Apple can fix it in a firmware upgrade, more power to them. If they can't, no big deal.

Ending comments: This was perhaps the best $400 I've ever spent. I'll be taking my iPod everywhere with me...it's my music center at home, it'll be my music center in my car, I'll be using it at school, and anywhere inbetween.

What a wonderful world, as Louis Armstrong put it ;)