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"Mp3 player recommendations?"
01/05/2003 Entry
I'm looking to get a new mp3 player as my old one (a first generation Rio) can only hold a dozen songs and that's so passé. Since several tech savvy people read my blog, I thought I'd put out this request for comments. I'm intrigued by the iPod, but can't quite justify spending that kind of money on a portable music gadget. How are its calendar and other features? Are they really useful or are they just gimmicks to sell more? I'll probably wait until MacWorld this week to see what else they come out with (and how that may influence prices). I hear there are some good alternatives though, what are they?
Please share your know-how, either here via the comments form so others can benefit as well, or send me an email if you'd prefer to keep the communication private. Thanks!
Replies: 4 Comments have been posted, click here to see them and add your own
I can't comment on the ipod, but the "Archos Jukebox Recorder 20 Digital player/recorder" looks like a great value. It's got a 20GB drive, and in addition to playing MP3's, it can record MP3's from the radio or any external source. The lowesr price I can find on it is $237,
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Portable_Audio_Archos_Jukebox_Recorder_20_Digital_player_recorder_500277
which is a real bargain compared to the 20GB ipod at $499.
I've also heard that if you're brave (willing to void your warranty) you can also put in a larger hard drive. (This is also true of its younger cousins.)
Hope this helps. =)
Posted by jonhanke @ 01/05/2003 08:59 PM CST
mmm.. ipod. *swoon* benjy over at linkstew.org has had a lot to say about his, ipod encounters and review. you can search his site for 'ipod.'
can't say much else about mp3 players. my loyalties have been with MD for a few years now because of their flexibility for recording live music / lectures / weird sounds as well as mp3 -- via analog or digital.
sidebar: did you read wired's "Have iPod, Will Secretly Bootleg" ? funny s..
Posted by eraine @ 01/06/2003 06:59 AM CST
I have an Archos Jukebox Studio 20, a slightly older model, not the newer recorder mentioned above. It certainly beats the iPod in terms of price at the same capacity level, but the software is minimally functional on the Mac OS - had to find a hack to even create playlists. (haven't tried it yet on my Windoze box).
Have never owned or tried an iPod, but my sense is what you're paying for is rather more user interface engineering and overall thoughfulness on the part of Apple's design team than you're going to get from any other MP3 manufacturer. The Firewire interface is also a nice bonus; moving 10 or 20GB over USB 1.1 speeds can't be fun.
My understanding is you can buy a "Windows" or a "Mac" iPod and reformat them to go one way or the other using utilities downloadable from Apple.com, although if you buy Mac and flip to Win you need to get Musicmatch or some other software elsewhere - only included with the Win version.
With iPod, you're also getting the benefit of a pretty fanatical hacker community - datebook functionality and Windows compatability were available that way long before Apple itself built the features in, and I'd expect that if someone out there finds a way to make the iPod, say, brew coffee by sending commands to the RJ-45 port in the coffeemaker Apple will follow suit.
Anyway, the iPod is a big chunk of change but one probably gets what one pays for in the world of technology.
-mjw
(Mac partisan since 1991, Apple partisan since 1984)
Posted by mjw @ 01/06/2003 06:48 PM CST
I have heard good things about the iRiver CD/MP3 player. Granted, a CD/MP3 player doesn't have as much gadgety goodness (or storage capacit) as an iPod or other dedicated MP3 player, but it has a lot of versatility. The little remote control actually looks pretty slick, too. And, it's a lot less expensive.
Posted by alan @ 01/13/2003 05:33 PM CST
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