MP3 players. Any ideas for me?
I don't want a video player with a mini screen, but I have about 20-30 gigs worth of my CDs and LPs that I have turned into MP3s, with more on the way. What I have been doing until now is burning about 200 songs at a time onto CDs, and playing them on my CD/MP3 Walkman. In the case of DJ gigs, I have been occasionally using a laptop in combination with around 1,000 CDs. Both the laptop and the Walkman are on the larger side, and neither fits into a shirt pocket.
I also don't know if I want something that can hold my whole collection. I think I'd want to go with as few moving parts as possible, and there are flash players on the market that hold around 8 gigs or so, with no moving parts.
The dilemma that faces me is this:
The standard appears to be the Apple iPod, but I have heard and read of problems people have with it, like the player not playing files not purchased at the iTunes store, and changing MP3 files once it is put on a computer. I have experimented with iTunes on one of my iMacs, but I have come to the conclusion that I intend to go to my grave never learning how to use iTunes or ever purchasing a song from any on-line service. I have a bigger selection of what I like than the on-line places I checked, and I have more New Wave than any of the on-line radio stations, and the New Wave stations on XM and Sirius satelletie radios combined. I have spent a great deal of time categorizing my music files, and I do not want something that removes all of that tagging, the way that iTunes appears to do.
With other kinds of MP3 players, I do not know enough about them. Are they as easy to use as the iPod, do they have really long battery life, what?
I need some recommendations for some specific models that people have had experience with.
There may be some long hospital stays in my near future, and I don't want to have to deal with long hours spent hearing the guy in the bed next to me snoring like a buzzsaw all night.
EDIT:
These are the features I want in an MP3 player:
-No special software to learn.
-I want to point, click, and drag files into the connected player like it is a hard drive, using "my Computer," not some special software. This is how I make the MP3 Cds for my Discman, and that is how I want to continue doing it. (I also use Nero, but I know that already)
-I own over 8,000 LPS (see the first comments for the details), so I would like a good-sized capacity.
-I will NEVER buy a song or CD on-line, so a music store thing has no interest for me.
-Because my Sony Discman has 40 hours battery life on 2 AA cells, that is the kind of performance I want.
-Durability, and the ability to operate the player without looking at it, knowing by feel which buttons are which.
I can do all of the above with my current Discman, but changing discs is inconvenient from a hospital bed. However, as I view anything items not directly connected with survival as a luxury, if something does not do just what I want, I will not buy it.
I have way too much on my plate to learn a new piece of software that cannot help me with work or school. I hope I do not discourage anyone. I still want to hear what you have to say.
I also don't know if I want something that can hold my whole collection. I think I'd want to go with as few moving parts as possible, and there are flash players on the market that hold around 8 gigs or so, with no moving parts.
The dilemma that faces me is this:
The standard appears to be the Apple iPod, but I have heard and read of problems people have with it, like the player not playing files not purchased at the iTunes store, and changing MP3 files once it is put on a computer. I have experimented with iTunes on one of my iMacs, but I have come to the conclusion that I intend to go to my grave never learning how to use iTunes or ever purchasing a song from any on-line service. I have a bigger selection of what I like than the on-line places I checked, and I have more New Wave than any of the on-line radio stations, and the New Wave stations on XM and Sirius satelletie radios combined. I have spent a great deal of time categorizing my music files, and I do not want something that removes all of that tagging, the way that iTunes appears to do.
With other kinds of MP3 players, I do not know enough about them. Are they as easy to use as the iPod, do they have really long battery life, what?
I need some recommendations for some specific models that people have had experience with.
There may be some long hospital stays in my near future, and I don't want to have to deal with long hours spent hearing the guy in the bed next to me snoring like a buzzsaw all night.
EDIT:
These are the features I want in an MP3 player:
-No special software to learn.
-I want to point, click, and drag files into the connected player like it is a hard drive, using "my Computer," not some special software. This is how I make the MP3 Cds for my Discman, and that is how I want to continue doing it. (I also use Nero, but I know that already)
-I own over 8,000 LPS (see the first comments for the details), so I would like a good-sized capacity.
-I will NEVER buy a song or CD on-line, so a music store thing has no interest for me.
-Because my Sony Discman has 40 hours battery life on 2 AA cells, that is the kind of performance I want.
-Durability, and the ability to operate the player without looking at it, knowing by feel which buttons are which.
I can do all of the above with my current Discman, but changing discs is inconvenient from a hospital bed. However, as I view anything items not directly connected with survival as a luxury, if something does not do just what I want, I will not buy it.
I have way too much on my plate to learn a new piece of software that cannot help me with work or school. I hope I do not discourage anyone. I still want to hear what you have to say.