ipod vs noname mp3 players

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DigitalSoldier

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So whats the difference between getting an ipod nano for R1700 and a normal no name mp3 player for R300 except the price and ipod being the "cool" factor at the moment ?
 
DigitalSoldier said:
So whats the difference between getting an ipod nano for R1700 and a normal no name mp3 player for R300 except the price and ipod being the "cool" factor at the moment ?
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Well, an ipod that costs R1700 is probably a 20GB, or at least a 6GB. A R300 MP3 player will most likely be a 256Mb, maybe a 512MB if you're lucky (and buying a piece of crap).
 
I agree with Dae Ja Voo, it's all about space DS, get yourself a 1Gb Nano ;)
 
Also the no-names are dedicated MP3 players, the iPod has picture and video capabilities as well. Plus there are alot more accessories available for iPods such as the wireless FM transmitter that will let you use your iPod in your car.
 
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I saw on the South African Apple store the 2gig Ipod nano for R1700.00 . The nano looks nice and all but what I want to know is it worth it spending cash like that on an mp3 player where I can get a cheap mp3 player for R250-R500.
 
Highflyer said it best :), get the 1GB from ZAstore, then it's money well spent for features<>expense ratio.
 
hey thanks a lot teraside they are a lot cheaper and they got the black nano in stock. But have any1 bought from them ?
 
DigitalSoldier said:
I saw on the South African Apple store the 2gig Ipod nano for R1700.00 . The nano looks nice and all but what I want to know is it worth it spending cash like that on an mp3 player where I can get a cheap mp3 player for R250-R500.
Click to expand...

Dude, read my first reply again. The MP3 player for R250 will be very small, most likely a 256MB, whereas the nano you mentioned is a 2GB, which is 8 times the size...
 
It depends on what you want to do. I bought a Sandisk 1GB Mp3 player with FM radio* while i was overseas for like R800 and still loving it [this was year+ ago, now the player goes for like R500]. Meantime i got all kinds of other devices [cellphone/pda] which can play Mp3s but i STILL use my 1GB player everywhere.

*Ipods usually do not have FM radio built-in [ need an accessory add-on = more cash] , oddly enough these cheap below R1k players DO...so consider carefully ;)

Things to consider [or what i considered anyway]:

1. Batteries :
(a) chargable built-in lithium types vs.
(b) normal AAA types of batteries [replacable + portable]

Players with >2GB space usually do not use flash hard disks = need more power and usually need to be charged like you would charge a cellphone. I dunno about the battery-life you get out of an ipod, but i'd say it depends on what you do with it [8 or so hours of mp3 listening i'd estimate]. Generally i've found the more bells and whistles the device have the shorter the battery life in the end.

Some Flash disk players [like my 1GB player] use a single AAA battery [can use rechargables too] . I get 15+ hours of play out of it , and i prefered this because i could pack in a 4 pack of batteries and will be set for a week+ of constant play without needing a power supply [i toured europe on trains with this].

2. Do you want an MP3 player or do you want an entertainment system. Ipods play movies and photos as well, but i personally don't think the movie thing is practical yet [in general]. It is all nice on paper, but it eats your battery-power , i doubt you will
be watching more than 2-3 hours on it before the battery goes down. [nevermind the screen is too small...ESPECIALLY if you go for the nano..i wouldn't want to watch a movie on a nano]. If it's about watching movies on small screens, then just get a cellphone with at least TV/internet-TV abilities as well.

3. Are you going to use the storage. I've found 1GB is quite sufficient to listen for quite some time before getting a need for new songs. Having 40GB i know full well i will STILL only listen to a small amount of the music of it in a particular week/month. If i want something to store files and documents, then i would rather get a portable harddisk for much cheaper [80GB+ usb powered HD for R600-R800 etc].


But i must say, i wouldn't go for anything LESS than 1GB for MP3 players. THese 512MB/256MB mp3 players is a waste of money, rather get a cheap R100-R200 flashdisk if you just want to store files.
 
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Well the cheap noname brand ones break really easily. I know 2 people who have different brand name mp3 players, which are both exactly the same. The first person got it as a gift and is now broken, less than a year old. The second person is on his second one now and the screens seems to be getting loose. So I would say, appart from space there is also an issue of quality.
 
Should have probably mentioned this earlier but I got one of those very very small build JNC mp3 players and it got only 128mb memory, got it about a year ago as a gift but it can play about 15songs and then the battery dies. Thats why I am looking at an alternative but the price of the Ipod is a bit much compared to other players with more memory
 
darn i want one.. uhm i wonder how soon a new version will be coming out since flash capacities have increased esp with the multi or tri voltage bit thing..
 
I already have one so I'd wait and see what they come up with during next month's WDCC.

If you're chomping at the bit I dont think you'll be disappointed with one of the current models though.
 
As an alternative, purely flash based player, I would really recommend the creative MuVo. They come in 512MB and 1GB flavours, and work like a charm. They are cheaper than the iPod's but more expensive than other complete no-name brands. The MuVo's are tiny (About twice the size of a normal USB flash disk - with the battery) Without the battery, it is a normal flash disk. The MuVo's have a screen. The battery used is a normal AAA battery, and normally lasts in the 12-15 hours play time.
 
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