QOTD: Which is Your Next PMP: iPod, Zune, Other?

[randomizer]

None!

 

[Luscious]

HTC Touch HD. I've been a pocket pc user for 5 years, and was doing things back in 2004 with these that not even the iphone today can match. Expensive, yes, but I believe you get what you pay for.

 

[matt87_50]

id get an itouch, but then id have to basically convert to mac just so everything would work nicely, and i could make apps. so no thanks.

 

[Dave_69]

Zune. iTunes sucks.

 

[curnel_D]

I invite anyone to take a look at the trusted reviews at http://www.anythingbutipod.com

I'm up in the air. I want to try out the ZuneHD first. Once I've had some hands on, I'll decide between it and the Cowan player I've had my eye on. If MS makes it very gaming compatible and throws in a decent equalizer into the software, it'll be an obvious choice even if Cowan will always have better sound quality.

 

[curnel_D]

[citation][nom]Square_Head[/nom]For all the Zune supporters, it just shows your hatred for anything superior. Now the new Zune does have some awesome functions (the HD radio tuner is a major benefit), but come on really? Itunes is such an amazing program. I don't buy my music with iTunes, but I DO organize and edit the mp3 tags. It is very simple and intuitive, half the reason to own an ipod. The Zune is another half arsed, half functional, half ipod. There is a reason more people buy ipods than any other mp3 player. Fan boys are what they are, practical people buy what is best and performs the best. In the PMP market, Apple has the crown (and has for the past 5+ years)[/citation]
The pot calling the kettle black. Lol. Do some real research and come back when you've gained just a tad more common sense.

 

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]Square_Head[/nom]There is a reason more people buy ipods than any other mp3 player.[/citation]
Yea, marketing.

 

[zendax]

I currently have an iPod, which I got about a year ago, so I'm not looking to replace it real soon. I actually just paid Apple about $100 to upgrade all my past purchases to iTunes Plus, which means I'm no longer tied to iTunes and the iPod.

The Zune HD is certainly intriguing, but it's way to early to tell if I'm interested. How much battery life? Will there be enough applications to take advantage of the touch screen to really make it worth it? How intuitive will the interface be? How much will it cost? I'd be more than happy to leave Apple, but I'm not eager to crawl into the arms of Microsoft unless the product is really worth it

 

[IzzyCraft]

Anything less then 40 dollars with at least 4 gigs currently using a creative zen x-fi which i mostly got because it comes with decent quality ~40 dollar earphones with different headbud sizes.

 

[doomtomb]

I own a 5th gen Ipod and it does everything I need it to (music & video). If I want internet, I use my laptop. Simple as that.

 

[anamaniac]

If I can afford it, the Sony PSP.
I luff the PSP.

 

[skreenname]

I want the new Zune HD.
Multi touch OLED and the design make it a winner for me.

 

[battery]

Pandora
* ARM® Cortex™-A8 600Mhz+ CPU running Linux
* 430-MHz TMS320C64x+™ DSP Core
* PowerVR SGX OpenGL 2.0 ES compliant 3D hardware
* 800x480 4.3" 16.7 million colours touchscreen LCD
* Wifi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth & High Speed USB 2.0 Host
* Dual SDHC card slots & SVideo TV output
* Dual Analogue and Digital gaming controls
* 43 button QWERTY and numeric keypad
* Around 10+ Hours battery life
open source linux
beats the hell outa the competition

 

[mook33]

Hmm, well there are a LOT of great options out there, but love them or hate them...Apple does have some AMAZING 3rd party support, which is in large-part why I think it will always be the most popular pmp device. I'm not promoting the iphone, but I absolutely love mine, since it integrates into EVERYTHING. When I'm at home, itunes is running on my computer. when I'm in the bedroom, itunes streams my music to a pair of speakers i have in there (airport express)...which i can control volume/track/playlist via my iphone. when i get in the car, i plug my iphone into my car stereo, which plays/controls the music on my iphone, and it can also stream music over pandora over 3g @ nice quality. i teach at a college, and i keep some nice earphones in my bag to use when i want to listen to music on my iphone when i'm not at home (or in the car). and, most importantly, the iphone syncs automatically all my contacts, calendars, etc with all my computers -- whether they're macs or pcs.
for me, it's just amazing.

 

[norbs]

[citation][nom]kami3k[/nom]You act as if Itunes is a advantage for the Ipod LOL. And the Zune software can do the same thing. Hatred against a superior product? Yea that is what you are doing towards the Zune actually. Any way, I'll go Zune HD. I have a Zune 80 right now and I love it. Really would love to hear more info on the Zune HD, sounds amazing so far. Hopefully all the extra rumors about it are true. I would love it if Apple finally got some competition.[/citation] That last line pretty much contradicts everything you said. If apple had no competition that means it was the best product. At least you admit it without knowing it, probably the only way you would.

 

[Guest]

any player capable of delivering great quality sound with multiple formats support (mp3 ogg and flac are a must) plenty of storage (8+)gb, at least 15h battery an a standard mini-usb connection. How many does this leave?

oh, and I'd go for an iPod touch for its apps. But not the music player of choice, definitely.

 

[Tindytim]

I don't understand iTunes.

There are much better apps out there to play and update the information on music, hell WMP11 does a pretty good job. And with my Sansa Clip, I can just drag my music folders onto it's flash memory, just like a thumb drive. I don't need to use crappy software to do so.

 

[mook33]

oh, i did want to say that, while i haven't used one...the x-fi creative line does intrigue me, if audio quality is the bottom line. In my PC (which I hardly ever use anymore, to be honest...) it really did make a significant difference in the quality of mp3's, AAC, etc. My car has something similar to it built-in (a newer pioneer deck), but it would be nice to have that built directly INTO the pmp. Anyone have one & can vouch for the difference being pretty significant?
Kinda sad that creative labs & diamond really got on the bandwagon early (the rio is oooold school, lol!), but fell off the board pretty quickly. I always like to see pioneers do well.

 

[ahmshaegar]

Not looking at any new MP3 player personally. I have an old iPod 2G. Don't remember how I got it, though. Was it a gift? Or did I buy it used? I don't know. It made me sad (messed up on high bitrate MP3s and also never officially got gapless playback), until I discovered rockbox. It's always plugged in; I only listen to music when I'm sitting down, so it's working for me. Drag and drop into folders sure beats any additional management software, IMO.

I don't listen to music on-the-go. If I have my tunes playing, I get so caught up in the music I forget where I'm going. Almost gone run over once. Never listened to music while walking again =D. Then again, I consider the noise of the city to be a kind of music, really. Used to think city noises and sights were ugly, but now I try to find beauty in everything even in this rusty, dusty old town or the dust bunnies in my computer.

But let's say this iPod did die. I don't think I would find a replacement. I'd just play music from the computer or something, since I don't take my music anywhere.

 

[kakkoii]

[citation][nom]The_Blood_Raven[/nom]Well Archos isn't great, atleast the IMT devices and I may be upgrading my Archos 5 60GB to a Cowon P5W if it ever comes out in the U.S., or a 3G Viliv S5. That said I love my Archos, but the build quality is crap and I don't suspect that I will get more than a year or two out of it, hope I'm wrong.Oh and iTunes is not nearly as great as iSheep believe it is, there are plenty of more versatile and better made media organizer programs.[/citation]

Oh don't worry, you are wrong. Archos makes quality products. I've had numerous Archos players. My Archos Gmini 405 is still kicking after 4 years of snowboarding trips.

I'm planning on getting the Archos 5g. Get me sum of that nice 3G internet on it's 800px wide screen with flash support.

 

[sakanagai]

I had used a Creative Zen Jukebox 40GB for a while until it got stolen a few years back. I replaced it with an 20GB iPod 4G and began using the iPod line of players almost exclusively.

I recently got a refurb'ed Zune 30 (not the best unit for comparison, admittedly), but have been fairly impressed all the same. The interface is a little clunky, but my complaints about it are likely remedied in the touchpad/touchscreen versions (read: anything but the model I have) and the battery life is nothing to write home about. On the other hand Zune Pass alone is making a strong argument to make the switch a little more permanent. How can Microsoft have such a difficult time marketing this?

'I'm not sure I want to buy this album. Can I sample it?'
iTunes: 'Sure! For 30 seconds per track and only the thirty seconds we choose.'
Zune Pass: 'Go for it. In fact, put it on your Zune. Enjoy it. If you like it, buy it when you get a chance. No rush, though. Don't forget that you have 10 songs to download for free this month.'

Okay, I know that you are paying for those "free songs" in the subscription, but you get the point. (airquote) $5 (/airquote) for a full try-before-you-buy model is a very powerful tool for a listener on a budget.

 

[Daller]

Sound quality is alpha and omega for me.. well that and battery life. So I'll be getting a Sony again next time.

 

[kakkoii]

[citation][nom]Daller[/nom]Sound quality is alpha and omega for me.. well that and battery life. So I'll be getting a Sony again next time.[/citation]
You should check out the Archos 5/7. They have superb sound quality and broad format support.

 

[powerbaselx]

Apple IPOD without any doubt.

 

[ricardok]

My phone.. Nokia N95 8gb.

My next PMP? Nokia 5800 "Comes with Music"...