Dell just came out with their ipod clone. I've never seen it in person but it looks to be the closest clone of the ipod yet. $250 for 15gb.
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...&page=external
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Dell just came out with their ipod clone. I've never seen it in person but it looks to be the closest clone of the ipod yet. $250 for 15gb.
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...&page=external
I wouldn't call it a "value alternative", since it's superior in several respects. It's cheaper with a larger HD, better sound quality, higher compatability, and most importantly you can replace the battery for cheap unlike the ipod where it's basically the same price just to buy a new one. I don't think that the xtra needs software either, you just plug it in and it shows up as a removeable drive. The ipod is slightly smaller and most people think it looks better, but creative has done a pretty good job catching up so you should check it out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mairu
Well I don't mean 'value' as in 'shitty' but just value as in cheap in price. Designwise for mp3players I'd say the ipod wins, but the zen is better in many ways as you said.
I was planning on getting one and was debating between it, an ipod, and the iriver ihp-120, but ended up getting the iriver because even though the cost is high, it's damn good for having all the extra features it does (ogg support, fm tuner, lcd remote control, voice recorder, & more) and works great as an external hd, not needing any drivers or anything in wxp.
Every mp3 player other than the iPod sucks ass. The Dell DJ is probably the closest thing to the iPod, but really, which player is the standard? And why is that? Because its the best. That's easy to see, just look at any ad for the Creative Zen or the Dell DJ, they compare themselves to the iPod and always mention price.
But you know what? Sometimes you have to pay for quality. The iPod is the perfect example of this.
As for the battery thing, Tonic, you can get your iPod battery replaced when it dies for $100. That's not quite the same as $300-$500.
The Zen can play wav flies. As far as I know, the ipod doesn't do that yet.... That is a huge factor if you ask me. Anyway, the zen is on my Christmas list. In a few days I'll know if I got one.
Chibi, I read on /. that a lot of people have a lot of problems with the Zen. All the proof is on the Creative message boards, I think.
I really don't understand anymore why people say iPod's the best. It's a basic player with a really nice design (the only thing that no one else has beat) but aside from that, it's starting to lose the mp3 race if you ask me. The sound quality isn't the best, it doesn't play many formats, you can't easily use it as an external HD, you can't transfer mp3s on and off it on multiple computers without 3rd party software, the list goes on, it doesn't have as many features as many other new players (no voice recorder, no fm tuner, etc). It really doesn't seem worth it anymore with all the alternatives.
I will admit that it's design is the best and I really love the swivel circle thing in the middle, but it doesn't seem worth it anymore.
Not true. $50 can get you a replacement battery which can be installed easily. Thank you, drive through.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tonic the Drunkhog
As for getting an iPod, one thing to do is keep an eye on Apple's website. In their store, there is a refurbished area where Apple products pop up on a regular basis for cheaper prices. As well, if you're a student, you can get student pricing for the iPod, dropping the price.
Also, there is rumor talk going around that we may soon see "value" models of the iPod for cheaper prices with smaller HDs. No concrete evidence is out yet if this is true, what pricing will be, or what HD sizes will be, but you might keep an eye out on Mac rumor sites to see if any news shows up soon. There's a big Mac show coming up in January, so I would wait until at least then to make any decisions.
And not to bash on the other players out there, but, Mac love aside, I really have yet to find a player that I like more than the iPod. Yes, it doesn't have as many features as some, and is a bit more expensive. But no other player feels as nice to use, interface wise and OS wise. I've had no problem at all as far as the sound quality goes from my trying it out. And unless you're looking for OGG support, the difference between the iPod vs. other players is that the iPod plays AAC but no WMA, the others play WMA but no AAC. Personally, I'll take AAC thanks.
And as far as using it as an external HD, you just plug it into your computer, and it's ready to be used. How hard is that? Or, do you mean that Windows is too crappy of an OS to just be able to do that?
Yeah, if you're looking for an iPod, don't make a decision until MacWorld in January. I've heard all sorts of rumors from a 60GB model, to color displays, to price drops.
Hmm... well, you know I was in Best Buy and the Apple Store yesterday and they both told me the iPods are selling like crazy. Both stores were out of the 20 gig, and the Apple Store had only 2 40 gig left (BB had none of them). The accessories are flying off the shelf, the salesman told me.
I dont see why Apple would announce all this shit right after so many people spent money on this device. It would be like Sony announcing a PS2 price drop on January 20th. It would piss off so many people.