Tech savvy teens...can you help me

[foxfire]

I would really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions with a gift I want to get my DS for a Christmas surprise. Since it's a surprise, I can't ask his opinion but maybe some of you can help me out.

He loves listening to music so I thought maybe an iPod, Zune, or something like that would be good. I don't know much about any of these so please bear with me if my questions seem silly or dumb to you.

Which is better - iPod? Zune? Or something else?

Why do you think so?

What GB size is "just right"?

Can you download your own music or do you have to buy it? (I know this is probably one of those "dumb" questions! )

Should I look at something that has a video feature? Why yes or why no?

What else do I need to look for in a player?

THANKS in advance for any help you can give me!

 

[BandGeek911]

Which is better - iPod? Zune? Or something else? iPod.

Why do you think so? It's a brand that I completely trust. I know it works.

What GB size is "just right"? I like having the 20GB. It's more $$, but I like having the extra space.

Can you download your own music or do you have to buy it? (I know this is probably one of those "dumb" questions! ) well, you can buy it from iTunes, or download it for free from limewire. But Limewire can give your computer viruses. You can also download CD's on to your ipod.

Should I look at something that has a video feature? Why yes or why no? If you think he's going to watch it. I'm realizing that I don't watch very many video's on my iPod.

What else do I need to look for in a player? Good Quality and good headphones =) I hate those little earbuds. And maybe get a case too. My iPod is a mess.

I really hope I helped =)

 

[Axel]

Which is better - iPod? Zune? Or something else? I'm hoping for an iPod. They're pretty cool and they're compatible with just about anything, but a Zune probably runs best with Windows (if that's you're Operating System). However, with iPod being such a hit, there's no guarantee that Zunes will last very long.

Why do you think so? See above.

What GB size is "just right"? I'd go for an 8GB iPod Nano. That gets you room for 2000 songs, which is enough for me. It also plays videos and stores pictures. According to the Apple website, they no longer manufacture a 20GB iPod and instead have 80GB (20,000 songs), and 160GB (40,000 songs). They have an iPod Touch with 8GB (2000 songs) and 16GB (3500 songs). The iPod Shuffles are 1GB, they don't have video or picture storage and they hold only 240 songs. A shuffle costs $78.82 at Wal*Mart, a 4GB iPod Nano costs $147.88, an 8GB iPod Nano costs $197.88, the 8GB iPod Touch costs $297.88, the 16GB iPod Touch costs $397.88, the 80GB iPod Classic costs $247.88, and the 160GB iPod Classic costs $347.88.

Can you download your own music or do you have to buy it? (I know this is probably one of those "dumb" questions! ) You can download any music that is compatible with the iPod/mp3 player you purchase. All mp3 players will play songs in the .mp3 or .mp4 formats. Most will play music in the .wmv format.

Should I look at something that has a video feature? Why yes or why no? Seeing as the standard for iPods (the Nano) comes with a video feature, you'll probably be hard pressed to find an mp3 player out there that has a decent level of memory (usually 4GB and higher) that doesn't have a video feature.

What else do I need to look for in a player? I'd stick with an iPod. I bought a Sony mp3 player about a year or so ago and it is the best thing I've ever heard music on, but unfortuneatly, Sony fell to the power of Apple and they have discontinued their service. The music quality was excellent, but was only playable on a Sony player. Beware the power of the iPod. It is currently the reigning king in the mp3 player world and although Zune/Microsoft are giving Apple a run for their money, people will tend to stick with what they know and that's the iPod for most people.

If you need anything else, here's the links to Wal*Mart's online mp3 player directory and Apple's Online Catalogue.

Hope this helped!

 

[Pirate Me]

One more thing...I would suggest you get a warantee for your iPod. They tend to break/stop working easily. It's better to be safe then get a new iPod. If it breaks and you don't have a warantee, they won't fix it.

 

[CastawayJ]

Which is better - iPod? Zune? Or something else? sandisk

Why do you think so? you get everything from an iPod but with less cost and you can get music from anywhere

Can you download your own music or do you have to buy it? you can download own music with no extra cost

Should I look at something that has a video feature? Why yes or why no? no, too much memory and takes too much battery

 

[schmitty]

Which is better - iPod? Zune? Or something else? I would go with iRiver, Archos, Cowon, Creative, or Samsung

Why do you think so? They are great names for MP3 players and make quality products at good prices that last. iRiver and Cowon support tons of formats for both audio and video so you won't ever need to convert anything to get them onto your mp3 player. They are also drop and drag players so all you have to do is drag the song from where ever it is and put it in the folder for the mp3 player.

What GB size is "just right"? Any player with an SDHC card expansion port. WIth that you can put as much music and movies you want on to. Its a memory card that is now up to 32 GB so you can choose however much you want and you can always buy more and swap them out if needed.

Can you download your own music or do you have to buy it? (I know this is probably one of those "dumb" questions! )You can download or buy it does not matter. What matters most is the format of the mp3.

Should I look at something that has a video feature? Why yes or why no? Most players have video now standard unless you grab one of those 1 GB players.

What else do I need to look for in a player? Battery life. Cowon D2 has 52 hours of battery life.
If I was to buy a new MP3 player I would get an iRiver Clix gen2 or a Cowon D2. iRiver will be coming out with some amazing players very soon though.

 

[foxfire]

This is the first chance I've had to get back since I posted the other day. Thanks to ALL of you who took the time to reply! Wow, you guys sure know your stuff about this. You have given me a lot of very helpful information and I feel better now about knowing what to look for. Hopefully, I will wind up making a good decision on what to purchase.

Again, a big THANKS for all of your help. I truly do appreciate it.....have a wonderful holiday season and a very Merry Christmas!