DB in NJ Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I went to Walmart.com and target.com to look at some of these things, but I don't even know what I'm looking at! I'm so clueless.... Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooterandrat Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I have a Sansa MP3 player and I love it. They aren't really expensive, but it has held up pretty well. I actually got mine used b/c I had never had one before and wanted to try them out before I spent a lot of $$$. At any rate, you can get a pretty good one for about $40, and they also make a docking station for it so you can listen to it at your house. Check Amazon.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praisefor3 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I just came from where you are! I went through the whole thought processes of what I was wanting (primarily something to listen to while I ride my elliptical without changing cd's etc.), the necessary needs (be able to add books on tape, download Bible studies off of the internet) to the whole question of how much memory, where to order, ipod vs. mp3 etc. There are a few posts on this board you can search and learn some things but in the few minutes I have here was MY outcome in a nutshell: IPOD has ENDLESS accessories, cases, options EASILY accessible at Walmart, Circuit City, etc. This is convenient. 8GB is where I decided I needed to be on memory. This will give me enough space for probably more than my needs but books on tape (such as the Narnia set which I wanted to add) do take up some space and I don't want to have to be deleting too soon. Mine also has expansion capability with a slot if I ever get there. I also decided this was about the right price point in terms of getting the most for the $. Below this is cheaper but above this seems to get a lot more expensive. Bookmarking capability is a must. A screen helps immensely to find where you are going easily. The first one I bought did not have either and I quickly learned that it needed to go back to Walmart. www.newegg.com is the place to order. I ended up saving $25 over Target or Walmart and their customer service was good. It took 4 days to get my order from the time I placed it. THe site had been recommended by several techno friends. Shipping was free and no tax. I bought Creative Zen 8 gb for $114.95. It's sleek, pretty and easy to use. I decided against ipod because I felt that my needs leaned more towards just mp3 and I didn't need ipod. I had also heard that for downloading books, a non-ipod is better but I do not know that to be a fact. I do know that Creative Zen (or for that matter any non-ipod) accessories are hard to come by in the stores. Frustrating. But all I need is a case so I guess I will order it also. One other note: If you get the CZ (or any of them) it does not come with a screen protector so buy it at the same time. Screens are EASILY scratched. You also might want to consider which case and order it, too, if you are buying a non ipod since you won't find one in the stores. Although until I had mine I'm not sure I would have known what kind of case would suit my needs best. Just DO make sure you buy a screen protector IMMEDIATELY. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndsWell Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 One thing to consider is if you are going to want to be downloading audiobooks from your local library's Web site. If so, an iPod doesn't work with windows digital rights management-tagged files. I would look at something like a Creative Zen. If you just want to do music and use iTunes as your management for your music, then an iPod is great. I have an iphone and I really love that as well. Adriana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Dh works in the semi-conductor field and he says that iPod is definitely NOT worth all that money. It's difficult to work with and is just overpriced. Just get a MP3 player. If you are using it at a gym you might want one that will pick up the TV channels; if not then get one you can pick up the radio channels with. I'd say $40-$50 should buy you exactly what you need; go with a brand that you recognize and trust. Dss had a Zen and loved it, creative is a good brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyGirl Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I have an iPod nano, but my son just got a Sansa... and his is nicer than mine. Plus his was probably $40 or $50 cheaper than mine! My iPod was a gift from dh, but I had it to do over, I would buy something different. My son's Sansa e250 was somewhere in the neighborhood of $80 with 2GB memory and an expansion slot, so if he ever needs more memory he doesn't need a whole new mp3 player. It also has video, a radio tuner (I believe that would let you tune in to the tv at a gym), and a voice recorder function - all of which my iPod doesn't. Shopping for electronics stresses me out...good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 The first thing is to decide what you want to use it for. If you want to listen to audiobooks, I would recommend bookmarking capabilities. This will make it a little spendier, but it is WELL worth it if you want to do books. (I LOVE mine for that)!! If all you want is music on there, just buy a shuffle of some kind and buy as much memory as you can afford. I also wouldn't go the IPod route just because they are so much more expensive for not much more features. I have a Zen V and I have really liked it. I does everything I need it to do, and it was right around $100. I also have one of those car plug ins that plug into the lighter and I can listen to my Mp3 player over the radio. This is great because I always have one audiobook going with the kids (which we do in the car) and one for me. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 Well thank you all! I'm still lost, but not as lost as I used to be ;) I want it for running. Everybody convinced me yesterday that listening to music really helped the time go by as they run. I like the sounds of that :D I'd really love to be able to download books, etc. My friend's ds is a techno geek; he built our new computer and found my lappy on newegg.com. Maybe I'll just tell him what I want and put him on the case. Thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlashine Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Me and the hubby share a Creative Zen Vision M and it is great. I have no idea of the price because it was a Xmas gift. My buddy has a Sansa that she loves. The Sansa's are smaller but are on the cheaper end of the scale-I know her boyfriend did not have a lot of money to spend whenhe got it for her. The Creative has video capabilities and a microphone. The Sansa does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 You can buy refurbished iPods for $99 4GB, but I would suggest the 8GB for $149. We've had at least 10 various iPods and I swear they're great products. When you determine what your needs are for the MP3 player, then it'll be easier to know which type of product is best. For example, do you want photos and movie capability? Audiobooks or "just" songs? How many songs would you like to have at hand, etc? http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?node=home/specialdeals/ipod&&cid=OAS-US-KWG-iPodDiscount/Refurb-US&aosid=p202&esvt=GOUSE&esvadt=999999-1257953-1005558-1&esvid=100157 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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