iPod or MP3?

Question

Whats the better choice to go for makes and models and whats the difference between them.
I am told that iPods aren't that good is this true?

Answer 1

An iPod is actually the worst mp3 player on the market.

Never mind the battery life. Or the flimsy breakable design.

Let's talk about flexibility. Each iPod is allowed to connect to ONE version of iTunes software. If either your computer crashes or your iPod needs service, you've lost your music.

Almost ANY OTHER mp3 player out there will allow you to transfer your own music in mp3 format - and iPod uses their "Apple Only" proprietary .AAC format - which is a good format, but once it is .AAC, you will never be able to turn it back into an mp3 file.

Many other players will also hook up via USB and act as a flash drive, which means not only can you store music, but other work or school files (like Word documents, powerpoint presentations, etc) AS WELL as using the device to listen to your music. Apple doesn't allow that.

Let's say the kids at school want to share music - forget about it with an iPod. But embrace it with almost any other mp3 manufacturer, as their mp3's hook right into the computer, yet Apple forces you to jump through hoops only to be disappointed.

Brand wise, Apple is #1. But so is BMW, and you'll find a lot of those in the shop getting repaired too.

The bottom line: If you want to dedicate yourself to restrictive proprietary software like iTunes, and be captive to 1-iPod-per-1-computer, then iPod is for you. If you want to break from the norm and get something that is WAY more flexible and non-restrictive, go with anything else.

Answer 2

sportscam was corect in pretty much everything he/she said, apart from one thing - you can convert from aac to mp3 - like this:

For all future tracks you select
.edit>preferences
When the pop up appears click the advanced tab & then the importing tab.
Your Setting for importing will be AAC encoder - change it to MP3 encoder.

I have an ipod - and they're not that durable - more ipods die than Irivers (my next choice definitely) or creatives. Battery life is another big issue - when your battery kicks the bucket you have to either take the risk of changing it yourself (risky business) or paying apple to replace it - a moneyspinner for apple Inc.

Also the fact that you can only operate it on your computer is a big problem... if your computer dies then you can't change the music on the Ipod - without losing the existing tracks.

The sound quality is as good - if not better on other MP3 players. Don't believe the hype - Apple have marketed the ipod well and that's the only difference as far as i can see.

Answer 3

iPods are good if you plan to have a lot of music. the only problem is iTunes. While the Mac version is a good enough program, the Windows version runs poorly and really ruins the iPod experience.
Zen's are ok, have an easy to use transfer system for files, but have a clunky interface and are a lot less reliable than the new iPods.
The sony MP3 players have a good reputation but I don't know much about them personally.

If, on the other hand, you only want a small MP3 player (1-2GB), I would recommend the Creative MuVo (Zen Mini) which, like the Zen, have an easy to use file transfer system, but also have a nicer interface and come with many nice extras, like a built in FM radio and microphone.

Answer 4

if you need a phone as well go for the mp3 phone like w810i or if you want a movie player and game machine with mp3 get a psp, but be warned both need a mem. stick which costs about £70 (for a 4gb one).

creative zens are apparently quite good and some have a replaceable battery, but not sure if they r still in business.

The trouble with ipods is that the battery is built in and can only be recharged a set amount of times, so that in 4-5 years time the battery will die for good and your ipod will become obselete.

Answer 5

iPods are pretty much the filet mignons, if you will, of MP3s. They have the best sound quality, and probably the most capacity of songs, depending one which model you get (i.e. iPod Nano, Shuffle, Video, etc.) Other smaller MP3s hold smaller amounts of music, and usually don't have as good a quality. As expected, iPods are much more expensive. If you want to go all the way, get an iPod. An iPod Shuffle is the cheapest--all it does is 'shuffle' your songs (as opposed to playing them in a specific alphabetical order). An iPod Nano holds about 1,000 songs (I think).

If you need more detailed information, I would go talk to someone at Best Buy. They specialize in stuff like this. :)

Answer 6

MP3 as Ipod can only read files of that source and some do have difficulty with other formats.

MP3's can play MP3 WMA and other files formats and are not as heavy on the battery! I have a MP4 Player and it plays nicely and gives me in excess of 3 hours constant playing time

Answer 7

my nano is one of my most prized possessions, i used to have a sony mp3 but it broke and i think the ipod is better personally. yes, the battery life is quite short and turns red quickly but it stays on the the last little bar for 1/2 an hour or so.

personally i think ipods are better...more popular, easy to use, large screen, reliable company(apple +itunes),small and sleek and have loads to choose from so iPods are a thumbs up

Answer 8

I got a Creative Nano + a few weeks ago - 1 GB, includes FM radio, straightforward USB connection. 1 AAA battery required. Very pleased. Pretty good battery life, good sound, includes display and controls, good software. Cost 100 Euro in Ireland, about 65 Sterling.
Low cost so probably lower risk.

Answer 9

In my experience any small and 'coveted' electrical accessory will finish up lost or stolen anyways, so I would suggest buy a dead cheap MP3 player from Tesco - the difference in quality is probably un-noticable. Also, you can get your media from practically anywhere.

Answer 10

If you don't care about the brand and care about the quality then explore the other options but if you're brand conscious then buy an iPod it's the must-have.