Thread: I need an mp3 player.

amazon.com has a 16gig ipod touch (gen I) for 199, but a local store has them for 169.
new 8gig nanos are 138
1-Day Savings - Apple Store (U.S.)

i'm not an apple fan per se, but i think the itunes/ipod interface is fine. we have 3 nanos, all work well. we had a sandisk cheap player die after a few months.

Apple is the current king of the hill for portable MP3 devices and should have something in almost any price range with multiple storage sizes and some also have video.

You can currently get an Ipod nano with 16GB for under 200$.

If you were gonna use one while working out they have the shuffle for like 50$ and is the size of a big button and is practically weightless and clips on clothes. You sacrifice having a display and storage with only 2GB, I use one while I work out.

There are some other Ipod options out there such as the touch which has video and can connect to any wifi hotspot so you can browse the web, its basically an Iphone minus the phone. I think a 8GB version is 200$ and it goes up from there.

I use a Sirius Stiletto for Mp3, its has built in storage and you can but more memory and slip it in. I like it because it gets Sirius satellite radio and if i am indoors can connect to WiFi to get all the SiriusXM stations. I can also load MP3s from my computer onto memory to listen to or if i hear a song I like on a station it records it with the push of a button. But you have to pay a monthly fee or get a lifetime subscription(what I did)

I friend/family/ or myself has one of those so thats about the extent of my knowledge on those. I dont know about the serveral other options out there.

EDIT: I know apple is having crazy sales today, so you will save some bucks if you get one today. My prices arnt sale prices and our off the top of my head from some research i did last week for gifts.

Great info, keep it coming.

btw Splash, I currently have a cheap mp3 player for working out. It runs on alkaline batteries, it is awful.

get the iphone and you can not only listen to MP3's but you can get streaming audio from all the websites like Last.fm, SomaFM.com, Pandora, etc.....I hook mine up to the Aux jack in my car and jam uninterrupted Web Radio on my morn and eve commutes I can always find a suitable station in my browser....

Don't get any Apple shit. It's overpriced and forces you to use iTunes. Make sure to buy something that has a directly usable hard disk on it. You don't want to have to use any kind of program to put music from your pc onto your music player. Really, iTunes SUCKS and the alternatives aren't that much better. A directly usable hard disk is extremely easy to use (you just drag files into the folder, done), doesn't make you dependent on any program (or a whole brand, like Apple) and it's often cheaper. Make sure to buy a no-one's-ever-heard-of brand that gets good reviews.

I love my ipod.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Don't get any Apple shit. It's overpriced and forces you to use iTunes. Make sure to buy something that has a directly usable hard disk on it. You don't want to have to use any kind of program to put music from your pc onto your music player. Really, iTunes SUCKS and the alternatives aren't that much better. A directly usable hard disk is extremely easy to use (you just drag files into the folder, done), doesn't make you dependent on any program (or a whole brand, like Apple) and it's often cheaper. Make sure to buy a no-one's-ever-heard-of brand that gets good reviews.

Yea ok, sooooooo what portable MP3 player do you use?

If you go to the gym then the Sansa Clip is great. There's a new 8GB version out now. Compact, you don't need transfer software and it sounds great. Gets my 5 star rating.

Sandisk Sansa Clip 8Gb MP3 Player with Radio Black: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Originally Posted by fufu

There are so many fucking kinds of mp3 players, I am totally out of the loop on portable music technology.

I'd appreciate some informed suggestions.

I want something small, uncomplicated and easy to use. Price is not so much of an issue. As far as gigs go, ~12 is fine, although if there is a great economical gadget out there w/ more space I wouldn't mind.

I just want something that plays music, no video ability. But like I said, if it is economical and a better deal I may get something w/ more features.

Help pwease.

Are you a PC or MAC guy?

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Don't get any Apple shit. It's overpriced and forces you to use iTunes. Make sure to buy something that has a directly usable hard disk on it. You don't want to have to use any kind of program to put music from your pc onto your music player. Really, iTunes SUCKS and the alternatives aren't that much better. A directly usable hard disk is extremely easy to use (you just drag files into the folder, done), doesn't make you dependent on any program (or a whole brand, like Apple) and it's often cheaper. Make sure to buy a no-one's-ever-heard-of brand that gets good reviews.

I agree 100% about not buying apple. I have had Ipods before. I love the hardware, I hated Itunes with a fuckign passion.

I have had two microsoft zunes that I loved. Again, I hate the zune loading software, but for me it is better than itunes.

If you get a no name brand you will be fucked later if something comes out that you want to use your ipod for, but your no name brand doesn't support it, like audible. I listen to tons of audiobooks from audible, and they don't support every brand.


Back to my zune testimonial. I love my zune. I have dropped it a thousand times and it keeps playing. The screen on zunes are better than ipods if you want to watch movies on it.

Originally Posted by Splash Log

Yea ok, sooooooo what portable MP3 player do you use?

Mine doesn't fit fufu's requirements, as it also plays video files, but I use this one.

Kelju, I'm not familiar with audible. What audio format are their products? And why isn't it a mainstream one like mp3 or wav?

I've heard some pretty good things about zune too.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Mine doesn't fit fufu's requirements, as it also plays video files, but I use this one.

Kelju, I'm not familiar with audible. What audio format are their products? And why isn't it a mainstream one like mp3 or wav?

I've heard some pretty good things about zune too.

Audible has its own property format to protect their media. It is very expensive to pay a skilled person to read books to be converted to audiobooks.

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/off...seBVCookie=Yes

Audible requires that you use their software to load books into your mp3 player. They don't support every brand.

For what its worth...ITunes has NO AC/DC songs available due to a dispute with the band and Apple. FOr me, that blows. I need a couple AC/DC songs on my player for workouts!!

Originally Posted by biggfly

For what its worth...ITunes has NO AC/DC songs available due to a dispute with the band and Apple. FOr me, that blows. I need a couple AC/DC songs on my player for workouts!!

The solution is very simple, brace yourself, its called not paying for them.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Don't get any Apple shit.

I felt that way until i got my iPhone.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Mine doesn't fit fufu's requirements, as it also plays video files, but I use this one.

Kelju, I'm not familiar with audible. What audio format are their products? And why isn't it a mainstream one like mp3 or wav?

I've heard some pretty good things about zune too.

I am glad you like the Archos but everyone I know that touched it turned had an aneurysm. Good luck scrolling through 5000 songs on that it will only take about 2 minutes. You have to push the down arrow you cant rub your finger around a circle and have it go as fast as you want. I also hope you have all you MP3s organized because it acts like an external harddrive and if they are all in one folder it wont sort them by artist or anything else.

Ohh no an Ipod forces you to use Itunes, its easy to use and idiot proof.

The zune is a piece of shit, if you don't like apple you will have a blast with Microsoft's latest turd.

Originally Posted by Splash Log

I am glad you like the Archos but everyone I know that touched it turned had an aneurysm. Good luck scrolling through 5000 songs on that it will only take about 2 minutes. You have to push the down arrow you cant rub your finger around a circle and have it go as fast as you want. I also hope you have all you MP3s organized because it acts like an external harddrive and if they are all in one folder it wont sort them by artist or anything else.

Ohh no an Ipod forces you to use Itunes, its easy to use and idiot proof.

The zune is a piece of shit, if you don't like apple you will have a blast with Microsoft's latest turd.

Why is Zune a piece of shit?

Besides the Zune software which is worse then Itunes, it isn't compatible with WMA-DRM9 and protected WMV's

This thread turned out well, definitely helps. (not being sarcastic)

Originally Posted by Doublebase

Are you a PC or MAC guy?

I guess I'd be labeled a PC guy. I've used a PC for the past 12 years...I really don't know what Macintosh computers are like currently. I can't really form an opinion.

I'm notorious for not using special features on any computer/electronic product I buy. I tend to be very simple and straightforward with my stuff. I don't like reading manuals.

What about Creative products, what do you guys think about them? I hear they are pretty top-of-the-line.

Originally Posted by Splash Log

The solution is very simple, brace yourself, its called not paying for them.

Huh?? Solution to what and not paying for what??

If you want AC/DC Songs just steal them

Oh yea, gotcha!! True...did steal some from Limewire..

Originally Posted by Prince

I felt that way until i got my iPhone.

Me too, now I've found a zillion awesome tools on mine and never get bored anywhere I'm at, I have music, e-books, instant 3G Internet Access, streaming music stations in my car, a level, GPS Unit, I mean it's a fucking swiss army knife of tech gadgets, I can even use it as a portable hard drive.....

I have a sandisk sansa and the loading software is rhapsody, I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE rhapsody, not to mention that it doesnt even work on my Vista 64bit os, may not even work with Vista period yet....

Well actually the last time I tried was like last December I think hahah but still, it should have worked then, but rhapsody sucks major ass anyways so I dont care too much

real small buttons on the sansa that I have, it is OK, making playlists is a pain in the ass too....Media Player can be used to load music as well but I dont know how to make playlists on it, may only be possible with Rhapsody which is meant to be used with it

Originally Posted by Splash Log

I am glad you like the Archos but everyone I know that touched it turned had an aneurysm. Good luck scrolling through 5000 songs on that it will only take about 2 minutes. You have to push the down arrow you cant rub your finger around a circle and have it go as fast as you want. I also hope you have all you MP3s organized because it acts like an external harddrive and if they are all in one folder it wont sort them by artist or anything else.

Ohh no an Ipod forces you to use Itunes, its easy to use and idiot proof.

The zune is a piece of shit, if you don't like apple you will have a blast with Microsoft's latest turd.

Actually the Gmini categorises all the songs automatically. You just dump everything into one folder and the Gmini labels every song by artist, title, album and genre. As for the scrolling, that's true. I have 20GB of music on it and sometimes it takes over 30s to find a song. The scroll wheel is iPod's only redeeming feature.

The problems you'll face with iTunes are a pain in the ass. Try uploading songs on another PC than your own. Also, there are times when you can't select any one song and iTunes has to download everything.

Parenthetically, if you have an mp3 player with a directly accessible hard disk, you can of course use it as a portable hard disk.

Finally, I'm not anti Apple. I'm only talking about Apple in the context of mp3 players here.

Originally Posted by Splash Log

If you were gonna use one while working out they have the shuffle for like 50$ and is the size of a big button and is practically weightless and clips on clothes. You sacrifice having a display and storage with only 2GB, I use one while I work out.

These rule for working out,
shuffle plus a pair of skullcandy headphones and a cracked winamp pro is the best bet economically, IMO.

no itunes BS, no weight/worry.