What kind of MP3 player or IPOD should I buy for my son?

Question

My son is 7 and he loves music...I just figured out how to make him CD's from my computer and thought about getting him a portable CD player for xmas, but my nephew mentioned the "cool" thing now is the MP3 players or IPODs. I have absolutely NO IDEA what to do. I typed in MP3 on ebay and a million different kinds pop up. I would like something pretty inexpensive but something worth having (not something thats only going to hold like 5 songs) b/c I may use it too when I go jogging. PLEASE HELP! I feel so old and uncool now! lol

Oh yea ...He also mentioned i Dog????

Answer 1

The iPod is Apple's version of an MP3 player. They work only with iTunes (without some extra effort) and your own CD collection, unlike MP3 players which are much more versatile. iTunes cost 99 cents per song, $1.99 per video. MP3 players are compatible with most all content download sites, and can save you a significant amount of money in the long run, as other sites charge less per song/video and many offer monthly subscriptions.

MP3 players also come in two different types, hard drive based and flash based. Hard drive based typically hold more songs, but they are much more fragile. Flash based drives use a card similar to what you might find in your digital camera. These types have no moving parts and are much more resilient, therefore these are ideal for athletes and children.

Flash based players also use AAA batteries (typically only one) as opposed to the rechargeable lithium batteries of hard drive based players, like iPod. Those charge through your computer and generally have more hours per use, however, they will start to lose their charge over time. Some manufacturers are making consumer replaceable batteries for their hard drive based players, however, most (like Apple) do not. Because of this it can be a hassle to replace those batteries.

Furthermore, MP3 players frequently have additional features not available on iPods. In addition to music, videos and photos, many also offer voice record, fm radio, an equalizer, games (some iPods have games) and/or alarm clock.

When considering price, durability and versatility, MP3 players are better. If you're choosing based soley on appearance and celebrity endorsement, iPod is the way to go.

Since he's 7 and you're also wanting to use it for jogging, I'd recommend a flash based MP3 player. Discount retailers, like Wal-Mart, have inexpensive ones that are still good quality. Look at Samsung, SanDisk (Sansa) and Creative models.

Answer 2

iPods are trendy - meaning more expensive and "not necessarily any better" than other mp3 players.

To get the music on your iPod, you'd have to load iTunes, which is a clunky software system, in my opinion. I used it twice, uninstalled it, and never used it again. And I'm better off.

Your best bet is to get him a 512 mp3 player which will hold around 200 songs. A 1GB will hold between 400-500 songs. So that one is your decision.

BUT....

Other mp3 players from Samsung and Sansa also have an FM tuner, and will also have the ability to store data on the device. So if your son is working on a project, book report, term paper (well, maybe not a 7 years old, [[grin]] but anyway....) he could load it into his mp3 player like a flash drive and take it with him to ANY computer. I know almost all Samsungs and all Sansa units do that, and they are far cheaper to purchase. And some of those units also have a voice recording option, so he can record the teacher's instructions or a lecture. Again, maybe too advanced for a 7 year old - but never too young to learn, right? :)

In comparison, the iPod wouldn't let you hook up to any other computer. Just the one the iPod is assigned to. No FM. No voice recorder.

Plus if at school, there's another kid who has a non-iPod mp3 player, they could hook the units up to a computer at school and share songs. That's how flexible those units are and how UNflexible the iPods are.

Do some shopping and dont' be swayed by name brand. In this case, it means getting less. That's just my opinion.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm sorry to say this, but everyone is wrong. iPods are simply far too expensive, and simply aren't as child-proof as most MP3 players on the market today.
A good idea is a Creative brand MP3 player http://www.creative.com/products/welcome.asp?category=213
They're relatively inexpensive, and have very decent battery life. I'd try one of these three: Creative Zen Neeon 2, Creative Zen V [Much much much more affordable than an iPod video!!]
Or if your child is really color-crazy try a Creative MuVo Micro, or a MuVo V100.
The reason why I've given so many options is that I'm not sure how many songs you're looking to put on the MP3 player.
If you have about 200-1000, try the MuVo V100 or the MuVo Micro
If you have 1000+ songs try the Creative Zen Neeon 2 or the Creative Zen V.

There's TONS of other players on the Creative website, and I'm sure you can find something you like. Good Luck!

Answer 4

O M G! ! !

My 9 year old nephew was in the same case, too!

Now if I were you I would get him a 2GB iPod.
iPods have nice clarity.

But if you want something easy to manage I would suggest getting an MP3 player.

Im a person that has an iPod but I bought my nepew and MP3.

MP3's can be as low as $40.00!
I wouldnt like going online and shopping, goto Best Buy or Circut City.

Relax, and trust me your not old! Atleast you know they are a source of music.

=)

Answer 5

iPod is the coolest (but also the most expensive).

If you want to spend a couple of hundred bucks, buy an iPod with a large memory (the higher the GB, the better). If you want to do less than that, buy any noname brand MP3 player (compare the memory, that's what really counts).

Answer 6

ipod nano siver is only $150 and i think that its work with some can of dog toy that moves to the songs?