Community Newsletter: Q&A: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed!
- 12/7/07 8:11 AM
Considering MP3 Players - suggestions
by superkoupe - 11/22/07 6:25 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This response goes out to Nancy S. in regards to her question on which MP3 player is best for her. Well Nancy, I too was a victim to the iPod craze when it first came out and believe it or not I found myself going back to the traditional MP3 player for several reasons.
First let me say that the technology that went in to the iPods was a step in the right direction however, they really put a road block on the music sharing aspect. If you own an iPod, 99% of the time you can only upload and download music on the original computer you started with with. In addition, you have to use iTunes software which is a heavy program and requires Quicktime as well. That by itself was enough for me to go back to the plug and play MP3 players where I could hook up to anyone of my friends computers and download music right there on the spot. Now there are programs out there that emulate iPod software but I found it best to stay away from those for fear of crashing my "nice looking" iPod.
Now the good news for you! I was just out last night at Wal-mart and sure enough, for less money, I found a 2gig MP3, WMV (windows media), picture and video player for $69. The price was lower than its rival, the iPod, and the features were far better. At the same time, it came with an arm case and ear buds and it was plug and play so I could hook up to any of my friends and share music with them.
As far as brands are concerned, I have found over the past few years that the once generic brands that we all used to be afraid of, have since become the ones I trust and tend to purchase. If its an oppinion you want, please stay clear of the of the expensive iPod craze and go with something user friendly and can be used on any machine. Hope this helped Nancy!
~David~
MP3 Players @ Wal-Mart
by Tootsie44 - 12/3/07 11:08 AM In reply to: Considering MP3 Players - suggestions by superkoupeYou didn't say what the name of the player was at Wal-Mart.
I don't want a fancy one to watch videos, listen to radio stations, etc.
Just need one to listen to downloaded ebooks while walking or travelling. I have also found that the IPod is the only compatible player for downloading from Audible Books.com which seems unfair.
I'm currently using the IPod shuffle which is ok, but too small and I've misplaced it a couple of times.
MP3 advice
by ginsvallo - 11/22/07 6:27 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I bought a SanDisk, and it is fine, but, here is what I would do differently:
1) Mine is a 1 gig, should have gone for at least a 2 gig
2) I have to wear my glasses in order to read the display. Should have searched for one with a clearer more definite display.
3) Invest in a really good set of earphones. I have bought 3 different ones and still am not completely satisfied.
Zen Stone PLUS
by ajbgolf - 11/22/07 7:21 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I recently purchased the ZEN Stone PLS from Creative and am very happy with it. It has 2GB of storage capacity (about 500 songs), FM Radio, a Voice recorder, Clock, Stop Watch, and a Countdown Timer. And it measures only 2.19" x 1.39" x 0.5"!!! It is the smallest MP3 I have seen so far on the market and that is one of the main reasons I purchased it. Like you I use it primarily when I go exercise (in the gym) and get out on the road to do my road routines (ie power walks). Downloading songs are easy and so is recharging the batteries. No regrets wtih this purchase.
Lemmings! Each and every one of them.
by Call_Me - 11/22/07 7:32 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I feel your pain, Nancy. Can't tell what age you are but I doubt it's under 20 y.o. or you'd already have an ipod; I'm 55 and just got a MP3 player last December, as a gift from a well-meaning friend.
First, however, a bit of background: I never wanted an MP3 player. Why? I'm old enough that I've had to convert favourite music from albums to 8-tracks to cassette's to CD's and positively REFUSED to buy more music...at .99 cents a track! Yeah, I know that you could "burn" your CD's to the MP3 player but for future music, it bugged the H._.L.L. out of me that I'd now be buying tracks of music or the outrageous price for an e-album (my preferred way of listening to music.)
So, I bought an ipod for my DH he wanted one) but refused to buy one for me. Within a year, my DH was on his THIRD ipod. First one, Motherboard crashed. Second one, screen cracked. Third one...we have NO idea what happened to make it disfunctional.
Then, a great co-worker bought me a ZUNE???? for Christmas last year. Great....NOT!!! I didn't know anything about a ZUNE and planned to sell it on ebay. Fortunately, it came with a ZUNE PASS, for free! It was a 15 day pass, allowing you completely unlimited access to 100% of the music that they had on the site.
I. was. hooked.!!!
Within 3 days of using the ZUNE PASS, I knew I'd not only keep the ZUNE but also would renew the PASS. One year later, I've bought 6 other ZUNE'S for all my family members, and pay for their PASS's as part of the gift, thereby eliminating the Black Hole of .99 cent music downloads. It's $15 bucks for a month and you can download all the music you want.
Three months after owning my ZUNE, I had used up all of my 30 GB memory and prayed to the MP3 Gods that they'd come out with an 80 GB model. They did this past November 13th and I've promplty upgraded to that model. I have 100's of jazz CD's and Beatles albums so I wanted to be able to carry ALL of my music with me. The 80 GB model allows me to do this.
WHY do I like the ZUNE so much? First of all, it's NOT an ipod! I hate monopolies and it bugs the crap out of me that people just take a lemming-like approach and don't even research any other players out there.
Secondly, it's a sturdy bugger. I'm an architect and use my ZUNE at the job site. It's been dropped, nudged, left out in mild rain...and like Timex, still keeps tickin'! Where our ipod was purchased 3 times, I'm still on the same ZUNE and have now passed that one down to a neice.
Thirdly, the support staff on the phone is phenominal. I'm a Luddite regarding technology (come HERE to learn more) and when I've had problems I call the ZUNE folks up and they ALWAYS resolve them for me. No virtual eye-rolls over my inexperience. Very helpful!
Fourth, the ZUNE PASS. Yeah, I know that there are other sites that also have unlimited music access for a price but this is site ware supported by the product. ZUNE has recently upgraded their site and it's much speedier and handier to use.
Fifth, unlike ipod (unless it's recently changed) with a Zune Pass you can listen to an entire albums length vs. 30 second sound bites, like ipod has on their site. I like this feature for albums I think I might like to download and want to preview first, and then just to listen to music I have no interest in downloading. I use this feature all the time at home, plugging in my Creative Travelsound 250 speaker and filling my home with music.
The screen is huge and crystal clear and I store client photos on my photo section and preview work in my hand. It's great! I don't do pod-casts, videos or TV shows but I've heard from the Zune forums that people really like the way that they look on their Zune. My DD uses her Zune to power-walk and doesn't find the size any hinderance.
Down-side of ZUNE: if you like to buy toys-toys-toys for your products, than poor ZUNE is the Red-Haired Stepchild, as all other MP3 players are. Every company on the planet has products to go with the ipod, but really, how many speakers and docks do you need when you own one???? I lucked out and found the BEST speaker possible for extended sound: it's the Creative 250 speaker for $40 bucks on amazon. The sound is amazing, it's highly portable and cheap to run. I've since bought a speaker for each person that got a ZUNE.
That's it and my opinion from a non-tech person from the last century. Hope it helps and have a lovely Thanksgiving!
mp3 player recommendation
by losthighway - 11/22/07 7:43 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Nancy, honestly I get the most enjoyment out of flash-based mp3 players that cost less than $100 US. Some of these have really cool functions like being able to record radio and a line-in, which I used to digitalize my vinyl collection. I still use my Creative Zen Nano I bought in 2005 to this day. Flash-based mp3 players stand up a lot better to rugged use. Mine has been through the washing machine a few times and still works perfectly. I use changeable rechargeable batteries with it, which is really handy when studying on the go.
Most people I know with iPods spend a lot to maintenance them, whether it be from headphones to expensive cover jackts. They definitely look cool though.
MP3 Players
by atatuddude - 11/22/07 7:44 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I haven't the foggiest idea but have a great Thanksgiving!
Rustynail...
hw + sw + downtime + labor = tco (total cost of ownership)
by puma - 11/22/07 7:54 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
the above reply is blatantly biased. the upfront cost of a Mac will be more, but the total cost of ownership (tco) over its lifetime is much more for a windows pc. most people will omit down time and support cost into the equation... the OS is unix based and a true work horse which can do much more than sound, video, and desktop publishing applications. if you check out MS office, you'll even find it better on the Mac than windows. why? it's the OS!
support
by johnrf - 12/1/07 12:20 PM In reply to: hw + sw + downtime + labor = tco (total cost of ownership) by pumaAnd don't forget apple has the best support. According to Consumer Reports reader surveys. But the best thing about getting a Mac or an iPod is that you will probably never need to use the support.
Go with Sony Walkman
by mxthoma - 11/22/07 8:18 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have listened to several MP3 players and my wife has an iPOD. She is constantly having to charge it up. I bought a Sony Walkman USB player and it is awesome. It is small, very functional, does not require seperate batteries or a seperate charger, it plays plays on the charge it gets through the PC USB connection for a VERY long time - like 10 hours - and it charges in just minutes. It has FM tuner also and supports various shuffle options. Cons: In bright light it is hard to tell what is playing on the one line display but hey! just listen and you should know what is playing. I particularly like the "hold" button that prevents other buttons from functioning when bike riding or working in the yard.
If your not caught up in the iPOD hype, look around a little, save some money, and maybe a headache while looking for your iPOD charger or waiting for the iPOD to charge up.
I HATE "i" ANYTHING-DON'T DO IT!
by zambiasmith - 11/22/07 8:19 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Nancy, I agree with you about purchasing anything that is trendy. I am not a computer "geek" or anything, but I do love my electronics. I refuse to buy anything "i". Like you when CD's first came out, i resisted, the same when the human race went from CD's to digital music. In my opinion Creative makes the best mp3 players out there. I purchased a Zen Touch from them in 03 (it was stolen) so I purchased another Touch (40 gigs) in 05. I purchased a 20 gig as a gift, all of which are still working today. I recently purchased a 2 gig one, so that I can take it with me while working out. I will be upgrading from my Touch soon as my CD collection is well over 600 discs and I need more storage space. Creative has a wide variety of mp3 players, I suggest that you at least consider them before succumbing to the "i" mania that seems to have captivated the world.
mp3 players
by tismeinaz - 11/22/07 8:31 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Two of the reasons that iPods became the best selling of the mp3 players is that the interface (how you get the music on the player) was easier than any other and it had more memory. Now others have increased memory and improved their interface, but in my opinion, Apple still is the best. To check the various players out - I'd go to a Compusa or Best Buy - you can pick them up and play with them to see what you like and dislike about each. To know more about the iPod - I would go to an Apple Store as they have the whole set up - iPod, computer, iTunes etc. so you can see how it all works together. Something to keep in mind is what exactly do you want the player for? This will help narrow down your search.
I was going to say the iPod Shuffle but it has no screen so.
by ouimetnick - 11/22/07 8:34 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have an iPod Touch but it cost $299.00 so for you I was going to say get the shuffle. Its small and holds 250 songs! AND has no screen.
Shuffle is for $79.00
The NANO for $149.99 has a screen holds pictures and has up to 8GB for 2,000 songs. Or the 4GB holds 1000 songs.
$149.00 for the 4GB
$199.99 For the 8GB
Both Nanos hold music pictures and videos and more.
The iPod shuffle only holds music.
The only bad thing about the nano is its SUPER THIN so its easy to snap in half. But a hard snap on case then put a ruber case over it.
Definily, iPod is the best
by erickabbc - 11/22/07 8:50 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There's a lot of types of mp3 payers in the market now in day. But speaking for myself, i think the best option is to get an iPod, and it would be better if it is an iPod Nano, that's cause it is very small an thin. And the good thing is that you can save all your pictures in there. Well you can find the 2GB iPod Nano, and you would be able to storage pict and music; but there's others with more capacity where you can save videos, too.
Well that was about iPods.. but there's another one that is very cool too. It's the Samsung K3.. it has the same features but in this one you can hear the radio too.
So, as you can see, there's a lot of choises.. why don't you go and take a look of them?.. The only thing i do now is that you gonna love it.
Living in a Windows world
by kjdinoc - 11/22/07 8:51 AM In reply to: Buying my first MP3 player, advice needed! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've discovered the hard way that Itunes works just fine if all you want to do is have your music on your PC and your IPod, but if you plan to venture beyond that things really become difficult.
I live in a Windows world. Desktop PC, Notebook, Windows Mobile in my phone, XBox, Media Centers, etc. Music from ITunes will not work on any of my other gadgets here.
Recently I purchases an at&t Tilt phone which is an amazing little gadget. It does everything and has Windows Media player loaded into it. I've also subscribed to Microsoft Zune and I'm downloading (renting) tons of music that syncs perfectly with my phone and plays on all of my PC's and Media centers. I love it.....but the Ipod is out of the mix.
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