Need a new Mp3 player.

[Liam]

I was sad today, I tried updating my iRiver H10, trusty machine that it is, and my music collection has surpassed my 5gb Mp3 player to the tune of several GB.

I figure my next one may aswell be 20gb+ and do video and all that jazz.

Looking at the Zen Vision:M or The iPod. iPod kind of freaks me out, I've tried using iTunes twice and both times my experience was that it sucked a lot. But the iPod slightly beats the Vision for features that I would actually use.

So, any left-field players I haven't thought of?

What are the hack-ish programs that allow you to put stuff on iPods like these days?

Any experience with the creative machine?

[Eberbachl]

Personally, I'm an iPod fan. Had a few of them and they've all been great. Love using iTunes too...I find it very easy and effective to use.

Can't comment on any others though.

[Liam]

Personally, I'm an iPod fan. Had a few of them and they've all been great. Love using iTunes too...I find it very easy and effective to use.

Can't comment on any others though.

You use windows or OSX?

If Windows, compared to wmp11 how fast is iTunes? I found it crazily slow back when I used it. I've got a very average machine. 2.66ghz, 512mb of ram, etc etc

[Eberbachl]

You use windows or OSX?

If Windows, compared to wmp11 how fast is iTunes? I found it crazily slow back when I used it. I've got a very average machine. 2.66ghz, 512mb of ram, etc etc

I use iTunes on my OS X Mac mini. Works great.

My wife uses it on her Windows XP machine (Athlon 2600+, 1GB RAM). works Great.

I use it on my Windows XP laptop (PIII 1Ghz, 512MB RAM). Doesn't work as nnicely as my wife's machine, but works fine nonetheless.

Windows Media Player? Used it a couple of times, but don't really like the interface. Prefer iTunes.

:thumb:

[The One]

I was a bit dubious about the Pod at first, but they really do have some great features, and are just so easy to use. Highly recommended.

[Archangel]

What are the hack-ish programs that allow you to put stuff on iPods like these days?
Amarok does; I think Rhythmbox or something might as well, but not sure.

Haven't tried the Creative; I've got an iaudio X5 30GB, which is nice.
I ended up putting Rockbox on it, so I suppose an ipod would have worked just as well in hindsight; but I didn't know I'd flash it when I got it. I can play Doom on it now, what more could you want...

[Marcus]

If you are worried that Itunes doesn't rip to MP3 fast enough, you can always use another brand of MP3 converter and then import the MP3's to iTunes.

[primal]

get the Ipod, they are very worthwhile.

[recurve boy]

If I was to get something other than an iPod, I would get the SanDisk thing. It has like 8Gb flash and a _memory card_ slot.

[hoyt for life 2]

I think they are still having problems putting linux on the latest video iPods if that was what you were meaning by hacker programs.

[Archangel]

I think they are still having problems putting linux on the latest video iPods if that was what you were meaning by hacker programs.
I thought he meant programs to interface to the ipod, ie. a replacement for itunes?
Realplayer did at one point I think, but Apple broke it with a firmware upgrade; I can't remember if they figured it out again or not. Not sure why you'd want to use Realplayer though...

[hoyt for life 2]

ok, but linux can make it act like a usb drive, i think so it still counts.

[Eolla]

I spent $460 on an Ipod video, it has been sent back 4 times to Apple within the 12 month warranty period, each time they just send back a new one (which has a 3 month warranty). Apples replacement service is brilliant, unfortunately their Ipod video is not, I'd seriously look at the Iriver

[Archangel]

ok, but linux can make it act like a usb drive, i think so it still counts.
Windows can too - in fact everything does. Itunes just builds an index on top of it's filesystem.

[Pat Mole]

ok, but linux can make it act like a usb drive, i think so it still counts.


can't you do this out of the box?

[ninevalleys]

why not try a Toshiba Gigabeat S series? they are like $30 less than the Ipod videos (respectivly)... if you are using a Windows based system they work brilliantly due to actually having its own MS system as its run software. i have the older F series and it works perfectly, its a bit fatter than modern day ones but is a 20Gig Hard drive at the same time, so i guess i can live with it.

NV

[shannonhearse]

why not try a Toshiba Gigabeat S series? they are like $30 less than the Ipod videos (respectivly)... if you are using a Windows based system they work brilliantly due to actually having its own MS system as its run software. i have the older F series and it works perfectly, its a bit fatter than modern day ones but is a 20Gig Hard drive at the same time, so i guess i can live with it.

NV

hrm, I have to admit that i agree with nine valleys on this.

I to have a gigabeat (60gb), it plays videos, MP3's and has a great photo album feature.

What i love about it is that it behaves like a USB drive, just drag and drop any files to and from it, no stupid software to try to get around.

[Patchy]

well i own 4 ipod's currently and ive never had problem with any there are a hardy unit... but mp3 player decision all comes down to three little letters DRM. the question would be have u baught a significant amount of music from a particular online music store. as i have so much $$$$ tied up in music from itunes its just not sensible for me to switch. but if ur just ripping tracks from cd's ur set. either way Ipod is king and always will be the only thing to worry bout is get urself a skin and clear sticky stips for PDA screens to protect ur ipod screen and get a decent set of headphones.

[recurve boy]

I spent $460 on an Ipod video, it has been sent back 4 times to Apple within the 12 month warranty period, each time they just send back a new one (which has a 3 month warranty). Apples replacement service is brilliant, unfortunately their Ipod video is not, I'd seriously look at the Iriver

The trouble with these things is that they are all made from the same parts and made in the same place (China). Apple has some better QC in some areas maybe, but at the end of the day, the failure rate is going to be almost the same, it's just that everybody pays more attention to Apple. You are just as, if not more likely to experience the same thing with the IRiver, Toshiba, whatever.

[hoyt for life 2]

Aparently mediamonkey can work with an pod.

[recurve boy]

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2372)-SDMX8N-4096K-SanDisk_Sansa_ConnectMP3_Player_4GB.aspx

SanDisk looks like they have a damn good alternative. I'm not sure I like the microSD format. I like small, but that is perhaps too small. Also the draw back that you'll never have the largest storage available and expansion is going to be expensive ...

[Marcus]

The most important part of an MP3 player is actually the user interface. I have seen and used many that have great features, but were horrible to use. I can use my iPod in the dark (without turning on the back light).
Apple's user interfaces are by far the best in everything they do.

[alexvpaq]

The most important part of an MP3 player is actually the user interface. I have seen and used many that have great features, but were horrible to use. I can use my iPod in the dark (without turning on the back light).
Apple's user interfaces are by far the best in everything they do.
Yeah Ipods are just great I still regret my sandisk and maybe giving a more $ to get a nano instead of my sandisk which is a m250 2 gb is doing fine but it doesn't even have it's own battery... and after half of the battery charge the light doesn't work anymore and a bit later... it'll work for about a lot of hours like 5 or 6 but if you turn it off it won't turn on again saying that the battery are low...:mad:

[Liam]

The most important part of an MP3 player is actually the user interface. I have seen and used many that have great features, but were horrible to use. I can use my iPod in the dark (without turning on the back light).
Apple's user interfaces are by far the best in everything they do.

I can do that with my iRiver! :o

Shock horror, standardised buttons, like Play/Pause, Skip forward and skip back! ;)

[Marcus]

Ah Liam, you totally missed the point there.
Maybe you should by a Sony Walkman.

[Sandy Hancock]

I just replaced my trusty (nearly 3 year old) 40 Gb click-wheel iPod for the new 80 Gb video job.

Do any other mp3 players have anywhere near that sort of storage capacity?

The screen is fantastic, the UI is up to the usual standard, and displaying the albumn cover when you play each song is pretty cool too. Gotta love iTunes ;)

Only negative so far; it seems a little slow when navigating through the menu system.

[recurve boy]

I just replaced my trusty (nearly 3 year old) 40 Gb click-wheel iPod for the new 80 Gb video job.

Do any other mp3 players have anywhere near that sort of storage capacity?

Of course. The Neuros comes in even larger sizes IIRC.

Now, if you are talking about the same size and weight as well ... maybe not ...

[Archangel]

Do any other mp3 players have anywhere near that sort of storage capacity?
Yeah, there are quite a few around now - the small hard drives they use are a standard item, anyone can get them. There are even a few small laptops using them.

[Jordan R]

I read that samsung have made a 100gb hard drive that is the perfect size for an ipod, only problem is that they aren't for ipods.

[ninevalleys]

Seagate have a pocket (external) hard drive 120Gb which is abotu teh same length as a credit card... most MP3 seem to want to go up to 60Gb. though if you ask nice enough (and pay for it) some companies will make 80Gb, i know you can get a 120Gb Gigabeat (though it costs a bundle) and there was a 100Gb iRiver at one stage

[Pat Mole]

My 20gb iPod has been sitting around on my desk for the last 2 years, not being used. I don't even know if it works anymore. If i were to go out tomorrow looking for a new MP3 player, it would probably be something like 512mb basic stuff. Sure, it doesnt hold the all the music that my iPod did, but it would hold between 3 and 5 albums, which would keep me happy. And I'm sure if you spent 10 minutes looking around the mall, you could pick one up for less than 50 bucks. So theres like $400+ bucks saved. 60gb of music is just silly in a portable device(with the exception of perhaps integrating into a car audio system?).

I'm certainly not going looking for a device with a 1.5inch screen to watch video, especially when i can get a 22inch LCD monitor as well as a smaller player for less. I don't care how portable it is, it's just stupid. Same with playing Quake, Doom, Halo and EverQuest on it. And no, you don't need Linux on an MP3 player, you just need MP3s.

And do the ~$500 MP3 players have improved sound quality? If so, how many people actually notice? The quality of the earphones that came with my iPod was so shocking I don't think you would even be able to tell.

[Archangel]

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2372)-SDMX8N-4096K-SanDisk_Sansa_ConnectMP3_Player_4GB.aspx

SanDisk looks like they have a damn good alternative. I'm not sure I like the microSD format. I like small, but that is perhaps too small. Also the draw back that you'll never have the largest storage available and expansion is going to be expensive ...
Saw something similar, although not exactly the same the other day. Sandisk's attempt at the clicky wheel thing was a total disaster - it was _way_ too stiff so really hard to spin, whereas an ipod is just like scrolling on a touchpad.

I still find it hard to believe that ipods are what, six years old or something, and still people produce "competitors" with basic mistakes.

[alexvpaq]

Hehe Got my hands on a nano two days ago, a girl won it in a contest but she doesn't care about MP3 players so she sold it to me for a cheap price and she didn't opened the box :rofl: about 100$ less than what I would pay to get it in a store so why not! and I sold my sandisk. Proud owner of a 4 Go Nano which is definitely awesome, cool interface, cool backlight, I definitely like the way Itunes work since it found out about 270 songs on my PC and I thought that most of them were deleted cause I had only 150 on my sandisk.

And I am surprised ... 5 mo for about 100 pictures! :silly: that's what I call Great!
and LOL there's game on it :rofl:

[Liam]

I ended up getting a 30gb iPod.

The good:

- iTunes is incredibly easy to use, everything "just works"
- The screen. (Although the Zune's screen would've been better, but not $60 + A few weeks better.)
- UI

THE BAD:

- iTunes is kind of slow, nothing dramatic, just not as snappy as foobar, VLC or WMP.
- THE THING IS A FREAKING MAGNET for dust, scratches and fingerprints.
- The clickwheel is uncomfortable, and after a few days I still can't accurately go to a single line.
-