so...ipod, Creative, Zune?
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Joey D
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Actually it's not really a big deal that it's the 3x3 rule. There isn't any other way they could legally do it. I like it though because I can listen to a song a buddy of mine is talking about and if I like it I can go get it and if I don't it disappears in 3 days.
- 41,075
And when you buy songs from Microsofts marketplace, it won't necessarily play.
Yes, the Ipod has DRM in the music bought from Itunes, but the Zune has DRM glued all over the actual player itself far more than the Ipod does, especialliy in the lack of WMA support or most forms of movie support.
To sum up, it isn't necessarily too awful, but if I was going to pay for it I wouldn't consider the Zune.
Joey D
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I don't know I've bought about a 100 songs from the marketplace and haven't had any issues. I like the Zune quite a bit, but I was coming from a Creative Zen 1 GB that I bought for 40 bucks.
The only complaint I have against the Zune is the software, it sucks just as much as iTunes does. I just want a drag and drop way of doing things.
The only complaint I have against the Zune is the software, it sucks just as much as iTunes does. I just want a drag and drop way of doing things.
- 41,075
I agree that the player itself has nice features, and is nicely designed. But it is just way too restrictive, even more so than the Ipods (which I don't reallly like the restrictions much either). If I was going to buy one, I would get a Creative Zen Vision M or I'd save up and get an 80gb Ipod.
- 2,348
- murphykieran
I've had 2 Creative MP3 players - a 2Gb flash player (Creative Zen V) and a 6Gb HD player (Creative Zen Micro) and I haven't had a major problem with either.
I've had the Zen Micro for over a year now and it seems to be very stable for a hard drive player - it's only crashed 3 or 4 times (once it obviously crashed because I'd just dropped it while it was on), but a simple case of removing and replacing the battery has solved that quickly.
The Zen V has crashed a lot more for some reason which isn't good for a flash player, I thought they were meant to be alot more stable. It's probably crashed a half-dozen times in the six months or so I've had it. But again, a quick poke at the reset button with a paperclip and it's reset itself no problem.
That's my only personal experience with the Creative players. I've no experience with any other brands of MP3 players, but I'd gladly go with Creative again. I've had no major issues with both players and they've been, in my opinon, very easy to use and have worked very well for me.
I can't really say how this compares to iPods or Zunes though like I've already said. From talking to other people, a lot of other brands like the iPods are prone to crashing from time to time, so maybe that's just something an MP3 player user has to deal with. I don't know how a crash every few weeks in the cash of the |Zen Vision M or once every few months in the case of the Zen Micro really compares with other brands. I can live with it however.
KM.
I've had the Zen Micro for over a year now and it seems to be very stable for a hard drive player - it's only crashed 3 or 4 times (once it obviously crashed because I'd just dropped it while it was on), but a simple case of removing and replacing the battery has solved that quickly.
The Zen V has crashed a lot more for some reason which isn't good for a flash player, I thought they were meant to be alot more stable. It's probably crashed a half-dozen times in the six months or so I've had it. But again, a quick poke at the reset button with a paperclip and it's reset itself no problem.
That's my only personal experience with the Creative players. I've no experience with any other brands of MP3 players, but I'd gladly go with Creative again. I've had no major issues with both players and they've been, in my opinon, very easy to use and have worked very well for me.
I can't really say how this compares to iPods or Zunes though like I've already said. From talking to other people, a lot of other brands like the iPods are prone to crashing from time to time, so maybe that's just something an MP3 player user has to deal with. I don't know how a crash every few weeks in the cash of the |Zen Vision M or once every few months in the case of the Zen Micro really compares with other brands. I can live with it however.
KM.
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I'm not much for proprietary but iTunes I suppose is probable the best in terms of minimal headaches. I've heard you can actually use iTunes with it. Some how I find that hilarious.
Umm, unless you're speaking of the iTunes Store music, I would think you should be able to use it for organizing MP3s...
Besides, creating a backup of your own DVD is illegal, so go figure.
- 21,286
- GR-MI-USA
- YSSMAN
- YSSMAN
Personally speaking, I'm an iPod user (old-school 6 GB Mini), and overall I'm happy with my purchase that I made over two years ago. But that being said, I don't think the iPod is the be-all, end-all MP3 player. Granted, you are probably going to find the most 'acceptance' with the player, with plenty of 1st party and 3rd party support for the player. But there are more than the fair share of hiccups and other issues with iTunes and the iPod itself, but it isn't so outrageously bad that I would advise anyone to go without it.
The Zune has been hit and miss, and I can't say anything specific about it since I have yet to use one. I only know a few people who have bought one (personally), and what I have seen of it, it seems like a decent buy. Would I buy one? Probably not. I hate DRM, and the iPod and Zune have those issues in spades. But most players do these days, and it really does suck. I wouldn't completely rule the Zune out, but if you're that much against it, by all means do so.
On the flip side, the Creative seems like a fairly good player that is wacky enough not to seem too 'trendy,' and seems to be well-accepted by the tech-savy public. I've only used one once, and I didn't find it too hard to use, although I didn't operate the computer software with all the music stuff in it. So I guess I really can't talk too much about it other than saying it lacks the 'locks' of the iPod and Zune, and will allow you to use a wider variety of music services if you choose.
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If I may ask, why do you need 30 GB? It literally took me two years to fill-up the 6 GB on my iPod, and even then, I'm about ready to go through it and delete a lot of the music on it, as I just don't listen to it.
iRiver has always been a favorite of mine, and I'd give them a thumbs up with most of their models. If you're willing to save some money and take a hit when it comes to overall capacity, the Clix is great.
But, shes only good for 2 GB, only shows video at 15 fps, and unfortunately is preparing to align themselves with Microsoft/Urge/MTV when it comes to music. Crap.
...Oh well. I guess you can't go wrong with an iPod then...
The Zune has been hit and miss, and I can't say anything specific about it since I have yet to use one. I only know a few people who have bought one (personally), and what I have seen of it, it seems like a decent buy. Would I buy one? Probably not. I hate DRM, and the iPod and Zune have those issues in spades. But most players do these days, and it really does suck. I wouldn't completely rule the Zune out, but if you're that much against it, by all means do so.
On the flip side, the Creative seems like a fairly good player that is wacky enough not to seem too 'trendy,' and seems to be well-accepted by the tech-savy public. I've only used one once, and I didn't find it too hard to use, although I didn't operate the computer software with all the music stuff in it. So I guess I really can't talk too much about it other than saying it lacks the 'locks' of the iPod and Zune, and will allow you to use a wider variety of music services if you choose.
---
If I may ask, why do you need 30 GB? It literally took me two years to fill-up the 6 GB on my iPod, and even then, I'm about ready to go through it and delete a lot of the music on it, as I just don't listen to it.
iRiver has always been a favorite of mine, and I'd give them a thumbs up with most of their models. If you're willing to save some money and take a hit when it comes to overall capacity, the Clix is great.
But, shes only good for 2 GB, only shows video at 15 fps, and unfortunately is preparing to align themselves with Microsoft/Urge/MTV when it comes to music. Crap.
...Oh well. I guess you can't go wrong with an iPod then...
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Ah. Well, call me crazy, but wouldn't it be easier to just buy a Computer or a portable DVD player by that point? Or are we all focused on just having one singular item to do it?
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- old-guy64
Hey, Blazin', good to see you!, It's been a long while.
I'm only advocating for the iPod cause I have one.
I've not used the Zune.
I actually hope it proves to be a very good alternative to the iPod.
I watched IBM formatted computers come to the forefront backe in the '80's even though Macintosh did every thing better. (I used an EARLY Mac for PR stuff back in college, though my personal machine was a Commodore 64
)
I don't want to see Apple take over the market on MP3 players just because they saturated the market before the competition caught up.
I believe that strong competition will better the overall product.
I'm only advocating for the iPod cause I have one.
I've not used the Zune.
I actually hope it proves to be a very good alternative to the iPod.
I watched IBM formatted computers come to the forefront backe in the '80's even though Macintosh did every thing better. (I used an EARLY Mac for PR stuff back in college, though my personal machine was a Commodore 64
)I don't want to see Apple take over the market on MP3 players just because they saturated the market before the competition caught up.
I believe that strong competition will better the overall product.
- 10,849
- Belgium
- bramturismo
I'm am iPod user, I've got the 30Gb Video model. I'm very happy with it, I do not use it for actual videos since I don't bother converting them twice and then look at it on this 400X300 or something little screen. Instead, I use it as an external HD, very usefull 👍
I'd say it's more of a toss up between the iPod and a Creative. Creative has good sound quality, but the iPod does too. I have some gold adaptors and I plug it into my stereo amp to play my music thru two awesome Klipsch KG2 speakers. As a matter of fact, I get a great rich sound, and there's seems to be less of an occurrance of that anoyying as hell clipping sound than if I am playing music directly from my computer with my external sound device. The Creative is probably as good, if not better.
When it comes to software, I personally prefer iTunes, it seems to fit me pretty well, but hey, whatever floats your boat. I had some more to say, but it escapes me now...
When it comes to software, I personally prefer iTunes, it seems to fit me pretty well, but hey, whatever floats your boat. I had some more to say, but it escapes me now...
- 858
Hmmm. I've used the creative - sure it's reliable, but Its somewhat confusing at times. The iPod (although now a cliche) is probably one of the best - I've used numerous versions of it and still like it. However, I bought a zune - one of the best decisions I've ever made. Its battery life far outlasts my friend's 5.5 gen iPod Video (in both movies and music) despite its bigger screen. The customizablility is better (although nothing special) and the sound quality is definitely better (I've listened to the same song, 320kb/s, on $100 bose headphones). I like the way it looks, plus it doesnt scratch (except the screen, like every other mp3 player w/ a screen). As for software - its allright, but I really like how few resources it uses (as opposed to iTunes that hogs nearly as many resources as photoshop CS2). I have a few friends with Zunes so using the WiFi is actually pretty nice - we figured out how to send full-length movies and zip files (anything under 1gb) to each other wirelessly, which is a plus. Even without minor hacks, the WiFi system is pretty good. The FM radio with RDS (shows name of songs) is also a nice feature if you want to listen to sports or something, or if you want to listen to a type of music you don't own.
Anyway, the choice was simple for me = Zune.
Okay, I have to say this - you, sir, are acting extremely ignorant. Nearly all of your argument in the above quote is full of fallacies. Where are you getting this information? Internet forums? iPod fan clubs? That really isn't a good source of info. I've bought tons of music from MS's marketplace - all of it plays perfectly without flaw. The MS DRM is nearly exactly the same as iPod DRM in the fact that you cant use it on anything but the zune (exactly like iTunes/iPod). When you say lack of WMA support are you talking about the zune? It plays all forms of WMA except lossless media - the ipod (correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't have a lossless format, either. Finally, the zune has a built-in video converter in the program, waaaayyy more than itunes has (you have to convert all videos to MP4 in order for them to work). In the future please check you facts before you go and act like a know-it-all in front of everyone else.
Also, why even bother posting a one-statement posts stating, simply, that the zune is worthless? Have you even used a zune? Certianly you haven't owned one. I could have posted something along the lines of "iPods SUCK - they're worthless," but it wouldn't have come across nearly as strong as my argument above.
Duċk, you're also guilty of this earlier in the argument... I'm not trying to single anyone out here, but please back up your (this goes for everyone) accusations/reasoning with facts, not opinions.
Anyway, the choice was simple for me = Zune.
Okay, I have to say this - you, sir, are acting extremely ignorant. Nearly all of your argument in the above quote is full of fallacies. Where are you getting this information? Internet forums? iPod fan clubs? That really isn't a good source of info. I've bought tons of music from MS's marketplace - all of it plays perfectly without flaw. The MS DRM is nearly exactly the same as iPod DRM in the fact that you cant use it on anything but the zune (exactly like iTunes/iPod). When you say lack of WMA support are you talking about the zune? It plays all forms of WMA except lossless media - the ipod (correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't have a lossless format, either. Finally, the zune has a built-in video converter in the program, waaaayyy more than itunes has (you have to convert all videos to MP4 in order for them to work). In the future please check you facts before you go and act like a know-it-all in front of everyone else.
Also, why even bother posting a one-statement posts stating, simply, that the zune is worthless? Have you even used a zune? Certianly you haven't owned one. I could have posted something along the lines of "iPods SUCK - they're worthless," but it wouldn't have come across nearly as strong as my argument above.
Duċk, you're also guilty of this earlier in the argument... I'm not trying to single anyone out here, but please back up your (this goes for everyone) accusations/reasoning with facts, not opinions.
- 1,637
Having owned both a Zune and an iPod...I can safely say Zune. I had so many hard drive problems with the iPod, even with a replacement iPod that checked out ok. It was ridiculous, so I ditched that...bought a cheaper Sony Ericsson one until I could get the cash to get a Zune which is far better in every way, plus it can use iTunes too.
And restricted? A very simple B...S... is in need for that statement by Tornado.
And restricted? A very simple B...S... is in need for that statement by Tornado.
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- bramturismo
Is it compatible with iTunes? I heard in every review it wasn't 
Joey D
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Some people are able to do it, I can't seem to figure out how to interface it but there are people out there that understand how to. However I just took all of my iTunes music and ran it through TuneBite. That way I just made it a standard MP3 file and I could put it on anything.
http://www.zunescene.com/forums/ has a lot of information on the subject.
http://www.zunescene.com/forums/ has a lot of information on the subject.
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And that hasn't always been the case, has it? I have looked about since then, but have found no conclusive evidence as to whether this was ever fixed. I'm sure it is less of any issue now than it was when the Zune launched, but it is still an issue just the same.dmanbluesfreak
See above.dmanbluesfreak
Relevance? There are so many free video converters on the internet that 5 minutes of searching would find you something that accomplishes the same thing.dmanbluesfreak
Why is this even an issue? Since my first post in this thread, I have given reasons for my opinion (and have also since lowered my disassociation with the Zune), so what difference does it make what lack of content the first post held?dmanbluesfreak
By the way, I have used the Zune. I found the design to be, in fact, better than the iPod, lacking only the slender build the iPod possesses from being a much better designed player. And no, I haven't owned one, but I would never buy any HDD-based MP3 Player unless it was a large capacity one (barring, perhaps, a Creative).
Joey D
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The bigger body of the Zune adds to its durability which is very nice, especially for my clumsy ass. If the Zune did not have that double shot thing on it, it would be just as small but you'd break it easier. I know you shouldn't be going around dropping expensive devices, but with me that just isn't going to happen.
