I can't imagine anyone buying a Ipod after looking at this page. the dimensions are almost the same as the 20gig Ipod. I'm selling my Zen and buying this the next chance I got.
Fierce1
10-30-2003, 10:12 AM
looks nice but its definitely thicker and bulkier than ipod, and im sure the software is nowhere near as good as itunes, and your not saving any money either its the same price as a 20G ipod...
if you really want iriver check out this japan only model, its a little nicer but only 10 gig
Yeah the price is the same as the 20gig Ipod, but did you notice what is included? Just take a look at the included remote which also includes a builtin FM tuner (no more missing howard stern in the morning :) ). Also, it uses a Lithium Polymer for a battery instead of the standard Ion which dramatically improves battery life...
Ipod = 7hrs of playback
Iriver = 13+
That's a heck of a lot better.
As for software, the Iriver is treated as a usb harddrive. Meaning you can drag and drop to/from the player as if it was another harddrive on your system. Itunes should not be a reason for anyone to dip into their wallets for a player. There are some sites that already exist or will show up eventually that will do just as good or better than what Itunes is doing currently.
Andy D
10-30-2003, 10:38 AM
And the price for the 20gig is $399. Not the $489 that your link shows for the 10gig.
Fierce1
10-30-2003, 11:33 AM
nevermind i dont have the strength today
i will steal marks quote for a sec - those who know, know!
but i will say that your paying benz prices for a honda!!
enjoy your iriver lol
Andy D
10-30-2003, 11:36 AM
heh I have a Zen now. I went for a "Honda" before and after less than a year of use, I'm already thinking of upgrading.
admin
10-30-2003, 02:18 PM
I would take that over Ipod any day. I pod is just popular cause of marketing that apple does I never thought it was the best.
10-31-2003, 09:20 PM
minidisk is the way to go...
nateman
11-03-2003, 03:43 PM
if you want the benz of mp3 players, just ck this company out...
http://www.archos.com/
awesome stuff....a lil pricey tho.
as for minidisc players....frost i dunno how on earth you can say that theyre better. i have a minidisc player and i would trade it any day for an mp3 player with a line in for recording.
n
Andy D
11-03-2003, 03:53 PM
Originally posted by nateman
if you want the benz of mp3 players, just ck this company out...
http://www.archos.com/
awesome stuff....a lil pricey tho.
as for minidisc players....frost i dunno how on earth you can say that theyre better. i have a minidisc player and i would trade it any day for an mp3 player with a line in for recording.
n
I see no point in carrying something around like that. When will someone ever actually use it?? Unless you travel a lot or on the toilet constantly, there really isn't any point for on-the-go video.
minidisks has gone the way of the betamax long ago. why would anyone go that route??
TheHipHopBillGates
11-14-2003, 03:42 PM
For the past year, the media has been clamoring about iPod killers on the horizon--new MP3 players with more features, longer battery life, and designs nearly as svelte as the iPod's. However, this oversimplifies the situation; in truth, while the iPod rocks, it's not now, nor has it ever been, perfect for everyone.
We too have run our fair share of iPod-centric headlines--for a good reason. With about 1.5 million units sold, the iPod is the most popular MP3 player in the world, and it still makes other players look and feel inelegant in comparison. Don't get me wrong; it's still our favorite overall MP3 player. Although everyone can think of reasons why they want an iPod, I've decided to use this column to list a few reasons why not to buy one.
Before you send me rants for putting down the iPod, please read the list, realize that we still love the iPod, and take a deep breath. If you still don't think there could be reasons to go with something else, feel free to e-mail me your comments.
1. Six-plus hours of battery life is not always enough.
If you regularly take long airplane flights, you'll find that the iPod's battery craps out before you reach your destination, leaving you to rely on the low-grade tunes pumped to the arm of your seat. If you need a long battery life from your MP3 player, go with the Dell Digital Jukebox DJ (15GB), which lasted almost 20 hours in our battery test--and it's less expensive than the iPod.
2. Jogging with a hard drive-based player is not cool.
The iPod and other high-capacity MP3 players use hard drives to store music. In order to extend battery life and avoid skipping, the hard drives turn on only every once in a while to fill up a flash-memory buffer, which itself has no potentially skipping, moving parts. The flash buffer, in turn, plays the music. If something jars a hard drive-based player at the precise moment when the hard drive is spinning to load the flash buffer, the player could skip. Some experts say that it's impossible to damage the drive in this way, but I'm not buying that--hard drives spin thousands of times per minute, and they have tiny, fragile parts. Instead, use a small flash player, such as something from the iRiver iFP-3xx line. They won't skip, the batteries last longer, and they're much lighter than the iPod.
3. The iPod is expensive.
As much as we love the iPod, it sure is expensive--especially when you consider that the nonreplacable battery will lose its resiliency in a few years. Although not nearly as glamorous as the iPod, MP3 CD players offer much more megabytes per dollar and can approximate the experience of using a hard drive-based player. Since each MP3 CD holds about 10 hours of music, you could carry 20 CD-Rs in a CD wallet and have about the same amount of music that fits on the 15GB iPod. Best of all, you can pick up a decent one (the iRiver ChromeX) for less than $60.
4. You want to make high-quality digital recordings.
Apple recently announced the availability of a voice-recorder accessory for the iPod, but there's still no way to use the device to record high-quality audio. DJs who want to record their sets, people who want to encode their vinyl or cassette collections to MP3, or musicians who are looking for a replacement for their DAT recorder need this feature. Luckily for them, two new iPod competitors offer this option; compare them below.
5. You want a choice in online music stores.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the Apple iTunes Music Store; its AAC-encoded files sound great, the selection is decent, and it's easy to use. But I don't like feeling hemmed in. Some other MP3 players let you choose between BuyMusic, Musicmatch, and Napster, all of which use Microsoft's secure WMA files. Those files are supported by a wide range of MP3 players but not the iPod. If you want a greater degree of choice in music services, go with an MP3 player from one of the following companies.
Of course, if you don't care about low battery life, aren't fond of jogging, have ample disposable income, don't need to record/encode music portably, and want to purchase music downloads only from the iTunes Music Store, then the iPod is the best the way to go. While not ideal for some niche activities, it's still hands down the best-designed MP3 player in the world.