so...ipod, Creative, Zune?

[SS69]

I'm looking to buy one of these. I've done research and have found things I like about each, and dont like. Im looking for a 30g model, maybe more if price is right; all cost about the same for each brand. I like the Ipod size, but I dont like the restrictions. I like the creative video quality, but I dont like the size. I like the size and screen on the Zune, but ive heard bad things such as lack of video support and other things. I wanted some other opinions. Thanks.

 

[Tornado]

The Creative it probably the best in reliability of the three, the IPod is the cheapest if you get the biggest one, and the Zune is total crap.

 

[DuckRacer]

Don't. Get. A. Zune.

Personally, it depends. Get the iPod if you want style. Get the Creative if you want some extra function.

And don't get a Zune.

 

[dougiemeats]

Do you purchase songs from an online music store? If not, will you in the future?

What type of files do you have right now? (e.g. MP3, WMA...)

What specific 'restrictions' don't you like?

 

[F1GTR]

Get the iPod and ROCKbox it.

 

[Jondot]

You'll find a lot of people saying iPods are the best. They're kinda right. You'll find a lot of people saying Creatives are the best. Again, they're kinda right. You'll also find some people saying that the Zune is great. They're speaking out of an area we can only assume isn't their mouths.

Get an iPod and you'll love it. Get a Creative and you'll love it. But for the love of god don't waste your money on a Zune. You can't use it with WMP, you can't use it with MS's "plays for sure" (ironic name there), and I've heard it won't even work with Vista! If MS can't be bothered to spend time making it a good player, you shouldn't be spending your money on one.

What am I saying? Really, they're both very good players. The Creative has a very nice design menu wise, and the iPod is iconic, really. I don't know which I'd buy, actually. I think I'd go for the iPod since I'm used to them, but it's your choice .

Just don't even touch a Zune.

 

[TopHat]

My friend has a Zune, he likes it, I like it. Whats wrong with it? Have you tried to use a Zune? Its actually pretty easy. All in all, the Creative and the iPod are still better than a Zune. iPods are good, but you won't feel special unless you get the 80gig model. The Creative, on the other hand will make you feel special, seeing as that noone around here has one!

 

[DuckRacer]

Get the iPod and ROCKbox it.

...I wouldn't do that since it'd violate your warranty. Wait for the warranty to expire before doing that.

My friend has a Zune, he likes it, I like it. Whats wrong with it?

You know why we don't like it?

Because it's a Zune.

Besides, anything that has a slogan called "Welcome to the Social" and an orgasming girl in the installation screen should be avoided at all costs.

 

[F1GTR]

...I wouldn't do that since it'd violate your warranty. Wait for the warranty to expire before doing that.

Or just stick to the stable builds...

 

[Tornado]

Have you tried to use a Zune? Its actually pretty easy.

I'd imagine it would be easy to use, since it won't let you do anything with it. Its a crappy product to begin with, with most of its "features" not actually working as advertised (if at all), and when coupled with the stupidly restrictive crap Microsoft glued all over it it is probably the worst HDD MP3 player on the market right now. Its sad they've sold any at all.

 

[G.T]

...I wouldn't do that since it'd violate your warranty. Wait for the warranty to expire before doing that.


You know why we don't like it?

Because it's a Zune.

Besides, anything that has a slogan called "Welcome to the Social" and an orgasming girl in the installation screen should be avoided at all costs.

That's like hating the Xbox because it's made by Microsoft, and you of all people should know that you cannot base a product on who it's made by before you've actually tried it yourself.

/rant

I only have experience with an iPod, and it's a very solid piece of machinery. I hardly know anything else about the other two, so I cannot properly recommend.

 

[V1P3R]

Don't buy a Zune. It would be better to get a gun and shoot yourself in the foot repeatedly.

If it's for Video then the iPod is a no brainer out of that group. If it's for Music all three are not all that.

Don't buy a Zune. It would be better to get a gun and shoot yourself in the foot repeatedly.

Rockbox doesn't void the warrenty either...

 

[Jondot]

You know why we don't like it?

Because it's a Zune.

Besides, anything that has a slogan called "Welcome to the Social" and an orgasming girl in the installation screen should be avoided at all costs.

That's just stupid. Macs make a sound like a polyphonic elephant when they boot, but I'm not going to stop myself from using them just because of that.

Hate the Zune because it's crap, don't hate it because Microsoft can't design installation screens...

My friend has a Zune, he likes it, I like it. Whats wrong with it? Have you tried to use a Zune? Its actually pretty easy.

They look to be very nice players from the outside (aside from the brown ones, of course) but I think the software lets it down. Well that's what I've heard anyway, and I've got no reason not to believe it having "enjoyed" a lot of MS's lovely software over the years. In comparison, Apple's software works, and pretty well in fact considering it's on the "wrong" OS. Creative's software, the last time I tried it, wasn't...great, but you don't have to use it in the first place so that's the end of that.



Just for the record (and while I'm on the software subject), I think drag and drop is over-rated. iTunes, for example, lets you organise all your music, play it and drag and drop stuff in there. The Zune stuff probably does too. iTunes is actually a decent media player. Most of you swear by Winamp, but I'm quite happy with what I have. Infact, I haven't updated or listened to my iPod in months but I still use it.

 

[Tornado]

Hate the Zune because it's crap, don't hate it because Microsoft can't design installation screens...

Amen.

They look to be very nice players from the outside (aside from the brown ones, of course)

But brown is the most fitting color!

iTunes, for example, lets you organise all your music, play it and drag and drop stuff in there. The Zune stuff probably does too.

Unless I'm forgetting some revision to the Zune, you can't drag and drop with it.

 

[DuckRacer]

That's like hating the Xbox because it's made by Microsoft, and you of all people should know that you cannot base a product on who it's made by before you've actually tried it yourself.

That's just stupid. Macs make a sound like a polyphonic elephant when they boot, but I'm not going to stop myself from using them just because of that.

Hate the Zune because it's crap, don't hate it because Microsoft can't design installation screens...

I was saying it in a sarcastic way, not in a "because it does that it sux" way...

 

[V1P3R]

I think drag and drop is over-rated. iTunes, for example, lets you organise all your music, play it and drag and drop stuff in there.

It is? Ok... how bout Drag n' Drop on a Shuffle vs. iTunes on a Shuffle. Hmm... 💡

 

[SS69]

Well Zune is pretty much ruled out. As far as what I like and dont like about creative and ipod are things ive only heard, I've never actually used either one. My only experience is with the iriver H320 and the reason I'm not still using that one is that it's broken. The "restrictions" on the ipod I dont like; ive heard that once you register it with a computer, you cant plug it in to another one otherwise it will be wiped clean. Ive also heard that there's another way around that. Also Ive heard there is no drag and drop which i like, everything is done with itunes. I do purchase songs online from time to time but usually i just buy a CD from the store. Also i heard the third party software to convert DVDs to the ipod isnt that great. I wouldnt want to have to pay $10-$15 for a movie from itunes when i can buy the DVD and have both. I dont like the fact that it doesnt have an FM tuner. At my last company, that was a big selling point for me when i bought my iriver. Now its not that big of a deal because i sit at a desk with a radio. Other than that I like the ipod. And if there are ways around all of that, I'd rather buy it. I like the slim sleek style of the ipod better. Pretty much the only thing i dont like about the creative is the size and style. Its a little thicker than the ipod and isnt as stylish. Ive heard the video quality is better than the ipod though. It couldnt be worse than the iriver though. With the iriver the sound never quite matched up with the action. the thing i liked about the iriver is that it was like an external drive. I could put anything on there, hook it up to another computer and pull it off. I believe the creative is like that; is the ipod? All my music on my computer is WMP but i dont see a problem in converting it to mp3 or something else.

 

[F1GTR]

If you ROCKbox the iPod it'll pretty much have the same functionality as the H320. You'll have to convert the WMA's though. What was wrong with the iRiver BTW? I've had my H320 for nearly 2 years and I've been listening to it at least an hour a day and it hasn't missed a beat.

 

[Gil]

My 2 cents for the iPod.
I have the "little" iPod Nano 4gb model.
I like it fine for music.
It has great capacity. Mine has nearly 650 songs on it.
It has room for several hundred more.
I would like to have one of the bigger ones for movies, etc.
But, I believe that I could drive from Kansas City to Colorado Springs and not hear too many repeats. (I'll be testing that out next month)

On the downside, the battery life on the iPod is kinda short.
I play mine constantly in the car, 40+ minutes each way, and hook it up to the stereo in my office. I have to charge it about every other day. I could likely go to every third day.

I rarely use the earbuds. And the earbuds can get LOUD!! So, you don't have to turn them up too loud.
But when hooked up to a car stereo, or destop unit, it has to be turned up pretty loud which burns up the battery a bit quicker.
But, mostly, it rocks.
It is also really easy for old duffers like me to figure out how to download stuff. Granted, all my stuff is albums. I haven't bought any music from iTunes.
However, to play it on the car stereo you have to either have a newer car with a hook up, an aftermarket stereo with a hook up, or one of the radio transmitters that is powered by the one of the car's power points.
And those run from about 20 - 80 bucks. And they are only "fair to middling" function wise. I find myself changing the station mine transmits to several times during my commute to get rid of static.

 

[V1P3R]

If you buy an iTrip Auto FM Transmitter it will solve your batt issues and no installation to your car. I got one for $25 used and it's been great.

As for the volume issue there's a firm update that you can limit how loud the vol gets.

 

[godzilla_GTR]

ive heard that once you register it with a computer, you cant plug it in to another one otherwise it will be wiped clean. Ive also heard that there's another way around that. .

just don't press sync to this itunes/computer(something like that) when the little box pops up.

 

[SS69]

If you ROCKbox the iPod it'll pretty much have the same functionality as the H320. You'll have to convert the WMA's though. What was wrong with the iRiver BTW? I've had my H320 for nearly 2 years and I've been listening to it at least an hour a day and it hasn't missed a beat.

The iriver i had only works for about 15 minutes then it shuts off. If I have it plugged into the charger it will stay on. I assume there is something wrong with the battery. I contemplated looking for a replacement battery.

 

[SS69]

Ive been reading on it some more and reading reviews. I think the Creative is the better choice. Although, I read one review that says the video on the Creative hiccups every 10-15 minutes due to buffering? Is this true? And is does the Ipod do that? I never had that problem with the iriver.

 

[F1GTR]

The iriver i had only works for about 15 minutes then it shuts off. If I have it plugged into the charger it will stay on. I assume there is something wrong with the battery. I contemplated looking for a replacement battery.

You can easily replace the battery with a better, higher capacity one(It'll be good for 27hrs on a charge). Just ask Slick Rick.

And to be honest if I needed a new DAP I'd get the iPod, simply because it's smaller than the Zen (which is about the same size as the H320) and you'll have alot of 3rd party support.

 

[Sting]

Creative are the one. I have a Creative mp3 player and love it, granted its a Zen Touch and doesnt have video etc, but its a capable mp3 player.

Also remember, Creative have lots of experience with sound as they make soundcards, sound systems etc so they know what they are doing!

 

[benzoboy]

3 Word and 1 Letter...

Creative Zen Vision M, I have one, it's fantastic, 30GB MP4 Player, FM Radio (earPod doesn't have this), Microphone (Nor this) and it has an awesome volume control thing. It is quite big and chunky though, and it scratches easily. But then again, so does the earPod

 

[godzilla_GTR]

3 Word and 1 Letter...

Creative Zen Vision M, I have one, it's fantastic, 30GB MP4 Player, FM Radio (earPod doesn't have this), Microphone (Nor this) and it has an awesome volume control thing. It is quite big and chunky though, and it scratches easily. But then again, so does the earPod

but you can buy those as extras for a few extra bucks, and to tell you the truth i couldnt care for the fm tuner(isnt the reason you buy these to get away from having to listen to the crap on the radio and focus on the stuff you like), and my phone has a microphone that only gets used when im pissed with some mates making dicks of our selves. I can see why some people would want these things(writing a book, where you need the microphone for notes etc) but i personally think it's a waste of space. I guess it comes down to that age old saying ''different strokes, for different folks'' lol.

 

[Joey D]

What's wrong with the Zune? I have one and I love it, I haven't had a single problem with it and the bigger screen is nice. I got it for Xmas so I've had 3 months of listening on it and I probably have it on 8 hours a day at least, more if I'm driving a long ways. I honestly can't see why anyone is hating on it.

 

[V1P3R]

:cough: DRM :cough: :cough: useless WiFi :cough:

 

[Joey D]

The iPod has DRM on it, you have to if you are going to buy songs from a marketplace.

And the WiFi works pretty good, I've transferred a few songs with some of my buddies.