Hey flist...

[valis2]

I am looking at buying an MP3 player for myself and one for my dad. I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions.

For my dad, I am looking to stay within the $100-$150 range. He doesn't need a tremendous amount of battery performance, nor a tremendous amount of songs.

I am looking for something with a lot of battery power, and a lot of songs, and I'm more into the $300 range.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I know next to nothing about the subject.

Comments

[pen-and-umbra.livejournal.com]

I'm so very far behind in my stuff...anyway, one additional point I forgot to make in my original essay reply: the importance of the software that goes on your computer.

For example, the contents of iPod player are automatically updated whenever I plug it into my Mac, through the player software I use (iTunes, also available for Windows). I don't need to do anything -- no explicit transfer commands, no need to figure out what's on the player and what I need to move to it, etc. -- except to plug the player in, because it's all automated. Easy peasy. And as a plus, the iPod player also charges its battery through the same FireWire data connection, so as it's transferring music around, it's also charging itself. Very cool indeed.

However, my experience with Rio Riot some years ago was a disaster mostly because of the computer software you used to rip CDs onto mp3's and move the files onto the player. It was a version of RealPlayer (I think) and it was a nightmare to use: confusing navigation, every file needed to be moved from playlist to player manually, it kept crashing my Windows 2000 box, etc. So maintaining and synchronising the player with my available music was mostly why I sold the damn thing and bought an iPod: I want the music transfer to be easy, not a chore that makes me grind my teeth in annoyance every time.

So, anyway, when buying the player, I suggest taking a look at not only the player, but also how comfortable or odd the accompanying software feels to you.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Excellent advice! I will look into this further. Thanks so very much!!