Help Me Choose an MP3 Player

[rjahrman]

Time to upgrade form my Archos Jukebox! I'm basically down to:

Zen Touch ($230)
iPod ($300)
(I'm also considering the mini-micro somewhat, though for simplicity I just want to focus on the larger versions.)

My observations from reading reviews and forums are:

Zen Touch:
- Scrolling is tough to control (I can see this irritating me)
- Buginess, freezing, hard drive problems
- Better sound quality
- A little on the big side (but nothing compared to my Archos Jukebox)
- Long battery life

iPod:
- Scratches easily, which would probably irritate me (uber-perfectionist)
- Sex appeal
- Shorter battery life

Anything to add to this list? Which should I go for? The Zen is cheaper, but it sounds like the iPod is overall a more solid design . . .

Also, my music collection on my Archos is currently organized with a folder for each genre, then a folder for each album, then songs titled "Track01.mp3" without any sort of ID3 tags. Would I want to tag the songs, or what? Could this affect my choice of jukebox?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[JoshU]

Go with the iPod for the style. I went to buy one today but Target was sold out except for the $500 photo model.

Also during my MP3 player research I found iPod Lounge to be a great site.

-Josh

[stewarty]

I suggest looking at some of the iRiver modles

I got the H120 for christmas and am very pleased so far

[absolution]

I say go the iPod, very easy to use, looks sexy, tons of accessories to add on.

[Loco]

The iPod has just under just under 90% market share in the harddrive based arena. It's not just because it's sexy.

The tight integration between iTunes and the iPod set it out miles ahead of the competition. Still.. Although you will want to tag your music properly it will be worthwhile. In future burning CDs onto your iPod is as simple as placing the cd in the drive and pressing burn. Next time you put your ipod in the dock your new tunes will be on it. It's a similar situation with the music store - 1 click download, updated to ipod when its in the dock.

Go for the iPod if only because it Just Works. What more could you ask?

[mark_W]

I would go with the iPod

- Mark

[soonerdm]

Have you thought about Dell's DJ? I have one and am really impressed

[drzoid]

Time to upgrade form my Archos Jukebox!

Why at all?

Anything to add to this list?

What about a MuVo? As long as it isnt absolute necessary for you to carry your entire song collection with you, they are really perfect (and 1 GB isnt that small either). Furthermore they are REALLY shock resistant.

[lo0ol]

I had a Jukebox, I thought it was pretty good until I got an iPod. Wow. Not even a comparison. Go for the iPod- like others have said, it's not just the iPod- you also get iTunes and the iTunes Store, and the integration between all three is unmatched.

[Josh_]

Ipod is awesome.

[drzoid]

I had a Jukebox, I thought it was pretty good until I got an iPod. Wow. Not even a comparison. Go for the iPod- like others have said, it's not just the iPod- you also get iTunes and the iTunes Store, and the integration between all three is unmatched.

Can you elaborate whats so great about it?

[lo0ol]

The interface. I have a bucketload of songs on my 40gig. The way Apple has everything set up and the way I've organized my artists, titles, albums, etc (through iTunes) really lets me do whatever I want. I can wade through my entire collection in just a few clicks and spins and find just the right song I'm looking for, play just a certain CD, and so on. The Jukebox I had wasn't even close. Also, integration with iTunes is a snap- I don't have to think about anything, which is always the optimal solution for me. I import a new CD, it's automagically uploaded into my iPod as soon as I plug it in. I heart my iPod.

[Citizen Craig]

iPOD

[Nick]

I would choose the Zen Touch, but that's just me. I have the Zen NX, and I like it, though it is a little big for practical purposes, but the Zen Touch looks like a winner.

But to be fair, I have never really used an iPod except for my friend's once. They do look cool, have they resolved the battery issue yet?

[drzoid]

Well, I own a Pontis SP600 and an ARCHOS Jukebox Recorder and am VERY satisfied with both. The Pontis is great for everday's usage and 1 GB is fairly enough most of the times. Its shock resistance is great as well as you dont need to worry about crashing heads and more.

Apple's player is certainly not a bad product but its overpriced and the artificial hype around it is ridiculous. IMHO Apple did a great job in creating a backdoor with it to introduce their payed Music platform. But beside this marketing related reason its just a simple player.

[lo0ol]

They do look cool, have they resolved the battery issue yet?

I've never had a problem.

[iFroggy]

I am in the market myself. Kind of looking at a Zen Xtra.

[Dark Tranquility]

Definetely iPOD

[iFroggy]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=pc&n=507846

That's the one I am kind of looking at.

[Hartmann]

You are definitely going to want to go to the store and play with the MP3 players a little bit. The reason being is that the interface plays a huge part in the experience. Like lo0ol said, it is extremely easy to find the song you are looking for on the iPod but other players make it a little more difficult. I know that I like to listen to playlists depending on what I am doing at the time or the mood I am in and the ability to create playlists in iTunes and just put it on the iPod is a huge plus for me.