Ipod questions

[Alun]

Right, I've just got back from a trip into town (Comet/Currys) where I asked about ipods. Some of the answers seemed a bit iffy to me, so I'd like to run them through the collective YD bullshit filter if I can.

1: You can *only* use iTunes to download music from, none of the other online stores are compatible.

2: You can't load any of your existing mp3 files onto your ipod. Well, you can, but you have to convert them into an ipod format and that is a load of hassle.

These seem frankly a load of bollocks to me, and are putting me off getting one. The trouble is, the ipod seems to be the only large capacity device out there that doesn't use a mechanical hard disk (Sony & Archos players are HDDs)

Over to you lot, do your worst!
Alun.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Alun

Right, I've just got back from a trip into town (Comet/Currys) where I asked about ipods. Some of the answers seemed a bit iffy to me, so I'd like to run them through the collective YD bullshit filter if I can.

1: You can *only* use iTunes to download music from, none of the other online stores are compatible.

2: You can't load any of your existing mp3 files onto your ipod. Well, you can, but you have to convert them into an ipod format and that is a load of hassle.

These seem frankly a load of bollocks to me, and are putting me off getting one. The trouble is, the ipod seems to be the only large capacity device out there that doesn't use a mechanical hard disk (Sony & Archos players are HDDs)

Over to you lot, do your worst!
Alun.

1. Bollocks (ipods can play any mp3 - some online stores might have copyright protection on them but I doubt many if any will rule out ipod use due to its market share.

2. Bollocks - plays all manner of mp3 files (I have about 10,000 on my hard drive and 5000 of them on my ipod)

Most of the ipods do use a hard disk (only ipod shuffle I think is on flash memory or something similar).

http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html might help you

[rbgreenwood]

2. Rubbish, I've load MP3s to my ipod.
1. See two.....I've loaded mp3s from Napster.

I ummd and arghd for ages over iPods, I have to admit, it's a great piece of kit. Only annoying thing is that it really doesn't come with everything it needs....like a charger....add another 20gbp for that.

[Alun]

Oh right, I thought they were all flash memory... Back to the drawing board then.

Is there much to choose between the ipods and any other large capacity mp3 player then?

[dry suit diver]

Originally Posted by Alun

Oh right, I thought they were all flash memory... Back to the drawing board then.

Is there much to choose between the ipods and any other large capacity mp3 player then?

not really no, they are all much of a muchness- beware with some sony 'music players' as they work on the ATRAC3 format which ,technically is much better than MP3 , means you need to convert MP3 or WMA to ATRAC3 for the player to work.Early Sony Clies had this format player on them and did include software to convert.

iPods are very good but I fel you are paying for the brand name rather than the player.


As for the original questions both answers given by currys/comet etc are bollox.

[Jay]

No idea - had my 30gig ipod for nearly 3 years now and its still ticking along just fine.

[StephenT]

MP3's most certainly don't play on an Ipod, it uses a different format. The software you get with the ipod "itunes" automatically converts the files when you load them onto it. So in real time terms, yes you can use most types of files on you ipod, so that information was bogus. The conversion is like i say absolutely no hassle.

The 30gb and 60gb Video ipods are harddisk drives, which you can use as a portable storage device as well as just a music/video/picture player.

I love my IPod and wouldn't be without it, compared to the other mp3 players i'd suggest it. Maybe that new creation mp3 player is very good, but tbh the IPod technology is still a cut above the others

[NeilB]

Got my kids the Archos AV440 (superceeded now!). This has a 40gb disk and is not too big. The battery last at least 12 hours playing mp3s or 4 hours playing movies on the built in tft.
Worth a look if you travel a lot on trains or planes as you can watch a movie, or a tv prog that you have recorded, or listen to your mp3s.

[BigHairyAl]

I've got a 20gb sony NWA3000 (the new one that comes in black, silver or purple, looks tres sexy monsieur) and it's reet good.

Things to comment though:

Good: battery life is huge - 35 hours on a full charge, much more than Mr iPod
Bad: you **have** to use the Sony connect player to move files over to the unit, and it's godawful.

There. That's me two pence.

For my third pence I'd suggest getting an iRiver - they are far more flexible than iPod or Sony. Take lots of file formats and you can just 'drag & drop' songs using Windoze Explorer into the unit.

Ta ta,

A

/ It's ruddy hot here in Oz
// But at least I'm not at home in the UK
/// :-)

[dlegros]

Originally Posted by StephenT

MP3's most certainly don't play on an Ipod, it uses a different format. The software you get with the ipod "itunes" automatically converts the files when you load them onto it. So in real time terms, yes you can use most types of files on you ipod, so that information was bogus. The conversion is like i say absolutely no hassle.

Care to explain that to the mp3s that sit beside the aac files on my iPod? You do not need to convert them at all.

Dom (40Gb 4G and love it)