Mp3 questions

[3and3]

I am not teck savy and really have no clue about MP3 players but I am thinking about purchasing one for school purposes.

 

I want something that will not break the bank KWIM. I would use it mostly for downloading books and maybe some music. But I would like to know if it is possible to use in the van and with or without headphones. Also, how many GB do you think I should get? It is all a little confusing to me.

 

I also do not understand if you download something on it is there a way to back it up in case your mp3 is too full or dies?

 

Thanks for any info.

Jenny

[3and3]

nt

[justasque]

Basically, you keep all your mp3 files on your computer's hard drive. Then every so often you plug in your mp3 player to your computer and copy whatever you want onto it. It's kind of like a jump drive, except that it can actually play the music etc. You do not delete the originals from the hard drive, so they're always there if you want to swap out what is on the mp3 player.

 

You can get music by "ripping" CD's - putting them in your computer's CD drive and copying the music to your hard drive. Or you can buy it, from iTunes or Amazon or wherever, and download it to your hard drive.

 

You can get audio books from Audible.com (which I love), or sometimes from the library. Again, you would download the files from Audible or the library's site onto your hard drive, then plug in your mp3 player and copy them over to it.

 

To play it in the car, it depends on your car's audio set-up. We have used computer speakers (plug them into the mp3 and just set them on the floor - no fancy set-up but it works!), an FM transmitter (more trouble than it's worth), and finally got a car stereo designed to take mp3 input (for about $100 - well worth it - from Crutchfield.com).

 

There are also podcasts - basically radio shows you can download. I've ended up listening to a ton of these, even though I didn't really know they existed before getting my mp3 player.

 

As to GBs, the more you have on your player, the more files you can store without having to keep copying new stuff and deleting the old stuff to make room. I started with 2GB, now I have 120 and use every inch of it.

 

I would see if you can borrow one for a week and use it to get a sense of things, before buying one. Or talk to a teen about theirs. There are a lot of ipods on the second hand market now, since they've been out for a while, so that might be a good route to go if you aren't really mp3-savvy.

Edited October 8, 2010 by askPauline

[3and3]

Basically, you keep all your mp3 files on your computer's hard drive.

 

We have used computer speakers (plug them into the mp3 and just set them on the floor - no fancy set-up but it works!),

 

 

There are a lot of ipods on the second hand market now, since they've been out for a while, so that might be a good route to go if you aren't really mp3-savvy.

 

Can you put the files on disc or an external hard drive? my computer has not been very reliable lately.

 

I would proubly have to go with same set up for van. It's a 2000 so radio set up is ancient by today standards.

 

Second hand sounds like a good idea.

 

One more question do you think having a docking station important if we wanted to use it for read alouds. Or do you think I can just use it with computer speakers? Oh do you have an option to use adapter or are they all battery operated?

[Mom in High Heels]

I have a 4gb iPod and it currently has 16 books (3 of them over 20 hours each), over 300 songs, and about 100 photos on it and I don't even think it's half full. If you download iTunes onto your computer (free), you can back up your files onto a disk. You can also purchase books/music through amazon.com and it will upload automatically to iTunes. We've had several different mp3 players and like the iPod the best.

[3and3]

I have a 4gb iPod and it currently has 16 books (3 of them over 20 hours each), over 300 songs, and about 100 photos on it and I don't even think it's half full. If you download iTunes onto your computer (free), you can back up your files onto a disk. You can also purchase books/music through amazon.com and it will upload automatically to iTunes. We've had several different mp3 players and like the iPod the best.

 

This is where I get confused. How much difference is there between mp3 and ipod? Is one easier to use than the other? Do they both have the same capabilities?

 

TIA

Jenny

[Mom in High Heels]

This is where I get confused. How much difference is there between mp3 and ipod? Is one easier to use than the other? Do they both have the same capabilities?

 

TIA

Jenny

 

In iPod is an mp3 player. It's just a name brand. The Zune is an mp3, just made by a certain company. IMO, iPods are the easiest to use. They are very user friendly.

[3and3]

Thanks for clarifying for me I am still new to this stuff. I still have a boom box with cassette players so I have no idea what I am doing:001_smile:

 

I should have asked my friends with teenagers, but I figured I could find all the info out here just as easily.

Thanks again

Jenny

[justasque]

You can put the files on a disc or external hard drive, but you will need a computer to load them onto the mp3 player initially, and then to change/update what's on the mp3 player (called syncing). The fewer GBs you have, and the more you use the player, the more often you'll probably end up syncing it (that is, swapping out what's on it). Without a computer, to sync with, an mp3 player is pretty useless.

 

You don't need a docking station for audio books at home. You can 1) listen to the files on your computer, or 2) unplug the computer speakers from the computer and plug them into the mp3 player. Some mp3 players have built-in speakers (though not great ones), and you can also get speakers designed specifically for mp3 players. Some speakers need batteries but not all.

 

Mp3 players run on batteries; some you have to put batteries in (like AA batteries); others have built-in batteries which you have to charge periodically. The iPods have built-in batteries, and they automatically charge when they're connected to your computer or a docking station or some car stereos. You can also get a wall charger for them. One of the nice things about iPods is there are a zillion accessories designed for them.

 

Get your favorite teen to show you their player and how it works. Ask them how they use it, and what they like and don't like about it. Then ask a few more teens - you'll get a sense of what you want and don't want in a player. YOu might also get your local computer expert to show you how mp3 files work on your computer now. You can download iTunes and play around with it for free, to get a sense of things. (There is a steep learning curve, so ask a teen to show you how.) Also, ask at your library about their audio book options.