Guest richard_s Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Right my old faith 4Gb first generation iPod Nano has died so I'm in the market for a replacement but I'm unsure whether to get another ipod or go for something different this time as I'm getting a bit fed up with iTunes and its bloated and sluggish behaviour. So I was wondering what are your recommendations for an MP3 player that has a 4 - 8Gb capacity and ideally charges from USB.
stu Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I found zens to be quite reliable currently have a zen micro photo which due to being dropped out of pocket whilst i was cycling now wont charge but up until that point was amazing, bit bulky by modern standards but there are newer slimmer ones now
Jamo Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I have switched to using my phone (Touch HD) for an MP3 player as its always with me and doesn't require me to fill my pockets with other rubbish! Personally I can't stand iPods, with their annoying connectors to the fact that they are made by crApple.
mac_shinobi Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 another ipod and Yet another iPod manager - Home there are other open source replacements for iTunes ( cant remember what they are called though but a google should help you out there )
jamesb Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Depends what you need it for. If you just want to play music (which I'm guessing you do with a nano) you can pick up a decent MP3 player for about £20 from Tescos which'll do.
Guest richard_s Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 another ipod and Yet another iPod manager - Home there are other open source replacements for iTunes ( cant remember what they are called though but a google should help you out there ) I have looked at various open source replacements in the past but I have already tended to have problems with them as my music collection is pretty big, some 50 Gb's and still growing, and they tend to sulk a bit with that amount of music. Depends what you need it for. If you just want to play music (which I'm guessing you do with a nano) you can pick up a decent MP3 player for about £20 from Tescos which'll do. I have thought of a cheap and cheeful one but a lot of them do not support multiple playlists which is the only feature I really need.
HodgeHi Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I think you need to look at why you purchased the iPod in the first place. If these reasons still stand then maybe look at alternatives that give you the same plus points. Myself i liked the fact that i could have a 60GB drive with me that stored a backup of my photos and also my music and ultimately could be placed into disk mode and store all of my applications needed to do my job. I use iTunes on a mac so not really sure if the same iTunes bloat is apparent on that platform as i haven't used the Windows version. My iPod died, but since i already had the iPhone 3G i had some of the points i mentioned already (photos backup, music backup) but the one thing it lacked was disk mode. So i purchased an external drive instead. The only thing i miss is being able to connect the iPod to the car radio. I need to get an FM transmitter.
Guest richard_s Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 The iPod was a present from a now ex as I didn't have an MP3 player at the time and they thought it would be good for me on the journey to work.
jamesb Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Depending on your budget (and whether you're looking for a phone as well) I might recommend the Nokia N85. Excellent MP3 functionality, and a built in FM transmitter which comes across loud and clear on my car radio without any need to mess around with cables. On the other hand that might be a bit much if you're just looking for an MP3 player. Apparently the Creative Mozaic ZEN 8GB is good, and can be found for sub-£50.
mac_shinobi Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I have looked at various open source replacements in the past but I have already tended to have problems with them as my music collection is pretty big, some 50 Gb's and still growing, and they tend to sulk a bit with that amount of music. Not sure what operating system you use but I do admit iTunes on windows is rubbish - much much better on OS X with a journalled filing system. My iTunes library is about 50 gigs give or take a bit.
Jamo Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Songbird was one I remember for being iPod compatible. Not sure how far its got as I only used to it play tracks from someone elses iPod. iTunes has only one good thing, and that is the store. Which my awesome acoustic band is on .... /End Plug.
jamesb Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 another ipod and Yet another iPod manager - Home there are other open source replacements for iTunes ( cant remember what they are called though but a google should help you out there ) MediaMonkey's my favourite by far. 1
Guest richard_s Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Not sure what operating system you use but I do admit iTunes on windows is rubbish - much much better on OS X with a journalled filing system. My iTunes library is about 50 gigs give or take a bit. I'm running iTunes on Windows though I have to say when I have used it on OS X in the dim and distant past it always seemed more responsive.
enjay Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I use my phone, since that's always with me. It is a bit too bulky for the gym though, so I bought a 2GB Sansa Clip for about £25 for that - it holds enough "gym music" to get me by. For larger day-to-day use, the Wife has just bought a Sansa Fuze which comes in various sizes up to 8GB and has an SDHC slot so you can expand to your heart's content (note - it is actually cheaper to buy a 4GB and a card than a bigger player though!). I have also just bought an FM transmitter, so our MP3 players/laptops can play through the main stereo - so that's Spotify on a decent sound system. Nice. Also useful in the car.
mac_shinobi Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 MediaMonkey's - this was the one I was thinking of.
altecsole Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Right my old faith 4Gb first generation iPod Nano has died so I'm in the market for a replacement but I'm unsure whether to get another ipod or go for something different this time as I'm getting a bit fed up with iTunes and its bloated and sluggish behaviour. So I was wondering what are your recommendations for an MP3 player that has a 4 - 8Gb capacity and ideally charges from USB. If you've bought music off the iTunes store you're not going to be able to convert to MP3. The only way I've found to do this is to burn to CD and then convert to MP3. If I was you I'd pickup an iPod off eBay, or have a look on the Apple site at refurbished ones.
jamesb Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 If you've bought music off the iTunes store you're not going to be able to convert to MP3. The only way I've found to do this is to burn to CD and then convert to MP3. If I was you I'd pickup an iPod off eBay, or have a look on the Apple site at refurbished ones. There are ways to do the conversion. Fight the lock-in! MediaMonkey allows you to I believe, though that may be the premium version, and there are other tools out there.
Jamo Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Or get a prog to create a virtual CD to which you can write a virtual ISO and then convert the tracks back to MP3. Saves on CDsthen! Bit of a long winded method though! Does Daemon tools offer that?
Guest richard_s Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I don't have to worry about my music being in
bossman Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 (edited) @richard_s: Have just bought a device which will play Mp3s plus video several formats, one which is divx, has 8Gb internal memory with the option to increase by 8Gb micro sd cards. All this and touchscreen. The cost you ask was only £48.00 and has a 3 year warranty. Where did I buy it Aldi and yes have already watched movies in avi format on it and very good quality along with sound. I have been looking for a device like this for ages and had looked at both the ipod touch 32Gb £265 and the Zen version at £192 of which have no more advantages over the device I have gone for. In fact it has an advantage over the other 2 in cost and warranty. :) Will try and find the link and post. http://www.fascin8.co.uk/f8/index.php/ikasu/mp4-players/8gb-touch-71939 Found it Edited June 24, 2009 by bossman
Guest richard_s Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 @ bossman - Thanks for that. I saw these a few weeks ago when my iPod was still working and thought they looked pretty good. Hopefully my local store will still have a couple left when I get paid on Friday. By the way what are the headphones / audio quality like?
OllieC Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I own a nano and I'm not much a fan of it... I do rather like my 30gb Zune though, will be getting the new one when it comes out here in September (at least I think it's coming out then).
enjay Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 If you've bought music off the iTunes store you're not going to be able to convert to MP3. The only way I've found to do this is to burn to CD and then convert to MP3. What about iTunes Plus? Allows you to buy DRM-free versions of any tracks you've previously bought - cost is 20p/track, so more expensive than the CD option, but a lot less hassle. Depends how many tracks you've bought as to whether this is viable of course!
deceptivex Posted June 25, 2009 Posted June 25, 2009 Get your self the latest Ipod Touch and be done with it.
bossman Posted June 25, 2009 Posted June 25, 2009 @richard_s: I would invest in some quality headphones such as Bose as the headphones that come with the unit are just standard but the audio quality matches that of the Ipod and Creative. The biggest thing you will notice about the unit is its size and weight nowhere as heavy as the others so you don't feel it in your pocket. I like mine and have saved myself a fortune to boot. :)
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