Music questions about mp3 players vs. ipods.

[babylonsister]

Is ipod a name brand or a thing?
Is an mp3 player the same thing?
If I buy said ipod, what kind of power source do you need to
use it?
If you want to use one in a car/boat/TV/plane, are there any
attachments you need?
Do you need a power source at home to keep it going, like
a digital camera?
My birthday is coming up, DH wants to know, and I want to
give him the full story all at once. :evilgrin:

Thank you so much!

[babylonsister]

1. Thanks. nt

[yewberry]

2. I'm totally clueless

but I was doing a little reading on this subject last week. (Someone gave me a gift certificate to ebay for Christmas--I don't know anything about ebay, either.)

I read this but I don't know if that's what you're looking for. I expect they're probably a bit biased.

Good luck!

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. Answers:

iPod is a brand name.. Apple makes the iPod. The iPod is a mp3 player. It gets power from the USB port on your computer. Or you can buy an attachments to plug it into the wall, car, ect.

Other companies make mp3 players too. Apple has such a huge chunk of the market (around 70%) the entire mp3 player market gets called iPod now. Like the WalkMan in the 90's. I'm sure this confusion has resulted in many bad Christmas mornings. Little Bobby asks for a iPod and wakes up to a Zune..

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks. Now I need to look up 'Zune'!

:rofl: For newbies, it is confusing. So, do ipods/zunes need to be charged?
I know, I can go to Best Buy and ask, but thought someone here might have firsthand info.

[Heidi]

5. They get charged by plugging into a USB port on your computer.

:hi:

[alarimer]

6. Yes they usually need to be charged

Most MP3 players have an internal battery. Some of the smaller ones use AAA batteries. They all usually have an a/c adapter so at home you can plug them in and use them without running the battery down but they are not very portable then.

Most usually have an adapter you can use through the cigarette lighter in the car. Also you can buy a device that will transmit the sound through the radio in your car. If your car has as auxiliary input jack you can use that instead.

[conscious evolution]

7. They do need charging

At least the Ipod does.Mine seems to last about 12 hours on a full charge.
I recieved one for xmas and I love it.

[ghostsofgiants]

17. Zune is Microsoft's new mp3 player to compete with the iPod.

[jobycom]

29. I have a Zune. One more thing no one's mentioned yet concerning MP3s

MP3 is a type of music file that the IPod plays. There are other file formats that music can be recorded in. After MP3, WMA (Windows Media A___ (something, not sure what the A stands for!)) is common.

This is very important for your decision. IPods and Zune and most others can play most of these formats, but where you get the music is important. If you own the CDs, the software that comes with Ipod and Zune can easily rip your songs from CD and convert them to the proper format, so you can play the music you already own. But IPod has its own music store, and songs from there can't be played on other systems without a little effort. Basically, you have to convert the new files to songs again, copy them onto a CD, then rip them from the CD using IPod's software, so that IPod just thinks you are burning a CD. Zune also has its own music store, and some of the smaller brands use other music stores, so be careful that you understand what you buy and where to download music.

More... Some IPods can play movies and videos, as can Zune. These are the Ipods that cost 250 or more. IPod Shuffle plays only music, and holds 1 Gig of music (IPods and Zune have 30G or more drives), and only costs $79. It will hold hours of music, and is very affordable. The IPod Nano is slightly larger than the Shuffle, with drives of 2G to 8G (I think), and they start at $130 (I think). They have a screen, but I don't think they play videos. The screen shows what is playing, and lets you organize your music a little better than the Shuffle.

Zune doesn't have a lower model. Also, the Zune music store doesn't offer movies (though they plan to), and you can't copy protected material from a DVD, so you are limited. You can load all your pictures onto the Zune, which makes it kind of a nice little wallet. I assume you can do that on the IPod--not sure, though.

Insignia makes a nice little model with 2G and a nice little video screen (but not enough memory to download a movie, or many music videos). I don't know anything about the music downloads for it. The other brands that are good are Zen and IRiver--both have strong followers, and both have advantages and disadvantages compared to IPod or Zune. But both are harder for a neophyte to learn.

Those are the basics. Basically, you need to decide how much music you want to hold (A couple hundred songs or your whole music library--Zune and IPod will hold over 7,000 songs), how much organization you want your model to have (The Shuffle and comparable models will only hold the music and play it randomly. You cannot control it, though you can skip songs you don't like, and the software lets you decide what to download and what not to download from your computer), and whether you want pictures or movies, since these technologies are advancing like mad.

As for charging them--Ipods and Zunes and most other brands have internal batteries, you charge them through by plugging them in to your USB port on your computer--the same way you download music. Cables are included. You can buy adapters to charge them from your car or wall outlet. You can also buy external speakers, ranging from simple little things to nice state-of-the-art features, and there are even gadgets to let you play videos from your Zune to your television. The future of these things is still growing, but you can see that they are aiming at becoming the center of the home's entertainment system, as well as music players for jogging.

For more info, check out www.cnet.com, and search MP3 players. You'll get expert opinions, consumer opinions, advice, and even places to buy them online.

One creepy note. The review for the Zune was down by James Kim, the father who died when his family got lost in the snow after Thanksgiving. There is a video review, too, so you can watch hime doing the review. It was done about two weeks before he got lost.

[babylonsister]

34. Thank you very much for all that info!

I sent this link to DH to see what he makes of it, but I do appreciate you taking the time to share all the differences. :hi:

[crispini]

8. I see everyone here has answered your questions so I'll just add..

unless you are very computer-savvy, I'd go for the iPod. My dad got my mom a no-name brand MP3 player (he's a geek, she isn't) and, guess what, sadly, it doesn't get used because she can't use it. It's just got a ridiculously stupidly bad user interface. The iPod, on the other hand, is brillantly easy to use. I'm a big fan of the Nano myself. Soooo cute!

[NYCGirl]

11. I know what you mean. I had a Sansa (by Sandisk)

One of these:



And although it worked — and I'm a computer person, so transferring MP3s to it was not a problem for me — the software is so unbelievably crappy.

Just got a Nano for the holidays and what a difference! The software is brilliantly written.

[Liberal Veteran]

35. Yeah, the software with the original Sansas was crappy, but...

...you are not locked into just their software.

There is a lot of really great freeware software that will do the job nicely. Even Windows Media Play 10 or 11, Winamp, Musicmatch Jukebox, Media Mokey, etc....will work with it.

[NYCGirl]

43. There isn't anything good you can download on a Mac, though. NT

[babylonsister]

12. A nano; thanks for the endorsement. nt

[BuddhaGirl]

20. I have a Creative Zen Vision M - 30G with video

and I love it. Easy to use, and just as good as the ipod 30G with video. Cheaper too, since I got a $50 rebate!

Check it out:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Creative_Zen_Vision_M_30GB_white/4505-6490_7-31632700.html

[ghostsofgiants]

25. Those are nice.

I'd love to have one.

[sleepyhead]

28. I have a Zen Vision M too.

Got it to replace my Zen Xtra, which I unfortunately dropped one too many times. Love it! The software is very easy to use, and it's compatible with Napster, Rhapsody, and other online music stores.

[babylonsister]

9. Thanks, everyone! Are (different) head phones recommended?

And if you're 'on the road' w/o a computer, any suggestions for charging?

[bikebloke]

10. Any outlet

You can plug it into an ordinary wall outlet. That's how I charge mine. There's a cable, plus a smallish square plug. Very light weight. Unless you're travelling somewhere with a 220 volt system like Europe, then you'll need a transformer.

[northzax]

40. actually you don't need a transformer

only a plug adapter. the plug is it's own transformer. makes sense, really, they don't want to reengineer the product for sales in Europe, Asia and the US.

[ghostsofgiants]

18. I'd recommend any in-ear earbuds over the earbuds that come with an ipod.

I use Sony Fontopias, but Apple makes a pair that are about half the price of those.

[babylonsister]

22. Thanks! I thought I had read somewhere (maybe on DU?) about

buying earbuds that are more comfortable. I'll check it out.

[ghostsofgiants]

24. The in-ear ones are way more comfortable...

And they have better sound quality as well by vrtue of both their construction and the fact that they help trap the low-end sounds (bass, etc.) in your ears.

[deucemagnet]

13. I just got an iPod Shuffle, and I love it.

I'm not a big fan of Apple, but I think the 2nd generation Shuffle is brilliant. If you're just looking for something portable to play music on the go, rather than something to hold your entire music library that you'll use in docking stations, then look at the shuffle. I don't like iTunes, though.

[babylonsister]

23. Docking station? So the shuffle doesn't require a docking station?

Do many of the others? I do just want something I can use for walks, gardening, airplanes, etc.

[deucemagnet]

27. You can't use a docking station with a shuffle.

A docking station is a device you plug your ipod into so you can play it over your home or car stereo. A shuffle won't plug into a docking station, but I think its smaller size makes it ideal for such things as walks, gardening, and airplanes. It's cheaper than the bigger models, too.

[taterguy]

14. I have a Rio Karma that I love

I'm not terribly computer savvy but the software was easy to figure out. Now I can take my 5,000 favorite songs with me wherever I go

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. My daughter has an iRiver...and my brother (who has an iPod) is

jealous. It's a nice little player,easy to use and understand, and was about $150 cheaper.

[grace0418]

36. One note about iRiver...

Their products are nice but they have the worst customer service ever. Luckily I bought my player at Costco so I just returned the whole damn thing to them because I couldn't get iRiver to help me with one small problem. They actually sent me mocking, insulting emails when I asked them why they couldn't fix the problem I was having.

Not that Apple is always the greatest customer service, but I've never been treated like *that*. iRiver lost my business forever.

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. She's had hers quite a few years without any trouble... I guess that's

a good thing. I refuse to bring Apple products into my home.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

39. I have an iRiver

It's not as easy to use as iPod. But, it has a digital FM tuner. And, it's a voice recorder. I probably have it on FM more than playing recorded music.

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. My daughter's is super easy. We've futzed around with them both and

found the iRiver easier to use.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

16. IPod is just a brand of mp3 player. One difference is the services you subscibe to.

[babylonsister]

21. Do you mean a service to download music?

I have tons of CDs I was thinking of putting on the iPod, so haven't really considered subscribing to a service. Are there other services I need to know about? Color me clueless, and thanks.

[Kutjara]

26. You don't subscribe to a service with an iPod.

Instead, you can buy music online at the iTunes Music Store. Songs work out at about 99 cents each and albums are $10. Songs bought on iTMS use a digital rights management system that means they can only be played on an iPod and up to three PCs (but there are "illegal" software hacks on the net that can get around this).

This differes from some of the other MP3 players that work with services that are subscription-based. The difference is that subscription services charge you a fixed amount each month, and you can download as many songs from their service as you want. The only snag is that, if you cancel your subscription, you lose the right to play the songs you have. With the iPod and iTunes, you "own" the music. Which approach is right for you depends on how many songs you're likely to download in a given month and how much you value the "owernship" vs. "rental" feature of iTunes.

Of course, you can also put your own CDs on the iPod. Naughty people also use software like Limewire to download songs from the Net (but this causes the music industry to cry and tear its hair out).

The major attraction of the iPod (aside from its style) is ease of use. The iTunes music software that sits on your PC (or Mac) makes it very easy to add and remove songs from your iPod. It is also integrated with the iTMS service, so you can manage all your music (and video if you choose to buy a video iPod) in one place.

On a different note, the Zune is made by Microsoft and is therefore, by definition, crap.

[speedoo]

19. I have a 40gb IRiver H10, and I like it a lot.

I'm sure a similar ipod would have cost maybe $300 more. Basically the approach to choosing between an ipod or another mp3 player is to see if you can justify the additional cost of the ipod.

I believe the ipod's "superior" user interface reputation, relative to some other brands, is over stated. There are a few mp3 players that have crappy user interfaces, but many of them are as good as the ipod's.

I'm completely satisfied with my iRiver.

[alarimer]

30. I didn't know Iriver made a 40 GB H10

I have the 20 GB version, which is plenty for me. I rarely even fill it. I used the URGE music to go subscription. I guess I don't mind the "rental" aspect of it because I could not possibly afford to buy all the music I like.

[speedoo]

32. oops. mine is a 20GB also.

I don't know whether they made a 40GB. I haven't even scraped the surface of its capacity.... maybe that's why I thought it was twice as big.:)

[alarimer]

33. I don't know what I'd do with a larger MP3 player

I can't listen to everything that's on it as it is.

[Shakespeare]

31. As a brand-new iPod owner, let me just say....

...that I gained an immediate understanding of the DUer who said the other day that he could do without most of his gadgets, but would "stomp on puppies" to keep his iPod. :rofl:

It's like crack cocaine for your ears (thanks to my parents for the awesome Christmas present), and I am completely in love with mine. I've only downloaded a few things; most of my tunes are from my CDs I copied to iTunes.

My next gadget purchase is going to be the Bose sound dock for the iPod.

[rhino47]

37. I like my Iriver T10

It is easy to use .I had an Ipod like 4 years ago and the battery went bad.I had to basically throw it out.I think however apple fixed this problem.
The iriver is very tough.It comes with a radio and can record.YOu do not need the software to transfer files.You use windows media player and the usb.The T10 iriver holds about 17 hours of music on the 512 model(red).It uses a aaa battery with a life of 45 hours.It also gives you the option of using rechargable aaa.The only downside is if you have really big fingers you might find the joystick control a bit tough to use.It has a clip so you can secure it to a belt loop or backpack.
It is simple small and has good features.Also you can get one cheap off of ebay.I bought four of them (outfitted the whole family for 80 bux) off curcuit city`s ebay auctions .
.http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZtrading_circuitQQhtZ-1.
If you prefer an ipod they sell those also.
If you do not want video or photo this is an ideal set up.

[masshole]

41. I have two - Creative Zen Nano and Sansea 240C

Actually they are my kids, but I end up uploading all the music for them, and in my opinion the Sansea is a better overall player (bigger display, rechargeable battery, and an easier to use menu), but the Zen Nano is easier to fill with music (not that the Sansea is difficult, just that the Zen is crazy easy).

Both cost around $69.00, and hold about 500 songs.

[deepthought42]

42. Wonder how many people have heard of mine...lol

Samsung YP-T7J

About a year ago (Jan. '06) I finally bought an mp3 player. I'd been wanting to buy one for a while, but couldn't afford one. I had thought about buying an ipod, even though I don't like Apple, but I thought the ipod was spiffy. Love the technology, hate the product. That and after seeing all the preppy teens and tweens at the mall where I work w/their ipods, I decided to see what else was out there.

So, someone gave me a Best Buy gift card last year, and I decided to use it towards an mp3 player. I must've spent over an hour in there comparing the different players. I didn't want anything big, and I couldn't afford anything huge anyway. I wanted something easily compatible w/WMP, since I already have 90% of my CD collection ripped onto my computer. It wasn't easy, but I finally decided on the Samsung.

I still love it. It's small and discreet, which is great because I often take it to work. It has 1GB, which is fine for me, a color screen, FM radio, recorder, it holds pics as well, and it's really easy for me to put music on there. I didn't have to convert any of my music, didn't have to get a subscription, I just make a playlist and sync it to my mp3 player. And it's really fast. And as for interface, it was really easy for me to figure out. And the great thing about working in office (day job) is that I can charge it at my computer...lol.

To each his/her own. I just didn't want an ipod because I figured it wasn't for me, and that there had to be other mp3 players out there.

[rhino47]

44. My first mp3 player after the ipod was a Yepp player.

I like samsung`s support.It was easy to use also.

[deepthought42]

45. Yeah, I've thought about getting a bigger mp3 player one day

But I still love mine. :)