Ipods

Now that's a hard one to answer. Depends how soon you get tired of a relatively small number of tracks. You might build up a collection of mp3 music on your computer and just change the tracks around as you get sick of what you have been listening to. The shuffle just grabs tracks at random, which might, or might not, suit the way you want to listen. If you want to choose particular tracks to listen to, you need something with a screen.
Try googling for CNET on the web . They have lots of reports on the plusses and minuses of many different models.

We used a 20G Ipod around OZ 2006/7 and we had over 3000 songs using less than 1/2 its capacity so plenty of variety. Also a few photos of the grand kids for beer o'clock bragging. Very useful bit of gear for a long trip.

Eric
I wouldn't be bothered with Ipods, With a 2gb flash drive and a car Radio with USB port it would not matter how rough the road is it will not and cannot skip, 858 songs @1.96 gb depends on how long the songs are,

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My daughter is about to return her 3rd Ipod..Seems the newer models have some corrupted software.
At least Apple know the problem exists and change over a new unit each time, but daughter complains of the lost songs and time loading that data.
Maybe we'll attempt to get a refund this time.
Cheers, and good luck with your choice.

Eric,
The ipod shuffle is designed to be very minimal. If you are not into technology then they are pretty easy to use as you don't get any choice of what you are going to listen to. If you want to have some control over what you listen to get the smallest Nano although they are $200. The shuffle has just been reduced to $65.
Good luck.
http://store.apple.com/133-622/WebObjects/australiastore

I maybe wrong here...BUT I was under the impression that ipods don't take normal mp3 files??? they use their own coding???...
So maybe a normal MP3 player with screen might be the go...

likesandisk 2gb player.....

Just an example, I have no experience with them at all

I use my mobile phone with a 4gb card...can plug in to my stereo like Doug....plus its mobile....and its a phone

Cheers Stefan

We have a two year old ipod which is around 30GB and half full and I love it to bits. Just bought hubby one of the new 80GB ones for Xmas and had no problems so far (touch wood).

Originally we bought the first one just to store photos when doing a three week trip to South America but now use it for everything including music, store photos, address book, diary.

We download both ipods from the same list of music on the computer so not sure how you can loose songs though??

If you are doing lots of walking the smaller nano might be better for you but not sure if they have all the same functions as the larger model.

I would get a "normal" mp3 player myself.

I don't like only being able to download from one pc only, or having to erase the whole ipod shuffle when switching to another pc to add songs.

My .02

Stu

Shuffles the go for walking - no buyng extra arm bands etc. Just clip on you belt and go. Good sound too.

Have just got a 1gb for $59.

With no screen you've got to take what comes when playing - but you can set to shuffle. When you've got 200+ songs on there you can't just dial in the next album, song or artist.

I only put 50 -100 songs on so I can click fwd. Every week or so I put something new on.

Eric,

I'd recommend spending a little $ more to get iPod with a colour screen, it gives the ability to watch movies, load photos etc.

We have 4 ipods in our family of four. 1 X 30gig, 2 x 1gig nano's and a shuffle. They all have thier strengths and weaknesses.

I beleive the strength of this product range is -

1) The iTunes database is simply fantastic. Use this to copy your CD's import songs from other data sources, and buy song or albums. The organisation of your files and search facilities is IMHO excellent. The best part (or two parts) for me is the ability to use the iPod as a 30gig hard drive, and secondly, the ability to synchronise all of my contacts and selected photographs onto the ipod when going away fro a week or so.

2) iPod had 75% of the world market in personal MP3 players (yes it plays mp3 files as well)

3) Sound quality is excellent, especially if you get a set of decent in-ear headphones.

4) There is a resale value on iPods, which is vitually non-existent in other brands.

5) Function is intuitive, the click wheel works very well.

6) Other large audio companies are basing thier systems around iPod technology and functionality e.g. Alpine are stucturing thier car audio line to operate in an identical manner to ipod (functionality).

7) My wife and I enjoy sudoku, and for $8 we bought the Sudoku game for iPod 30gig which work very well, especially for car trips.


Just my two cents worth. Other brands are probably just as good in many ways, maybe even better.

I hope this helps - Cheers

Wife and I both have iPod shuffles. Think mine is 2G. We both record our favourite music. Sometimes use them when travelling, but the main use is on quiet nights at the camp fire. Tilt back the reclining camp chair, gaze up at the stars, share an ear piece each and just 'droid' with the music. Anything from AC/DC to 1812 Overture.

We also have a little FM transmitter that plugs into the ipod. During the day while camping, if we want music and our of radio range, we tune the transmitter and our portable radio to the same frequency and presto, our own radio station. Works over about 50 m.

Go for it. Great device. Easy to use, and these days, excellent value.

I had a trip to the south the other day and my original MP3 player was given to one of the grandkids. I bought another one for $9.00 and a 1 gig SD card for $14.00. Plenty of music for the trip. Not bad sound if you like those piddly little ear things. I used a decent pair of headphones.

Pooley

I just bought my wife a 160gb ipod classic with the colour screen. It was expensive but i'd been promising for a long time, it was $450. She's got 15gb of music, 40gb of photos and the thing still has over 100gb left. She's always downloading podcasts or whatever they are and she gets a whole heap from abc and disney channel online for our daughter to watch in the car or out an about. It's fantastic and all we'll (she'll) ever need. For peats sake, 160gb! I just gotta figure out how to use it, but it's her toy... for what it is i'm impressed. I would have never bought one but i'm changed after seeing it.

keep on jeepin'

cheers

I have a Zen mp3 player and have loaded several talking books. If I am on a long drag I can choose a book or music. Most libraries have heaps of talking books these days.

I have Zen Vision:m very similar to an Ipod Classic but with some advantages, it can load songs using windows media player (which every windows pc has), it has a built in radio, it plays Divx movies without reencoding & and can play them back on the TV & also I can plug my digital camera directly into it and upload all my photo`s if my flash card is getting full (very handy if away without a pc).
There are many Mp3 players out there not just Ipods check out here to give you an idea.

I would purchase an use an iPod. There software is very user unfriendly.

If you check out the computer magazines you will find that many other brands rate a lot higher.

iPod are one of the worst MP3 players but have the best marketing.



Tjilpi