MP3 Player? iPod? Or Something Else?

[Charlie]

Most PM3 players will do, but there is a reason why iPods are so hugely popular.

 

The simple reason is because they look good. People saw other people with them, found it was really easy to use and then wanted one themselves. The iconic white earphones played a big part to this, when iPod's became the cool thing to have everyone noticed the earphones.

[Cube]

The simple reason is because they look good. People saw other people with them, found it was really easy to use and then wanted one themselves. The iconic white earphones played a big part to this, when iPod's became the cool thing to have everyone noticed the earphones.

 

The name also helped a lot, as well as the marketing - making people think that an iPod isn't an MP3 player (but that it does the same thing, if that makes sense).

[Charlie]

The name also helped a lot, as well as the marketing - making people think that an iPod isn't an MP3 player (but that it does the same thing, if that makes sense).

 

Some people don't know the difference between an MP3 player and an iPod which helped loads. Parents would hear the name "iPod" on the news or something and they would think that that is the only thing to get. Apple are very clever with their marketing, none of their products have complicated names with numbers after it and that helps loads too.

[Ashley]

The simple reason is because they look good. People saw other people with them, found it was really easy to use and then wanted one themselves. The iconic white earphones played a big part to this, when iPod's became the cool thing to have everyone noticed the earphones.

 

lol I can always remember a news story years ago when they were less 'everyman' and more 'specialist' and apparently people were being mugged if they had white headphones as that was an indicator they had an ipod.

[Jasper]

iPods are popular because consumers are happy with the device. It's look plays a big part in it - but don't forget that the click wheel from the iPod doesn't just look good, it works great too. Consumers are happy, that's why iPods are popular. I have heard little complaints about these devices.

 

By the way, Zunes aren't supported outside of the US and Canada and I would advice you to get a Creative Zen - because just like the iPod, you're paying a premium price for the device if you buy a Zune (they have equal prices to the iPods, and Zens are much cheaper in that respect).

[Guest Jordan]

By the way, Zunes aren't supported outside of the US and Canada and I would advice you to get a Creative Zen(...)you're paying a premium price for the device if you buy a Zune

 

Zune software does work, regardless of where you buy the device from... you just can't use the social/marketplace and i adviced him to buy one from a UK seller that offers a warrenty.

 

I have to say, having messed around with a Creative Zen, listened to the audio quality it doesn't even touch how good the Zune sounds. I'll put it this way, they stripped the equaliser out of it so people don't fuck with the audio output... because theres no need to. Theres a reason people say its the best HDD based player.

[Cube]

The main reason I stopped using my iPod when I got my phone is the buttons on the side of the device to pause/play, change volume and skip track. All PMPs should have them - the iPod is absolutely horrible to use without taking it out of your pocket. Which is where it is 99% of the time I use it.

[Charlie]

The main reason I stopped using my iPod when I got my phone is the buttons on the side of the device to pause/play, change volume and skip track. All PMPs should have them - the iPod is absolutely horrible to use without taking it out of your pocket. Which is where it is 99% of the time I use it.

 

Can you not just take it out of your pocket for a second to use it?

[Shorty]

I've used quite a lot of mp3 players and I personally love the iPod. I find iTunes and the iPod itself immensely easy and enjoyable to use. I've said it before and will say it again: Smart Playlists are the best thing I've ever had to organise my music. My iPod plugs into my car and through a dock, I can have it pointing at me while I drive and easily switch tracks or even browse playlists (I have an iPod touch) without taking my eyes of the road (yes, even with the touch). I love being able to select 3, 4 or 5 star rated songs playlists, which are automatically updated when you rate a new song.

 

Drag and drop isn't an issue because... well... it's quicker just to plug my iPod in and let iTunes open and sync automatically than it is to open two explorer windows and drag and drop individual files.

 

The only issue with iPods that I dislike is how picky it is for playback compatibility. mp3s are fine, and m4a/p obv, but anything else has to be converted (iTunes does it automatically). Videos too, must be compressed with one or several third part apps and encoded as mp4 files, although they look really, really nice on my iPod touch and get me through many a boring train ride

 

The apps on the iPod touch are brilliant... it's basically the iPhone without the phoning and texting (oh and that not-quite-camera). It can play 3D games like crash cart and monkey ball, and loads of free games too like a breakout type game and sudoku. I also use it to browse the web through my wi-fi network, which works amazingly and looks super crisp. I have touchscreen on my LG Viewty but it is nothing compared to the way the touchscreen works on the iPod. It's so intuitive and easy to use. Way ahead of the DS as well.

 

I have no problem with other mp3 players and am not interested with debate, but my iPod is awesome because it does everything I want it to, brilliantly. Not because it looks cool (which it does not, in its leather case, in my pocket).

 

The main reason I stopped using my iPod when I got my phone is the buttons on the side of the device to pause/play, change volume and skip track. All PMPs should have them - the iPod is absolutely horrible to use without taking it out of your pocket. Which is where it is 99% of the time I use it.

I used to use a remote on my Sony MD Player. Sounds like a remote would be perfect for you

[Guest Jordan]

Smart Playlists are the best thing I've ever had to organise my music.

 

Am I the only person in the world that doesn't use smart playlists/playlists in general? Hmmph. Appears so.

 

I'd agree on one thing though, getting accessories for anything but an iPod is impossible. I wanted a cheapy Zune dock for when i'm at work but nope... wasn't gunna happen.

[Shorty]

Why not? For example, I have a smart playlist that consists of my 25 most played tracks. Or one of my unrated songs, so if I get bored I can go through them and rate them. Another is anything with a year between 1990 and 1999... etc.

 

Then again, Jordan, don't you listen to nothing but soundtracks?

[Guest Jordan]

Then again, Jordan, don't you listen to nothing but soundtracks?

 

I'd say my musical taste is very varied... :p

[Mr_Odwin]

I don't use playlists either. I generally just have shuffle on my whole collection.

[Jasper]

I use playlists, but not smart playlists - they're too much of an effort to keep start rattings up to date for me. You can do that on the iPod Touch in the interface, but still.

 

The major reason to pick an iPod is really the interface. Not just the iPod interface, but the iTunes interface for synchronising to iPods, control of your library, album covers - it's a really great interface. (Although I do believe that Apple should have made it look like a Windows application, but build by Apple - so it would be quicker to load and more fitting within the entire windows theme).

[Shorty]

Ratings is just one of the criteria (out of about 30) that you can use to build smart playlists. Well, they're perfect for the way I listen to music and also for narrowing down the amount I need to put on my player.