mp3 player help...

**baba** · #1 05-19-2008, 01:10 PM

I've seen threads on this before, but the offerings and prices change every few months, so...

I need at least 8G in an mp3 player. Primarily interested in music, so no video is fine if it saves me money. I hear the Ipod requires itunes and/or their proprietary file format, so Apple is out of the question.

Looking for value here....quality/price. Any suggestions?

Tsal · #2 05-19-2008, 01:43 PM

I can't recommend anything, but I have an iPod Shuffle, and as far as I know, Apple players can play anything that the iTunes is willing to play. You just need to load the files on iTunes before transferring 'em to the iPod. I have a collection of old mp3's, and I've never had any problems playing them with the Shuffle, and I've also uploaded some non-commercial mp3's from the internet, again no problems. I'm not sure if you can upload files from more than one computer at a time, though.

Fontaine · #3 05-19-2008, 01:44 PM

anything by apple should do the trick.

I hear they use iTunes

i_got_a_mohawk · #4 05-19-2008, 01:57 PM

I love my iRiver MP3 player, connect it up and it appears just like another hard drive, just drop over the folders and there you go.

They dont make big mp3 players anymore, but im sure they still make smaller sized ones

four2oh · #5 05-19-2008, 01:58 PM

screw the ipod and the zune.. get yourself a cheap chinese knockoff! houseofdap and a few other sites have some good reviews.. personally, i love my Teclast. Meizu also puts out some nice players.

**baba** · #6 05-19-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by four2oh

screw the ipod and the zune.. get yourself a cheap chinese knockoff! houseofdap and a few other sites have some good reviews.. personally, i love my Teclast. Meizu also puts out some nice players.

Houseofdap is offline, but I found the Meizu 8GB and I'm liking what I'm reading...especially the file type variety. I'm a little wary because of so few reviews. That could be their R&D department posting.

DigMe · #7 05-19-2008, 04:39 PM

If you get this before midnight on Monday 5/19 and it's not sold out yet then you could always jump on this 8GB Sandisk E280:

http://www.woot.com/

refurbed but it's hard to beat that at $74.99 shipped!

bc

iamlowsound · #8 05-19-2008, 09:23 PM

Honestly, apple controls the market because they make the best product. I have have a creative zen, some samsung player and three ipods. The ipods are the only ones that I never had problems with. The only reason that I have had three is because I gave one away, bought a new one, was too small and bought a bigger one.

lowsound

**Eric Perry** · #9 05-19-2008, 09:28 PM

I have a 16GB Sansa View that I love. Best player I've ever owned. A 32GB model just came out. These are both Flash based, no HDs.

Rumzini · #10 05-19-2008, 09:35 PM

My Step-Son has a Sansa as well, 8 GB I believe. Way cool. Looks easy to use when I'm watching him do his thing with it. Actually just yesterday he says, "This is what i recorded today with my guitar." and continues to do just that. I had no idea you could do that with it.

Skeletomania · #11 05-20-2008, 02:58 AM

Whatever you pick, choose one that is flash based. I dropped my samsung so many times, that the corners are showing its wear and tear, yet it plays strong. Sansa seems a great choice since it comes with an expansion slot for extra storage, and battery life will always be better than hard drive based.

i_got_a_mohawk · #12 05-20-2008, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Honestly, apple controls the market because they make the best product. I have have a creative zen, some samsung player and three ipods. The ipods are the only ones that I never had problems with. The only reason that I have had three is because I gave one away, bought a new one, was too small and bought a bigger one.

lowsound

I'd disagree, they control the market because they flooded it with product and advertising.

**Eric Perry** · #13 05-20-2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

I'd disagree, they control the market because they flooded it with product and advertising.

Huge +1. Also because they were the first. The first is always difficult to topple.

**baba** · #14 05-20-2008, 09:32 AM

I am a cheap bastard.

Just bought a Sansa m250 for $27 shipped NIB at buy.com. Bare bones 2GB mp3 player. I'll upgrade eventually and toss it to my kids. I can't even get dinner for $27...amazing.

mothmonsterman · #15 05-20-2008, 11:56 AM

My wife has an Ipod and I have a Zune

Both use a proprietary software to load the the device up.
They work with any audio file format and both do a pretty well job at managing your MP3s.

Zune
Software is a little heavy on the PC not sure why it just is
For some reason i'm not able to use the full size of the zune due to some settings i haven't figured out.
The Zune has an FM radio in it which is nice, sometimes you just feel like listening to the radio.
The PC zune software works great to link songs up with an xbox 360 to play songs on it

Ipod
software isn't very heavy at all has way more options and is easier to navigate
no fm radio
able to use the entire storage of the device
built tougher alot more metal on the thing

All in all i'd go for the Ipod

Both are about 150$ for a 4gb,
anymore and i just find myself shuffling through songs more than listening to them.

my 2 cents

**Eric Perry** · #16 05-20-2008, 12:01 PM

You make some good points as to why I like my Sansa. It is not proprietary at all (I have a real issue with propriety crap). Plug 'er in to USB, and Windows loads some drivers automatically. In a few seconds, it shows up as a Flash media drive. Plain and simple. It's my favorite aspect of the Sansa.

Mine also has an FM radio, a built-in microphone (pretty neat feature), a MicroSD slot to expand storage (when a card is installed it automatically merges with the internal storage, it doesn't show up as a separate drive or anything). Mine also does the video and picture thing.

Word of warning... If you try and upload video, do NOT use the Sandisk software, it's well documented CRAP!

four2oh · #17 05-20-2008, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric618

Huge +1. Also because they were the first. The first is always difficult to topple.

apple was no where near being the first to have a mp3 player on the market..

1st was the MPMan in 1998, followed by the Rio PMP300 also in 1998 (i had two of those, 64MB flash on the first one, 128MB on v2).

apple didn't release the first ipod until 2001, well after both iriver and creative had mp3 players on the market.

**baba** · #18 05-20-2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric618

You make some good points as to why I like my Sansa. It is not proprietary at all (I have a real issue with propriety crap).

I'm with ya. I stay away from a lot of Sony electronics because of this.

**Eric Perry** · #19 05-20-2008, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by four2oh

apple was no where near being the first to have a mp3 player on the market..

1st was the MPMan in 1998, followed by the Rio PMP300 also in 1998 (i had two of those, 64MB flash on the first one, 128MB on v2).

apple didn't release the first ipod until 2001, well after both iriver and creative had mp3 players on the market.

I didn't mean to imply the first ever. I meant the first that earned any real commercial success. Sorry. My bad.

DigMe · #20 05-20-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric618

Huge +1. Also because they were the first. The first is always difficult to topple.

They were most definitely NOT the first. They would have had to have been several years earlier to the party to have been the first.

Don't you remember the Rio?? It was not the first but it predated the iPod by several years. I think it was the first popular one. I remember thinking, "Now what is this doohickey again?" when that came out.

bc