Non-iPod Mp3 Player Help

[bste_lax]

So I have had an iPod for about a year and the thing has fallen apart on me with no luck from Best Buy or Apple (seems like the 4th generation ones before the video iPod all suck at life). Anyways, I am looking into something new (something in the 20-40 GB range) and have stumbled across two of them with some help from others.


Cowon iAudio X5 - I have heard some decent things about this although I heard the navigation of it sort of sucks and you have to create playlists rather than searching by artist or album.

Creative Zen Vision M - I know less about this than the Cowon but this seems pretty good plus it has video capabilities plus a longer battery life than a video iPod.

Anyone have any experience with these or any other input?

[yourmom]

First up, I work at Best Buy in this particular department. I have sworn off ipods since they first came out (just felt they were a rip off)

That being said i don't know much about the cowan but the creative vs. ipod is an interesting debate. The creative does have a longer battery life, but comes at a $60 higher price tag when looking at the 30 gigs. (creative 329.99 vs. ipod 269.99 w/ the student discount) other than that physical size, screen size, etc. is all about the same. BUT the ipod has much more support behind it. By support i mean accessories and the media itself.

Like I said above i swore off ipods since the day they came out. Overpriced, trendy, waste of time/money. But now i am eating those words. I am ordering a video ipod as of this friday. Not sure if i will get the 30 or 60 gig yet, i'm wrestling over the difference in battery life vs. $100 bucks.

The reason being the ease of use of i tunes, (once you finally get everything set up and transferred in) and how i can hook it up with my car. I will be getting a Bracketron custom mount along with the hookups to my stereo that will play and charge my ipod through the existing speakers.

As far as what happened between BestBuy and Apple not helping you well... apple doesn't really cover much of anything, and with no service plan from best buy(don't know your circumstances) they won't touch it after 30 days. But if you let me know your exact situation maybe i can tell you the best way, if there is one, or what to say to try and get bestbuy to help you out.

anyway sorry about the length just my opinions.

[bste_lax]

I have a service plan through Best Buy (although I think the year is running up soon) and have taken it in twice to get fixed. It also doesn't help that the customer service (minus one of the guys) has been lacking so it has added to my annoyance behind everything.

Anyways, I took it in a first time and they couldn't do crap to it with one lady telling me it was fixed only for it not to work once I got home. I recently took it in again and they shipped it off to Apple to get a new hard drive and update software. Got it back earlier this week only for it work for it to error (the dreaded ! and file folder) the first time I was able to turn it on. Then it started working again for a brief period of time and now it sucks at life again and doesn't turn on and if it does "turn on", its just a screen that has all the pixels darkened so you can't see the screen.

Between this and another friend having horrible luck with his, I am really turned away from the iPod and want to look into something new.

[Dan Wishengrad]

See a very good story in last Saturday's New York Times (registration required to view) about IPods, Apple customer service and related issues. Basically, they don't want to fix the machines because it doesn't make financial sense to do so. It's basically cheaper to simply send you a new one (if the thing is under warranty), but then of course you lose all your songs.

While Apple has fixed the battery issue -- the earliest models needed to be junked and replaced when the battery died -- the iPods still have a finite life -- 1-3 years max according to the Times story, which Apple doesn't confirm or dispute. The little hard drives just can't "take a lickin' and keep tickin'" for much longer.

As for me, I've been holding off until the price drops a little more, and then will probably invest in the Nano. 500 songs is plenty to carry at any time, and since I have over 3,000 songs in my iTunes library already it will be easy to dump a current song-list and download a new one when I'm sick if those 500. And I won't be quite so ticked off when the thing dies and needs to be replaced...

[SLUDoubleDeuce]

Basically, they don't want to fix the machines because it doesn't make financial sense to do so. It's basically cheaper to simply send you a new one (if the thing is under warranty), but then of course you lose all your songs.

While Apple has fixed the battery issue -- the earliest models needed to be junked and replaced when the battery died -- the iPods still have a finite life -- 1-3 years max according to the Times story, which Apple doesn't confirm or dispute.

Ahhh, planned obsolescence is a beautiful thing...

[CATLAX MAN]

It's basically cheaper to simply send you a new one (if the thing is under warranty), but then of course you lose all your songs.

You shouldn't lose your songs as they should be resident on your computer in iTunes. All you have to do is to download them to the new iPod.

Benson, sounds like you got a lemon. I've had no problem with mine, a 20GB that holds 5000 songs. Had it for 2 years now and no problems. I'd insist that Apple replace it if I were you.

[Jolly Roger]

I've had no problem with mine, a 20GB that holds 5000 songs. Had it for 2 years now and no problems.

Yeah, but Lawrence Welk and Mitch Miller don't stress the machine.


Sorry - it's a cheap shot but I coudn't resist.

[Rob Graff]

Apple cuts price on shuffle, premiers 1 GB nano

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11216722/

[Brent Burns]

Just to remind you to be mindful of your hearing health when using IPods or Nanos or MP3s. Just wanted to make sure you will have your hearing intact when you get older.

[CATLAX MAN]

Yeah, but Lawrence Welk and Mitch Miller don't stress the machine.


Sorry - it's a cheap shot but I coudn't resist.

Hey, I'm not that old . . .. . . . .However, it is sad that I know who they are.

[LAXDawg14]

best buy sells a program for about 15$ that takes all the songs currently on your ipod and will re-load them onto your computer incase your comp crashes, gets a virus, or get a new computer etc.....

[FormerTiger]

I loved mine....got it back in August. Then for some reason, there were only certain songs it would let me listen to. You would select a song, and it would skip a few and settle on a different one. No offense to any best buy employees, but I went in there with question after question about sharing music with friends, getting music off other computers and other questions that arent addressed in the booklet, and I never have been able to find anyone that knows much about iPods. If I asked if I could put a friends music on my ipod, the most common response is "you SHOULD be able to". I know I should, but that doesnt mean I can. iPod got stolen out of my car last week, so I too am in the market.
Anybody have much to say about the new ones?

[laxative]

best buy sells a program for about 15$ that takes all the songs currently on your ipod and will re-load them onto your computer incase your comp crashes, gets a virus, or get a new computer etc.....

You can do this for free by yourself. There is a program you can download called "ipodutil" that enables you to take music from an ipod and put it on your hard drive. Great for mass piracy...um if it weren't illegal.

[yourmom]

No offense to any best buy employees, but I went in there with question after question about sharing music with friends, getting music off other computers and other questions that arent addressed in the booklet, and I never have been able to find anyone that knows much about iPods.

no offense taken. truth be told most of the employees have no clue about ipods other than how much they hold. at my store there is only one other person who has a friggen clue in my department about them. Sales training is great there, but you have to find someone who has that product or wants one so bad they have done all thier research to get any solid answers.

also ipods are very testy. Relate them to women, when they work like they are supposed to they are awsome. but when they get on thier period it can be the most frustrating thing ever.

[Adam G]

I gave my first Philips 20 GB to my younger brother earlier in the year, and am a HUGE fan of my new color-screen Philips. Transfer software is a little tricky at first, but it's all mint from there. My folks still swear by their shuffle's for their workouts, but personally, I've got to see a display. IMO.