Why the iPod? What makes it better than the others?
Found this surfing, looks like I'll be checking out an iPod, but muck may want to stick with flash based players.
'Apple 10 GB iPod (Mac/Win)'
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PROS: I finally broke down and bought one of these, so I can tell you from personal experience that it's well worth the investment. The iPod is very small, especially for a hard drive-based player. It fits easily and comfortably into your pocket, and the included earbuds are probably the best set you'll ever own. The LCD display allows for file browsing and the like; very easy to use. As with all Apple products, it looks absolutely stunning, and the build-quality is second to none. The iPod is available in three sizes (10GB, 20GB and 40GB), each successively more expensive. The 20GB and 40GB models each come with a charging/syncing dock, a handy remote and a minimalist belt clip. Oh, and the unit works fine with either Macs or PCs (I've used it on both), so breathe easy.
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CONS: None. I feel I should take a moment to dispel a myth, however. The fact that the iPod doesn't have a user-replaceable battery has been a subject of hot debate recently, which was why I hesitated to buy one at first. Now that I own one, I find this to be a silly argument. True, the internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery is not USER-replaceable, but that's not to say it can't be replaced. Apple offers a very capable repair service if the battery ever dies. Yes, you have to pay for the service (except, of course, in the unlikely event that the battery dies under warranty), but you'd have to pay for a new battery too, even if it were user-replaceable, so it seems like a win-win situation to me.
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FLASH-BASED MP3 PLAYERS
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If you’re looking for a player that’s small, rugged and portable, you might be in the market for a flash memory-based MP3 player. While they don't have nearly the memory capacity of their hard drive-based cousins, the coolest thing about these little guys (besides how tiny they are) is that they have no moving internal parts. In other words, it's impossible for them to skip --
great for people who jog or go to the gym. .
The downside to these, of course, is memory-related. While some flash-based players offer a SD or MMC media port for memory expansion, most of the smallest—and coolest—players aren’t expandable. But then again, you generally don’t buy a flash-based player for expandability, you buy it for portability.
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As for recommended players…
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'Digitalway MPIO DMK 128 MB MP3 Player (Titanium Silver)'
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PROS: Slick design, awesome price, and compatible with Macs or PCs.
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CONS: Shallow earbuds. Skimpy features.
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'iRiver iFP-190T 256 MB Digital Audio Player'
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PROS: This small, sleekly-designed unit features awesome sound output, a rich menu system, a vivid, backlit LCD screen, and excellent battery life (about 20 hours on a single AA alkaline). Oh, and don’t forget the FM receiver, or even the voice-recording capabilities for voice notes or class lectures. Best of all, the 256MB of flash memory will store about 4 hours of CD-quality MP3s or 8 hours of CD-quality WMAs. It also supports both Macs and PCs (though the Mac version of the software isn’t included with the player; you’ll have to download it from the
http://www.iriver.com). Unfortunately, Amazon.com doesn't carry the latest iFP models; the iFP-300 line improves on the features and design.
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CONS: Expensive.
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