I am fixing to jump into the MP3 fray and I don't know much about them so... anyone have advice on the subject?
I-pod advice.
- Thread starter Brian Snyder
- Start date
kerrybelle
New Member
Don't have much experience with anything other than the Ipod. We have the Nano, but not the newest one out. Works great!
Kerry
Kerry
J-Dro
Well-Known Member
Ipods have arguably the best user interface of all the mp3 players. It's simple and intuitive for just about anyone. You will generally have to pay a premium for an Ipod over, say, a Sansa player of the same size. Also, the songs that you download from the Apple store are in a proprietary format that will only play on Ipods. So if you switch to another brand down the line, you're screwed. Ipods do play mp3 files as well, so I just keep all my files in that format and don't buy from Apple.
The first decision is whether you want a tiny player of around 2-8 GB or do you want one with a massive hard drive that will hold your entire music collection. In general, 1GB of memory will hold around 10 CD's. Thats just an approximation, and it varies depending on the amount of compression used to make the mp3 file. If you're just planning to store music on the player and not video, I would go for the small size with flash based memory (in other words, no hard drive, no moving parts). 4 GB would hold at least 40 CD's, probably more.
The first decision is whether you want a tiny player of around 2-8 GB or do you want one with a massive hard drive that will hold your entire music collection. In general, 1GB of memory will hold around 10 CD's. Thats just an approximation, and it varies depending on the amount of compression used to make the mp3 file. If you're just planning to store music on the player and not video, I would go for the small size with flash based memory (in other words, no hard drive, no moving parts). 4 GB would hold at least 40 CD's, probably more.
I don't need any more help crashing, and ending tangled in a pile with Mort is (no offence Mort), not my idea of a good time. I will not be wearing it when I ride. I have other plans for said device.
Frank
Sasquatch
Does it always have to involve the hot tub??
Why yes.......yes it does.
Engignar
New Member
Coming from someone who has had both an Ipod and other devices (I break things) I would advise you to look at some of the less popular options out there. Figure out your requirements first (memory size, types of files you want to play..ie do you want to play music or maybe videos too?, and how much you want to spend). Apple has a device in every segment of the market, but there are some drawbacks such as having to use Itunes to transfer music and buying music from the Apple store. Other players allow your PC to view the device as a hard drive and you can just drag and drop your music. Personally, I had a nano for a while until it met its fate by name of my butt and a wooden chair, which I then replaced with a Microsoft Zune. The Ipod was very intuitive to use, however I prefer the Zune interface now that I know it. Other things I would look for, especially if considering small players, is battery type and life. Finding one that uses AA or AAA batts might be a nice feature because a spare is easy to find and you don't have to worry about fighting with customer service in a few years when the internal battery poops out and your player is dead.
elzoller
El Guac-Oh
iPoll results: iPod owners' raves, rants, and pans
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9854549-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9854549-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5
I've had a Shuffle for about 2 years now and I basically no longer use it because the interface to the PC has been such a headache that it was no longer worth it.
I loved it when it worked. But it got to the point that it wasn't worth it. A lot of people have had the same experience. Fantastic experience when it works.
A lot of people like the Zen stuff, forget the name exactly.
I loved it when it worked. But it got to the point that it wasn't worth it. A lot of people have had the same experience. Fantastic experience when it works.
A lot of people like the Zen stuff, forget the name exactly.
All of these devices are consumer electronics with limited life spans. Don't expect any to last more than 2-3 years. Ipods can play any digital music file you buy from anywhere, unless it's specifically in Microsoft's protected Windows Media Format. You're not tied to tracks you buy from the Apple store- buy em from Amazon or Emusic, drag and drop them into iTunes, and it's easy to upload. Apple's generally moving away from the digital rights managed "closed" file format, trying to get all the labels to allow them to sell unprotected tracks. Unfortunately, it's the record companies that have been requiring it. Several major labels have switched already along with most indie labels, so many of the tracks on iTunes are now DRM-free and can be played on other players.
Still, does anyone buy music these days? iPods play mp3's you steal from limewire just as well as any other player.
As far as engineering goes, Apple's does so much volume that their competition just can't compete. No other players are as small and light with the same battery life, high-res screens and solid user interface.
While there are plenty of geeks who like to load up their players within their operating system, I enjoy doing it through iTunes- being able to listen to tracks while I'm deciding what to load on.
Our first iPod was a 2nd gen 10 gig model. Then I got a 4 gig mini. Now my wife has a 4 gig Nano and my next purchase is going to be an iPhone (once the next gen model comes out). I really like them, and wouldn't buy from anyone else...
Still, does anyone buy music these days? iPods play mp3's you steal from limewire just as well as any other player.
As far as engineering goes, Apple's does so much volume that their competition just can't compete. No other players are as small and light with the same battery life, high-res screens and solid user interface.
While there are plenty of geeks who like to load up their players within their operating system, I enjoy doing it through iTunes- being able to listen to tracks while I'm deciding what to load on.
Our first iPod was a 2nd gen 10 gig model. Then I got a 4 gig mini. Now my wife has a 4 gig Nano and my next purchase is going to be an iPhone (once the next gen model comes out). I really like them, and wouldn't buy from anyone else...
Still, does anyone buy music these days? iPods play mp3's you steal from limewire just as well as any other player.
There are several ways to skin a cat, some of which do not incur the wrath of the spyware gods.
FWIW, my Shuffle did not work on our newer PC, and only works half the time on the older PC. This was since day 1.
olegbabich
Well-Known Member
I like i-pod, but there are others on the market as well. I have a waterproof Oregon Scientific, I ride that in the rain, if I'm fishing in the rain or when I'm doing laps in the pool.
