Question on IPODS
 

I would like to purchase the shuffle for jogging. Now, do I still need to dlwnload songgs from kazaa, etc to get music. I have heard of i-tunes, but does that cost money ?

Can I directly copy songs onto the shuffle from cd's.

I basicallly want to know if I will still have to scour the internet for music, or if buying the shuffle, will somehow rid me of that.

Thanks.

Ipods use Apple's software, iTunes, as their standard program to put music into the unit. You don't have to use iTunes, there are a lot of third party programs out there that work with the iPods.

As long as the files are in .mp3 format or in Apple's propietary .aac format how YOU get them is not a problem. You can rip Cds using iTunes and it will put them in the .aac format or you can get .mp3 the old fashioned way. iTunes also has a Music Store built in that lets you purchase music for 99 cents a song.

If you are going to put your own music (the stuff that you own, not the stuff you've stolen) I would highly recommend ripping into the AAC (.m4a, not .aac) format. It really does deliver on what it promises to do, in that you get higher sound quality and smaller files. I rip all my music into 128k AAC for my iPod.

Brandon is right. It makes a huge difference. As a matter of fact, the amount of sonegs Apple quotes their Ipods are able to hold is based on having the files in that format.

AAC is also the only format that allows true surround sound too.

Also, if you want to rip to MP3 format, use any other ripping/encoder program than iTunes' built-in mp3 encoder, as it's deliberately not up to par with their m4a/aac encoders.

WOW. It really sounds like you don't have alot of music. The other thing is, you do know that it has no screen, right? There's tons of other CHEAPER flash based players out there. If I were you, I'd shop around 1st.

CHEAPER flash players with HALF the storage.

But with a screen.........

Windows Media Player Ver 10 has built in ripping capabilities.

ya but.... i'm looking at buying a USB flash stick, with 1 gig of memory (about $100 Can by Sandisk). I will use this to store data files, plus some music. I have used an Ipod (it's too bulky) but prefer the usb key. the player form sandisk is small, with a screen too, and the memory is not an issue. I just copy songs that I want, when I want.

also, since I can only listen to it while on the transit, I have 20 mins to use it each morning, and again in the afternoon. So there is no need for several gigs of space.

Well I'm an iPod convert.
Sure, you can plop songs on your Sandisk or whatever as you need them, but with an iPod you don't need to swap files in advance or decide what songs you want to carry around.
1.) When I got my iPod the first thing I did was to dump every CD I had onto it. With firewire (instead of USB) each complete CD was transferred in only a couple of minutes.
2.) The software found the label data online and entered the Song Names, Album and Artist for me. I didn't have to even type. My friend had Japanese and Mandarin pop albums and his iPod even found track info for them! On the iPod screen (It's screen has a bright blue backlight) the info was in Japanese and Mandarin!
3.) I could dump MP3s and other formats as well. In fact I don't even need to play my CDs anymore. There is a line output so I can plug the iPod into any home stereo system. My car player has a line input so I can play it in my car, too.
4.) Since all the music is with me all the time I just leave the house with my iPod. When I think of an old song I haven't heard in years I just play it right then and there! I don't have to go home and decide which ones to transfer.
5.) I taped hours worth of lecture notes and transferred them to my iPod - and could listen to them wherever and whenever I wanted. With 40gigs of space I didn't need to swap space with any music - I just dumped them on as well!
6.) The charge lasts a heck of a long time!
7.) I can use my iPod to store data files as well - and I have 40 gigs of storage space for it all.
8.) Oh and the data buffer is huge (something like 30min) - so if you go jogging you don't need to worry about skipping at all.

So you can't really compare other MP3 players to an iPod. They're totally different.

janey I have the sandisk....the flash drive is nice...but the unit goes thru battery's pretty quickly. I can get about 4-5 hours on a battery.

yup. nothing like it, but pricey. hard to get my expense account to justify an ipod as a computer expense. On the other hand, I can expense the expensive rechargeable batteries. plus one charge will get me through a week of commuting easily.

Well the price is the biggest hurdle to clear about iPods. But if you're willing to spend $100 on a 1gig player - you're already half way towards getting a mini-iPod!

dreaming....

but i can expense the $100 if it is, quote: "a USB memory stick" ;)

Couldn't you just call the iPod Mini a "4 gig removable hard drive"? :)