Which i-Pod/ MP3 player do I need?

[Zippa D Doodah]

I will use it mostly while working out on treadmill and lifting weights (hour or so total per day). I'd like to listen to WDW park music I've downloaded here as well as some songs I've downloaded from walmart.com. I know nothing about players. I am thinking I don't need maximum storage, but could be wrong . Which i-Pod or other player holds up best and provides best music quality while being jiggled and jostled during exercise?

TIA

 

[vettechick99]

We have two - the video iPod which is great, and a Samsung mp3 player. The iPod which has 30 gigs, and can hold 20,000 songs, was $250. The Samsung is about 1 G and can hold far fewer (like 150-200) was about $100. But pro to that one is it's size - not any bigger than a matchbook. As far as sound quality, the iPod is slightly better, but only marginally so. They are both excellent.

I would consider a refurbished iPod shuffle with at least 1 G (WDW song files can be pretty large) for $59 or the new one which is teeny tiny for $79. iPod is really user friendly and I think you'd like the product (although I can't say many bad things about my Samsung).

 

[WeirdEyes]

I have the Creative Zen and I love it!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Thanks, vettechick. I forget that there are video i-Pods now. That's a good point you bring up about the size of some WDW sound files. I may need to look at something larger than 1G. I am wondering whether some of the players I see are TOO small, so as not to be user friendly and maybe easily misplaced.

ETA: Can any of these mentioned be placed in holders on the arm?

 

[Micca]

I have the 30gig Ipod video. I think the 60 gig version is the one that holds 20,000 songs. Mine has just over 6000 songs on it right now and has about about 3 gig left before it is full.

Something that nobody mentioned to me when I got my Ipod last Christmas was that if you are using a PC you'll need Windows 2000 or XP. I only had Windows 98 SE and it wouldn't interface with the Itunes software. Most people probably have the Windows upgrades, but thought I'd bring it up just in case. If you have a Mac the Itunes interface should work very simply.

BTW, I have a lot of WDW music on my Ipod. Disney music varies from short little jingles to expansive pieces(like the Fantasmic show).

 

[geffric]

My son wants a ZUNE... http://www.zune.net/en-US/

 

[LoraJ]

You need the 80gb Ipod Video. It's awesome!

 

[Laura]

Thanks, vettechick. I forget that there are video i-Pods now. That's a good point you bring up about the size of some WDW sound files. I may need to look at something larger than 1G. I am wondering whether some of the players I see are TOO small, so as not to be user friendly and maybe easily misplaced.

ETA: Can any of these mentioned be placed in holders on the arm?

You should go in the store--like Best Buy--and take a look at them to check out the sizes. I just got a Zune, but you might want something else. And check how your Disney songs are saved (what kind of file), which could impact your decision. If you want an iPod, they have 2-, 4- and 8-GB iPod Nanos.

Lots of these widgets have armband accessories, and they also serve to protect the player as you exercise. Belkin makes ones with silicone rubber "sleeves" to slip your player into. The iPods are usually very scratchable, but the newer Nanos have a metallic finish that looks much more durable. My Zune has a great matte finish that's pretty rugged.

 

[dcentity2000]

The new iPod Nanos are very snazzy - light, thin, small and with a decent amount of space for songs



Rich::

 

[cardaway]

None of these MP3 players should have issues with movement since there are no moving parts. It's not like the old CD or tape walkmans. Battery life is usually not an issue either since they use very little power.

JMO, but given how small these are getting, the best place to keep the player might be on a hat rather than the arm. I wouldn't want wires coming from my arm to my head if I could help it. It wouldn't be too hard to come up with a way to strap it to a hat that would stay on during excercise.

Besides storage space the most important accesory IMO is the headphones. Just like any other piece of music equipment, the sound is only going to be as good as the speakers you use.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Cool! Thanks for the info everybody. I went into Best Buy the other night and left with more questions than I had when I went in. Those darn things just look so tiny and fragile. Some of you mentioned the Zune. Tha one caught my eye too, since I am pretty much a PC guy (well, notebook computer... but you get the idea) I guess it'll be after Christmas before I buy anything, but if DW asks for hints from me I can point her in the right direction.

 

[escape]

I'm in the search for an mp3 player as well. I want to be able to run with mine so it sounds like we're in about the same boat.

Just an FYI concerning iPods....I've heard that since the regular iPods have a little hard disc versus a flash drive, that they tend to skip some while exercising with them. The Nano and Shuffle, with the flash drives, don't have this problem.

 

[cardaway]

Just an FYI concerning iPods....I've heard that since the regular iPods have a little hard disc versus a flash drive, that they tend to skip some while exercising with them. The Nano and Shuffle, with the flash drives, don't have this problem.

I didn't know there were still any like that.

Don't buy one of those.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I just upgraded yesterday (early Christmas gift). My 6GB mini was full, esp. after that mass of Disney downloads last summer! So now I have a 30GB video Ipod. Just added about 100 songs last night including some longer classical pieces I had been wanting but had no room for. So far, so good and my 11 year old gets my "used" mini.
Robin M.