hobbsy
|
| posted on 3/10/08 at 11:34 PM |
|
|
Q: Best "open" (non-ipod etc) MP3 Player?
I've got an ipod but although its got a good user interface I hate the fact its so locked down and gash with the fact you have to use iTunes to
put stuff on its and you can't pull it back off cos of the DRM etc. Its a real corporate arse kiss device.
I don't know what decent alternatives are out there at the moment though. Years and years ago I had a USB stick with a headphone jack (way
before ipods) but clearly things have moved on since then and I've not had the time to keep up.
Ideally I want something fairly small, with a display I can navigate between albums and tracks etc, decent battery life and possibly takes removable
media so it can be expanded (SDHC, microSD etc?). Oh and I definitely don't want any DRM arse, I want it to pop up as a proper drive so I can
copy tracks to AND from it directly.
Any recommendations? I know there are a lot of people on here who have their finger on the pulse of this kind of toys...
[Edited on 3/10/08 by hobbsy]
|
|
|
|
|
Miks15
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 12:11 AM |
|
|
Im going to recomend a Sandisk sansa fuze.
I bought one couple months back and i love it. Reason why i chose it was it was a good competitor to the ipod nano but a hell of a lot cheaper. And as
far as i can see just as good if not better!
Plus unlike any ipod it has an FM tuner, and also has a slot for a memory card to increase the capacity. Puttin music onto it couldnt be simpler, just
drag and drop.
Ok mabye the UI inst quite as good, and it has no games, but if you just want it for listening to music (or watchin videos infact) its great. Sound
quality, i think anyway, is excellent.
plus looks decent to
Hope this helps,
Mikkel
|
|
|
hobbsy
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 12:18 AM |
|
|
Is it all DRM'ed up, i.e. can you copy the mp3's back off it (e.g. on someone elses computer who wants your tunes) after you've
copied them on?
|
|
|
Miks15
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 12:22 AM |
|
|
pretty sure u can, u can just open it up like its any other folder in ur computer, much like a usb stick
|
|
|
rgrs
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 07:17 AM |
|
|
The only problem with the ipod is the software that they try to force you to use , to get round this use media monkey
linky
try it for free, it has full ipod sync and no drm issues either plus with the pro version it manages the music library with out changing anything.
Unlike i tunes.
Roger
|
|
|
Benzine
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 07:41 AM |
|
|
I'd get anything by Cowon
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk
/shop/index.php?manufacturers_id=15&sort=4a&list=1&filter_id=1
I've had an iAudio for years now. Insane battery life, plug it in to any pc and it acts like a harddrive (just drag and drop folders) Huge file
support (e.g. OGG and FLAC), equalizer, awesome sound
Also I have a certificate of higher education in digital music creation so I'm awesome
[Edited on 4/10/08 by Benzine]
The mental gymnastics a landlord will employ to justify immoral actions is clinically fascinating. Just because something is legal doesn't make
it moral.
|
|
|
donut
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 08:00 AM |
|
|
I had the same problem as you. I bought a Sony walkman NWZ-A818 and I love it. The ear buds are super comfy, sound quality is superb, Drag and drop
files and folders - easy peasy, it's as easy to use as the ipod, better looking interface and battery life is very good.
I'm a fussy bugger when it comes to stuff like this and i can honestly say it's the best i have had.
[Edited on 4/10/08 by donut]
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
|
|
|
Humbug
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 08:45 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by donut
I had the same problem as you. I bought a Sony walkman NWZ-A818 and I love it. The ear buds are super comfy, sound quality is superb, Drag and drop
files and folders - easy peasy, it's as easy to use as the ipod, better looking interface and battery life is very good.
I'm a fussy bugger when it comes to stuff like this and i can honestly say it's the best i have had.
[Edited on 4/10/08 by donut]
Aren't Sony devices locked into their proprietary format?
|
|
|
Ben_Copeland
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 09:54 AM |
|
|
The Microsoft Zune is supposed to be pretty good. Was gonna get one myself but couldn't justify it to the wife 
Ben
Locost Map on Google Maps
Z20LET Astra Turbo, into a Haynes
Roadster
Enter Your Details Here
http://www.facebook.com/EquinoxProducts for all your bodywork needs!
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 10:17 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
quote:
Originally posted by donut
I had the same problem as you. I bought a Sony walkman NWZ-A818 and I love it. The ear buds are super comfy, sound quality is superb, Drag and drop
files and folders - easy peasy, it's as easy to use as the ipod, better looking interface and battery life is very good.
I'm a fussy bugger when it comes to stuff like this and i can honestly say it's the best i have had.
[Edited on 4/10/08 by donut]
Aren't Sony devices locked into their proprietary format?
I have exactly the same device - so small that it fits into my shirt pocket when I'm using it - hardly know it's there.
These models were the first to go 'open format' - I feed it MP3 music files from my Linux box - it just looks like a memory stick. It
would be nice if it took OGG files, but you can't have everything.
I've found it hard to get video onto it, but that's purely because I haven't got the MP4 format correct... and the thing's
memory is now full of my entire CD collection, so there's no space left!
|
|
|
madmandegge
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 11:20 AM |
|
|
If you've already got an iPod, you could try different software?
I use Winamp, which I only recently learned has iPod support! Which means you can pull music back off, while also using Winamp to manage all your
tunes.
http://www.winamp.com/
|
|
|
martyn_16v
|
| posted on 4/10/08 at 04:06 PM |
|
|
I use Anapod Explorer with my iPod. The latest iTunes is even more gash than ever 
|
|
|
