Can anyone advise me on mp3 players or ipod thingummies?

Regarding batteries, it is a total sintch to refit one I did it to my third gen just last week. I got a battery off ebay for £8.50. It comes with two little plastic thingies, you stick them between the metal and plastic and work round like removing a bike tire. Inside is logically laid out, you move the harddrive carefully and there is your battery. It took all of 4 minutes to do and now the battery is good for around 18 hours (Better than the original)

Its been in my car on stereo duties for three days in the cold and still has half charge.

Very happy bunny.

 

Similar situation to you Chris, so I'm sure you won't mind me latching onto your thread, with a few Q's of my own.

I am now also in the market for an .mp3 player for one of my kids, (yes it's the naughty one :MILD: - it is his 16th birthday very soon).

Budget is again about £100 but I'll stretch to definately no more than £150 if the machine really warrants the extra outlay.

He pointed out a 2GB Goodmans unit in the Argos catalogue for circa £85 , but I think he was trying to do his mum and I a favour by looking at a cheaper machine and i also remebered this thread, so don't mind paying a little extra for a better quality one, if required.

There seems to be a rash of iPod derivatives, iPods, Nano's, Mini's,Photos, Creative Zen , iRiver ........its a minefield !

They look all the bloody same too. My lad loves his music, however in true Dad style and despite my own Hi-Fi and Musical appreciation I don't recognise ANY of the artists, DJ's, or tracks from his extensive dance music ( a very broad term BTW) collection. All of it downloaded off the .net ( probably about 40Gb worth last time i looked... ).

So a Quick lesson/list in current iPod Hierarchy anybody ? ( radio tuner not required) .

 

Get him a black Nano Sid, he will love you long time:

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObj...Yoz1ah1iLWr/1.SLID?nclm=iPodnano&mco=226DCD1B

 

In sound quality terms, I think the iPod Shuffle is a cracker. Don't know why it should be so, but it seems better sonically than my iPod Photo 40Gb. Having heard a mate's iRiver (which is a rather garish device but well specced) I'd say the iPod Photo and iRiver are sonically very similar, and the Shuffle for some reason has more boogie. Maybe it's all in my head and the choice of programme I put on the Shuffle (which I use when running). If I were to do it all again I'd go for a Nano over the Shuffle, however, as I do find the lack of screen occasionally annoying.

 

What a stupid reply

 

Hey nice one MO, but why?

 

The original request was for something reasonable and capable of playing a bit of music once in a while. A HI-MD seems a reasonable option.

Someone mentioned it, you dismissed it. I asked why? I'm new to this and would like to know why MD is such a bad suggestion

It may well not be what he's after, but it's still an option. You seem to have dismissed it as only an ipod will do, and anything less will get him dumped.

At least 10 years out of date?

p.s I'm considering getting my girlfriend an ipod nano for christmas. I still intend to investigate what's available. If she asked for an ipod, then of course, that's what I'd look at. As it is, I'm looking at all options.

 

Cheers Garyi,

Basically a 2 Gb iPod Nano is my straight in at #1 failsafe benchmark against which I'm going to compare all the others.

I do like the look of some of the competition iRiver, Zen , etc and still have a couple of weeks in which to compare all contenders. I think that the only thing hacking me off about the iPod is the way that Apple have obviously restricted the distribution such that discounts just aren't available ( or don't seem to be) . Although it does look at the moment their price of circa £139 does seem to be good VFM, my favorite Hi-Fi mag (HFW) also gave it 5 'globes' even commenting that it was a pity they only have 5 Globes available as they'd like to give it 6 !

 

Mo I meant no offence and am quite confident his girlfriend would not ditch him, however I believe I have a very good point.

Assuming she does not currently own an MP3 player but was interested in one, I would argue that she is highly likely to have heard of the iPod (33 million sold and counting). The iPod is a good looking bit of kit. If she wanted an MP3 player, and the poster has twigged to this getting her a Mini Disk Player, I would argue would be disappointing. Or can you safely argue that burning to mini disks your music selection each week is easier than any harddisk or flash device on the market?. I know for sure I would be if wifey picked up I wanted an iPod and got me a sorny mini disk.

Like it or lump it MO, minidisk is pretty much dead, what was the fuss about anyway? Just another format from Sony.

 

Sid I agree with what you say, however Apple have always had to do what they can to get out there, as a consequence they seem to be juggling selling on line and from their own stores as well as having dealers and other internet sites, its an unusual format to say the least.

A word of warning, what ever you plumb for if its for christmas order it yesterday because otherwise you will be out of luck.

I want someone to purchase that sony thing I linked too, I really like the looks but don;t want to risk it lol.

 

The reviews and comments on the new sony player seems very good apart for the software. Have a look on amazon.

 

Goomer, Go Here:

http://www.mp3players.co.uk/

or here:

http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/

or here:

http://shop.ipodworld.co.uk/

IME, mp3 players sound much of a muchness, although the iPod is the IN thing at the mo' so may make the best pressie.

 

iPOD Nano , 2Gb, Black, should be here on Wednesday. :sheep: Baaaa .

 

While you're waiting, get one of those sticky screen protectors at the very least, so it's ready to put on from new, and preferably something like the iskins to protect it. Even with them on its stylish and the Mini looks like a brick.

 

Apple rather quietly have started shipping the nano with a sock, but better protection might be an idea.

 

Yeah, socks are pourous and a bit scratchy, that's why I use condoms for protection.

 

OK the Black 2Gb Nano arrived this morning. IT is in a sealed shrink wrapped box, so i've not taken it out for a look, I'll leave that pleasure for my lad on his Birthday ( 10th Dec).

What are these protector thingies you mention , any links ?....

 

Well, a typical screen protector would be http://www.addonsworld.co.uk/product.php/27333/5//e906bf50aa26e0a9e228bd1d0b591b09. Perhaps wait and see what's in the box as regards socks, i.e., whole-device protectors, or look in an iPod accessories website.

 

You will find loads on the apple site, but if I were you let him open his pressy then get one on the high street as this will be a personal thing for someone his age (You will find plenty of phone shops, dixons etc have different protectors.

 

There's a nice set of comments and links to useful information on problems with iPods on cnet at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11292_7-6386379-1.html?tag=arw including protection and scratches