iPod vs. other mp3 players. which do you prefer?

With regards to "restrictions" I should have included itunes in that only it only allows downloads in Apple formated files that requires further decoding/encoding etc. Why the hassle? And then I'm not entirely sure about this, but when you transfer songs from your ipod to your PC, are they still in AAC format even if they were originally mp3 for example? Also, don't you need itunes for your ipod right but most other mp3 players are all plug-and play with most media players.

What is their lossless files format like, any good? In fact, they should never have created any file type that isn't lossless.

I bought this little fella last June and I'm happy with it

512 Mb, more than enough for me...

AgentWood wrote: my main problem is this: i have all wma files from rhapsody on my iRiver. this means i have to go back in every few weeks and reacquire my licences, which is a pain in the ass. is there any way to transfer the songs i already have on my iRiver into mp3s without starting all over again?

Can't you just download software to convert WMAs into mp3s?

Let's do some thread-hijacking, shall we? What's on your MP3 player? Currently, I have:

The Sounds- Dying to say this to you Junior Boys- So this is goodbye The Cure- Seventeen seconds She wants revenge- She wants revenge Cabaret Voltaire- The crackdown New Order- Salvation theme, Sputnick, Skullcrusher

As you see, apart from the Order, I prefer to listen to whole albums. And you?

Love my 60 GB Ipod-however is there a way I could upload its contents to my computer if I needed to do that?

I love my Sony MiniDisc HiMD recorder. It records/plays 1GB discs and it can also record 90 minutes of pure digital pcm stereo as well as MP3/AAC/WMA etc. Most of New Order studio recordings fits on 1 disc. And it's ez to get in a concert with a small stereo mic. 45 hours battery time too. And software to transfer as fast as ipod from computer. And under $200.00....... cheers paolo

His Holiness, The Pope wrote:

AgentWood wrote: my main problem is this: i have all wma files from rhapsody on my iRiver. this means i have to go back in every few weeks and reacquire my licences, which is a pain in the ass. is there any way to transfer the songs i already have on my iRiver into mp3s without starting all over again?

Can't you just download software to convert WMAs into mp3s?

but what if it's already on the mp3 player? i found software that converts it from the computer to mp3, but not my songs that are already on the iRiver to mp3.

Spotnick wrote:

AgentWood wrote: my main problem is this: i have all wma files from rhapsody on my iRiver. this means i have to go back in every few weeks and reacquire my licences, which is a pain in the ass. is there any way to transfer the songs i already have on my iRiver into mp3s without starting all over again?

If you have them on your hard disk, you can do that.. and there are utilities to remove the license in the files actually!

can i get them back from my iRiver to my hard disk? they're not there anymore. and then reupload them to the mp3 player?

Surely any mp3 player simple connects as USB mass storage? Once you plug it in, DOS or Linux sees it as a removable hard drive? Just drag the files over to your PC's HD, or convert them in place.

As for Ipod restrictions.....you cannot back your data up to CD/DVD apparently.....so you're fucked if your HD fails. There are other issues with it as well. Not least that it uses proprietry batteries which limit it's life deliberately.

basically, any non-standards compliant device is bad.

Unless mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/mp3 works it has cancer as far as I am concerned ;)

Can any of them play FLAC BTW?

I have a Sandisk Sansa m250 player that I bought for when I go walking/jogging and for when I'm doing yard work.

It just plugs into the USB port on the computer and then I just drag and drop the mp3 files on to it. I can also pull off files from it the same way and use it as a portable storage device. So far battery life seems pretty good and I like that it has a EQ and FM tuner. The speakers that come with it are poor and the battery door looks weak, but so far I'm impressed with it.

Psy

Doctor? wrote: Surely any mp3 player simple connects as USB mass storage? Once you plug it in, DOS or Linux sees it as a removable hard drive? Just drag the files over to your PC's HD, or convert them in place.

As for Ipod restrictions.....you cannot back your data up to CD/DVD apparently.....so you're fucked if your HD fails. There are other issues with it as well. Not least that it uses proprietry batteries which limit it's life deliberately.

basically, any non-standards compliant device is bad.

Unless mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/mp3 works it has cancer as far as I am concerned ;)

Can any of them play FLAC BTW?

You can record everything to cd if you want? Not understanding your issue? The batteries can be replaced, but they do cost about $25 and either you can try to do it yourself (many instructions on the web) or you can take it an Apple store and they charge you $100 (which includes the battery).

You sure? I heard you cannot burn to CD or DVD.

Batteries for other mp3 player cost 50cents and require the opening of a trapdoor.

I have also hear that you only RENT i-tunes music, and if you forget to pay, all your tunes turn to unplayable shite.....in Theory one album could cost you thousands of dollars to maintain a working copy of.

Doctor? wrote:

I have also hear that you only RENT i-tunes music, and if you forget to pay, all your tunes turn to unplayable shite.....in Theory one album could cost you thousands of dollars to maintain a working copy of.

that's how it is with rhapsody, napster, etc. i don't know if iTunes is write-protected or not.

and i still don't know how to turn my iRiver music to mp3 format. :(

OK, how does it connect to the PC? Does it appear as a hard drive?

Do you use some proprietry application (and driver) to make the link between them? If so, have tou tried culling it? Windows explorer will not show you the drive if it is open when the drive connects, you must connect it, wait for the beep, then open winexplorer.

Doctor? wrote: OK, how does it connect to the PC? Does it appear as a hard drive?

Do you use some proprietry application (and driver) to make the link between them? If so, have tou tried culling it? Windows explorer will not show you the drive if it is open when the drive connects, you must connect it, wait for the beep, then open winexplorer.

could you repeat this in english please? :D

i plug it in to my USB drive if that counts.

Did you have to install anything to make it work?

Once attached, if you double click on "My Computer" do you suspiciously have an extra drifve listed?

What DO you do to get tracks on it?

Doctor? wrote: Did you have to install anything to make it work?

Once attached, if you double click on "My Computer" do you suspiciously have an extra drifve listed?

What DO you do to get tracks on it?

a) i don't have to install anything to make it work

b) if i click on my computer i do get an extra drive listed (called iRiver H10)

c) i use rhapsody to get tracks on the player (but i use limewire for my iPod shuffle). however, i have 4000 songs on my iRiver and i don't want to get rid of them all and start over again!

Ok, treat them like any other file.

Open two windows, one on the iriver drive and one on the HD folder you want to move them to. Copy the files accross, and then use any of the freeware format convetors you can find online to change them to mp3 and then move them back. Of course you could use the opportunity to back them up to CD/DVD as mp3 while you are at it.

Doctor? wrote: Ok, treat them like any other file.

Open two windows, one on the iriver drive and one on the HD folder you want to move them to. Copy the files accross, and then use any of the freeware format convetors you can find online to change them to mp3 and then move them back. Of course you could use the opportunity to back them up to CD/DVD as mp3 while you are at it.

i'm trying to open the 'media' file on the H10 drive, but it's taking AGES! and it won't just copy into the music folder by itself.

Yeah it can take a hell of a long time to get a directory listing over USB you see, expecially if you have 000's of files. You're on the right track though. Do you have any "blinkenlichten" to tell you if anything is actually happening accross your USB connection?

Doctor? wrote: Yeah it can take a hell of a long time to get a directory listing over USB you see, expecially if you have 000's of files. You're on the right track though. Do you have any "blinkenlichten" to tell you if anything is actually happening accross your USB connection?

what's that fahrfegnugen thing? and then once i move them to the music file what do i do? the songs still aren't on my iRiver.

Blinking lights ;)

( USB hub, or a taskbar thingy, anything that winks to say there is something actually happening on the USB bus.....ie if something IS happening, sit tight and wait for the files to appear, if not, I dunno, it SHOULD work.)

Comes from this, alledgedly printed on the wall of a computer room of a US or UK company with a German division. There is also a German response somewhere as well.

ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS! Das computermachine ist nicht fuer gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy snappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fuer gwerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das rubbernecken sictseeren keepen das cotten-pickenen hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das blinkenlichten.
-- anonymous

Doctor? wrote: Blinking lights ;)

( USB hub, or a taskbar thingy, anything that winks to say there is something actually happening on the USB bus.....ie if something IS happening, sit tight and wait for the files to appear, if not, I dunno, it SHOULD work.)

Comes from this, alledgedly printed on the wall of a computer room of a US or UK company with a German division. There is also a German response somewhere as well.

ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS! Das computermachine ist nicht fuer gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy snappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fuer gwerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das rubbernecken sictseeren keepen das cotten-pickenen hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das blinkenlichten.
-- anonymous

no blinking lights, but my iRiver does say 'USB connected.'

Hmmmm Sit tight, walk away, sleep, do something else, and see if after AGES you get the file list up.

Windows will freak out and make a clonk after a minute or two if nothing is happening.

Doctor? wrote: Hmmmm Sit tight, walk away, sleep, do something else, and see if after AGES you get the file list up.

Windows will freak out and make a clonk after a minute or two if nothing is happening.

grr. i think i might just give up for now and try again tomorrow. it's taking too long and i don't have the patience for this thing. grrrr.