Mp3 player and software?

[saucyjack]

Looking to get a decent Mp3 player.

 

Probably not Ipod...I want something with Fm capability and some recording capability would be cool too.

 

So Far the Creative and I-Audio stuff looks cool...but I'm reluctant to spend $300.

 

I'm thinking I could get by with like a 4-10gb...especially if there was a way to to shuffle the playlist from a masterlist.

 

In other words is there a way to download a random mix of your tunes from the computer-fill up the mp3 player- so you have a different playlist every few weeks to listen to?

[MorePaul]

How much of a biggie is the recording

 

and how good does that need to be (like lecture recording? or the audio equiv of the cell phone camera? or a lo-fi-ish "crime of opportunity" type deal...or more like real "field recording"?)

 

I kind of think (am I'm not fully hip to the current crop) that this is still the area that is baking and might not be "quite there" yet

[saucyjack]

 

Originally posted by MorePaul How much of a biggie is the recording and how good does that need to be (like lecture recording? or the audio equiv of the cell phone camera? or a lo-fi-ish "crime of opportunity" type deal...or more like real "field recording"?) I kind of think (am I'm not fully hip to the current crop) that this is still the area that is baking and might not be "quite there" yet

 

 

Not a biggie I guess...more like on the fly field stuff.Just the ability to do some would be cool.

[MorePaul]

I *think* I get ya, but just so I'm clearr

 

when you say "field stuff" are we talking like music, nature sounds, lecture?

 

so like :

Does it need to be stereo?

would not-so-great AGC bug you ?

internal mic needed?

 

OR is it more of a "neat to have" but no deal breaker (I get the sense this is more your deal...yes?)

 

Is $300 the stretch numbeR? (ie you ARE wiling to pay that...if you MUSt, but are more like in the $225 range or something as the comfort zone)

 

How much play time do you actually think you need?

 

Have you owned an MP player before (ie do you have a "well, this is the way I use it" habit already or are you still feeling that out? -- I bring that up b/c sometimes the larger storage seems sexy, but you might find yourself working in more that..."Oh I hook the bad boy up every few days and download 'moodlist' stuff"...mode and having the bigger storage is kind of a wash there)

 

[Note : also with internal battery/charge off your computer devices, I find myself hooking up anyway to get the charge]

 

 

There are a few of the larger SS memory cheapies with FM tuners for real cheap -- I can't really comment on their quality, but it might be a way to get your feet wet if you're still feeling the whole thing out

eh, an option, I'm not convinced it's the right one either, but thought I'd bring it up

[MorePaul]

Oh, one thing about the "less expensive" (even cheapy) route I like

 

Being portable "action gear" I sort of like having a beater

If you get one that is a big outlay for ya (and that price point may vary with your finances)...is it going to be "precious"??

Are you going to be OK with throwing it your pocket, it getting dropped occassionally, misplaced or all that kind of crap

 

 

Personally, I've gotten the best ROI on some beater equipment b/c of that

 

(avoiding that "my digital camera is so cool and expensive I'm terrified to take is camping" deal)

[saucyjack]

I will be using it Biking and on trips,etc.

The "beater" concept is right on the mark.

I can afford the $300 models but am reluctant to spend this on a portable hard disk that will fail in a few years.

 

I'm thinking a 2gb Flash player might suit my needs well...

 

Iaudio U3?

 

If I'm able to constantly update the 2gb with a new influx of tunes(preferably via software automatically)every few weeks I would be happy.

 

The ability to record is proabably not a deal breaker.

FM is a must.

[MorePaul]

Back a few years ago, My Rio 500 used o jump out of my jersey regularly...it's been pretty much constant use for Oh, abt, what 6-7 years and refuses to die

 

Q :how long are your trips?

 

I ask b/c of --

 

1) storage capacity -- ie you want to have enough "fresh" programming to sustain your trip (FWIW - audiobooks/spoken word...you can compress the {censored} out of em for roadtrips)

 

[now the removable mem units...you've got the love and the hate there...it's scalable in that you can get extra memroy and it makes "storage" sort of fungible if you move to a different player and such...of course, the hate comes from having extra dealies to drop and lose and sit on]

 

2) battery life -- for full on road trips, cycle touring, you may want to consider the "powerpack" and if that is modular or if you wil be able to recharge it in the field

[i've actually carried 2 iPods before for that reason]

 

I'm not real famiiar with the unit you mention

 

sorry - I seem to have more questions than answers

[MorePaul]

One thing I found with cycling...It wasn't a random play I wanted, but a planned play

 

after a while I would tune music mixes to match the ride and would even set the pace to my training zone .I wouldn't sit down and do BPMs or anything, but I'd ride a playlist and think..."man, this is where I've got to Jam...so I'm gonna rotate out song x and put something there to light a fire under my ass"

And I'd have a mix that was real squirrelly and a mix that wass "I'm a bit tired" off-day and such

 

For longer rides that where more "ass in the saddle trudge" I'd get something more contemptative or sometimes audiobook

 

Not that the "random drop" deal isn't cool too - but just one of those things I find if you are cycling

[saucyjack]

I used to ride more-about 400 miles/week but mostly now 1-3 hour rides.So I don't think Battery life is a huge issue.

 

I'm figuring 2gb would hold around 500 songs which sounds cool as long as I could change the 500 around.

[MorePaul]

Where I found battery interchange to be an issue was road trip / touring

where it wasn't so much "single use, then back to the charger" but where I had to swap out batteries

 

This may not really be that much of an issue for ya (esp if the trips you mentioned are by car or you are staying in hotels and stuff you can get a charger)

But did want to bring it up

 

You may want to consider the mechanical durabiity a little more than most -- no matter how well you think you secure em, somehow they figure out a way tto jump out on the odd roubaix section or when you are in front of the F-350

 

I guess 500 sounds abt right...seems like I dunno abt a "cds worth" (say 50-70 mins) per 64 is what I practically get (much more for low quality spoken word)..well maybe a litle less, but anyway, about "a riding hour" at 64 where maybe there are some minutes of silence, but in there somewhere

 

Swapping the tunes out isn't a biggie -- I'm not sure what packages allow for "random mode" and I suppose it depends on how the player interfaces as to what's out there

[MorePaul]

hey

 

doesn't that U3 have video?

 

is that of importance to ya?

 

(though, with the newest of the new gen, I'm not sure it's something you get to avoid to increase audio value...kinda like cams on mobile phones these days)

 

I don't have any numbers -- jsut the form factor on that unit makes me worry about mecanicl durability -- could be nothing, but then again...

[MorePaul]

surpuscomputers

 

has some uber cheapies

 

I can't really comment on and am somewhat dubious) of the quality, but it might give you an option to "get a feel for the lifestyle"

 

inexpensiely and could be sold or used as the "oh, it's gonna get banged up" box (my "it's gonna get banged up" box outlives the other stuff..)

[John Sayers]

The new Nokia N91 mobile phone will have what you asked for.

It has 4gig of memory for music, inbuilt Window Media Player 10 create your own playlists and connect to puter via USB2 or LAN.

2 megpix Camera with Zoom - either stills or video record. Built in FM tuner. Can connect to web for emails etc. 3.5mm stero jack for connection to your hifi.

 

Oh - and it is also a phone.

 

 

cheers

john

[MorePaul]

What's the price point?

 

Potential concern -- how's the durability? (esp as our boy is using during active sport)

 

[i bring it up b/c it's been my experience (so it's just anecdotal0 that my mobile phones haven't been as rugged as my MP3 players...sort of a broad brush, yes. And I suppose the only design particulars might be the inclusion of the speaker/mic providing extra moisture vulnerability...or perhaps it has do to with the old gen having to be comfortably hand-held to the head.

but, yeah, I get a tad worried]

 

 

 

Note : hey, anyone know of a good ruggedized mobie phone?

I don't care abt big feature sets...just durability, preferably water resistance and impact resistance