MP3 vs. iPod???

[LadyluvsLuxury]

What in the world is the difference?

 

[AndyRosse]

MP3 player is what an iPod is. iPod is the brand name for the mp3 player by Apple. An iPod can play mp3s, along with other file extensions (i.e. aac).

 

[FireGoddess]

But most MP3 players can ONLY play MP3 files, and not other music files like AAC.

 

[MelissaSue]

iPod is a brand name for an MP3 player. Supposedly, according to my fiance iPod is really the best value for the dollar as far as MP3 players go, although its seems that some generics are catching up. I just bought my iPod Nano on friday, and I LOVE IT!

 

[Sparkster]

I bought a Creative MuVo MP3 player. It has 5 gig of memory which equates to about 4,000 song capacity (not that I''d ever use that much!!). The main reason I went for this brand is that the iPod didn''t have a radio and the Creative did. I like to listen to both. It can also play WMA format as well.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Oops. I double posted.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Date: 10/11/2005 9:41:56 PM
Author: FireGoddess
But most MP3 players can ONLY play MP3 files, and not other music files like AAC.

Not true. I have an Iriver MP3 played that plays WMA, MP3, and WAV files. The main difference between another MP3 player and an iPod is compatibility. Ipods are proprietary, which mean you can ONLY use iTunes software with it and must buy your music from Apple (unless you have music already stored on your computer from another scource). Other MP3 players use any kind of software which mean you can get your music from any source. My particular player is compatible with Napster, so I use Napter To Go.

 

[laney]

Ok, we have 5 of these players for 2 people in my house.

Apple makes the ipod, ipod Shuffle, ipod mini and ipod Nano. They tend to be a little more expensive than what you can get from other companies - but you are paying for the "name" and design of these units.

Of the apple''s we have the Shuffle, and the Nano. The Ipod and Ipod mini are Harddrive units. They can store a lot -- but in general tend to be a little more fragile than the "Flash" units. Until recently - the harddrive units held more music (i.e. had more diskspace).

The "Flash" units use flash media to store the music - and of the apples - the nano (which is smaller than it looks on TV) can store as much as the harddrive units.

We chose the flash units as the GYM is the primary place that we use them, and dropping a flash unit is usually less damaging than having a harddrive hit the ground hard.

Ok - apple units DO use the ITUNES software - which - if you''ve used other software - you''d know it can be a pain in the butt. You CAN buy music from other sources (other than Itunes..) but it takes a little work to move it to the units. I buy from Walmart -and move my music over to the shuffle.

The ipods we have DO NOT TAKE BATTERIES.. they charge from your computer. The shuffle seems to last a very long time. The nano too (but we haven''t had it that long).

However - you just can''t pop in new batteries when it''s empty. On the positive side the shuffle and nano unit are so small - they are easy to run with and with right clips -very lightweight and pleasant.

On the NON ipod side.. we have owned 3 RIO players. Lost one. Rio players are also flash based, and cheaper in general for the same thing. They have radios (although I have never been able to tune a station) and take batteries. I have dropped the rio player.. many many times.. and it''s been ok and still played. When the batteries die - you put in new ones.. which usually was every 2 weeks or so.

The RIO players were easier to load music on (outside of the ITUNES land..) and played more readily availble formats. Please note - you can make WAV files MP3 files or whatever format you want. But the native formats for rios made me not care what format I had - it was fine. The software was easy to use as well.

Anyway - If you like the design of the apples or are a complete newbie. Then maybe apple is for you. But don''t fear -there are many options that are EASY as pie to use at your local best buy too.

 

[flutterby]

I got the cute pink mini ipod for christmas. In less than a year the battery has malfunctioned twice. I just picked up my free replacement (AGAIN) from the apple store this week. If this is the best value, i have questions. They are really good at replacing them, apparantly they know their flaws. Each time I went to the genius bar nearly everyone there was getting replacements. Dont get me wrong, i''m glad i have it, but I''m not sure the quality is worth all the hype.

 

[Sparkster]

The Creative MuVo has a battery in it which is long, flat and wide (sort of looks like a mobile phone battery). It can be charged up like a mobile phone (it comes with a charger which plugs into the electricity socket) or it can be charged by connecting it to a computer with USB cable.

Ripping a CD takes about 3 minutes and transfering the music takes about a minute. It''s so easy to use that I love it. I''ve also dropped it numerous times and it''s still working fine. The thing I love about it is that the battery lasts about 14 hours.

There are so many different MP3 players now, ones with colour screens, you can store files on it (photos, videos) and view them - and the list goes on. Technology changes so fast that whatever you buy today will be superceded tomorrow by something flashier.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Date: 10/11/2005 10:10:35 PM
Author: laney

The ipods we have DO NOT TAKE BATTERIES.. they charge from your computer. The shuffle seems to last a very long time. The nano too (but we haven't had it that long).


However - you just can't pop in new batteries when it's empty. On the positive side the shuffle and nano unit are so small - they are easy to run with and with right clips -very lightweight and pleasant.

Anyway - If you like the design of the apples or are a complete newbie. Then maybe apple is for you. But don't fear -there are many options that are EASY as pie to use at your local best buy too.

Mine has a built-in rechargeable battery as well, but I've heard many complaints about the ipod batteries. Mine lasts quite a long time. And YEA FOR BEST BUY!! (Can you tell I'm a former employee?)

 

[MelissaSue]

I''m the dumba$$ who didn''t buy the protection plan for my iPod. The guy kept trying to talk me into it, because of the battery issues, but I usually think those warranty things are a load of CRAP, so I tend to stay away from them, because in most cases they are just away to get another $100 or so out of you. The apple one was only $60 and they even tried to get me to buy it by knocking the price down to $40 (which made me even more suspicious, frankly).. but now that I''m seeing people who actually have had battery issues, I''m feeling a little dumb

Meanwhile, when I first started looking at MP3 players, it really was true that GB for GB (or MB as may be the case) the iPOD really was the cheapest (Especially if you get the BIG iPod, the 30GB one or whatever, there is just nothing comparable to that for the price).. now Creative and some of the companies (I think RIO is still REALLY high priced for the space) are starting to catch up with the MINI and nano for drive space for the price, but I really don''t think anything has caught up to the 30gb iPod.

 

[Angel7]

I have the Dell Pocket DJ and I love it. I bought my brother a tiny Sandisk that has am and fm radio on it as well as mp3 capabiliites. Great for working out. Flash drives do not hold a lot of songs though, which is what his is.

 

[MINE!!]

SO.. If I have an apple computer, I could not download any songs from it onto a MP3 Player? IS this correct? Also.. what would you recommend for a 10 years old that really only has about 100 songs.. she is going to be taking it with her on soccer trips and feild trips. I am a little iffy about the ipod, but also about the MP3 and I do not want to spend a fortune on something that I will have to replace a 60$ battery for if I get one of the unlucky ones. But I also want it to be versitile enough for her to use.. Any suggestions?

 

[diamondlil]

My husband just ordered the SanDisk 512MB MP3-WMA/FM radio/voice rec/flash drive on www.buy.com. It was on sale and had a rebate. I''m quite clueless about these and depend on my engineer husband to do all the research, etc. This is for our daughter for Christmas. She keeps saying she wants an iPod, but I think that she just knows that brand/word.

I hope she is not disapointed.

 

[Angel7]

Mine- I would go for something like the SanDisk. They''re a lot cheaper than Ipods and other brands and she''ll still be able to download and get use to how to use it and also have the AM/FM radio which is nice.

DiamondLil-That sounds great for your daughter. I just think kids/teens want an Ipod because of the color options and because that''s pretty much all you see on TV and on Celebrities and stuff. But for someone starting out, (like my brother or your daughter) I thought the Ipod was a bit much and the SanDisk was perfect.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Date: 10/12/2005 10:21:48 AM
Author: MINE!!
SO.. If I have an apple computer, I could not download any songs from it onto a MP3 Player? IS this correct? Also.. what would you recommend for a 10 years old that really only has about 100 songs.. she is going to be taking it with her on soccer trips and feild trips. I am a little iffy about the ipod, but also about the MP3 and I do not want to spend a fortune on something that I will have to replace a 60$ battery for if I get one of the unlucky ones. But I also want it to be versitile enough for her to use.. Any suggestions?

If your apple computer has a USB port on it, you should be able to, I think. Best Buy has a 512 MB (holds over 200 songs I think) player on sale for 69.99. It uses one AAA battery and should last ofr up to 18 hours. It also has the FM stereo on it and a little LCD screen so she can see what song is playing. It supports multiple music formats and is compatible with a Macintosh computer. Here''s a link to the specs on it: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7330391&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat63100050013&id=1118844599923

It''s also a SanDisk, which is a pretty good brand from my experience and it''s small so it''s super portable.

Hope that helps.

 

[MINE!!]

Thanks everyone... I know this sounds like an ignorant question.. but 512 memory means about how many songs?

I am definitely going to check into this... I think I feel more comfortable with this item than an Ipod for her..

 

[diamondlil]

Date: 10/12/2005 12:25:51 PM
Author: Angel7

DiamondLil-That sounds great for your daughter. I just think kids/teens want an Ipod because of the color options and because that''s pretty much all you see on TV and on Celebrities and stuff. But for someone starting out, (like my brother or your daughter) I thought the Ipod was a bit much and the SanDisk was perfect.

You are right, Angel. My daughter is pink crazy (she''s 11), and although the SanDisk did not come in pink (came in blue which is her second favorite color), it was a lot less money. If something happens and she loses it or breaks it, it won''t be as big of a loss. She has a friend who has a pink iPod so she thinks she wants that. Hopefully, she''ll be as happy with the SanDisk that only cost about $50.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 10/11/2005 9:51:34 PM
Author: aphisiglovessae

Date: 10/11/2005 9:41:56 PM
Author: FireGoddess
But most MP3 players can ONLY play MP3 files, and not other music files like AAC.

Not true. I have an Iriver MP3 played that plays WMA, MP3, and WAV files. The main difference between another MP3 player and an iPod is compatibility. Ipods are proprietary, which mean you can ONLY use iTunes software with it and must buy your music from Apple (unless you have music already stored on your computer from another scource). Other MP3 players use any kind of software which mean you can get your music from any source. My particular player is compatible with Napster, so I use Napter To Go.

Notice I said MOST, not ALL.

I have several MP3 players, NONE of which happen to play AAC files except my iPod nano.

Mine, if you buy songs off iTunes, they come as protected AAC files. The only way to put them on another (non-apple) device is to burn them to a cd and then reimport them to itunes as mp3 files first. This usually gets rid of the encrypted protection.

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 10/12/2005 1:37:07 PM
Author: MINE!!
Thanks everyone... I know this sounds like an ignorant question.. but 512 memory means about how many songs?

I am definitely going to check into this... I think I feel more comfortable with this item than an Ipod for her..

Mine, the capacity depends on the size and type of the music files. And remember that a 512MB is before formating. I have seen estimates for a 512MB from 120 songs to 256 songs. So if your daughter only has 100 songs, this would be fine, as long as she doesn''t plan on expanding her collection too much

.

 

[decodelighted]

New iPod announced -- video playback capabilities, 2.5-inch display, 320 x 240 resolution, MPEG-4 support, and video out. 30GB model is 31% thinner than current 20GB, 60GB is 12% thinner than old 20GB. New software features (World clock, stopwatch and screen lock). Will be available in 20GB and 60GB versions in white and black for $299 and $399, respectively. Come with carrying case. Both ship next week

Rumor has it ABC has agreed to allow people to download commercial free episodes of their hit shows for $1.99 through ITUNES.

Discuss.

 

[AndyRosse]

I just purchased an iPod 20gb (color). I also purchased the extended warranty because I figured, if my battery goes, the warranty is actually less than replacing the battery. And I definitely love it!! My FI has the Dell Jukebox, which he loves too. I was contemplating the Nano, but it was so darn small I just knew I would misplace it or snap it in half. And there have been a bunch of complaints about cracked screens on the Nanos which Apple finally agreed to cover in the regular 1 year warranty.

I have about 900 songs which according to my computer is about 3.5gb.

But with 20gb total capacity, who cares.

Also, I love being able to put all my photos on my iPod. Now everyone can see all my thousands of pics of Rascal, Lucky, and my develish god-daughter hehe.

*FYI, anyone who is a student or teacher can get discounts on the iPods and extended warranty. Definitely made the deal sweeter for me

.

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 10/12/2005 2:44:24 PM
Author: decodelighted
New iPod announced -- video playback capabilities, 2.5-inch display, 320 x 240 resolution, MPEG-4 support, and video out. 30GB model is 31% thinner than current 20GB, 60GB is 12% thinner than old 20GB. New software features (World clock, stopwatch and screen lock). Will be available in 20GB and 60GB versions in white and black for $299 and $399, respectively. Come with carrying case. Both ship next week

Rumor has it ABC has agreed to allow people to download commercial free episodes of their hit shows for $1.99 through ITUNES.

Discuss.

Yeah, just read this, my iPod is going back and I am so ordering this one!!

Same price for an additional 10gb plus video and larger screen.

 

[Angel7]

MINE:
From SanDisk''s website:
(not sure which model/mfg you were looking into)

Model Playback time* No. of songs**
Red, 256MB 4 hours (MP3) 60
8 hours (WMA) 120 songs
Blue, 512MB 8 hours (MP3) 120
16 hours (WMA) 240 songs
Silver, 1 GB 16 hours (MP3) 240
32 hours (WMA) 480 songs

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 10/12/2005 3:25:32 PM
Author: Angel7
MINE:

From SanDisk''s website:

(not sure which model/mfg you were looking into)


Model Playback time* No. of songs**

Red, 256MB 4 hours (MP3) 60

8 hours (WMA) 120 songs

Blue, 512MB 8 hours (MP3) 120

16 hours (WMA) 240 songs

Silver, 1 GB 16 hours (MP3) 240

32 hours (WMA) 480 songs

Cool Thanks!!! I think the red one will be just fine for her.

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 10/12/2005 3:25:32 PM
Author: Angel7
MINE:
From SanDisk's website:
(not sure which model/mfg you were looking into)

Model Playback time* No. of songs**
Red, 256MB 4 hours (MP3) 60 songs
8 hours (WMA) 120 songs
Blue, 512MB 8 hours (MP3) 120 songs
16 hours (WMA) 240 songs
Silver, 1 GB 16 hours (MP3) 240 songs
32 hours (WMA) 480 songs

Angel and Mine, just note that the amount of songs highlighted in yellow is for WMA files not MP3 (notice the MP3 number of songs highlighted in blue is cut in half).

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

WOW alot of information! Thank you all! Hubby and I are training to run a marathon and I''m tired of trying to run with my cd player (which constantly skips) in tow. I was looking into adding an MP3 player to my X-Mas list, but now I do not know what to do! I''m used to just plugging in my rechargeable batteries overnight and then keeping them in tow throughout the day. So how long do you have to charge a mp3 player? Do you subscribe to a monthly service for songs? And then you download it through the computer? AYE AYE!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Oh and I know that the iPod nano has armbands for working out with, do other brands have this as well? I am perplexed.

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Oh and if you buy a model that has a certain memory limit, can you always add on to it later? Ok...enough questions hehehe