Question about IPod Alternatives

[jimmy page]

Is anyone out there using a portable music device (hard drive or flash memory based) that isn't an IPod? If so what brand and model and do you like it?

I know that the IPod is highly regarded, but I am not sure if I want to convert all of my music to the Apple format.

Thanks in advance for any help in answering these questions.

[DJSapp]

512 mb Creative MuVo TXFM. It is the shiznit. Super small, user friendly, plugs directly into the USB port (no cable to lose) takes 1 AAA battery so you can keep the music pumping (unlike lithium, when it dies, you're screwed), lasts for a full day of skiing in mild (20 degree) conditions, and has a digital screen. Kick ass all around. Comes in 1 gig if 512 is too small.

[spanky]

I know that the IPod is highly regarded, but I am not sure if I want to convert all of my music to the Apple format.

You don't have to convert your music to Apple format. The iPod plays mp3 just as well.

[mntlion]

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...highlight=ipod

lots of ipod shuffle info and info on others too

[optics]

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6490_7-5553119.html

[jimmy page]

thanks for the links

[gramboh]

Saw that article recently, that Archos Gmini XS200 sounds pretty cool:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Archos_Gmini...9.html?tag=lst

20gig, very small, decent battery life, no frills. I've been really tempted by the 4gb Ipod mini since it's so cheap now, but I want to be able to put all my music on at once so I want 20+ gig. The Gmini doesn't have the cool factor of the iPod but I don't care at that size/price. It sounds really functional, uses FAT32 storage system so it's basically a USB hard drive, no using iTunes software or whatever just copy paste, good for advanced users. My only concerns are possible support/warranty and durability issues since it's a smaller company I doubt they do the R&D that Apple has done on the iPod.

My roomate has a 20gig 4th gen Ipod and it is really nice, but it's bigger, heavier and more expensive than this XS200. Plus the battery will probably die in a year anyway.

[KarlHungus]

I have the Dell DJ (Digital Jukebox), mine's the older version but my girlfriend just got the new one (20 gigs for like 250) they made it a littler smaller than mine and i gotta say they're both great. Dell has great customer support too, my buddy bought one and had problems with it. they sent him a brand new one and a pre-paid box for his broken one within 2 days. No reason to buy the ipod over the DJ, it's easier to use and a waaaaay better value.

[mntlion]

how well do ipods talk to non mac's

I was thinking of getting one for girguide (she is using mac) but others friends don't.

can she plug in her ipod and "get" music from friends non mac computers?

looking at the Dell mini $229 vs ipod mini @ $250 (canuk funds) for $20 to get it all on apple looks a bit better, but what are others thoughts?

[Foggy_Goggles]

how well do ipods talk to non mac's

I was thinking of getting one for girguide (she is using mac) but others friends don't.

can she plug in her ipod and "get" music from friends non mac computers?

looking at the Dell mini $229 vs ipod mini @ $250 (canuk funds) for $20 to get it all on apple looks a bit better, but what are others thoughts?

Yes and no. Ipod makes it difficult on purpose to plug into another PC and copy all from their I-tunes. Search for a thread in Music that I started about this.

[spanky]

how well do ipods talk to non mac's

I'm having some technical issues with my 1 GB iPod shuffle. I highly doubt my issues are with my non-mac PC, but when callling Apple for tech support (1 free call in the first 90 days as part of my warranty), they said they can't offer me support since I'm only running XP service pack 1 (service pack 2 is listed as a minimum requirement).

BTW, the issue with the ipod is, the shuffle mode doesn't work

Edit: System Requirements - http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60971

[warthog]

Get this:


My next $500 is going toward one.

Specs:
Watch up to 85 hours of Movies, Recorded TV Programs or Home Videos1
Store and listen up to 9,000 songs1
Carry and enjoy up to tens of thousands of photos1
Large, high resolution 3.8" TFT LCD backlit for crisp and clear images
Removable and rechargeable Li-Ion Polymer Battery - carry a spare so your entertainment will never be cut short
Powerful Windows® Mobile operating system lets you easily sync, find and manage your digital entertainment
Quickly transfer content from your PC to your Zen Portable Media Center with USB 2.0
Built-in speaker means you can enjoy your movie or music with others
4 presets buttons that shortcut to your favorite TV show, movie or song
Works with popular formats like WMV, WMA, MP3, JPG

[focus]

how well do ipods talk to non mac's

I was thinking of getting one for girguide (she is using mac) but others friends don't.

can she plug in her ipod and "get" music from friends non mac computers?

looking at the Dell mini $229 vs ipod mini @ $250 (canuk funds) for $20 to get it all on apple looks a bit better, but what are others thoughts?

no, unless there's a workaround I'm not familiar with (i'm sure there is). plugging into a pc from a mac requires a reformat, and vice versa.

[connersw]

I use two different .mp3 players -

Intel Audio Player 3000: Very small, but incredible sound. The kick ass thing about this is you can put in a MM card to upgrade the storage size--I just got a 1GB for less than $60. The down sides are 1) Intel doesn't make it and support it anymore, and 2) the software doesn't work w/ WinXP SP2 so you have to use Windows Media Player to load your music which won't let you move songs up or down (only add new ones at the end or erase everything and put it back on in a new order). If you can find an older .mp3 player that takes MM, SM, or SD flash cards, I would grab one since you can now get 1GB flash cheaper than buying an iPod shuffle. Lexar and a few others are also coming out with tiny control units that accept Jump Drive sticks too.

iRiver iHP-120 (20 GB): I went with this over the iPod because of the battery life, recording ability, use as a portable hard drive, ability to play multiple file types, and it's optical line out. I love it. Looks and feels sturdy--like a piece of audiophile equipment--and it's in between the size of an iPod and an iPod Mini. The down sides are 1) iRiver no longer makes it and the new version as well as the old ones on eBay sell for more than an iPod now, and 2) most of the cool accessories made by 3rd party companies are designed for iPod's dimensions (docking stations, water proof cases, etc).

Also, just so you are aware, I've seen a few 3rd party software patches that allow you to load music on to iPods without using iTunes.

[PaSucks]

Get this:


My next $500 is going toward one.

Damn that is hot! I am guessing you could upload digi cam pics directly to that, which would make it useful on long trips so you don't have to have extra memory sticks, just upload photos and delete memory stick. It looks a little big for some applications though. I don't think that would be well suited to jogging or anything.

[warthog]

Picture not to scale

[mntlion]

so I'm looking at a I pod mini and this is in the description

"theres a little problem i noticed tho.. sometimes the battery only lasts like 10 minutes.. but its only once in a while.. all the other times it lasts the full 8 hours.. its really wierd, probably shorting in the battery.. not a huge issue.. thers still warrenty on it i belive"

It's local so I can pick it up and pay in person, but is this a warranty? a rebuild? just stay the hell away from it?

[fez]

waiting for me when i got home from work today was one of these puppies:


I'm just firing it up right now, surfing the board waiting for the software to install. So far im pretty stoked, i like the navigation system better than iPod, ive only listened to a couple sample songs they include but the sound is great. The battery life is better (they claim 12hrs) and the main thing i liked better than the iPod mini was a replaceable battery. I also like the integrated FM tuner but havent checked it out yet.

Drawbacks so far: usb port is used for charging, so no transferring music while you charge, and the biggest drawback is that you need to use their software to load your music, and it's windows only. I really searched high and low for a ~5Gb mp3 player that you could just plug into a computer through usb then just load music and go but didnt really find anything. Especially since all my music is on a linux server so i have to transfer it off a mapped network drive on my windows laptop then to the player.

[BakerBoy]

Drawbacks so far: usb port is used for charging, so no transferring music while you charge, and the biggest drawback is that you need to use their software to load your music, and it's windows only. I really searched high and low for a ~5Gb mp3 player that you could just plug into a computer through usb then just load music and go but didnt really find anything. Especially since all my music is on a linux server so i have to transfer it off a mapped network drive on my windows laptop then to the player.

My Dell DJ20 charges thru the USB while it transfers music... Anytime the 'puter is on and the USB is plugged in, its charging. The Dell Pocket DJ just plugs in and you can get the kickass Dudebox software for it (ww.redchairsoftware.com).

[fez]

yeah, just noticed the zen micro does that too.

[Jim S]

I have the iPOD 20G and iPOD shuffle.
I'm pretty happy with them.

So easy to use my son mastered it a year ago when he was 8 years old.

[skier666]

I like to be different, so I use Hi-MD minidiscs. I have a Sony MZ-NH1.



You can record PCM audio (through line in, optical, or via a mic) onto the new 1 GB discs (at $6.99) versus a flash memory chip that would cost $180, and transfer files, etc. as well. You can fit around 30 hours of so of tunes on one disc using some compression into Atrac3 format using Sonicstage and reformat the old discs to around 300 MB. New models are coming out that allow straight MP3 without having to recode into Atrac3,

...battery lasts a lot longer than an ipod too.

http://www.minidisc.org

[Big Blue]

Check out these links for info on iRiver products. FAR superior to ipod in many ways. Mainly the ability to set up your own file structure instead of relying on itunes, and the ability to move music from the device to any computer and vice versa. Oh yeah, the H320/340 can play video with a firmware upgrade (free).

Mistic River

Pricegrabber Reviews

[connersw]

Get this:
http://www.creative.com/iss/images/c...zenpmc_pdt.jpg

My next $500 is going toward one.

Specs:
Watch up to 85 hours of Movies, Recorded TV Programs or Home Videos1
Store and listen up to 9,000 songs1
Carry and enjoy up to tens of thousands of photos1
Large, high resolution 3.8" TFT LCD backlit for crisp and clear images
Removable and rechargeable Li-Ion Polymer Battery - carry a spare so your entertainment will never be cut short
Powerful Windows® Mobile operating system lets you easily sync, find and manage your digital entertainment
Quickly transfer content from your PC to your Zen Portable Media Center with USB 2.0
Built-in speaker means you can enjoy your movie or music with others
4 presets buttons that shortcut to your favorite TV show, movie or song
Works with popular formats like WMV, WMA, MP3, JPG

I guess that's cool cause of the 20GB hard drive, but if I was going to get something for all media, I think the Sony PSP would be pretty sweet. All that plus games and WiFi. All the extra UMD's and Memory Sticks would be a pain though.

[roscoe]

i have the dell jukebox 20gb and it is more than enough room but it holds a total of 9900 song and the ipod 20gb holds 5000 songs i love it and have no problems with the dell one