mrsnifflez

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I am doing a little research on mp3 players, trying to find one worth buying. Any advice as to what mp3 players are good for their price, etc. I am looking into buying a Sandisk 512mb for around $130 right now.

BackdoorJesus

If you get a flash memory player (a good way to go), try to make sure that it is an expandable memory type (with a memory card slot). This is definitely a must-have feature, especially since you can get 1GB memory cards for under 65 bucks now.

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mrsnifflez

thanx BR, do you have any experience with iRiver mp3 players? i've heard both good and bad about them.

mrsnifflez

Ok.....i couldn't figure out how to add to the previous message, but i bought a 4GB ipod mini today for $110.00.....seemed to me to be a hell of a deal.

ZeroSKtr56

yes it was, since I bought mine for $243 and then couple of weeks later they go and lower the prices on em'. damn. If I would've waited I would have saved a hundred bucks. Stupid Ipod.

SlowtoAnger

I've had an iRiver for 3 months now. Perfectly reliable--never a single problem. It's not flash-based though; the H320 is basically 20GB hard drive with a teeny screen attached. Very good product though. Extremely good battery life.

BackdoorJesus

A question for iPod owners:

Does the iPod system limit you to only loading mp3's that you download from iTunes, or can you load it up with homemade mp3 files as well?

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SlowtoAnger

Not an owner, but used to sell the accursed things (sorry).

You can import pre-downloaded or ripped tunes to the iPod, no prob. It's gettin' off on your friend's computer that I hear is the problem

focker

Hi BongRipper,

I have an iPod and with iTunes you can import any MP3 files you want. The protected AAC files (.m4p file extension on a Windows system) that get downloaded from the iTunes music store require that your system be "authorized" to play them. However, I created quite an MP3 library from my CD collection that I use on my iPod.

compugeeknerd2k

From my expirience, 20 GB Iriver's rule all. you can put anything you want on the HD. if you set your bios to boot from USB you can even boot knopix or partition the Iriver and boot linux off it. I love the thing, no problems and it costs about 350$$ US

If you go to Micro Center (it's only in some states), if you open a credit card account that day, you can get a 75$ mail in rebate with the purchase of an IPod. I personally like the new 6GB minni ipods

ButterMup

I know it's not the chic device du jour, by I swear by my 40GB Creative Zen NX.
Personally, I like the fact that it's a wee bit bigger than the Ipod and other "we put a headphone jack in a grain of sand" mp3 players out there - anything smaller than the Zen gets totally lost in my hands, and I just end up fumbling all over the controls.

Also, its battery is removable.
Thank god.
Anyone who has had the immense pleasure of your Ipod battery burning itself out (as they all seem to do within 12-to-18 months of purchase...hmmm...), is familiar with that sinking feeling which accompanies your first phone call to Apple customer support, wherein you're told, in no uncertain terms, that you're fucked.
The removable (and more importantly, replaceable) battery sold me on the Zen, period.

In the realm of the smaller capacity, flash-based players, I reccommend CreativeLabs again, in the form of their MuVo Micro line.
As you know, flash storage is very handy if you plan to do a lot of jumping jacks, bouncing off walls, or other intensely kinetic activity which tends to wreak total havoc fixed-disk-based players in very short order.
You can stuff the MuVo Micros with up to 1GB of storage, which is (if I recall) the current maximum for non-HDD players of this sort.
Plus, they're stupid cheap.
The one-gig version can be had for 150 bucks or so.

In summary, yes, I'm biased toward CreativeLabs products. Sue me.
They're a fair bit less expensive than their bretheren, I personally they look pretty fucking cool despite what the Appleheads keep trying tell me to the contrary, and they have, IMHO, absolutely excellent audio quality for portable devices, even through the shitty stock earbuds that come in the box.
...When you think about it, Creative is a company who built their empire solely via soundcards way back in the day, and that continues to be a big part of their product line now.
It just makes sense that their players should sound good.

spades

I have a Rio Chiba, which is great if you want one to use while working out.

BackdoorJesus

Excellent point. I have Creative sound cards in 2 PCs at home & 2 at work. Sadly, I do not see Creative mp3 products at too many retail outlets, mostly only online...

...but I will keep this in mind in the coming months, since both of my spawn now want mp3 players for their birthdays. Sure, I'd like to be the hard-ass dad & just tell them "no", but the little cretins recognize that I'm enamored with gadgets, and learned early on that they are likely to get something, if I think it's cool too (like the Xbox version of Doom3 that I just picked up 'for the boy').

Pretty sad really, to be so easily readable, even to a 10 & 12 year-old!!

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foxshox1

http://www.archos.com
find something you want and search for it online(ie nextag.com) i got a 20 gig video player for 250 dollars last year , and it came with a camera.. ofcourse it was a bit bulkier than the ipod, but if you look at the gmini, its very economical and has a large screen