iPod vs. everything else

[jerman]

Ok, this has probably been done on here before, but I am still curious. I got my new iPod Nano today( my 5th iPod overall, 9th if you count the wife's) and I was wondering what kind of mp3 player the rest of you used, if any?

My $.02 is that the iPod is the best on the market. Cant beat it for ease of use and overall looks.

[ironspoke]

Jerman,

I dabbled in mp3 players a few years back and purchased two different Rio products. Since that time they have both stopped working. I've since regressed back to a portable CD player when I want to go mobile. In my car I put mp3s (basiclly from discs I have borrowered from friends) from my computer on to discs and my aftermarket stereo accepts them. I make these mix discs which contain upwards of 200 songs.

Now, I know you are the one asking a question but I have one for you. For your music on your ipod....are you only able to put on music you have purchased from itunes? I actually purchased the Eels "Oh what a beautiful morning" from itunes and I was never able to get it off of my computer and on to a disc. I kept getting a bunch of errors (I use Windows) and eventually gave up trying. Its sitting there and I can only listen on my computer. If you have a MAC i'm assuming your issues regarding itunes would be zero. Again I'm just curious about your ipod and if you know if by using Windows there are multiple problems. My 75 year old dad is looking to get an mp3 player and I have kind of talked him out of an ipod because I always found itunes awful to deal with. Just looking for your pair of pennies.

Thanks!

[tryandgetme]

iAudio X5. beats the snot out of the ipod for audio performance (best sounding DSP I've ever tried), bunch of cool features, "JUST WORKS" if you don't want to use the software you don't have to. Works as a USB Mass Storage Device, and it'll play music no matter where you drop it without having to index it with software. movies, pictures, whatever. Has a USB host so I can move pictures from my camera (nice when the camera card fills up). Even supports DRM now. I've got the 35 hour battery life 30GB version. Nice hard aluminum case, and the earbuds that come with it are actually fairly impressive (till the cat chewed them). Tough to find in canada though. Supports OGG (big one for me, half my collection is ogg).

[DjSmallFry]

I used a Creative zen V... nice, very small, good audio, and easy to use... then it got stolen :mad:

[myron]

I hate I-pod. It's not so much a Mp3 player, but more of an I-tunes player. I have a Sandisk Sansa that I really like. Click and drag audio files into it. Simple as that.

My kids I-pod has been nothing but headaches with numerous updates to get it to work.

[jerman]

Now, I know you are the one asking a question but I have one for you. For your music on your ipod....are you only able to put on music you have purchased from itunes? I actually purchased the Eels "Oh what a beautiful morning" from itunes and I was never able to get it off of my computer and on to a disc. I kept getting a bunch of errors (I use Windows) and eventually gave up trying. Its sitting there and I can only listen on my computer. If you have a MAC i'm assuming your issues regarding itunes would be zero. Again I'm just curious about your ipod and if you know if by using Windows there are multiple problems. My 75 year old dad is looking to get an mp3 player and I have kind of talked him out of an ipod because I always found itunes awful to deal with. Just looking for your pair of pennies.

Thanks!

Spoke,
I am a Mac guy so not sure of Windows issues. 1st off, you do not have to buy music from iTunes. I have successfully bought or downloaded music from other sights and other formats and imported it to iTunes with no issues. 2nd, the best way to turn music that has DRM(digital rights management) into "free use" music is to burn it into an AIFF CD then reimport it into iTunes as a regular mp3. You really dont lose any sound quality and it lifts the restrictions from the files.
I personally love iTunes. Not just the store but also for music storage and management.
I honestly think your granddad should get an iPod. I swear it is just so simple.:)

[jerman]

. Tough to find in canada though. Supports OGG (big one for me, half my collection is ogg).

Tryandgetme,

What is OGG?

[tryandgetme]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogg

I find it looses less quality at higher compression ratios than MP3

I've got a few FLAC too (free lossless audio codec)

[real_ss_budgie]

i-pods dont have a FM receiver so i scrapped that idea and sniped a chumpy little sony s200

[OTBSkinloss]

I still carry a boom box.

[real_ss_budgie]

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

[rockyrider]

what a good idea

[wigger thomas]

I had an i-pod and really liked it a lot. Gave it to my daughter after hers got stolen and only miss it a little. I burn cd's and always have new stuff to listen to. I-tunes can get stale if you don't keep it fresh on you computer.

However,I do love to be on the road[with the i-pod] and just let a funk or jazz mix play for a 4 hour drive. Or I'll put on a Dead show from '77 and listen all the way home from NYC[2.5hrs] It is nice not to have to change cd's.

[davkatreb]

Still riding to the voices in my head. Screw the 21st century.

[useless_wrench]

with the ipod to you have to use itunes to put the music onto it? or can you just drag/drop your files?

the zune also looks very tempting .. the whole wireless music transfer idea sounds cool .. but i don't know anyone with a zune.

[wigger thomas]

other players like real audio can manage an ipod

[jerman]

with the ipod to you have to use itunes to put the music onto it? or can you just drag/drop your files?

the zune also looks very tempting .. the whole wireless music transfer idea sounds cool .. but i don't know anyone with a zune.

I have never used anything but iTunes.
From what I have read. The wireless transfer on the Zune does not work as advertised. And it eats up battery life.