difference bewtween MP3 and ipod

[Praying Colonel]

I had an iRiver for my first mp3 player, and then I had 2 Creatives. I finally made the move to iPod because I had to go through about 5 steps to sync podcasts to my Creative and remove podcasts I'd listened to. With iPod, all I had to do was plug it in and it would sync podcasts to my iPod automatically and remove ones I'd listened to.

Same with music--if I add files (either AAC or mp3) to iTunes, it syncs automatically onto my iPod when I plug it in. And I can purchase music from any site that has unprotected mp3s (e.g., Amazon, eMusic) and it has a plug-in that will store it in my iTunes library automatically.

I just found it to be a much more seemless process for the stuff I listen to. YMMV, and you may end up going the route I went through before you find something you're satisfied with, whether it's iPod or something else.

 

[lalagrace]

It is totally possible to load your current cd collection onto your computer and then add the songs to your IPod. I never have any problems with battery life due to the fact I sync my ipod almost nightly. I second the manual sync for songs, that way I can decide which songs/ podcasts I want to lisen to. It is also totally easy to add books on cd etc.
i do wish there was a way to increase the memory, but truthfully, my 8g nano can hold a dozen podcasts, 4 books on tape, and about 200 songs.
That is plenty for my usuage.
It is so easy to use my 4 yr old can do it.
I was resistant to the technology, but now I love love love it!
Good luck with whatever you decide.
PS now there are reburbished shuffels(sp) at apple for $39.

 

[PatriciaH]

I'm 26 and can't see spending the money for an IPOD. I have had the same MP3 player for about 6 years and it still works great. I download or rip CDs to Windows Media Player and then drag them to the MP3 playlist...this works great. I usually rip the songs I want from CDs for trips or working out, I can't see spending $100+ for and IPOD and then have to pay to download songs to it...seems like a waste of money.

You can do the same exact thing with an iPod. You don't have to download songs.

 

[EvanMaddieMouse]

Anyway, you can try out an MP3 for cheap, if you buy today at Woot sellout:

http://sellout.woot.com/Default.aspx?WootSaleId=7662&ts=1229091620&sig=cceba6552807c46f

I have MP3s (many that I have gotten during woot-offs, lol) and they have held up well for me. I just totally revamped one to play Disney and Christmas music for our drive down, if the free device makes it here in time (the one on 1saleaday last week that connects your player with your radio).

It was a pain learning how to get the songs OFF the player though.

I better go start packing now!

 

[Lyric]

I am a huge Apple nut, so my comments are definitely biased. However, I LOVE iPods. I have had one semi-generic MP3 player which died a painful death. It wasn't well made, and when I dropped it the battery cover broke off, destroying the whole unit.

Since then, I have had a 1st-gen Shuffle, 3rd-gen iPod, iPod nano (don't remember the generation), and am getting ready to buy another iPod. All the iPods are still going strong. The one downside to iPods is the battery: it is a non-user-replaceable lithium battery that eventually wears out. My 3rd generation iPod doesn't hold a charge for longer than an hour or so, so I gave it to my Dad. We have a little iPod stereo in the garage (which charges it too!), and the setup works PERFECTLY for him. It's really saying something that he can use it, as he has 100% refused to learn how to use a computer. He uses his iPod almost nightly! That's how user-friendly they are.

Back to the battery, you CAN buy kits to change it yourself, but that isn't recommended except for highly tech-savvy users. Keep in mind that it also voids your warranty. Apple will replace the battery for you, for a cost. In actuality, they will most generally just ship you a refurbished iPod, so if you get an iPod and ultimately go this route yeeeears later, make sure your child has their songs backed up before you ship it away.

I download my music almost solely from Amazon for 99-cents each. Every thing I can't find through Amazon is purchased through the iTunes music store (iTMS). No, you can't play WMA files on your iPod, and no you can't play AAC files on your non-iPod players. Of course, you can also "rip" existing CDs and play them on both iPod and non-iPod music players.

iPods do have built-in memory rather than SD cards (or another form of removable media), but the built-in memory options tend to be way larger than what most people need. I'd say the exceptions to this are the Nano and the Shuffle. I use the shuffle exclusively for walking- it holds a smattering of songs... not my whole library by any means. I also have a Nano which holds a fair amount of music, but their capacity is still fairly low and fairly easy to grow out of. My Nano doesn't quite hold my entire library and that's a real drag. If you want something that will last for a few years, I would go with an iPod classic. They're a bit larger than a Nano, but they have huge capacities-- more than what most people need.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I am not much help with non-iPod players, but am comfortable talking and answering questions about iPods.

 

[CarolA]

T.
By the way, (and I know I'll get flamed for this but...) my husband downloads all my music for me and he uses the software Limewire and I know for a fact he doen't pay not one singel cent of those .99 cents that you pay when using iTunes.

Well.... while I don't really mean to flame is it really wise to broadcast that your husband is violating the law?

This is theft. And it's no different then walking into WalMart and walking out with the CD without paying!

And since the budget board seems to have a large portion of folks who might be tempted.


12-Year-Old Sued for Music Downloading
NEW YORK — The music industry has turned its big legal guns on Internet music-swappers — including a 12-year-old New York City girl who thought downloading songs was fun.

Brianna LaHara said she was frightened to learn she was among the hundreds of people sued yesterday by giant music companies in federal courts around the country.

"I got really scared. My stomach is all turning," Brianna said last night at the city Housing Authority apartment where she lives with her mom and her 9-year-old brother.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,96797,00.html

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

CarolA has a point about illegal downloads (although I do take exception to the remark that BB posters are more likely than anyone else to be tempted to do this).

Music and video files are copywritten materials. When you purchase a CD or buy a file to download, you are purchasing certain rights to copy those files to your portable device. It is illegal to upload copywritten files to the internet for others to download and it is illegal to download those files. I know that there are many, many people who do this on a regular basis without consequence. But just like breaking the speed limit, just because it seems as if everyone is doing it that does not make it right. It's against the law and we don't want to encourage it here on the DIS.

FWIW, if you're a Pepsi drinker, you can get free music downloads at Amazon.com by entering Pepsi codes and redeeming them for MP3 music files.

But, hey, the OP isn't asking about how to get free or cheap music. The question is about the difference between MP3 players and iPods. Let's try to stick to that and leave the copyright stuff to greater leagal minds for debate.

 

[CarolA]

CarolA has a point about illegal downloads (although I do take exception to the remark that BB posters are more likely than anyone else to be tempted to do this).

See photopass sharing....enough said!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

See photopass sharing....enough said!

Take it up with the webmasters if you have an issue with photopass sharing. They have decided that the shares are okay and chose the Budget Board as a forum for it. Let's not let that color our opinions of the good people who read and post on this board.

 

[Strangeite]

Buy the iPod. The best price you will find is buying a refurbished iPod directly from Apple.com. Here is the link directly to the refurbished iPods on Apple's site. Your child will not know that it is refurbished and it comes with the exact same warranty as a new one.

Take it up with the webmasters if you have an issue with photopass sharing. They have decided that the shares are okay and chose the Budget Board as a forum for it. Let's not let that color our opinions of the good people who read and post on this board.

I know that I am taking us further off topic but I am very anti-DRM and as such am almost religious about NOT stealing copyrighted material to give further justification for more draconian DRM methods.

Soooooooo, I am curious, what was the webmasters rational for thinking that photopass sharing was not stealing? How is it any different than walking into Wal-Mart and buying a DVD with money you pooled with five of your friends, taking it home and burning four copies and handing them out to said friends?

I really am not trying to flame. I really am curious as to the logic behind the decision.

 

[LovinPooh]

I just bought my DD8 a cheap MP3 player for xmas. I figured since she is only 8 that I wouldnt spend the extra on an Ipod. Now I am completely dumb with all of this. I listen to my Sirius and that would be it lol. It says it comes with 50 free songs from emusic. Turns out you need to pay $12/month subscription. I am sure DD will figure this all out before me, but are there any other sites that would be easier/cheaper to use. She doesnt need that many songs. I think 50 would be more than enough to download the freaking Jonas Bros and Hannah
and is that all it is... plug into the computer, pick which songs you want and it will download to the MP3 player? Or does it download to your computer and then you download to MP3 player?

I feel so technologically dumb

 

[Strangeite]

I just bought my DD8 a cheap MP3 player for xmas. I figured since she is only 8 that I wouldnt spend the extra on an Ipod. Now I am completely dumb with all of this. I listen to my Sirius and that would be it lol. It says it comes with 50 free songs from emusic. Turns out you need to pay $12/month subscription. I am sure DD will figure this all out before me, but are there any other sites that would be easier/cheaper to use. She doesnt need that many songs. I think 50 would be more than enough to download the freaking Jonas Bros and Hannah
and is that all it is... plug into the computer, pick which songs you want and it will download to the MP3 player? Or does it download to your computer and then you download to MP3 player?

I feel so technologically dumb

If she already owns the CDs, she can put the music from the CDs onto the MP3 player. If she does not, then you are going to need to buy them. I know Pepsi offers free songs. The catch is that not all online music retailers sell all songs. Sooo, if there are specific songs she wants, then she is going to need to find an online retailer that sells those songs.

 

[LovinPooh]

okay... I guess I should start drinking Pepsi LOL!!!
Thanks for the help. I guess it isnt as hard as it all seems. I'll see how she handles this cheap one and then maybe move onto the Ipod. I only paid $29 for it at JCPenney.com. Regularly $99. So if she breaks it, no biggie.

ahh... the thoughts of not having to listen to her Jonas Bros cd....

 

[Strangeite]

No problem. None of them are that hard to work. And if she breaks it and wants to upgrade, you can find iPod shuffles in the $40 range refurbished.

BTW, I am still curious about the rationale for allowing photopass sharing.

 

[Kycha]

I just bought my DD8 a cheap MP3 player for xmas. I figured since she is only 8 that I wouldnt spend the extra on an Ipod. Now I am completely dumb with all of this. I listen to my Sirius and that would be it lol. It says it comes with 50 free songs from emusic. Turns out you need to pay $12/month subscription. I am sure DD will figure this all out before me, but are there any other sites that would be easier/cheaper to use. She doesnt need that many songs. I think 50 would be more than enough to download the freaking Jonas Bros and Hannah
and is that all it is... plug into the computer, pick which songs you want and it will download to the MP3 player? Or does it download to your computer and then you download to MP3 player?

I feel so technologically dumb

I have a feeling you and your DD will be very disappointed in the selections of music at emusic. Personally, I love it. But, they deal mainly in music from independent labels. And I'm pretty sure the Jonas Bros and Hannah Montana are not on that list. I would definitely search their database to see if there is anything you are interested in before purchasing a subscription.

 

[LovinPooh]

Okay, I will do that. Are there any other good sites that we can check out for this kind of music for her. I really dont want a subscription to anything. Just to buy her some tunes.

 

[burberryplaid]

BTW, I am still curious about the rationale for allowing photopass sharing.

I think perhaps you should PM a Webmaster about this privately. This thread isn't about Photopass Shares

Ahem, now about the MP3 Vs. Ipod, I don't think I could use an MP3 player. Ipod is so easy to use, I think even DH's grandma could do it! And just to reaffirm the point, no you do not have to buy music. You can take it from the CDs you already own. We did that and put all our CDs in storage!

Good luck deciding!

 

[NotUrsula]

LovinPooh, you can buy a lot of the really popular stuff on the WalMart music site for $99/song. My kids are always getting Walmart Online GC's from relatives, and this is what they use them for.

 

[mana_liz]

You can do the same exact thing with an iPod. You don't have to download songs.

I know you can do that as well...but I still can't see spending the extra money on an IPOD, when an MP3 player will do the same thing cheaper. Most people do buy or want the ITune downloads that you do pay for.

 

[CarolA]

Take it up with the webmasters if you have an issue with photopass sharing. They have decided that the shares are okay and chose the Budget Board as a forum for it. Let's not let that color our opinions of the good people who read and post on this board.

Has anyone ever tried to contact a webmaster? I have! It's not easy! LOL!