Some more MP3 Player Questions --

[Burchtree]

I've searched through some of the older threads, but didn't quite get the answers I was looking for. I'm in the market for a 5 or 6 gig MP3 player for the wife. I'm looking at the iRiver HT, the Creative Zen, ipod, and Sandisk. What are the advantages/disadvantages of each and did I miss any that I should be looking at? I currently have a smaller iriver with a flash, but all these have more fragile hard drives right? She doesn't need anything tough, but whatever I buy here, I might get for myself too and I'm very tough on stuff while I'm out in the shop.


TIA --

 

[Nimick]

If you want something you can get away with dropping once or twice, go with a flash based player. I don't know which ones are but not an iPod. otherwise iPod's rock except for the fact that Apple has been known to give people a hard time about replaceing the rechargable battery after it year long lifespan expires.

I had a Rio 500 (flash-based) that survived a drop down the stairs. I also had an iPod that got ripped off. I still like the rio even though it only plays mp3's

 

[Chiro75]

iPod or bust, man. Make no compromises. Avoid the Creative Zen like the plague. It's a terrible ripoff of the iPod. Terrible functionality and the menus are a nightmare. Get your wife an iPod Mini, either 4GB or 6GB and you'll be the top dog. They look good, work good, are dependable... what more can you ask? And you can accessorize them ad nauseum to get them to do exactly what you want. If she's going to be running a lot or exercising with it, I'd look at the 1GB Shuffle, but otherwise the Mini would be the way to go, and the price is right.

 

[Burchtree]

Hmmm, I've been reading a lot of positive stuff about the Zen and that was the one I was leaning toward. Now I'm all confused.

 

[Chiro75]

Just read a review of it in Dwell magazine and they loved its looks, but the magazine and the expert who was doing the reviews said the thing sucked. They said the touchpad ripoff of Apple's click wheel is a nightmare and thet the poorly designed menu structure made the thing damn near impossible to use. Sorry!

 

[Dr. Thor]

iPod!!! My brother has one, (20gig) which he dropped. A few months later it broke. He called Apple, and they said they would look after it. A couple days later a Puralator truck came and delivered us an empty box. He put the iPod in it, the next day the courier came back and got it. A few weeks later, new iPod. No hassle or anything.

 

[djolney]

Just did an MP3 survey in the tutorial I was teaching today.

No one in the tute has had any problems using the Zen.

2 People in the tute have had Apples that have suffered catastrophic hard drive failure. Apple were not friendly about rebuilding either player.