MP3 players and PDAs - help?

[erilyn]

I'm planning on buying an mp3 player before I go on my trip. I've been wanting to get one for a while, and I'd like to have it when I'm away, especially for the flights. Plus, if I buy it less than a month before I go, I can claim the GST back.

I'm trying to decide between a 20 gig (or 30 gig Photo) Ipod and a 20 gig Creative Zen. Prices are pretty similar for the 20 gig models. The Creative Zen comes with a FM receiver, and claims to have longer battery life. They seem to be similar size and weight.

Does anyone have any thoughts, reviews, opinions on what I should get?

I'm also pondering getting a PDA - there are some good deals for Palm Zire 31 around at the moment. Thoughts on them?

Comments

[maxi47.livejournal.com]

I can't help you with iPods as I don't have one. I *do* have a PDA, a iPAQ 4150, which I am very happy with. I ended up getting a card so that I could have more memory for it, and was lucky that the camera I got recently has the same card. I suppose the advantage to a PDA is that it has programs such as word etc in it. I actually write my fanfic on the PDA (with a cute fold-out keyboard) away from the computer and then synchronise it with computer after. Also, I download my emails onto my PDA and often reply using it, and then when I get back to the computer it sends them for me. But then, I like my toys. ;-)

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I'm tempted by the iPaqs, but for what I'll probably end up using it for, the Zire seems a more sensible price. They do look awfully nice though :)

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

I dunno about MP3 players--I haven't gotten there yet. But I have a Zire 31, and I love it.

I highly recommend Popcap Games/Astraware's various packages of games for the Zire, particularly as you have some long plane trips ahead of you... Or at least the free Solitaire games over at smallware.com. They're a nice break from reading and listening to music, when you're trapped in one place for a long time.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

How long do you find the battery lasts? And thanks for the games recs, hadn't really looked into that sort of stuff yet :)

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

Well, if you're just using it as a PDA, it lasts a pretty long time. You'd want to charge it anytime you're in a hotel and are sleeping and can find a plug, just to be safe, but the only time I come close to wearing it out is if I'm playing games on it.

Playing games, I think I get maybe two, three hours of play time per charge? If you're traveling with it, you probably wouldn't want to push it--it's not like you can synch it back up with your PC if it fails because you pushed it. But it warns you when it's starting to get low, and you can turn it off until you get to a place where you can charge it.

The cool thing is, if you add a memory card to it? You can use it to store and play mp3s. Now, that would suck battery usage, so I'm not sure you'd want to use it for both while traveling, since if you fell asleep and drained it, oops! There goes your calendar and contacts and stuff... But still, for future reference.

You will want some kind of case for it. I got, ummm, this one (not from them, just the only photo I could find), but whatever kind--for two reasons: 1.) The floppy silicon cover that comes with it is just begging for your keys or whatever to get behind it and gouge up the screen, and 2.) the little cover where the charger plugs in tends to flop open annoyingly--a case that contains it is a blessing...

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I'll almost certainly get a memory card (so I can fill it up with books and fanfic to read *g*), and thanks for the info about the drain when playing games.

Getting a case is a very good point, I'll add that to my shopping list :)

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

My ipod started to fall apart within a couple of weeks of buying it.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely keeping that in mind :)

[patchworkdragon.livejournal.com]

I have the 40 gig creative zen, and I love it. It made it from San Diego to Amsterdam withotu running out of battery until I was in the cab on the way to my hotel. 15 hours.

I asked a lot of people (http://www.livejournal.com/users/patchworkdragon/280372.html) before I chose, and is seems like the difference boils down to software vs hardware. The ipod has more software features, where the Creative you really need to set up playlists on your computer and tehn load them into the unit. The actual interface on the unit is clumst if you don;t have the playlists organized ahead of time. It also doesn't seem to have a synchronization feature, at least not that I've found.

For me, since I almost alwyas play all my music together on rndom, it was fine. And since the 40G Creative was the same price as a 20G ipod, and had the longer battery, that's what I went for.

Another great feature of the Creative is that the battery is removable. I haven't done it yet, but you can but a second battery to have it charged and tready to swap.

[patchworkdragon.livejournal.com]

and I apologize for the total lack of typing ability I have going for me tonight.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Typing is highly over-rated ;)

Thanks for the information, that's a very interesting contrast between the two. And it's good to hear from someone who has a zen, most people I know have ipods, so a different point of view is very good *g*.

[askance.livejournal.com]

I'm going throw another possiblilty for a 20GB mp3 player - JNC ssf-M3 website here . It's on a par with the features of the Zen Creative, having the FM radio reception and voice recorder functions. It says it lasts about 14 hours but I think it's closer to 12. I like the slimness of it compared to the Ipod, and the fact that it has a small remoted wired in so you can have the device in your pocket and people only see the remote which is the size of thin matchbox. Got mine a few months ago for $479.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks, it's good to have all the options! :)

[alasen.livejournal.com]

iiiiiiiiPod. My iPod, it is old, but it is well used and well worth it. Do you use iTunes normally? I'd recommend at least seeing if you like that interface, because ITunes is an integral part of the iPod. Also, have a look at ours next time you see us.

I like my palm, it's a zire 72, and you have seen it. The battery normally lasts, I don't know, at least 6 hours? I tend to use it for reading fic on the train to and from work, and charge it each night, so I can't tell. The reason I went with that one was that it has bluetooth,

georgina says you should buy an ipod. she also says you should buy one for all your friends to say thank you for liking you. (hey, she said it, not me)

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Fine, I'll buy an ipod for all my friends who don't already have ones ;p

I've never used itunes or the creative equivalent, this is a good point, I should have a look at it sometime soon.

[nickels4mnms.livejournal.com]

lurker here, love your bsb updates - helps a ton :D

anyways, just wanted to say that I have an Iriver 20gb http://www.iriveramerica.com/prod/hd/h320.aspx does a bunch of stuff: mp3's, radio tuner, voice/radio recorder, and you're able to view pictures and text files. the only bad thing was that mine had a bug (that was common with rechargin the battery) but I called the tech people and he helped me fix it, but now i can't seem to get the USB cable to read the player so that i can add mp3's and whatever. i need to call em again.

hope that helped a little, or if u were even asking about other players.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

No, that does help, it's great to hear first hand experiences about all the options :)

[chreesko.livejournal.com]

I have a much smaller Creative, but I love their products. Mine comes with radio/voice recorder, radio tuner, and a bunch of other stuff I never use. I did have some problems with it a couple months after buying it, but they were nothing but helpful, and sent me a new one pronto. I never even thought about an iPod. Unlike everyone else, I can't STAND iTunes, so I certainly didn't want an mp3 player where it was an integral part of the interface. The Creative software is actually pretty good (for me, but I guess it all depends on how your brain works). If all you're looking to do is carry your music in your pocket, I would definitely go with the Creative.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I really must have a good look at iTunes at a friends place, and see if I can have a look at the Creative software, this sounds like a very good point to see which I like better. Thanks! :)

[liza1131.livejournal.com]

I have an iPod, and I have no problems with it. It's very user-friendly, which is great. There's a lot of online user support too (www.ipodlounge.com is a great site), so if you ever have any questions or problems, there's usually a solution. I don't listen to the radio much, so not having an FM/AM receiver isn't a big deal for me. I do wish my iPod had a longer battery life (I get about 8 hours usually, but mine's a 3rd Gen iPod and I think the newer ones have a longer battery life), but that's about it.

Someone upthread said that their iPod fell apart. Eek. I dropped mine once, but there was no damage. So I guess I've been lucky. But, if I'm not wrong, there's a one-year warranty so if you do end up having problems, you're covered.

I think it's a matter of what features you want and how much you're willing to pay.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

All the ipod gadgets and community stuff are a definite plus for getting an ipod, thanks! :)

[kittykatz.livejournal.com]

I have the 20gb zen and it's going really well for me. The battery life is pretty good too, it does generally last me a good 15 hours of play before I really need to recharge. Having said that, when you're transfering stuff to and from on the computer, you need to be sure that there is batter or else plugging it into the pc alone won't help. It's also a little heavier than the ipod but I really have no problems with it. The software is easy to use and definitely was a good buy for me. The price is also fairly good, right now. I saw it advertised for $399, which is a little less than what I paid for. So yeah, my two cents about the zen.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much, it's great to get users opinions on the zen, as everyone I know has ipods :)