I'm still rocking my rockboxed iRiver H320 but it's battery is just about shot, it can't hold a charge at all. I'm looking for a new player and I just don't want to do with iPods, I'm not an Apple fan and I don't want to be forced to use f'ing iTunes. I love the H320's simplicity, it's essentially just a portable USB HDD. What would you guys recommend for a new mp3 player? I was thinking of picking up a Creative Zen Vision W on Ebay or something, but at 300+ for the 80+ GB it still seems a bit pricey. I was looking for something more in the 200-250 range, but I'm not sure if I'll find something in the size/quality I want at that point.
Recommendations for a new mp3 player?
- Thread starter TheVrolok
- Start date
FYI: You don't have to use iTunes to sync music to an iPod. WinAmp and various other freeware programs can drag and drop music to the iPod.
Hating on Apple just to hate on them is stupid. Ignorance FTL.
Hating on Apple just to hate on them is stupid. Ignorance FTL.
Well I'm sure he's got infinitely more reasons to not get an ipod than just itunes. design, interface, versatility, etc.
Yet he chose to only say "I'm not an Apple fan and I don't want to be forced to use f'ing iTunes."
You're not forced to use iTunes, so I don't see the problem.
Why not just replace the battery on the iRiver? A replacement battery appears to be going for about $25. If you aren't comfortable taking apart the iRiver and replacing the battery, take the battery plus the H320 to an electronics shop (TV repair, etc.) and they'll replace it for you for a small fee.
If you want a new one, my suggestion is a Zune 80 - 4 times more space than your iH320, and within your price range. It has WiFi for wireless syncing. FM radio. Big bright LCD that can watch movies and play a few games.
As far as the iPod debate, I think the Zune 80 has better value and features than anything iPod except the Touch. So even if someone doesn't care about the company that makes the device, I still it's a win in terms of features and flexibility to go with a Zune. And this is coming from me - a person who owns an iPhone and loves it. Microsoft know they are competing with the iPods and they have been careful to position the Zune against the iPod line in such a way that the price and features are better on the Zune than they are on a competing iPod at the same price.
If you want a new one, my suggestion is a Zune 80 - 4 times more space than your iH320, and within your price range. It has WiFi for wireless syncing. FM radio. Big bright LCD that can watch movies and play a few games.
As far as the iPod debate, I think the Zune 80 has better value and features than anything iPod except the Touch. So even if someone doesn't care about the company that makes the device, I still it's a win in terms of features and flexibility to go with a Zune. And this is coming from me - a person who owns an iPhone and loves it. Microsoft know they are competing with the iPods and they have been careful to position the Zune against the iPod line in such a way that the price and features are better on the Zune than they are on a competing iPod at the same price.
I suppose I didn't see the need to explain myself in detail regarding the fact that I'm just not an Apple fan. There are numerous things about the iPod I don't care for and to be honest, I don't feel the need to dig up another piece of software (freeware or not, winamp plugin or not) to circumvent the use of iTunes - which I'm sure is unsupported by Apple in the first place.
Thanks to everyone else for providing their insight, though.
Thats nice to know you don't have to use I-tunes.
I have never been an Apple fan, their products just seemed like trendy "hippy" products, especially the computers, and just one more thing I didn't want to have to learn how to use in my old age.
So I bought a Samsung MP3 player and my daughter bought a 1st gen Ipod Nano. I was impressed with her Nano, it booted up very quickly and was extemely easy to use and navigate. My Samsung cost the same price and was almost as easy to use and had a fairly similar interface, but it took a long time to boot up (annoying!).
I took a leap a few weeks ago and bought the Ipod Touch 2nd gen (16 gb), mainly because it had internet browsing via WiFi and acts like a PDA etc, as well as a nice MP3 type player. It actually takes about as long as my Samsung MP3 player to boot up, which is a disappointment, so I may get an Ipod Nano to take roller blading etc and for convenience.
In the end, I was not an Apple fan, but I have to say, their MP3 players are very cool and have won me over to that segment of the market.
I have never been an Apple fan, their products just seemed like trendy "hippy" products, especially the computers, and just one more thing I didn't want to have to learn how to use in my old age.
So I bought a Samsung MP3 player and my daughter bought a 1st gen Ipod Nano. I was impressed with her Nano, it booted up very quickly and was extemely easy to use and navigate. My Samsung cost the same price and was almost as easy to use and had a fairly similar interface, but it took a long time to boot up (annoying!).
I took a leap a few weeks ago and bought the Ipod Touch 2nd gen (16 gb), mainly because it had internet browsing via WiFi and acts like a PDA etc, as well as a nice MP3 type player. It actually takes about as long as my Samsung MP3 player to boot up, which is a disappointment, so I may get an Ipod Nano to take roller blading etc and for convenience.
In the end, I was not an Apple fan, but I have to say, their MP3 players are very cool and have won me over to that segment of the market.
Tifosi248F1
Member
- Aug 16, 2006
- 170
- 0
- 76
I got the new 120GB Zune a few weeks ago and I love it. The larger screen over an iPod is nice for video. The Zune software isn't that bad to use, and you really only need to use it when you sync. You don't even really need to use it with the Zune's wireless sync abilities. There's a few other new things in version 3.0 too. It's a device worth looking into if capacity and video are what you want within that price range.
I've used a zune 80 for a few weeks and love it. I've used it to watch a few tv shows, and the quality was pretty good overall. My wife liked it so much, we got one for her, and she's able to use it w/o much trouble.
Funyuns101
Platinum Member
- Jun 15, 2002
- 2,849
- 0
- 0
I have an H340 and replaced the battery myself... I was getting about 30 mins of life on it.
I bought off of ebay (I can find the instructions somewhere online, probably over a misticriver.net).
Even better battery performance than when I first got it.
wasn't too hard and I only spent about $20 instead of $200+ on some crappy iPod
RandomFool
Diamond Member
I love my Zune and the new software. I only have two issues with them.
1. The software doesn't minimize to tray.
2. My Zune plays don't update in the social.
neither of those are much of an annoyance.
1. The software doesn't minimize to tray.
2. My Zune plays don't update in the social.
neither of those are much of an annoyance.
Since I am a Mac user, I am more or less stuck with the iPod, which is fine since I think the interface is better than on about 98% of the competitors. The only MP3 player recently that has actually made me sit up and take notice has been the Zune80 and the Zune120. Same price and capacity as the iPod, easy to use interface, wireless syncing (which is something I wish my iPod 5.5gen had, then I could just leave it on my dresser all the time), and apparently pretty good software.
Unfortunately, the Zune is not Mac compatible, and I am not going to run a VM or BootCamp just for an MP3 player. If it was Mac compatible, I would definitely consider it when it comes time for me to upgrade (which could be a while, my library keeps getting smaller, not larger, so the 30GB on my iPod now is plenty of space.
So, I second the vote for the Zune120
Unfortunately, the Zune is not Mac compatible, and I am not going to run a VM or BootCamp just for an MP3 player. If it was Mac compatible, I would definitely consider it when it comes time for me to upgrade (which could be a while, my library keeps getting smaller, not larger, so the 30GB on my iPod now is plenty of space.
So, I second the vote for the Zune120
QueBert
Lifer
- Jan 6, 2002
- 22,939
- 1,134
- 126
drag and drop kicks the shit out of everything out there
I won't buy an mp3 player I can't use explorer, or a program that mimics explorer to put music on. As for the Zune software kicking ass hummm... My GF let it scan her mp3 collection and it used Hall & Oats for the cover art for like 1/3rd of her tracks. And she has no Hall & Oats Another vote for Zune here. I have an iPhone and a Zune 8GB. The iPhone is incredible, but purely as a music player, the Zune is so much better.
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