what is the difference between an ipod and an mp3 player?

[Racingsnake]

DH wants to listen to music as he works and wants an ipod (or an mp3 player). Neither of us knows the difference. We are, of course, very old.

Is there anything we should look for?

How do you use them?

Ipod = expensive mp3 /mp4 (video) player that will break soon

Loads of different MP3 players - I have a Sony USB one that is dead easy as it charges off the computer and no fiddling, DH has a posher Sony that is more like an Ipod as it has a full display screen.

Basically you take music off your CDs/ download from iTunes etc and put it on the computer into the software supplied. The push it onto the MP3 player, either as albums or playlists you make in the software.

I listen to audio books mostly on mine

an ipod is an MP3 player, it's just a brand name/trademark

They don't all break after a short while. I have had a nano for years now and it has survived being flushed down the loo, dropped numerous times, the DSs chewing/throwing/dropping it

iPOD is a brand of MP3 player in the same way as a hoover is a brand of vacuum cleaner.

Creative Zen are supposed to be a good alternative to the expensive iPOD brand.

I think DTDs will be getting them for birthday. I am a numpty and as far as i have been able to find out:

You download music online (and pay for it like you would a CD) or you transfer the contents of a CD onto it. You have to be areful as some of the cheaper ones may only do one or the other and not both.

Oh and they had a capacity measured in Gb which relates to how many songs you can get on it. Don't know haw many Gb=how many songs though.

Ipod is just a brand - like the differnece between a Hoover and a vacuum cleaner

OK, got the hoover/vaccuum cleaner analogy. That makes sense to someone of my generation.

Will look at sonys. Like the sound of creative zen but probably don't need a 'nano' as I wasn't planning to flush it down the loo. (But see below)

Not sure how you download. Plug in a lead to laptop?

((turn a handle? Stoke the firebox and build up a head of steam??))

I enjoyed this sentence, cmot "The push it onto the MP3 player, either as albums or playlists you make in the software." as I understood not one word. But then you might realise now that I can't even vaccuum without disaster. (Reference to another thread)

Can I ask - those ipod docking stations that are sold everywhere (cheap ones in Sainsbury's for instance) - do they only take ipods or will they take any mp3 player?

SlightlyMad -I will be looking out for your thread!
Tinker - I don't mind Apple being in charge of music as Microsoft annoys me alot by having taken over everything else and it balances it out a tiny bit. I used to be an EXPERT with Acorn computers in schools; brilliant, robust, easy to use, last for years when in a class of 30 5-year olds. Now we have all been ordered to change to Windows systems which go wrong everytime the wind is in the West or someone sneezes. So we almost never get to actually use them.
Rant over, back to mp3.

Best thing about apple products is you not giving any more money to the already stupidly rich Bill Gates!

iPods don't always break, still have my original iPod mini, looks like a brick compared to my new nano but still works well.

You have to put all your music onto your computer, either by putting the CDs into the computer or by buying music off the internet. When the music moves from the internet shop to your computer, this is called downloading. Then from your computer you choose what music goes onto your mp3 player. The two connect via a lead, as you guessed.

If you have an ipod all the music needs to be within a (free) program called iTunes. iTunes organises the music you coppy from your CDs, and also allows you to buy music from the iTunes internet shop.

If you have another mp3 player you need to use a different program to do this, I think.

ipods are prettier, and come in nice colours, but are more expensive. And they don't always break, I have had my ipod mini (it's not very mini, but it was at the time) since 2005.

Oh, and ipod docking stations only work for ipods because other mp3 players have different shaped plug thingys on the bottom. If you have a 'creative zen' mp3 player you'll need a 'creative zen' docking station.

I just got a samsung yp-q1 diamond 16gb mp3/mp4 player it does all the things that an ipod does but was a lot cheaper.

samsung yp-q1 diamond

Isn't Apple owned by Microsoft ?

if you're a novice I would recommend a nice cheap ipod shuffle. they're easy to use and tiny although they have no display so you can't see what's on there but that's never bothered me

you can get itunes for windows and that software will get your music from cds to ipod and you can use it to buy music too.

racingsnake - re the takeover of microsoft in schools, there are alternatives such as the growing movement to get free and open source software such as linux into schools

lol @ apple owned by microsoft- as if! iPods are clearly the best mp3 players out there - brilliantly designed and not sure what a PP said about it being easily broken - I had one which went strong for 5 years. I'm now on my second one.

apple is not owned by microsoft but they do share certain software .
My ipod is yonks old and has survived children/dropped/scractched etc etc. The technology in them is very very good AND they generally dont go wrong.
That said Sony do a wicked MP3 player as do a LOT of other manufacturers so dont get hung up on the ipod name

I am so glad you asked this. I've always wondered and I have had many MP3s. Currently have a Samsung Y4 (I think it's called) which is the the best yet. Cost about 30 I think.

mrsleroyjethrogibbs am intrigued to what you mean by 'share certain software' - either one owns it or the other does. they make software for each other's operating systems if that's what you mean but that's not 'sharing certain software' WRT owning.