Best non-IPOD MP3 Player

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius biker @ Sep 23 2006, 10:56 AM) [snapback]323868[/snapback]</div>

I have a Creative Zen Nomad. I picked it because of capacity, and it seems to sound better to my ears through headphones than some other players I tried. It uses the MP3 tags to let you select music by artist/album/genre, or you can make playlists, plus random play etc. I have to admit I've ridden in some cars with aftermarket stereos that had some very nice iPod integration, and I've been a bit envious. With a portable player, it's not that practical to try to read the small screen or attempt a lot of interactions with it in traffic.

 

We use our Treo phones to play MP3s while in the car. We don't have the aux input on our 2004 so currently use a cassette adapter with good results but the input jack should work even better. The phones now come with PocketTunes that provides for playlists and shuffle play. I like using the phone because it's one less item to keep track of.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius biker @ Sep 23 2006, 07:56 AM) [snapback]323868[/snapback]</div>

Why non-iPod? The only big reasons why I can think of are that you're anti-Apple or you want to deal w/the confusing array of stores, pricing and schemes of "Playsforsure" (http://www.playsforsure.com/AdvancedSearch.aspx?type=device) which strangely enough the Zune won't support.

The latest updates (http://www.apple.com/itunes/) have made them more price competitive as well.

As for "categorize, shuffle, etc", shuffle is real easy w/the iPod. As for categorize, they're already categorized by ID3 tags (like by Artist, Genre, Album, etc.). You can easily make your own playlists and also create "smart playlists" which are based on criteria and can auto-update as you add/remove songs from your library.

FWIW, I have a 4th gen b/w iPod and it works great.

 

I too have a Nomad 40GB, and like it a lot, becuase of the capacity, simplicity, and the fact that it plays MP3, not some proprietary files (like iPod). I like iPod's size and simplicity a lot, but don't like restrictions of iTune. If I am getting a player for workout, iPod probably will be the one (because of the size), but for use in cars/office, and for compatibility with files I share with friends, I think any large size player (like Nomad) would do equally well.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ck90211 @ Sep 23 2006, 08:30 PM) [snapback]324115[/snapback]</div>

Your assertion is incorect. All iPods play MP3s as well. iTunes also can rip CDs to MP3 format.

Per http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html, the iPod supports playing "AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV"

As for "but don't like restrictions of iTune". What are you referring to? You don't have to buy a single song, movie or video from iTS (iTunes Store). Stuff that you purchase from there DOES have DRM but so do the Playsforsure stores.

Every song in my iTunes library (and therefore on my iPod) is in MP3 format except for the songs I bought from iTS formerly iTMS.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Sep 23 2006, 08:44 PM) [snapback]324120[/snapback]</div>

Not so much restrictions of iTune but of the iPod.

If you have a computer melt-down and wish to transfer your iPod music back to your new computer, you can't. It only moves one way: from computer to iPod but never back again. Why not? Apple is afraid you might give this music to your brother-in-law and iStore will make nothing in the process.

What hypocracy! They sell you a device that holds 10,000 songs and pretend you are going to buy this number from some legitimate source at about $1 per song. They know what they are selling. They just want to appear innocent along the way: to cover their butt in case of a piracy lawsuit.

I have an iPod, but I also have an iRiver 20 gig device that treats music just like any other file. I can move it back and forth from computer to mp3 player at will. I'm not giving my music to others but enjoy the freedom to adjust my folio on one and transfer it to the other. This is a huge advantage of non-iPod devices. I don't want Apple to be my guardian any more than I enjoy Toyota restricting my NAV and BlueTooth usage.

I got the iPod because it certainly has the best user interface. But the iRiver has much more going for it: a built in radio, tape-recorder, dual headphone outlets and sound formats Apple doesn't bother with. Also there is an immense cottage industry of third-party devices for the iPod that doesn't exist for any other system. After a while you feel forced into getting one.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Sep 24 2006, 09:22 AM) [snapback]324274[/snapback]</div>

Go here http://www.copypod.net/

David

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Armature @ Sep 24 2006, 03:13 PM) [snapback]324368[/snapback]</div>

Only works for windows.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dragonfly @ Sep 24 2006, 03:21 PM) [snapback]324370[/snapback]</div>

There are others but this one works with Mac:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10273

 

I have the SanDisk 2.0GB Sansa player and for my needs it does quite well. I personally think that the iPod is quite overrated and for my needs, I dont need all the extra stuff it has. I also don't like dealing with proprietary-based formats either.

Since all of my music and voice recordings I have gotten from my LP, cassette and CD collection I like to be able to transfer music back and forth as needed. And when I get my Prius I'll be able to plug it in the AUX port and use it as an extra media player. Sure, it plays MP3, WMA and some other formats but its all I need.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dragonfly @ Sep 24 2006, 01:21 PM) [snapback]324370[/snapback]</div>

The demo of CopyPod isn't real clear. The last time I looked at the iPod directory, it saved music in twelve different folders, truncating the song's name to something original for that folder but not the entire song/artist listing we started with. Is this made whole somehow when going back from iPod to computer? If not you wind up with a huge pile of jibberish.

In any case, this is a kludge that shouldn't be necessary. With any other type of file I can transfer freely back and forth.

Thanks for this info though. I'll look into it deeper.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dragonfly @ Sep 24 2006, 01:21 PM) [snapback]324370[/snapback]</div>

Then go here http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/ and click on the "Mac OS" link....

 

I have a creative zen vision M. 30 gigabite hard drive, drag & drop to transfer music, album art, pictures, videos, all the bells and whistles...

Plays great in the prius, ripped CDs, bit torrent mp3 downloads, and all purchased music online.

I have had mine about a month now and not one problem, and w/ the video cables, I can watch movies on the big screen tv........ B)

p.s. zen just reduced the price to $245.00.

 

<--- Thanks to the iPod nano.

I just couldn't live without the nano. There are several iPOd things you can not have on other players.

1) Sync song ratings and number of times played between PC and nano

2) Making my own bookmarkable audiobook files that sync between the PC and nano, e.i., listen on the nano, sync and continue listening on the PC.

3) The nike+iPod kit. Nothing like that for other players. I went from 0 to 9 mile runs.

4) Easy cover art downloads.

5) And I like how AAC sounds better then MP3. I've done doble-blinded studies multiple studies and myself and other people pick AAC more frequently than random.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hopeful Future Prius Owner @ Sep 24 2006, 02:16 PM) [snapback]324390[/snapback]</div>

What do you mean by "extra stuff it has"? Some people on this thread are criticizing iPods because they lack "extra stuff" like FM tuenrs. As for proprietary-based formats, you don't have to. It plays MP3s directly and iTunes can rip to MP3. There's no transcoding involved.

You already mentioned WMA, that's just as proprietary a format as say AAC. If you buy or rent music from www.playsforsure.com stores, that's just as proprietary as iTS. Just like you don't have to buy or rent any music from those places w/your Sansa, you don't have buy any music from iTS.

What do you mean by "I like able to transfer music back and forth as needed"? What are you transferring to and from? Assuming your iPod is large enough to hold your entire music library, by default, whenever you hook it up to your computer, your entire library is synced to the iPod (additions and deletions). Why would you screw around w/"back and forth"?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Sep 24 2006, 04:30 PM) [snapback]324423[/snapback]</div>

I agree with you. Even though I just bought a new iPod, and I've owned one in the past, I've always hated the restrictions on freely moving my music from device to computer.

To make matters worse, iPods can be formatted for Mac or Windows. Apparently, a Mac can read either type of formatted iPod, but Windows cannot read Mac formatted iPods, so most of the solutions mentioned in this thread don't work for me. My iPod is formatted for Mac since that's my primary home machine that I sync my iPod with, but I'd like to transfer my music to my computer at work, which is Windows. I haven't found a good way to do that yet with a Mac formatted iPod. Any suggestions?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Sep 25 2006, 01:15 PM) [snapback]324734[/snapback]</div>

They and I mean we don't want the mp3 player and our computer synched. We want to drag and drop or cut/copy and paste. We get that you like the Ipod. Original poseter said non-Ipod. Stop hijaking the thread.

 

Sandisk E270
Six gigs, plus is expandable with the mini-SD slot.

If it's just for the car, go with a hard-disk based MP3 like the Zen, but get a model that's 40+ gigs for the same 300$ price range.