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Can someone recommend an MP3 player, no Mac interface...

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My 120 GB iPod was the same price as a 120 GB Zune, etc. at that time so the Apple tax was $0 in my case.

iTunes makes managing a music library easy, for someone who doesn't want to set up folders, find CD ripping software, etc. -- it may be bloated but it's also a single program that does all that you need it to.

(I also use dbPowerAmp, Exact Audio Copy and Foobar2000 for my music jukebox, but many people don't want to mess with multiple programs.)
 
DaveSimmons said:
My 120 GB iPod was the same price as a 120 GB Zune, etc. at that time so the Apple tax was $0 in my case.

iTunes makes managing a music library easy, for someone who doesn't want to set up folders, find CD ripping software, etc. -- it may be bloated but it's also a single program that does all that you need it to.

(I also use dbPowerAmp, Exact Audio Copy and Foobar2000 for my music jukebox, but many people don't want to mess with multiple programs.)
Click to expand...

I have both a Sansa Fuze and an iPhone. Depending on how old your kid is and how computer literate he is, nothing is simpler to use than an iPod. Buying, burning and managing music. People love to hate iTunes but it does it all and is simple to use.
 
Might want to look at a Samsung Galaxy. For as little as $150 you get a good player and so much more than that. Downside is the lack of tactile buttons (it's touch screen). Easy to pop the back off and replace the battery though. :thumbsup:
 
Do you want your son to be able to play games and do other things on it? If so, an iPod is a reasonable choice. If you really just want it for music, it is a terrible choice because you are paying a lot of money for features you won't use if you get a nano or standard ipod, and the shuffle is just not a very good product.
 
There have been rumors of iPods (iTunes) working on a Windows PC, though I don't know if anyone has been able to verify that yet.
 
FeuerFrei said:
Might want to look at a Samsung Galaxy. For as little as $150 you get a good player and so much more than that. Downside is the lack of tactile buttons (it's touch screen). Easy to pop the back off and replace the battery though. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

If you have Amazon Prime or Netflix then a Kindle Fire is another possibility.

He'd get free streaming of videos, and also streaming of any MP3 music bought from Amazon. It's also a good e-book reader. It plays Android games like Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies too.
 
DaveSimmons said:
If you have Amazon Prime or Netflix then a Kindle Fire is another possibility.

He'd get free streaming of videos, and also streaming of any MP3 music bought from Amazon. It's also a good e-book reader. It plays Android games like Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies too.
Click to expand...


Do you think they make an armband for the Fire, for when you're jogging?
 
lxskllr said:
So you're chained to proprietary software to make your device work as you please.
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yeah

Does your son have a smartphone? THey work fine.

But if you have your music already organized it's a matter of drag/dropping your files onto any MP3 player you want to choose (they are dirt cheap)

Apple will just make it very difficult for you with Itunes and crap you HAVE to use.
 
Vdubchaos said:
yeah

Does your son have a smartphone? THey work fine.

But if you have your music already organized it's a matter of drag/dropping your files onto any MP3 player you want to choose (they are dirt cheap)

Apple will just make it very difficult for you with Itunes and crap you HAVE to use.
Click to expand...

iTunes is very easy to use and lets you do everything with one program, but Apple haters love to spout nonsense like this.

I have a music jukebox PC (1,000+ CDs in lossless FLAC format), Kindle Fire (streams via AudioGalaxy), older Sansa, and an iPod. In the past I've also had a Yepp and Nomad.

Of these, the iPod is the easiest to use for someone who isn't tech savvy.
 
lxskllr said:
How tech savvy does one need to be to use the functional equivalent of a thumb drive?
Click to expand...

True if you have an organized collection of MP3 files on your PC and are willing to do playlist setup on the device.

Otherwise:

If you have any physical CDs, you'll also need to find a program to rip them.

If you want to set up playlists and copy them to the device, how will that work?

If you want to get an audiobook, how does that work?
 
If you just want a plain MP3 player that isn't made by Apple, the Zune HD is actually hard to beat. It's a solid and beautiful piece of hardware. It does have a "loser' stigma to it though, so be warned.
 
If you get something with drag and drop you can use something like allway sync to sync between the player and your computer. I use allway to sync music between 4 different computers and my phone now but have been looking at getting a new dedicated player.

I hate itunes because I still haven't seen a way for it to automatically update my library from a non-default folder. Both winamp and zune player automatically add my music.
 
For the thousandth time Sansa clip. You can find one for under $40. If your kid looses or breaks it who cares.

Also will be much less of a theft target to other kids.
 
Ipods work with PC's, but you have to install iTunes. Big reason why I never joined the lemmings that bought ipods.

Check out the Sandisk Sansa players. Their Sansa Clip players are small, like the copycat ipod minis, but you'll get twice the storage space for half the price of an ipod! :thumbsup:
 
The iPod Touch is a fantastic device. Really sucks that iTunes has to fuck up what is otherwise an excellent user experience.

If you can put up with iTunes, I'd recommend roaming around the FSFT forum for a 3rd/4th gen Touch.
 
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