wrongfullyaccuzd

hey i'm not really sure if this is right forum to be in, but it's my best bet...
i think i want an ipod. do i? as far as i know they're the best mp3 player available.
opinions on ipods and others?

bodypainter

I'll be celebrating the 2nd anniversary with my iPod in a couple months. It's a 1st Gen 5 gig model and has been solid as a rock.

Highest recommendation.

Bigwahzoo

I have been looking into getting one also. Some people say to get the Nomad Zen because it is similar but much cheaper. I personally like the ipod much better and if you are a student or a teacher you get a discount. Apple's website is currently selling the 2nd gen 20gb model for $269 on their website but I have heard some people recieving dead ipods.

twister002

Costs too much for me, I'm sticking with my Archos.

You pay too much for pretty with Apple products, I'd love a powerbook, iBook, or iMac but for comparable money I can get one HELL of an AMD based system.

Hell, for the $800 that the iBook (3 year old technology) costs I can get a 2GhZ system with 512MB RAM and a 40GB HD . Or even more.

But back to the topic at hand, I'd go with a Nomad or Archos. For the cost of an iPod you could get an Archos media jukebox and watch movies as well as play music.

http://www.archos.com

BigGov

There was a great rundown TechTV did recently.

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/p...539831,00.html

One of the biggest factors is how much music you have. If you predict you'll have upwards of say 6,000-8,000 songs in a few years, I'd go with the 40GB iPod.

If you'll only have a fraction, I'd suggest the iPod's as long as you can afford it, otherwise, go with the Zen.

If you aren't looking at such a high number of songs and like listening to radio and such, the Philips HDD100 is a viable option.

Right now those are the only real smart options.

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Blistex

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2003/20030528l.gif

Moskie

I've always been partial to a CD-MP3 player. I have a Rio Volt, and have always been very pleased with it. I have a bunch of CDs, as well as MP3s, so its useful there. And filling up a CD of MP3s goes a long way for me usually. I fill it up with a bunch of MP3s that suit my tastes for the present time, then maybe month or so later I burn another one with maybe a somewhat diffent set of songs, depending on my mood.

But that might just be me.

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ninety09

I was also comparing portable audio devices, and in the end, I decided to go with a Minidisc player. I choose because I don't need 10 or 20 gigs of music with me, and I like to be able to exchange MDs with friends..

If you really want an MP3 player, I'd go with the Zen. I think the Ipod is way overrated and too expensive. I also heard that the Zen has better sound quality.

Anyway, good luck with your decision!

Jesus Pimp

Don't bother with the 3rd generation ipods. Instead, pick up a 2nd ipod generation for cheap.

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Redlemon

If you want an iPod, wait at least until Thursday. There's some big announcement, probably connected to the iTunes Music Store for Windows, but there are expected to be other announcements as well. There might be some cool package deal, you never know.

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Tenaglia

got an 10gb old version ...
best buy i've done in my life !

go for it !

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sailor

I absolutely love mine. I can carry all of my music with me. I use it almost every day.

Definitely expensive, though. I was given mine as a graduation gift... Im not sure I would have bought it otherwise (probably though ).

The reason I chose the iPod over the Zen or anything else was size. You can't really fit any of the other players in your pocket quite like you can the iPod. Im convinced thats one of the reasons I use it so much.

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tikki

I started with the original 5GB and just upgraded to a 30GB a few weeks ago, and love it. Best thing i ever got myself.

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mrap1

I have a 2G 10 GB ipod an I love it. However, the ipod is missing a few things considering how much they charge for it. If I had to get something other than an ipod I would get an iriver http://www.techtv.com/freshgear/prod...520453,00.html It has a built in radio and allows for inline recording. The only bad thing about the iriver is its meager capacity at 256 MB for $200. If you invest another $100 you can get a 10 GB ipod if size is a primary consideration.

Booboo

I've got a 10gig.. not sure if its first or second G. But it was before the new look. Anyway I absolutely love it. Personally I think its the best Looking mp3 player out there(Thats kind of important to me=P... and its definately a quality product. Perfect size. They just kick ass.

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ubertuber

It has been a while, but I thought I read somewhere that it was possible to get an ipod to record live audio, using the headphone output as a microphone input. Is this true? That would really push me over the edge and make me buy one! From what I recall, it was not a standard feature. It had something to do with the test function... I don't know. Please advise on this!

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Eyemthatguy

i prefer my ipod comapred to mp3 "discmen". I hate having to carry all my mp3s on cd-r in my car. i only have 18 GBs of music, but carrying it all on cd-r sucks. I also was hesitant to spend a large wad on the damn thing, so I got it from DELL.COM. they had a special price and 2 stackable coupons.
here are a few links to HOT DEAL SITES.

http://www.spoofee.com
http://www.techbargains.com
http://www.slickdeals.net
http://forums.anandtech.com/categories.cfm?catid=40
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/categories.cfm?catid=18
http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=28

good luck and happy hunting.

Great Scott

I dunno, it's a bit bigger, but I have never regretted for a second buying my Zen. So much better sound quality, no conflicts with the PC, and hard drive upgradable¨....

Redlemon

It was true with the first release (which had firmware 2.0), and you had to access the debugging features to get to it. This ability was removed with 2.0.1. There is an Apple event scheduled for Thursday, and recording is rumored to be a software/add on upgrade at that time.

wrongfullyaccuzd

big thanks to everyone for your input and advice.
BLISTEX - i should have known to check penny arcade. thanks.

MOSKIE - i too have a rio volt, i've been using it for a couple years now, even as my car's cd player. using the remote it gets the job done pretty well for when i'm walking around campus, but it's too big just to slip in the pocket, i need a backpack for it. but i see where you're coming from. thanks for the advice.

JIMMY 4 - that techtv rundown was great. thanks.

i gotta say, right now i think i'm looking a lot harder at the competition, namely the zen and rio products, and i think i'll save some money!

thanks everyone again.

Nhanced1

I wouldnt want to let you overlook the good features of the Ipod, that just arent matched by the zen and alternatives.
The Ipod itself is stylish, having won the TechTV award for best Gift, It is a great tool. No other mp3 player has a navigation system like the Ipod's touch wheel. No other Mp3 player has an intuitive interface as the Ipods. your Ipod screen is formatted with excellent brightness and organization. It really is a joy to use, Slim, Lightweight. Excellent. Worth it. Yes. Good. Ill. Stop. Now.

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Redlemon

This point needs to be fleshed out. The scroll wheel is speed-sensitive; I can scroll through 3000 songs with only 3 or 4 spins, if I am moving quickly. Holding down a button to go up or down doesn't compare.

punx1325

I have an Mp3 CD player because thats what I also have in my car. I will buy an iPod when apple makes an adaptor to have a soild connection into a car stereo.

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Redlemon

There are countless ways of doing this. It really depends on the car stereo end; the iPod or other mp3 player should all work the same for this. Unless I'm missing something?

Rudel73

Well another plus to having an iPod is you make a lot of new friends! Whenever i pull mine out after class or something a bunch of people always wonder over and ask to see it or listen to it, so if you want the attention grabbing MP3 player get the ipod

eirelander

What about the battery? I heard if the battery goes the iPod is shot--you have to send it back to Apple for replacement. Has anyone experienced battery failure?

bodypainter

The battery seems to be remarkably stable. I've seen a very few scattered reports of battery problems but none out of warranty. Note this is not to say it's never happened but just that I've never heard of it (and I frequent a lot of Mac forums).

As I said early on, my iPod is 2 years old on Dec 1st and I listen to it pretty much all day, every day at work and have since I got it. When it was new I timed the battery at 10 hours. I'm quite sure it still does 8 hours easy but haven't run it all the way down in a long time.

Having said all that, if the battery does die, you're going to have to cast about to find a replacement. I don't think you'd have to send it to Apple. The iPod isn't that hard to take apart and the battery is right on top when you pop the back off.

Rudel73

I've had my iPod's battery run all the way down to where you cant even turn it on or anything anymore but it still works fine. Just plugged in the cord and let it charge up and it was just like new!

drawerfixer

Hopefully someone in the know will still read this thread:

I have a $150 gift certificate to Amazon.com which I hope to put toward a new iPod. Unfortunately, this expires in 6 months or so. Will a new iPod come out in the next 6 months, or should I just buy my toy now?

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Willy

If you just want something to carry a lot of music while jogging or biking or something, I think I'd go with the Iriver. Since it's memory based, it has no moving parts, and therefore is tougher than the IPod and less likely to become a paperweight if you drop it too many times. The built in radio tuner is nice too. If 17 straight hours of music just isn't enough for you then get the IPoD.

Redlemon

No one knows, but the Mac Rumors Buyer's Guide is a good place to keep track. At present:
So, they think it'll be a while. If you waited 6 months, there would likely be a new model. However, I think they'll be sticking with the current design for a while, so the accessories for the 3G's will still be good.

There is always something better coming, but if you always wait, you will never have anything.

cetacean

I have been checking out the new Nomad Zen Xtra. It looks to be the same as the Zen NX, except it has a bigger and more illuminated navigation screen. It also has a removable battery so you can have a backup. This apeals to me for long travel situations. They probably all do this, but you can also use it for storing any other files. One cool feature I saw on a diiferent player that has been made by Samsung, in colaboration with Napster, has the ability to broadcast in FM. That way you can play all of your tunes on your car stereo or any other radio.

YaWhateva

I want a Nomad Zen 60 gig mp3 player. hell ya. or an iPod 30 gig but they are about the same price i think.

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Nhanced1

I wish to formally retract this statement fully. Since the time that I made this post, I have bought myself an Iriver IHP-120, a 20GB multi-codec jukebox with fm tuner and voice recorder. I believe that this mp3 player is the best without a doubt. The player itself acts as a usb2.0 portable harddrive, saving your file structure and music or anything else. The interface is extremely intuitive, and it comes with a remote that has a 1 inch lcd on it for viewing song titles and information. its big enough to fully operate the device with every function from the remote. battery life is amazing at 16 play hours! to top it all off, it can be found for 50 dollars less then the 20 gig ipod. it even comes with a stylish leather protective case.

of course, your gonna need to purchase a good pair of headphones or use some of your own because the included earbuds dont do justice to the iriver.

I dont think i could have gotten a player that suits me better than this one.

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merkerguitars

Well most decks you can get an adapter to use the CD Changer in to a left and right rca hookups....then you would just need to buy a 1/8" stereo to left/right rca plug cable for it to work....

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ratbastid

I'm very very very happy with my Archos Studio 20. I'm completely sold on the concept of a disc-based player; taking my entire CD collection to the gym is just fantastic.

If I didn't own one and was chosing from the current products? I don't know what I'd do. Probably go with an iPod.

bermuDa

http://ipodsdirtysecret.com/

just something to consider

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goateebird

I would highly recommend the new Rio Karma and the Nomad Jukebox Zen over the iPod. For me, the Karma and Zen have better features, and are cheaper. Go around and do some research before you buy, don't trust tv commercials or secondhand info. For some, the iPod is a better fit, but I found the Karma and Zen to cater to my needs much much better.

Redjake

I would purchase an iPod, but the 40 GB model just isn't enough space for my mp3s. The Zen on the other hand has a 60 GB model.......that'll do the trick. And it's considerably cheaper than the 40 GB iPod, with 20 extra GB of space.

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sailor

What they fail to tell you is that those people used their iPod about 2-3 times more than the average person. The iPod battery is rated to 500 recharges. Mine is recharged once, twice a week. At that rate, mine should last something like 5-10 years. The guys on that site used their iPods non-stop, recharging it everyday. Any rechargeable battery used that often will die.

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