MP3/Ipod needed - what to look for when buying?

[happynewme]

I just want one of those little thingys for going to the gym and going running. Don't know anything about them - i imagine salesman will tell me i need most expensive but its just for music at the gym - what should i look for? and any recommendations of brand? thanks

I had a Creative Zen V for Christmas and it's brilliant. It's designed for technophobic idiots like me who don't know anything about MP3 players - you plug it into the PC and it does all the ripping and copying for you on a Windows-type system. Holds up to 1000 tracks, plus the battery is rechargeable, so you don't have to replace batteries every 6 hours like the last one I had!

It's small and neat, and has a PC-type display screen that's ever so easy to navigate around. I love it.

I would recommend something like

this

it plus straight into your usb hub on the computer, and acts the same way as a memory stick.. you just drag and drop your mp3's onto it.. also comes with a radio.

Others will probably disagree with me, but unless you spend A LOT of time listening to it, and a real music junkie then i-pods just arent worth the money or the hassle - my sister has had a few... the are difficult to get music onto, and can cause problems with your pc when you install the software that is needed..

I got mine off amazon, cost less than £50, has radio, 512Mb.. which is enough for 100ish songs.. more than enough IMO, and has a rechargable battery. Bargin!!

Eh dragging and dropping mp3's - whats that?!? Think the more simple to use Creative sounds like it might suit me better - thanks both for replies

Sorry I didnt explain that very well, you open your c drive if thats where your songs are stored and can use "drag and drop" or copy and paste" onto the mp3 as it is just the same as a storage device such as a memory stick or floppy disk.. should imagine this is the same as the creative?

hiya
ive just advertised an mp3 player on the for sale board
Fi x

I've found my Creative much, much simpler than the old drag-and-drop type one I had before, although you can still use drag and drop. You don't have to rip your CDs beforehand; plug it in, open up the software on the PC, click to Rip and it puts it straight onto your MP3 player and drops it onto your music files on the PC at the same time. You have a windows-based package that you download onto the PC, and you just click on what you want the machine to do. You can drag and drop from one file to another, just as you would any Windows application, but you can also use the menus on the software to move things around.

I stopped using my old MP3 player because I'm a real Luddite and couldn't remember how to rip or burn or whatever you do to turn your music into an MP3 file ... with the Creative I just plug it in and it does it all for me.

I also got a Creative Zen V for Christmas and love it (although I did upgrade the headphones, but have heard ipods benefit from that as well). I know you don't want anything fancy but I have loaded some pics of dcs on it, which is a nice touch.

I have seen this recommended for gym use, but I have no experience of Sony MP3 players so maybe someone could help you with that!

I have one like this for in the car. I use a cassette converter with it.

I've less than a quarter of the memory and have stored 13 albums. And it's dead easy to use. Only downside is that it charges via a USB port and doesn't have a traditional battery, but I just plug it into the computer for half an hour or so and it's done.

I wouldn't go for less than 1gb or you'll forever be putting tracks on and taking them off to make space for new stuff.

HTH.