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Community Newsletter: Q&A: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed!
- 12/7/07 8:11 AM
Selecting an MP3 Player
by cnetmessageman - 11/22/07 2:10 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
While the Apple iPod is extremely popular and for good reason, there are other alternatives (including ipod "knock-offs") that are worth considering. We could get into a very detailed discussion but I am sure others will and it seems that your needs are quite simple. Let's start with some of the Pros of going with the iPod:
#1 Hugh selection of compatible accessories (portable, home, network, automobile) to enhance your usage and enjoyment of your device.
#2 Apple quality
#3 Intuitive User Interface (ease of use).
iPod Cons:
#1 Permanent battery - cannot be changed by user and factory replacement is expensive
#2 The "Classic" iPods are HD based units and are suseptable to malfunction with rough usage. The more rugged SD based players, the iPod Nano, are quite expensive in terms of the storage capacity being offered.
#3 No built-in memory slot - but this is not really an issue on the new (5th Gen) HD based units [80GB+] or the new (3rd Gen) Nano [4GB+] which have lots more storage than you'd need.
#4 Proprietary formats with limited quality
#5 Cannot interface with Non-iTunes based subscription services (which are the majority).
#6 Pricey - 80GB Classic $250, 4GB Nano $150
#7 Limited Battery Life per charge cycle -
Classic 40 hr for audio, 7 hr for video
Nano 24 hr for audio, 5 hr for video
Alternatives:
#1 The newer Chinese knock-off generally offer greater functionality and a significantly lower price but there maybe compatibility and quality as well as battery life issues so cautious exploration in this area is required - probably not an area you'd want to pursue.
#2 The next major contender, in terms of price, is the SanDisk Sansa View which offers a bigger screen (2.4" to 2.0"), a SD Card memory expansion slot, and a price point of between $65 to $100. CNET rating is 7.3 compared to 8.0 for the iPod.
The other alternatives cost about the same as the iPod Nano but offer different features. The prices stated below are for 4GB models. For more details on each, Google "Top MP3 Players" and click on the CNET link.
#1 iRiver Clix rated 8.7 and costs between $170 to $190
#2 Cowon iAudio 7 rated 8.3 and costs between $125 to $135 ... 60 hr battery life per charge for audio
#3 Creative Zen rated 8.3 and costs between $120 to $160
#4 Sony NWZ-A816 rated 8.0 and costs $150
#5 Samsung YP-P2 rated 7.7 and costs $180 ... touchscreen and stereo bluetooth
#6 Zune (2nd Gen) rated 7.7 and costs $150 ... smaller screen 1.8" and proprietary features
#7 Toshiba Gigabeat T400 rated 7.0 and costs $120 ... touchscreen and stereo bluetooth
There are obviously lots of choices out there so don't limit yourself. I recommend sticking to the Solid State Drive types because of greater durability hence the above examples. Unless you are really into the huge array of accessories available for the iPod it has no other significant advantage. Have fun.
Mp3 Players
by talon1812 - 11/22/07 2:27 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Nancy,
When I was faced with this dilemma, I chose an Mp3 player that would NOT be proprietary. From the research I did, and I'm sure that I will be corrected if I am wrong, but from what I gathered, the I-pod is proprietary and you can only use it with I-tunes.
I chose the Toshiba Gigabeat, instead. It is a wonderful player, with 40 GB of hard drive space, ample room for ANY collection, and then some.
I have read negative reviews on the battery life, but quite frankly, mine have been perfect. I now own 2 of them. The ONLY problem with them is that Toshiba doesn't offer much support for them, but instead, partnered up with Microsoft to create the Zune player.
I recently discovered RockBox(www.rockbox.org) and you can install this to play MOVIES on the Gigabeat.
There are OTHER players out there with nice LCD screens for pictures and movies. My personal experience has been an extremely positive one, and especially so with the rockbox interface now playing .mpg movies.
Another concern that greatly influenced my decision was the BATTERY. I wanted to chose an Mp3 player with an internal RE-CHARGEABLE battery!!!! Unless you're a fan of buying batteries. The Gigabeat(and several others) have an internal, re-chargeable battery.
Also, WMA's take up about half the size of an Mp3, with no apparent difference in quality. However, it IS proprietary, so you can only use that file format with Windows. I convert my Mp3's with the Window's Media Bonus pack audio converter, free to download from MS at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/bonuspack/default.aspx
My advice would be to narrow down your player to include ONLY those players with the features that you are looking for, then make your final selection based on features/price comparison.
I even have a small, generic MP3 player that's about the size of a cigarette lighter that works GREAT and is very, very light. Only plays mp3's however, no WMA.
The choices can be overwhelming right now, especially with holiday prices. But as I said, narrow your selection to make sure you only consider players with the features you want or need.
Take care,
Frank
CNET username: talon1812
I would recommend a Nokia N95 8GB or similar
by LMF5000 - 11/22/07 3:07 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Personally, I have a couple of dislikes about the iPod:
1. It has no internal FM radio
2. You can't just copy and paste your music into it, you need iTunes. That means that if you're at a friend's house and want to borrow some of his music, you can't just plug it in and go, you need your friend to have iTunes installed on his computer
3. It scratches easily, especially the silver backside
4. The battery is not easily replaceable - once it dies in 3 years' time, you either try to take it apart yourself and try to get a battery from who-knows-where, or throw away the iPod and get a new one (wouldn't Apple enjoy that?)
I would recommend a Nokia mobile phone that plays MP3s. Nokia has a couple of mobiles with 8GB of storage space, for example the Nokia N95 8GB. If your mobile phone doubles up as your MP3 player, that means you only need to carry one single device with you (not a seperate MP3 player), and as you know, modern mobile phones are quite compact. Also, a typical mobile phone has the following features that practically no other MP3 players have:
1. The ability to take your own photos and videos using the built-in camera (of course you can view them later) the camera on a modern phone is comparable to a low-range digital camera, with the N95 8GB having 5 megapixels (i.e. 5 million pixels)
2. Built-in FM radio
3. Stereo loudspeakers integrated into the device, so you can even listen to music out loud i.e. not using headphones
4. Stopwatch, countdown timer, organizer, games, alarm clock
5. Several hours of music playback time, and a charge time of only 1.5 hours
6. Very easy learning curve (you probably already own a mobile phone, so you already know the ropes)
7. Bluetooth and infrared so that you can send and receive songs from other users wirelessly
8. Oh yeah, and it even makes phone calls 
(and sends & receives messages and emails)
The screen on the N95 8GB is easily as big, if not bigger, than the one on the iPod, and putting music into it is as simple as copy and paste using windows (of course you need a connecting cable, card reader, or a computer with a bluetooth dongle or built-in bluetooth).
I myself use a Nokia 6230i for this purpose, and I can answer any general questions you may have: LMF5000@gmail.com
Get a used 30GB video iPod and don't think of the "long run"
by ictanrik - 11/22/07 3:32 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Nancy,
You listed a couple of issues, here are my opinions on them:
(1) A long lasting device:
My advice is that, don't expect your technology products to be long lasting. It is a better strategy to get a slightly over-the-average product and use it for a couple of years. If it lasts you more, that's great, but don't count on that. Any technology product you will buy will be obsolete in 3 years or so. Things change way too quickly. I would say, look for something that will last you 2-3 years or so.
Since this is your first player, don't try to get everything right the first time. You'll have problems with whatever you'll buy, and next year this time, you'll know exactly what you'll need.
(2) Ease of use:
I haven't used a lot of different MP3 players, just a couple. I am the computer person in my household, and the rest of my family depend on me for such issues. So if I were to buy a MP3 player for my mom, or my technologically-challenged brother, I would get them an iPod. It's fairly simple to use, iTunes is a decent music player, and allows you to sync your iPod to your music library without much hassle.
For Apple products, if you want to use the product the way Apple intended for you to use it, the operation is pretty simple and intuitive. People who have problems with iPods, in my opinion, are those who (rightfully) want to push those barriers. In your case, you want your photos, and CDs in your MP3 player. It seems that you have pretty simple expectations from your device, so I would think an iPod would be appropriate for you.
Plus if you run into problems, every other person on the block has one, so you could ask around.
(3) Storage for Elvis, Beatles and photos:
I'll assume that your Elvis + Beatles collection to be ~40 CDs. That makes about 2-2.5 GB. Add your photos to this (maybe another GB or two?). That makes about 4 GB. Flash memory devices are available around at 4-8-16 GB storage, and they tend to be pretty light in weight (but their screens may be too small for your photos.) I wouldn't go for a 4GB model if I were you, but anything bigger will have enough space for your files. (Though remember that, if you have extra space, you will likely use it)
(4) Small enough for taking to walks.
In my opinion, you can take most MP3 players to walks as far as size/weight is of concern. If you do more strenuous exercise, like running, you may want to stay clear of hard-drive based MP3 players, since these machines are more sensitive to shakes and vibrations.
(Finally)
I would advise you to go to a store and play with a couple of models. Think of this as buying a blouse for yourself. You need to be comfortable "in" it. If you care about audio quality, make sure you take a trusted set of earphones to the store and check the players out.
I picked a 2nd-hand 30GB video iPod for you, because:
a) They will be relatively cheap. Though, don't buy it from a teenager : ) They tend to abuse these things a little too much.
b) The screen is big enough to view photos. Text is not too small.
c) Size of the machine is not small, but not big either. It will probably be just a little heavier than an average cell phone. Also, it fits your hands well. (well, my hands at least : )
d) 30GB is a good amount of space to fit all your stuff.
I hope this helps
- caglar
i concur
by Robocoastie - 11/30/07 7:19 PM In reply to: Get a used 30GB video iPod and don't think of the "long run" by ictanrikI concur with the suggestion except I don't recommend "used" because you'll find that Apple "used" products hold their resale value like a Dodge Ram. So if you're going to spend that kind of money you're better off getting new then you have a warranty at least.
Creative has some competitively priced players the ease of use of the iPod is hard to beat. If you want to always carry your whole collection and photos though the Nano is not the way to go. Instead go for one of the larger capacity ones. And yea after a few years you may need to "upgrade" but that's how everything is now, they now want us to be $1000++ tv's and toss them every few years too.
I had good luck with the SanDisk 1GB Sansa Express
by daulton - 11/22/07 4:01 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In the past I watched for sales and found really cheap (about $20) MP3 players at Inkstop and Wallmart, but they were hard to use and did not last long. Then I bought a SanDisk 1GB Sansa Express for about $40, and it is much better. Apparently, this was supposed to compete with the Nano, and lost, hence a BIG markdown. The main problem I have is, I listen to audio books and NPR, and if I have to start a chapter or program over, the fast forward on this is glacial. Also, I find if I press the hold button, it turns off, and I when I turn it on again, I'm back at the beginning. But at the price, I can't complain.
IPods or MP3?
by r9chan - 11/22/07 5:54 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
For the music iPod have excellent sound, comes with various size and some with hard drive smaller in most case and you don't need battery. The unit get charge when you connect to your PC but you cannot copy song from iPod back to PC.
MP3 player likely is cheaper and comes with radio and voice recording. It gives you the options of copy music to and from PC. The problem with MP3 is the batteries you need high current Ni-MH rechargeable batteries
Rick
mp3 player recommendation
by DrJoeS - 11/22/07 8:31 PM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Dear Nancy:
I researched all the players out there when I decided to buy one, and I am thrilled with my choice! Take a look at the Toshiba Gigabeat. It comes in both 30 gigabyte and 60 gigabyte versions, has one of the largest screens on the market and beautiful color. You can play movies, listen to audiobooks (I have loaded over 30 hours of books onto mine at times!), as well as view still photos. Its menu is the easiest to use of any player I have examined, and it readily syncs using Windows Media Player. (I am told it will also work with Apple computers, but I have not tried this.)
Good luck with your search. Make sure you know the options you want and check out every one you consider. Most stores will allow you to test drive a player, but you can often get better prices online, once you have made your choice.
Joe S
MP3 players
by cees4u - 11/23/07 3:19 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello Nancy:
I am at present also looking into buying a Mp3 player.
Depending on the amount of songs or video's or photo's you want to store you will have to determine how many GB of memory you need.
For exemple a 8 GB memory will store about 2000 songs(MP3's) of 4 MB each. (this is quite a lot believe me, I would estimate the total of more than 100 hours of music)
If you use if for 50% for songs the remaining 4 GB offers you at an average of 1 MB per picture space for about 4000 Jpegs.
If you want to use it for watching an occasional video and only use it for 75 % for music and pictures you have 2 GB left for may be 3 DIVX compressed movies.
Depending on your expected use there are basically two types of MP3 playes as far as memory is concerned:
Those with flash memory and those with a small hard disk.
The ones with a hard disk are much cheaper per GB than the Flash memory types but are more vulnerable for damage.
I would only advise to buy one with a hard drive if you want to store a very lage amount of data like movies etc.
Other things to consider:
-some have a built in FM radio
-overall size and weight
-screen size for viewing pictures and videos
-ease of use
-accessories available
-price
Once you start looking on the internet you will find that there are very many makes and types.
The Ipods are usually a bit more expensive than some equivalent or better makes/types but every make and type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Also look at the user experiences which are sometimes available.
Good luck with choosing,
Cees
The right mp3 player
by tazadsldevil - 12/1/07 12:25 AM In reply to: MP3 players by cees4uHi there, there are many great mp3 player brands apple is one of them.
i have 2 Ipods (one ipod nano 4gb (small nano) and one ipod video 30gb (previous model))
to help you choose here i go:
rating guide = count the plusses (+) 5 = very good 1 = bad
Ipod nano (small)
battery live : +++ (fair)
sound quality with standard ipod earphones using a aac 128 bitrate song : +++
sound quality using a high quality headphone (same song same bitrate )(heavy) +++++
usuability : ++++ (good) [easy menu with scroll and click )
quailty : +++ ( sometimes occassualy (between often and sometimes) the ipod crashes and sometimes the only thing that get him going again is let the battry run out
looks : nice ++++ but easy scratches and dirt not always good to clean
would i recommend this product : yes overall igive it a 6.4 (1=bad -10 = awesome)
apple ipod video
battery life : ++ (unfair ) because the harddisk is bigger it consumes much more power
sound qualtiy : same as nano
usuability : bigger and heavier , larger screen : +++ (fair)
quality : ++++ (better than ipod nano)
looks : good ++++
would i recommend this product : yes overall 7.2
But if you cath the price of the apple products and compair that of the creative mp3 player in the sme size , aplle is in my humble opinioun TO EXPENSIVE
creative makes good mp3 players witch are better than ipod (apple) but less stylisch (on the backside of the apple you can use it as a mirror to check makeup or your hair)
Philips makes fine and small mp3 players with a fair price (cheap when compaired to apple) and a good quality
apple is like volkswagen , the mnimal thins you need are in the box , but if you want a poewer charger than add 10 - 25 us dollar, if you want to hear radio, add 10 - 20 us dollar for a adapter if you do use the ipod a lot outdoors a cover is essential add 5 - 50 dollars
and you have to have a internet conection to downliad itunes without that free progamm you are not able to use the ipod
and bear in mind that most mp3 players offer in reality less capaicty then advertised my 4 gb apple nano = 3.69 gb in reality
one tipp more ; forget packard bell the make good laptops but lousy mp players ( i realtive of mine bought one a yaer a go and is now on his tenth model ! (they swaped it every time because repair is too expensive!!
Nano "crash" or lock-up
by mmlewis7 - 12/2/07 5:23 PM In reply to: The right mp3 player by tazadsldevilI've had my Nano freeze ("crash") several times. The first couple of times it seems I had to just let the battery run down to get it to re-set. The last couple of times I tried holding down the "Menu" button (top of the ring) and the center button at the same time for several seconds to try and find a way to 'soft' reset it, and it seemed to reset and work fine. It seemed to work similar to a 'soft' reset on my PDA needed when it locks up. After that I 'Googled' "Nano soft reset" and found that others had the same suggestion that I just stumbled onto. It would have been nice to have such a suggestion in the instructions!
Itunes
by Hotrootsoup - 12/2/07 7:39 PM In reply to: The right mp3 player by tazadsldevilActually,you don't have to have I-tunes to put songs on your Ipod.You can use anapod,or one of the others.
mp3 player
by bignightian - 11/23/07 3:45 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Nancy...
i-pod player is over-rated and overpriced, compared to most other mp3 players (mp4 if you want photos and videos). Beatles and Elvis collection could be stored on your pc and favourite tracks dumped to any mp3 (cheap) player. By the way, listen to īThe Rutlesī, by Neil Innes (ex. Bonzo Dog Doohdah Band), itīs really clever and funny.
MP3 Player
by misha1035 - 11/23/07 4:38 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
For your stated reasons (i.e.: pictures, music, portability, etc.) I believe any of the iPod 'Nanos' will be great.
Go for the larger capacity '8GB' Nano because it can hold well over 1000 songs in the mp3 format.
Pictures look great on the terrific screen, and you can even play 'mp4' short movies on it.
I recommend it.
MP3
by PVanaman - 11/23/07 5:53 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Nancy,
I'm 56 and just got my MP3 player a few months ago. Did alot of research and ended up with a Zen Vision M. A little large but put it in your pocket when walking. Will store all your photos. I'm waiting for a larger version to come out my 30GB is too small for all the music I've found I want to listen to at work. You can also listen to the radio without buying extras. It's easy to use. First bought a Zune and was a nightmare waiting over a month for Microsoft help to try and figure out the problem and they couldn't.
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