MP3 Player Buyer's Guide

Medium Dave

Ok, my sister wants an mp3 player for Xmas. And I realize, as I'm searching for one for her, is that no one really makes good mp3 players anymore.

She doesn't want a touch device or an iPod. It needs to have a screen big enough to watch video on. No tablets, those are too big. She tends to walk the track and watch episodes of TV on her player. Her last one was a 30 gig Creative Zen that just gave up the ghost.

Something that's got a decent hard drive and screen and is easy enough to use...Anyone have any clue? I've been looking into iRiver stuff, because I remember those being decent. I love my Zune 120, but she wasn't a fan of the Zune software. And those are a bit harder to find new these days.

Synthesis

This might be too vague, but I think starting out Anything But iPod would be a very good start.

I mean, it's pretty much purpose-designed for people who live outside the United States (and thus, possibly outside of iPod Land), people who dislike or want to avoid iTunes for any number of reasons, or people who have more specific design requirements. There's a whole comparison tool and everything, and they do lots of reviews of Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese models, as well as American brands like Creative (when they actually come out).

Hope that didn't sound too much like a promotional shill.

Cormac

Synthesis wrote:

This might be too vague, but I think starting out Anything But iPod would be a very good start.

I mean, it's pretty much purpose-designed for people who live outside the United States (and thus, possibly outside of iPod Land), people who dislike or want to avoid iTunes for any number of reasons, or people who have more specific design requirements. There's a whole comparison tool and everything, and they do lots of reviews of Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese models, as well as American brands like Creative (when they actually come out).

Hope that didn't sound too much like a promotional shill.

No, you're fine. Anything But Ipod is one of the few, if only, sites that gives detailed reviews and coverage of MP3 players that aren't made my Apple. They don't seem to update that often, but the mp3 player market is not what it used to be so there's only so much to cover.

If she didn't want a player she should watch video on, Sandisk makes some of best, good sounding, well priced, reasonably well made music only players. Cowan make a number of touch screen multimedia players, and I believe there a version of the Samsung Galaxy that is wifi only to be used as a mp3/media/app/game device.

Medium Dave

I skimmed a bit of Anything, it's got some interesting stuff on it. I'll dig in a bit more tonight.

Yeah, she's super picky and I've let her know the personal media player landscape is barren UNLESS you want a new phone or tablet. She's stubborn, though. I'm looking into Cowan, any recommends on a specific player?

Synthesis

Cormac wrote:

Synthesis wrote:

This might be too vague, but I think starting out Anything But iPod would be a very good start.

I mean, it's pretty much purpose-designed for people who live outside the United States (and thus, possibly outside of iPod Land), people who dislike or want to avoid iTunes for any number of reasons, or people who have more specific design requirements. There's a whole comparison tool and everything, and they do lots of reviews of Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese models, as well as American brands like Creative (when they actually come out).

Hope that didn't sound too much like a promotional shill.

No, you're fine. Anything But Ipod is one of the few, if only, sites that gives detailed reviews and coverage of MP3 players that aren't made my Apple. They don't seem to update that often, but the mp3 player market is not what it used to be so there's only so much to cover.

It's the only one I know of in English. Naturally, all those Cowon and other designs get huge buzz on the internet--just not in the Anglosphere.

Accordingly, there's good about reporting any language issues you might have with software.