MP3 players forum: need an mp3 type player immediately

/Dear MRMacfixit:
In 2 years it's had the sad face 3 times, this last time Best Buy sent it out and when we got it back it was less than 3 weeks before the sad icon face came back, last year it was fixed for 1 year, if we wait now how long will it go this time, my daughter doesn't think she did anything wrong either time?So if I buy Apple am I stupid if she really did nothing wrong and the product for her did'nt perform right, we have 2 others apple, nano, video, so far with no problems. Can she transfer her songs out of Itunes to different player? I liked Cowan D2 but its not out yet? Help

Without getting into a flame war here, if you send an iPod back to Apple, directly, you will receive a replacement, not the same one, back in its place.
If you take your iPod into Best Buy, your guess is as good as mine as to who takes it apart and "fixes" it.
As another poster pointed out, you may have had a less than stellar experience with that iPod but it does not mean that all iPods will act the same.
Take a look at this forum and count how many posted problems you find with the iPod and compare it to the number of posted problems for the Non-iPod players.
I have had a iPod Mini for over 3 years and it is still happily doing its thing.
I do not know anything about the Cowan D2 other than the fact that you like it, then again, the player is not for you. (Hell hath no fury like a teenager given the "wrong" player)

P

The Cowon D2 plays aac files. They don't advertise it, but it does. At least in the current firmware.

However, it won't play any songs bought through iTunes, as these are encrypted and will only play on an iPod.

It really depends how much music your daughter has bought online.

I never buy tracks online as I refuse to be locked into one player. I buy cds and rip it myself.

Sorry, but if you're trying to be helpful you're not doing very well. An anything-but-Apple attitude isn't just stereotyping, it's potentially hurtful.

It's consumer electronics. Things break down no matter how well screwed-together they are. You may be confusing popularity for reliability: when there are more iPods being shipped, more of them are likely to break. The Zune has had its share of software and hardwre glitches, but it's not treated as an epidemic in part because Microsoft at best commands 2-3% of the market.

For reference, I've bought three iPods over as many years, but never once was it because one of them broke down. I bought the 20GB monochrome iPod in 2004 and used until I sold it in 2006, when I got a 30GB iPod video; just in February I picked up an iPod shuffle for exercise. I can't speak for everyone, but my iPods have dealt with heavy use and come out on top.

Suggesting that someone jump ship only creates a false sense of safety and probably leads to disappointment when the new player breaks down -- or isn't as enjoyable when it IS working.