Need a mp3 device

[Gretzky]

Well i got 300 dollars to spend on a mp3 device. I still cant decide whether to buy a minidisc player or a mp3 player. I have 300 dollars to spend im thinking if i should spend all of it on a mp3 device. What would you guys recommend?

 

[axelfox]

IPOD

 

[MazerRackham]

Costco sells a Panasonic CD/MP3 player for $80. It's pretty nice, and works well. Get that and spend the remaining $220 on something else

 

[datalink7]

You can get the 10gb iPod from Amazon.com for about $350. Sure you could find it for cheaper somewhere else.

 

[hamburglar]

MPIO sells good mp3 players. I got the mpio dmb plus. Radio and up to 256 megs all in 1 package. Plus it can record mp3s directly from any source.

mpio.com

 

[db]

Convenience is the key word. Get the most convenient device to use in every respect.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Decide whether you want a CD-based player (iRiver slimx, Rio volt sp250 $100-$150), a hard-drive based (iPod, Rio, Nomad, Archos $200-350), or flash-based (iRock, MPIO, Samsung, $100-200 +extra flash card if wanted).

I wanted flash and finally ordered the Samsung Yepp YP-700H with 128 MB for $200 from Amazon. The 64 MB iRock goes for $100 at buy.com and Radio Shack, add another 128 MB for about $50.

 

[nord1899]

As has been mentioned, the important part of getting an mp3 device is to get the right type of one.

Flash Memory - Perfect for listening to while being active, like excercising. I have a MPIO DMG (128 megs internal + 128 meg SmartMedia card) that all total cost me about $275. The thing is small enough without being too small. The bonuses here are small physical size and it will not skip. The cons here are smaller amounts of memory and expensive per MB.

CD-R - Great if you have a car stereo that can take mp3 on CD-R as well. The Rio Volt series and iRiver SlimX series are typically examples. I had a Rio Volt SP100 that I just sold off due to having 17+ GB of mp3s and a difficult time getting them onto 700 MB CD-Rs.

Jukebox - These have an internal hard drive which is great for storing large collections but kill batteries. I just bought the Nomad 3 (20 gigs of storage) and I like it so far, it can be had for $350. Chances are, if $300 is your upper limit, this type of MP3 player will be a bit out of your reach.